Online marketing has become paramount for every business owner that wants to thrive in the digital age. Companies dedicate copious amounts of time and money to develop their customers’ online personas, investing in numerous online marketing channels that revolve around content, search engine optimization (SEO), Pay Per Click (PPC) campaigns, and Social Media.
Studies of shopping behaviours reveal that consumers research a product or service online before visiting the store or making a purchase. And, most of them use Google search to find the information that interests them. Considering that the search engine giant gets about 3.5 billion daily queries, you could just imagine the number of potential customers you could target.
But, in spite of the massive return on investment that Google AdWords campaigns promise to generate, a lot of small businesses are still reluctant about using them. The problem is that most of them don’t understand how Google ads work and how they can help their business.
Consider this article the crash course you need to get things started.
You may also be interested in Can AdWords Make You Money? Yes! Here’s How!
What Is AdWords?
AdWords is a Pay-Per-Click service offered by Google. It enables businesses and organizations to bid on specific keywords and have their ads displayed on search results whenever someone performs a relevant query. The formula Google uses to decide which Google ad to rank higher considers a variety of factors, such as the keyword search volume, the quality of the ad, the relevance of the landing page, and the bid.
Why Do I Need It?
An AdWords ad is one of the best ways to put your products or services in front of the right audience and at the right time. Sure, you can use SEO, content marketing, and social media marketing to grow your business organically (and we encourage you to do so,) but these strategies take time to show results and generate ROI. Google AdWords, on the other hand, can help you build awareness, generate qualified sales, and scale your bottom line rather quickly.
Here are just some of the ways Google AdWords can help your business:
- Improve Your Online Exposure
Even if not everyone clicks on your ad, it still appears in the top search results, making it easier for prospects to notice and even remember your brand. And, even if you didn’t generate a lead, you probably scored a few valuable points in brand recognition.
That’s not all!
With the help of ad extensions, you can add contact information, such as phone numbers, email addresses, or social media handles in your ad copy and make it easier for potential customers to get in touch with you. You won’t be charged extra if you want to include this information, but you will be charged just the same if someone clicks on it.
- Reach an Audience That Already Has an Intent to Buy
As mentioned already, AdWords campaigns enable you to target the right people, at the right time and (hopefully) with the right message. But, to take advantage of this opportunity, you need to focus on keywords that can maximize your return on investment.
Target prospects who already have an intent to buy rather than those that are just looking around. For instance, a Thai restaurant wanting to promote their delivery service should target people searching for ‘Thai food delivery,’ instead of something vague, such as “Thai food.”
If you’re unsure what keywords you should target, then use Google’s Keyword Planner to get an insight into potential customers are looking for online and the phrase they are using.
- Reach an Audience Close to You
The internet has made it easier to target consumers worldwide, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that every local business should strive for world domination. More often than not, targeting the audience that is the closest to you can be the winning strategy.
AdWords offers a variety of location-targeting options that allows you to promote your ad to customers in your area, city or state. You can even advertise your business only in the specific geolocations you activate in, restricting those who aren’t in your shipping area. That way, you make sure that you’re not wasting valuable ad dollars on unqualified clicks.
- It’s Not Just for the Deep-Pocketed Businesses
Even smaller businesses that don’t have infinite marketing resources can integrate an AdWords campaign into their online marketing strategy. You can set up a daily budget for each ad you run and spend as much as you want. You can change your budget as you get the hang of how to create and run an AdWords campaign.
- Track and Measure
Google AdWords offers multiple options for tracking and measuring campaigns. First, you can establish from the start what kind of results you expect from your ads (increased traffic, brand awareness, ROI, conversions rates, and sales).
After you set a campaign goal, your dashboard hosts information on your ad’s performance, form which keyword works best, what headlines are unresponsive, what hours your ad gathered the most clicks, etc.
These metrics are essential and can help you get a sense of how your ads are performing. Check them daily, and when the results aren’t satisfying, go in and make a few changes to get things on the right track.
Conclusion
It took us a while to get here and give a definite answer, but we wanted to ensure that you understand how Google AdWords can help your business and why it’s worth the effort. Keep in mind, though that the success of your PPC campaign will depend on how you set it and manage it. Merely investing some money into AdWords isn’t a guarantee for success.
If you’re unsure how to go about it, then you should take a look at what Australian Internet Advertising can do for you. We’ve helped startups grow into six-figure businesses and we can do the same for you.
