Great! You’ve got your SEO-optimised website up and running and it looks fab.
You can let it sit now and wait for the traffic to roll in organically, or you can start being proactive about getting eyeballs to your business.
People use Google to search 3.5 billion times a day. Each search offers opportunities for you to get your brand in front of more users.
One solid way of improving traffic to your website is through Google Ads.
What Is Google Ads?
With Google Ads (formerly known as Google AdWords and Google AdWords Express), you can put your business in front of users who are actively seeking the products and services you offer.
Businesses can advertise across Google Search, YouTube, and other sites.
Also available through Google Ads are specific ad goals, such as driving phone calls or driving website traffic. An account allows advertisers to set their budgets and target audiences, and stop and start their ads as needed.
Is Google Ads Worth It?
Google Ads convert at a higher rate than organic search traffic.
“The biggest difference between the people you can reach on Google Ads and other forms of advertising is intent,” Oddball’s Search Engine Marketing Specialist, Jared Keens said.
“Users on the search network are looking for solutions to the problems they are experiencing … they are open to being advertised to,” Keens said.
And the stats show Google Ads is definitely worth your attention and investment:
- 65% of all clicks made by users who intend to make a purchase go to paid ads. (Wordstream)
- 43% of customers buy something they’ve seen in a YouTube ad. (Hubspot)
- Online ads can increase brand awareness by up to 80%. (WebFX, 2019)
- 80% of businesses focus on Google Ads for PPC campaigns. (Tech Jury, 2020)
- 95.88% of Google searches are four words or more. (Statista, 2020)
- Two in five small-to-midsize businesses are running a PPC campaign. (WebFX, 2019)
- Internet users are four times more likely to click on a paid search ad on Google (63%) than on any other search engine – Amazon (15%), YouTube (9%), and Bing (6%) (Clutch, 2019)
- Google Ads have a click-through rate of nearly 8%. (Hubspot)
- Display ads yield 180 million impressions each month. (Hubspot)
Oddball Marketing Helps Clients With Google Ads
You can go it alone with Google Ads, or call in an expert team to set up, manage, monitor and improve your leads and sales.
At Oddball, we’ve been doing it for years with many success stories.
Here are three big wins for our clients:
Client: An appliance repair company
In data from the entire 2020, we helped them achieve 1202 conversions at a rate of 33.78%, costing the client a tiny $4.41 per conversion.
Client: A building repair and restoration service
With testing and refinement for the first two months of Adword campaigns, we now have them firing on all cylinders. In the past two months (compared to the previous period), conversions are up 113%, and the conversion rate has increased 171% (sitting at 11%).
Client: A removal company
Over two years, they’ve had 1189 conversions, at a rate of 26.5%, with a cost/conversion of $18.86 for their business.
If you’d like to get started with Google Ads to improve your website traffic and sales conversions, contact us today to help you get set up.
How Google Ads Works
“The Google platform allows you to communicate and reach users at every stage of the buyer’s journey,” Keens said.
The Google Ads program displays your ad when customers search online for products and services similar to yours.
With Google Ads, you can get your ads in front of potential customers at just the right time.
- Your first step is to choose a goal, such as increasing web traffic or generating more business calls.
- You then select the geographical area where you wish your ad to appear. Your business may have a small radius or much broader coverage, such as cities, states, or entire countries.
- In the final step, you’ll design your ad and set your monthly budget limit.
Your ad can appear when people search for a product or service similar to yours in your target area once it is approved. The only time you are charged for your ads is when users interact with them, such as clicking on your ads or contacting your business.
Your online ads will link to your website when you advertise with Google Ads.
This is a great opportunity to let customers know more about your business.
This is the process involved:
- Write your ad copy
- Pick the keywords you’d like to target
- Set a daily maximum budget
- Select your campaign’s start and end dates
Google Analytics can help you design a campaign strategy.
Based on the Analytics data, you might discover, for example, that most of your customers are in Sydney, so you can adjust your website accordingly.
Different Types Of Google Ads
There are three basic types of Google Ads:
- Ads on the Google Search Network are usually text-based and can appear when people search for a product or service that’s similar to yours
- Display Network campaigns – usually in the form of images, these ads appear on websites and apps that your customers visit
- Video campaigns – short videos. These ads show right before or during YouTube content
Learn about additional advanced campaign types, including Shopping campaigns, App Campaigns, and more.
How Much Does Google Ads Cost?
It’s up to you how much you want to spend on online advertising with Google Ads.
Don’t go over the amount set in your budget, and you can stop paying at any time.
There is a Google Ads plan that works for almost every advertising budget. Calculate the estimated results by setting your budget.
How To Measure The Success Of Google Ads
The Google Ads dashboard has all you’ll need to monitor your bang for your buck.
You can easily find out how much you spent, how many impressions you received, the total conversions, and much more.
If you want to go the extra mile, you can also try Google Analytics to further understand your buyer and how they use your site.
“A common metric we check in Analytics is ‘new vs returning visitor conversions’,” Oddball Marketing Search Engine Marketing Specialist, Hamish Pearsall said.
“We come in and see that x% of conversions were received from people coming back to your site. Think of all the people that might have forgotten about you and gone elsewhere,” Pearsall said.
In this instance, Pearsall recommends a retargeting campaign, which is a form of display advertising. If you’ve ever been on a site, and then a few days later you’re seeing their ads, that’s retargeting.
Find out how Google Ads and Analytics work together.
When you’re ready to use Google Ads to send traffic to your website, consider talking to an expert at Oddball Marketing.
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Related Google Ads Resources:
Navigating Google Ads: What Your Business Needs To Know
Why Google Ads Still Works Wonders During A Crisis
External Google Ads Links:
Google Ads on Twitter @GoogleAds
How to craft a great ad for your Google Ads campaign
Google Ads FAQs:
What happens if you don’t pay Google Ads?
In the event of nonpayment, your account will be suspended. In addition, your credit card information and your personal contact information will be flagged; unless you pay Google, you won’t be able to add new Ads accounts or access any paid services.
Is Google Adwords the same as SEO?
SEO and Google Ads both help get your brand in front of prospective customers. The purpose of SEO is to improve the organic ranking of your site so you rank higher when customers type in relevant search terms. SEO is a longer-term investment.
Is Google Ads better than Facebook Ads?
You can use both platforms effectively if you are looking for sales, leads, and consultations. Facebook is the place to go if you’re trying to build brand awareness or a social following. Google Ads is probably the best place to sell products directly (though both platforms can work).
Who uses Google Ads?
Small businesses, marketing/advertising agencies are the most common users.
Who are Google Ads’ competitors?
Top Alternatives to Google Ads include: Marin Software; Bing Ads; WordStream; Kenshoo
Adobe Advertising Cloud; Zeta Programmatic, Formerly Sizmek; Semrush; Constant Contact.
How Can I Get Google Ads Support?
Having an expert agency like Oddball Marketing to manage your Google Ads means you can see immediate improvements, without the stress of setting up, monitoring and adjusting the metrics. We can do all that for you.
If you’d like to speak with one of our specialists, contact us today.
