Every time someone searches, Google Ads runs an auction in a fraction of a second to decide which ads appear, in what order, and whether any appear at all. Understanding this auction is the foundation of week 7 and the reason a well run small campaign can beat a bigger budget.
What happens in a search
- Someone searches "laptop repair Tamale".
- The system finds every ad whose keywords match the search.
- For each, it works out the Ad Rank, a set of values that decides whether the ad can show and where.
- Ads that meet the minimum standards show, highest Ad Rank first.
What goes into Ad Rank
Google Ads Help lists several factors:
- Your bid, the most you are willing to pay for a click.
- The quality of your ads and landing page, how relevant and useful they are.
- Ad Rank thresholds, minimum standards an ad must meet to show at all.
- How competitive the auction is.
- The context of the search, such as location, device, time and the words used.
- The expected impact of assets, such as a phone number or extra links.
Google notes that relevance can make up for a lower bid. An advertiser with highly relevant keywords and ads can win a higher position at a lower price than a competitor bidding more.