Setting a Google PPC (pay per click) campaign is increasingly complex, with a minefield of jargon to navigate and multiple screens and options. One area the uninitiated can fall foul of (and the not so uninitiated too) is the timings your ads display.

When creating your PPC campaign you will no doubt have thought long and hard about what specific service or product to offer, decided up your targeting and even created a well-designed, high quality landing page for your potential visitors. But have you considered the timings your ads will be displayed?

Why Google Ads timing is important

By default, your Google Ads timing will be set to show “all day” – which means that if searched for then they will appear 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This may work for you but does it really? A successful Google Ads campaign requires constant monitoring to be able to make the most of your budget and bids. You may find that certain times of the day or certain days of the week are more successful for you (please don’t just measure success by the click through rate, look at conversions or orders when deciding this) and it makes sense to put more focus on these times. Perhaps you only want to receive enquiries during office hours, so that enquiries can be actioned immediately, whatever your reasoning we do recommend you consider taking a look at creating a Google Ad Schedule if for no other reason than to avoid the drunk clicks through to your site.

Setting your Ads Schedule

Once you have researched and decided upon the optimum timings for your ads to be displayed, you now need to set your schedule. This can be tricky to locate. Once logged into your Ads account, click on the “Campaigns” tab at the top. Under “All Campaigns” select the one you want to schedule. Next, click the “Settings” tab and then on “Ad Schedule”. If this is the first time you have set your timings, you will see the option to “+ Create Custom Schedule” click on it. If you have created one before you will have a slightly different option “+Ad schedule”. Once your relevant option has been selected you will see you can customise the days and times this Ad Campaign appears. Once selected don’t forget to click “Save” and there you go – you have set your timings.

Now don’t forget to continue to monitor and review this campaign’s performance. If you need assistance measuring your results, setting or managing your PPC Campaigns – just shout!