Google is one of the most popular search engines in the world, with 1.17 billion active users turning to the search engine to find their answers. For businesses looking to grow and reach new audiences, Google Ads can help you to hit your goals and objectives. But how? Firstly…
What are Google Ads?
Google Ads offer businesses the chance to advertise your services and to have your ads show up in search engine results pages.
With over 63,000 searches performed every single second on Google, it’s a great chance for brands to gain visibility and get noticed. Sponsored or paid ads will typically show up at the top or at the bottom of the page, and are designed to look like organic results (other than the small “ad” label attached to the result).
Google Ads are linked to keywords. You bid on keywords that are relevant to you, and how far up the ad list you are depends on a combination of how much you bid and how good the quality score Google awards your website is. Google ads are pay-per-click, meaning that you’ll pay a certain fee every time a user clicks on your ad.
Google also offers companies the option of display ads, which can be in the format of text, images, video, or a banner. Display ads look more like a traditional advertisement.
What are the benefits of running a Google Ads campaign?
There are many great benefits to using Google Ads, and Google’s success rate as a search engine definitely plays into this. Here are a few benefits you can expect when you choose to use Google Ads to help you further your success in business:
- Build brand awareness
- Direct more traffic to your website
- Improve online results
- Connect and build trust with your audience
- Drive sales and increase conversions
Build brand awareness
Every brand has a story to share with the world, and the more visible your company is, the better chance you have of growing that awareness and getting your message out there.
Without this visibility, potential customers may not know you exist – and Google Ads can help put you on the map. By having a visible online presence on the search engine results page (SERP), your target customers will become familiar with your name. This deepens their trust and gets them one step closer to taking action.
Direct traffic to your site
One of the most important results you want from an advertisement is to drive traffic to your site as this gets customers deeper into the sales funnel.
Directing traffic to your site will not only improve your chances of organically climbing the SEO (search engine optimization) ladder, but will also get the right people to visit your website which can result in a higher chance of conversions and sales.
Connect with your audience
Another benefit of running Google Ads campaigns is that you can target specific audiences.
By using Google Ads, you can target people who are more likely to be interested in the message you’re sending them. You can target based on keywords of course (making your results already relevant), but you can also narrow the target and make it applicable based on location, age, industry, personality, or even retarget those who have already visited or shown interest in your site. Targeted Google Ads can also help save money and increase ROI.
Measure your success
Google Ads also allow you to continually measure your success. Adword campaigns invite you to see exactly who clicked on your ad, how many leads you have generated, the cost of each lead, and which of your keywords and ads have been the most successful. This helps you to see exactly what is working for your business – and what isn’t.
Are there any drawbacks to Google Ads?
While there are many benefits to using Google Ads to propel your business forward, it doesn’t come completely without drawbacks – although these are relatively low when measured against the benefits.
- The competition for keywords can be high so you can end up paying a lot for one click, and this can have a negative impact on your ROI
- Learning how to effectively use Google analytics to maximise Google Ads can be time consuming (but this can be outsourced to experts)
- You may struggle to target the right audience if you use broad keywords in your ad campaigns
How to boost success with Google Ads
Have a clear objective
As with any type of marketing campaign, it helps to have a clear objective of what you want the audience to do when they click on your ad. This is where you need to map out your conversion funnel and understand the steps your audience will take to get to where they are going.
Create compelling copy
Compelling copy and clear directions are the key to any successful marketing campaign. Text should be smart and short, with the right keywords and a clear call to action in place.
Make sure your keywords are pinpoint accurate
Good keyword choices are essential to success when it comes to Google Ads. If you’re too broad with your choices then it will lead to targeting people who may not be interested in your services. Working with longtail keywords can capture the attention of those you want to reel in. Using relevant place names and details can also help narrow it down.
Optimize your landing page
Don’t overlook the importance of a good landing page when it comes to your Google Ads campaigns. Once the user has clicked on your ad and got onto your website, you want to make sure that it’s an attractive and user-friendly place to land.
You want to make the page they land on fulfil the promise of the ad and answer or solve their question or problem. Again, good copy, great images, and even deals and attractive offers will keep them moving through the sales funnel to a purchase.
Measure and tweak – regularly
Make full use of the measuring tools Google provides. Google Ads can tell you all the useful metrics you need to see what’s working and what isn’t, and gives you the info you need to tailor your approach for better success.
Impressions, click through stats, popular pages, and how a customer finds their way to your site – this is all important knowledge to check, track, and check again.
If you need help getting Google Ads right, reach out to our team for a consultation.
