A Cost-to-Benefit Look at Why Your Small Biz Needs Google Ads
Can you use Google Ads for free?
Surprisingly, a coworker noticed this was a top search phrase in Google’s search engine. The answer: “Of course not, silly.” Sorry, was that too forward? To explain it simply, it doesn’t cost for you to use Google’s Keyword Planner but once someone clicks on these chosen keywords for your Google Ads (formerly Google Adwords), you pay. In other words, you’re paying because your advertising is working, and that’s a good thing.
If you’re a small business owner, you might still be wondering if you need Google Ads. The answer is any of the following, “Yes. Sí. Oui. Heck yeah. Indeedy.” The reason we say this is simple. Google Ads work, and here’s how.
Google AdsVantages (hey, maybe we should coin this):
1. Your Google Ad is Catching the Person in the Moment
Unlike other advertising methods, Google Ads catch you at the beginning of the sales funnel. What we mean by that is the person who is searching for something that matches your Google Ads keywords is likely looking for that product or service right then. For example, if they search “spin class Seattle,” chances are they are looking to find a cycling studio in that city and they’d like the info sooner rather than later. It’s the epitome of striking while the iron is hot, as chances are you’ve got yourself a motivated potential customer or client. This also means that the Google Ads campaign is local and will target the people searching as such … hence the spinning in Seattle part.
2. You Only Pay for Results
As we mentioned above, you don’t pay for the ads themselves but you do pay when they begin to work, making it a win/win. This PPC (pay-per-click) method has a long history of proven results. To boot, it’s highly customizable, as you can set the maximum amount you are willing to pay per click as well as a maximum daily budget. This is a huge advantage over traditional advertising, as many other campaigns charge you to display your ad regardless of results.
3. You Can Measure Your Success
Think about any time you’ve gone on a diet, changed your eating habits, and/or begun an intense workout regimen. You’re not just flying by the seat of your pants, crossing your fingers that it’s working. You’re likely weighing yourself, assessing the fit of your clothing, and flexing more in front of the mirror (come on, you know you do it, too). It feels good to see results, and Google Ads gives you that ability.
With the Google Ads dashboard, you can track how many people see your ad, how many click on the ad, and how many people convert or take action on your website. The reason this is so crucial is that if you notice that a lot of people are clicking on the ad but not converting, you know you need to make some changes. You can adjust the ad or the landing page and see how those changes affect the results.
4. Better Quality Will Get You Better Results
Say what you want about Google but they have high expectations. More power to ‘em, right? The way that affects your Google Ads campaign is that they take many factors into consideration when weighing where to put you in the search results. Just because you paid more for your keyword search doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll fare better when it comes to the bidding process. Google will also evaluate your landing page. If you have the higher quality one in comparison to your competitor, you are more likely to get a better search ranking. This obviously motivates you to put your best foot forward when it comes to creating ads and perfecting the landing pages where the ads are taking your potential clients.
5. Remarketing FTW
We’ve all heard people talk about how “creepy” it is when ads for a product that they’ve recently searched for suddenly appear on their timeline or in other searches. It might sound like Big Brother but there is a method to this remarketing (aka retargeting) madness. Most marketers will tell you that consumers are more likely to pull the trigger on a purchase after they’ve seen the product three times. So when you think about it, these ads are simply a way of reminding customers that you’re there. And you can use Google Ads to create your remarketing list. The campaign will be built around the “Popular Category” list. Your message will be shown only to these people and, as with all Google Ads, you can measure your success rate.
Reach out to L7 Advertising to find out how we can turn your Google Ads campaign into a well-oiled, money-making machine.