Before this class, when I would use Google, I’d always think of the paid ads at the top as just the companies that had the most money to be able to pay to be at the top of the search page. I thought it was just a “whoever pays the most gets it.” But after learning how Google Ads works, paid search is much more systematic and intentional than I ever thought. There’s so much more focus on intent and keywords and quality—and Google’s ability to leverage ranking as much as expense.

For example, one of the biggest surprises about paid search is how fast it is. You could spend eons trying to get SEO in Google’s good graces and still come up short but paid search—it’s like traffic can be running within the same day you’ve created a campaign. It makes so much sense why people implement Google Ads when something is newly launched or urgently needs paid visibility. It’s as if all you need to do is flip a switch and the right people are brought to your business unless your ad is irrelevant or not helpful.

Learning how paid search works taught me everything. First, you compile a list of keywords you think represent best what your users would be looking for. Then you create a very specific ad and landing page. One thing that I had not grasped for so long was that you don’t pay for impressions; you only pay for clicks. You only pay for interest which gives me a slight different perspective of value for paid search outside of just exposure.

But the most eye opening thing about all of this was the ad auction. It’s not just the company with the most money willing to buy their spot at the top but something called Ad Rank, where it’s relative to how much you are willing to pay combined with something called Quality Score, derived from expected click through rate, ad relevance and landing page experience. This means that a small competitor with a good ad and helpful landing page can outshout a larger entity with a higher price point and way more name recognition. I thought paid search was entirely money based but it’s even more valuable for those who can provide relatable features to the end user.

Writing ads was another thing I never knew came with so many implications. Google wants straightforward, honest and relevant ads. They don’t want an emotional appeal or clickbait. They want relevant headlines, required descriptions and a supportive landing page to whatever you’re selling. After learning how to rewrite some of my own headlines in class, it shocked me how much better they sounded when I appealed to the keyword user intent and not just what sounded the coolest.

Targeting and match types took a little adjusting to as well. I didn’t realize how powerful match types were until I learned that they control how and when your ads show up. There’s broad match which allows Google to cast a wider net with what people are searching vs phrase match which is tighter and exact match which is like saying it exactly as you mean it. It made me grasp why people use different types together. Because some are more exploratory while others work to protect your own budget to not have unintended ads pop up.

We also learned that bidding strategies come in conjunction with campaign goals. If you want traffic as an objective, Maximize Clicks might be best. If you want conversions Smart Bidding strategies like Maximize Conversions or Target CPA hold more weight. Before this class, I had no idea that Google takes the lead on bidding almost automatically with machine learning guidance to get you what you want with your budget.

I also learned that paid search is not without faults. If you have too vague keywords or an unattractive landing page, you can blow through a budget without relevance in no time. This makes me appreciate the importance of consistent performance evaluation, especially click through rate, conversion rate and cost per conversion. While paid search might be quicker than anything else, mistakes occur just as quickly if you’re not proactive about setting everything up correctly.

Overall, learning about paid search has shaped how I view results on Google day to day going forward. It made me appreciate why certain ads come up and how deliberate they are with their placement. It taught me how effective companies can reach people immediately and the true power of intent-driven advertising over custom meant SEO efforts. Paid search is not just an avenue for the big name brands—but something that any business can learn from and do well as long as they get the hang of it better than anticipated. This was a lesson that I’ll carry well beyond this class.