No doubt you will have heard of Google Ads before; you might even be considering trying them for your business or possibly you’re curious about how they work?
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How do Google Ads work?
Google Ads are a form of Search Engine Marketing (SEM).
Google Ads can be used to drive potential customers to your website by ranking your listing above others in the search results. This means a customer will see your listing before the organic search results when they search for products or services like yours.
Not only do businesses have Google Ads available at their disposal; Google Shopping, Google Search Networks and Google Display Networks also play an important role. Let’s take a look at each of these more closely.
- Google Shopping Ads can be very effective because they offer a high-quality image of a product, as well as its price. Shopping is a very visual exercise, so promoting your product through a visual ad can be a great way to direct traffic to your site.
- Google Search Network consists of search-related websites where your specific advert can appear. Examples include Google Maps, where your product can be matched to a customer looking for that product.
- Google Display Network is a collection of over 200 million websites, applications and videos where your Google Ad can appear. This means your ad can show up while people are visiting other sites within the Google Display Network – you can tailor where or when your ad is shown based on the demographic of your ideal audience.
The form of Google Ad you choose will largely depend on your marketing goals. If you are not sure which Ad space is best for your business, get in touch with a member of our team.
Can any business use Google Ads?
Absolutely, Google Ads can benefit any business, big or small. Paid advertising can be a great way to promote brand awareness and increase traffic to your site. Additionally, you can tailor your adverts to suit your budget, meaning no matter the size of your business, Google Ads can be a viable advertising platform.
It is important to note that Google Ads is only suitable for businesses that adhere to Google’s policies. Google will only allow adverts that are relevant, useful and easy for the user to interact with. Overly generic adverts with vague phrases such as “buy products here” are not accepted.
What is Pay-Per-Click (PPC)?
Unlike traditional advertising through Google Ads, you only pay when someone clicks through to your advert and is then taken to your website – this is known as the Pay-Per-Click model.
These PPC adverts appear at the top or the bottom of the search pages, with organic searches found in between. Google Ads can even go as far as sharing your advert with potential clients at the best time for them to see it. For instance, if a customer is searching the local area for a bakery, the Google Ad for your bakery will appear, as it can recognise the location of the customer and your business. This way, you reach potential customers at a time when it makes sense for them to see your advert.
The benefits of Google Ads
So, now you know what Google Ads are and how they work, you may be wondering whether they are actually an effective method of advertising. To answer this, let’s look at some statistics:
63% of people have clicked on a Google Ad (HubSpot Annual Report). Considering one of the main goals of PPC is to get traffic to the website, this demonstrates that hosting an ad is a viable way to generate traffic.
PPC can generate double the number of visitors than SEO. Do not misunderstand, SEO is a very valuable tool to get your site ranking in the search results and it is not to be sniffed at. However, PPC adverts generate twice the amount of visitors, making it a worthwhile investment.
Google Ads deliver 8:1 return on investment. An impressive statistic, to say the least!
How can you measure success with your Google Ad?
One of the great benefits of Google Ads is the built-in metrics that allow you to track performance. If someone clicks on your ad, you will see it. If someone clicks on your ad and then interacts with your business in some way (buys a product, subscribes to your blogs, phones your number), you can track this too.
Other valuable data is available including, on average, how much the ad is costing your business to lead a customer to make a purchase or ring your number. By analysing which ads are generating traffic and which ones aren’t, you can quickly decide where best to invest.
How can Page1 help?
Google Ads can be a time-consuming and technical aspect of search engine marketing that not all businesses have the time for. At Page1, our PPC specialists can help you increase traffic and conversions through our extensive experience.
Whether you need help setting up a new ad or you’d like assistance improving an existing one, we are here to help.
Take a look at a recent review:
“I approached Page1 to help us increase traffic to our website through Adwords. Page1 and particularly Tom were very helpful from the start keeping regular contact regarding the campaign and answering any questions we had promptly. Our Adwords campaign helped to increase the traffic to our website and we are now using Page1 to emulate this with our aftersales website.”
