Why Your Small Business Needs Google Ads
Wouldn't it be cool if there was a special tool you could use that not only tells you what keywords to use, but tells you how popular they are, how many people are searching for them each month so that you can get in on that conversation? You can do all that and more using Google Ads!
Google Ads may seem daunting to small business owners who aren’t familiar with digital advertising but it is actually quite simple and easy to learn. Check out my webinar to learn how to get started with Google Ads right now.
If you need a little convincing here are a few reasons Google Ads is worth your time...
Capture Customers in Micro-Moments
Online advertising is particularly effective when your potential customers are researching and shopping for the types of products and services you offer. These are called Micro-Moments. A micro-moment is a moment in time when your potential customer, the person that needs your products or services, realizes they need to know something, go somewhere, do something or buy something.
Now, how often do you head over to Google to research a possible purchase? Maybe you just want to confirm that in items in stock and while you're there, you might discover different products, too. This happens all the time.
You might say that people no longer go online. They live online. That's not just a catchy phrase - it's what the data shows. In a 2019 study, almost half of surveyed shoppers said they used Google to discover new products, and more than half said they use Google to research their purchases.
By running ads you are ensuring that your small business shows up when a potential customer is in the middle of a micro-moment and is ready to buy! You don’t have to worry about showing up too far down in search rankings because Google will serve them your ad in a prominent location.
Be Where People Are Making Purchasing Decisions
Let's imagine a woman is searching for a holiday gift for dad. She grabs whatever device is handy, computer, laptop, tablet or smartphone and visits Google to search. She's not sure what she's looking for so she types in a word or phrase that describes what she might need. Gift for dad. Gifts for him. Fun gifts for dad. This is called a search query.
She determines what she's going to search and what she's typing in. Google shows a search results page, a list of websites and resources that are related to the search, including relevant ads -- ads that are chosen by an advertising auction happening in real time.
If you've watched Storage Wars or any of those shows where they're bidding in real time, they’ve got the fast talking auctioneer. This is the same kind of thing except it's happening in milliseconds and Google is determining the auction winner and displaying it on the search engine results page. Whether or not a particular ad is offered to the customer depends on how the ad was set up, including its bid, or how much the advertiser is willing to pay and also the advertiser's budget.
You Can Control Your Spend And Results
You may have heard of the terms PPC or CPC, they stand for pay per click and cost per click.
You're only going to pay for how many people click on that ad with pay per click. You only pay if someone expresses interest in your ad by clicking on it. You're not going to pay for people who aren't interested. So that means you're paying for results and it's easier to measure your success. If your ad isn't giving you the results you want, you can pause it, edit it, or cancel it.
When you first open your Ads account, Google will take you through the steps to set up what's called a smart campaign. Smart campaigns are Google's solution for small businesses. So smart campaigns use Google's technology to automate campaign management to help reach business goals. Google Ads will ask you a question such as “what's your main advertising goal?” And will give you several options. “Do you want to get more calls?” “Do you want to get more website sales or sign ups?”
Smart campaigns ensure that you can set up ads that help your business in whichever way you want. If you want to get more email list sign ups you can direct people there. If you want more calls you can direct them there as well!
Get Metrics To Improve Your Messaging
If you're not measuring, you're not marketing. As a marketer, you're part artist, part mad scientist. You want to be testing things and seeing what's working.
You could have a different offer or a different call to action and then see how that affects your click through rate. You want to make sure that whatever you're paying, you're getting a return on your investment.
When you run Google Ads you get important information back to figure out what messaging is most effective for your business. With that insight you can hone your messaging across Google Ads as well as your website, physical advertising and social media.
If one ad is getting more conversions and more impressions something about it is resonating with potential customers and that insight is invaluable!
Final Thoughts
Google Ads are an important resource for small businesses looking to get noticed in Google Search. If you are ready to get started creating your first ad campaign check out my Google Ads webinar where I take you through the entire process and let you in on some best practices.
Here’s to your success!