Google Ads are an accessible and effective way to expand your brand reach and target potential customers. One of the most popular aspects of this service is that it allows you to target specific keywords and phrases. This means your ad will pop up in front of buyers who are actively searching for products or services related to your business.
Yet the question remains; are smaller organisations able to get a return on investment (ROI) from Google Ads? The answer is yes.
Google Ads have the potential to generate leads and increase revenue, but their effectiveness depends on your ability to tailor the Ads to suit your business such as ensuring that the right key words are used and URLs. This is especially crucial for small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which often have limited budget so the more focused and targeted you can make your campaign, the better the results it will produce.
There have been reports of publishers and platforms disagreeing on the benefits that Google Ads provide. It all comes down to preparation and planning. Research your competitors’ Google Ads activity to help shape your goals. Then develop a comprehensive Google Ads strategy that encompasses elements like in-depth keyword research, dedicated URLs, creative content, website traffic KPIs, conversion rates, and a deep understanding of your customers, all of this will assist in a successful campaign.
Also, ensure that your short-term Google Ad strategy is in sync with your long-term SEO plan. Aligning the two ensures a more powerful, joined up and consistent approach that works towards meeting your business goals.
How much should a small business spend on Google Ads?
Understanding how much to invest in Google Ads can be daunting, especially if you’re new to the service. The cost of Google Ads depends on the keywords you’re bidding on and the locations that you’re targeting. Look at the current average costs of Google Ads and form a plan on how much you’re willing to spend, keeping in mind the return that you hope to make.
Google Ads top tips for businesses
As an SME, every penny counts when it comes to growing your business, so remember that you have total control over what Google Ads displays. Place your ads strategically where and when people are most likely to search for your products. For example, if you specialise in Halloween products, there’s little value in scheduling them in February.
Choose the right keywords
Your choice of keywords is essential to how successful Google Ads will be. You should aim to use keywords from your SEO strategy for consistency with your marketing, but there is also value in following trends and using trending and high volume keywords in Google ads. Finding a balance between your brand’s SEO key words and those prioritised by the current algorithm will help your business succeed while maintaining its authenticity. For example, if your product type is currently in demand (such as school uniforms in August), mixing your brand’s keywords with what’s trending will help direct traffic to your site.
Use a strong call to action (CTA)
Encouraging your audience to follow the links in your Google Ads can be done with a strong call to action (CTA). Inspiring them to investigate will increase the chances of a product purchase. Because CTAs come in various forms, such as text links, button links and plain text, make sure you use the one most appropriate for what you’re selling. A big, satisfying button to press may be thematic for an escape room advertisement, but less so for a funeral home.
The goal of a CTA is to create urgency and engage a customer to go on to your site to make a purchase, so make sure to catch the eye with unique visuals that accurately showcase your product. Be creative!
Ensure you choose the correct website landing page
Ensure that the backlinks in your Google ads are clear and easy to follow, including the page itself that they lead to. Users may lose interest clearly if the link doesn’t immediately follow to what was advertised. This ‘landing page’ is particularly important as it affects your Quality Score, which not only means bad user experiences, but money wasted and a loss of customer interest.
Monitor, and adapt
The digital world of advertisement is extremely busy, with new trends constantly surfacing in everything from marketing techniques to how services are advertised. While it is important to stay true to your brand’s tone, voice and style for authenticity, there is value in adapting to current trends that you could use to promote your product.
Monitor the competition and industry as a whole and take advantage of opportunities around you. By keeping your Google ads flexible enough to fit into all sorts of webpages, you can create an active online presence for your brand that is constantly found advertised in the areas where your audience will be.
Google Ads have great potential, but it should be thought of as a template that you must tailor to your brand’s specific criteria. Analyse its success while keeping in mind marketing concepts such as PPC and web conversion optimising. By fine-tuning where and when your ads appear, you can build a robust plan that boosts your brand’s online presence, builds website traffic among new audiences, and helps grow your business.
Google Ads is a popular paid search offering and a key service that Digitel provides. As a Google partner we can create a campaign that delivers great results with a high ROI (return on investment) and low CPA (cost per acquisition) meaning every pound you invest into your advertising is money well spent.
