If you’ve been looking for ways to promote your product or service online, you’ve probably come across the term “Google Adwords” or “Google Ads” for short. If you haven’t given it too much attention, thinking that social media advertising is easier or better suited for your business, we highly recommend that you reconsider your perspective.
In this article, we will try to show you why you should consider Google Ads and how it can be beneficial to your small business.
What Does Google Adwords Mean?
Very simply put, Google Ads, formerly known as Google AdWords, is an online advertising platform. What it means is that you pay Google to display your ad on its vast network, such as in the search results or on the Google Display Network, in apps, and so on. It’s a pay-per-click advertising system, meaning that you only pay when someone clicks on your ad.
How Does It Work Exactly?
The process is quite complex, but we will try to explain it in a few words.
Whenever a user types some search terms in Google, an ad auction begins. Google will look at three essential factors to determine if and where to display your ad:
- Your bid: How much you are willing to pay for a click on your ad;
- Your Quality Score: Google will look at how relevant your ad copy, landing page, and so on are to the search query;
- How your ad extensions, such as price or phone call extensions, will influence your ad.
Why Use Google Adwords for Small Businesses
If you are a small business owner trying to put your product or service in front of potential customers, then Google Ads can help you expand your reach and get to your target audience.
Here are six reasons why you should invest in Google Adwords:
1. Reach out to Your Customers When They Need You
When done right, Google Ads can help you put your business in front of your audience exactly when they are looking for your products or services. For example, when prospects are searching for “iPhone repair shop,” they have a clear intention and you could leverage that to promote your small business.
2. Target Local Customers
With PPC advertising, you can ensure that your ads appear on Google’s local results page and in front of the audience most likely to purchase your product or services. You can, for example, include location keywords when optimising your ads, such as “iPhone repair in Sydney” to ensure that your ads will be shown to the right audience.
3. Increase the Target Audience for the Same Product
It’s not unusual for a product or service to target different types of audiences. If you have a mobile phone repair shop, then you may want to target iPhone users, Android users, people who are looking for cheap phone repair services, and so on. By optimising your ads for the right keywords, you can target a wide audience depending on their needs and the solutions they are looking for.
Just make sure that instead of broad search terms, you use more specific ones. You should also use negative keywords to ensure that your ads won’t be displayed to people who are not really looking for the types of service you offer.
4. Redirect Customers to a Specific Landing Page
One of the strengths of PPC ads is that you can select which page the customer will land on after clicking on the ad.
Although most people choose the home page as their landing page, we recommend that you take full advantage of this and redirect customers to a customised and optimised landing page. That can help boost your conversion rates as you are making it easier for your prospect to learn more about your product and purchase it.
5. Sophisticated Monitoring Options
Google Ads give you a detailed report of how your ads are performing. You can monitor everything from how many people per day clicked on your ad, your cost per click, your conversion rates, and others.
This detailed reporting can make it easier to calculate your ROI (return on investment,) and determine if this online marketing platform really works for your small business or if you should redirect your attention to other digital marketing strategies.
6. Faster Results
PPC ads are faster than other marketing methods out there, such as SEO or social media marketing. Although these channels are certainly effective, it can take longer to convert prospects and generate a positive ROI.
If you already have a good grasp of how this online advertising platform works, then Google ads are the easiest way to start promoting and selling your product or service.
Things to Pay Attention to Before Using Google Ads
Although Google ads are a powerful tool through which you can promote your business, there are a few things you need to pay attention to before you begin:
1. Google Adwords Has a Steep Learning Curve
If you are not careful and don’t optimise your ads properly, Google AdWords can be quite expensive.
You need to understand the limits of your daily budget and how Google Ads uses that budget. You also need to make sure that you have every technical detail in place. Otherwise, you risk paying lots of advertising dollars for nothing.
2. Understand Your Value and Use It
Before you start pouring money into Google Ads, understand your marketing messages and promises.
The better structured and more appealing messages you use for your customers, the less likely you are to pay for ads that won’t convert. But, that can only be achieved through practice.
3. Your Keywords Can Make or Break Your Ads
It’s not enough to know what keywords your audience is using, but you also need to understand the intention behind them:
- Browsing – When you search for a specific web site;
- Transactional – When you search for something with the aim of buying it;
- Informational – When you search for information on a specific topic.
If your goal is to educate people about your product or service, then make sure to use informational keywords in your ads, such as “how-to,” “benefits,” “pros and cons,” and so on. But, if you want them to convert, then you should use transactions keywords like “shop,” “order,” “buy,” and so on
Is Google Adwords Worth It?
Over 95% of Google’s annual revenue comes from Google Ads, which can only mean that most businesses are using this method of promotion more and more.
Google revolutionised the business promotion industry when it introduced Google Ads, mainly because it is one of the most effective methods of direct online marketing.
So the answer is yes, it is worth investing in Google Adwords.
But, if you are new to this space and are not sure how to even begin using Google Ads to promote your business, then we can understand your hesitation. However, that’s not reason enough to stay away from Google Ads. At Australian Internet Advertising, you can find a trusted team of experts who can help you create a profitable Google Ads strategy.
