Google Ads is Google’s online advertising program. Every second, there are 63,000 searches performed on Google; the majority of these search results pages include Google Ads. Google Ads can be a very effective method of driving relevant, qualified traffic to a company’s website when these advertisements appear to people who are searching for the types of products and services the particular business offers.
This digital marketing tool allows businesses to communicate meaningful messages to target audiences. Companies bid on specific keywords that they think customers will use, and then, when a user conducts a search that matches one of these keywords, Google compares the bids and ad quality of the different businesses and decides which ad will appear on the search search engine results page (SERP).
The Google Ads platform runs on a pay-per-click (PPC) advertising; in other words, businesses pay every time a visitor clicks their ad. The average cost-per-click in the US varies by industry. For example, roofing and plumbing sectors average $15+ per click. However, due to the vast amount of advertisers, the overall average across Google Ads is as low as $1 to $2. Once a company sets a monthly ad campaign, they can set an ad-spend cap that Google will follow. Google will also choose target audiences globally and/or locally. Furthermore, as the campaign is running, companies are provided with measurable results, such as website clicks, conversions, and revenue.
There are a variety of advertising campaigns that can be run through Google Ads. For example, some of the most well known and effective are:
- Search campaigns allow marketers and brands to show text ads to people searching for specific items or products. For these campaigns, it is imperative to create a keyword list that best describes your product or service.
- Display campaigns showcase ads on different websites across the internet. A business’ ad can appear on third-party websites, at the top of a webpage, or even in the sidebar. Some examples of display campaigns include shopping campaigns, video campaigns, or app campaigns.
- Shopping campaigns primarily allow e-commerce companies to show products related to high intent search queries. These campaigns show at the top of search queries and allow customers to make direct purchases.
- Local Ads primarily allow service-based companies to capture immediate business. In Local Ads, customers are looking to promptly solve a problem and these ads act somewhat like Shopping campaigns for local service-based companies.
- YouTube campaigns allow companies to generate awareness with video ads placed on YouTube. As the second (or third) leading search engine, YouTube provides a massive audience and these campaigns offer a great avenue to promote your brand.
Why Google Ads Matter
Google has over 259 million unique visitors, 4.8 billion daily interactions, and over 6 billion search queries a day, so Google Ads can clearly help you reach your goals in connecting with new customers and, thus, increasing your revenue stream. More specifically, there are clear benefits to using Google Ads:
- Google has a massive reach across the internet and allows people across the world to see and learn about your business and the services or products you provide. A lot of people search Google because they have a problem they need to solve; if your business can help them find the answer–even through an ad–then they become a potentially new customer.
- The utilization of keyword search terms shows your advertisements to prospective clients at an early stage and allows businesses to capture their information with a post-click landing page. In addition to targeting prospective clients through keywords, you can also utilize audience and demographic targeting to further refine who ads show to and to learn more about your customer. Furthermore, if these clicks don’t convert, companies can use retargeting software to reach out to these potential clients again.
- Google Ads allows businesses to always maintain their control of marketing campaigns. Furthermore, the program allows you to put constraints on your daily budget.
- Finally, Google Ads provides companies with results presented in an easy-to-understand format. Businesses can find basic information like clicks, impressions, keyword budget, conversions, revenue and more. It allows you to see how visitors behave on your website.
Google Ads matter because they extend the reach of a company’s marketing and advertising campaign, target key potential customers, and allow businesses to track the effectiveness of their campaigns.
Common Misconceptions of Google Ads
Google Ads was launched over 20 years ago, on October 20, 2000. Since then, there have been many myths surrounding Google Ads. These misconceptions can lead companies to misuse the potential of their brands, waste precious money, or abandon their Google Ad campaigns. Be aware of the following common misconceptions to avoid making the same mistake.
Myth #1: No one clicks on Google Ads. If this was true, Google wouldn’t be the largest media company in the world. Advertising revenue for Google, back in 2017, was over $100 billion. While some people may not deliberately click on advertisements, there are users who click on the advertisements because they are specifically looking for products that meet their needs and expectations. More specifically, many customers will click on advertisements that satisfy what they are looking for and then, importantly, make a conversion after being redirected to the company’s website.
Myth #2: Google Ads affect the SEO of your website. Some business owners worry that if they already utilize search engine optimization, they don’t need Google Ads. However, both Google Ads and SEO are complementary parts of a comprehensive digital marketing strategy. They can work together to drive potential, qualified, traffic to your website. In maximizing SERP coverage, a company can elevate brand awareness–resulting in more customers and more qualified leads.
Myth #3: Google Ads only advertise in Google. As noted above, Google Ads showcases advertisements across different platforms. Businesses must avoid limiting themselves to the Google search engine, as they lose out on potential opportunities to reach new potential customers.
Myth #4: Google Ads are expensive. While some people worry that their budget doesn’t allow for Google Ads, companies actually only pay for the number of clicks that an ad generates. Furthermore, there is no minimum spend, so companies can determine their own budget. The goal is to get a return on your investment; Google Ads can be a great resource for local and small businesses with limited marketing budgets.
Myth #5: Google Ads don’t need to be managed or developed. Some people believe that once they set up an ad within the campaign structure, their work is done. However, it is crucially important to continually test and monitor ads, ad groups, and campaigns. Just because a company is getting clicks doesn’t mean their work is done. Instead, companies should constantly assess the current campaign in order to improve its effectiveness, adjust to new features within the Google Ads platform, test new ad copy, monitor the monthly budget, and to stay ahead of the competition.
