As a small business you probably have a website and you might even have a basic SEO strategy. These things are important and can help boost your online presence and generate more sales. But what can you do to take the next step and progress your online marketing further?
A potential strategy is to use Google Ads but people often wonder do Google Ads work for small business? There is a lot of uncertainty and misconception surrounding PPC (Pay Per Click) advertising so we want to clear that up and show you just what Google Ads for small business can do.
First, a brief introduction to Google Ads is in order. This is a PPC service that allows your business to create customized adverts that are displayed on Google’s vast online network. This includes Google search results when people type in a keyword relating to your business or products, for example.
Millions of businesses worldwide use Google Ads and it has been proven to be effective so read on to find out seven specific benefits it can provide for your company.
1. You can Target “Engaged Customers”
- The best type of customer is an “engaged customer”. This is someone who is actively looking for your product or service and has an immediate need for it.
- For example, let’s say that I want a new car so I search on Google for “local Audi dealers”. At the top of the search results I will see several Google Ads showcasing local Audi dealers near my home location.
- Because I am actively looking for a new car, I am much more likely to click on one of those adverts. Do Google ads work for small business? In instances like this you can easily see that they do and the power that they have to attract engaged customers.
2. It’s Great for Local and Niche Marketing
If your small business is just starting then you may want to concentrate on local and niche markets until you have a larger national or global presence.
Google Ads allows for targeted local and niche marketing so you can ensure that your adverts are reaching the right people – people who actually want your product or service in the geographical regions you sell to.
Did you know that over 72% of people who use localized search terms on Google will typically choose a store within 5 minutes of their location? You can use Google Ads to tap into that localization and cover niche markets that your competitors may ignore.
3. Marketing Expenditure is Easily Controlled
With many online tools you pay a lump sum service cost or even a monthly subscription. The cost soon racks up and your marketing expenditure can spiral out of control – often with questionable results.
In contrast, Google Ads allows you to control your spending because you pay based on a per-click structure. This means that unless someone clicks on your ad, you don’t spend a dime.
Not only that, but you can set spending limits via the Google Ads dashboard. For example, you might want to specify that you spend a max of $500 per week on Google Ads.
As soon as that threshold is hit, your ad campaign stops and you don’t spend anymore. It gives you brilliant control and means you can allocate a dedicated Google Ads marketing budget and never worry about exceeding it.
4. The Ads are Virtually Instant for Fast Results
When looking at how to use Google ads for small businesses you quickly learn that everything you do has an immediate impact.
Some marketing strategies like email newsletters can take forever to yield results or even be sent to your customers.
In contrast, as soon as you have created a PPC ad campaign it goes live instantly and can immediately be seen by millions of people. That type of instant reaction and immediacy is difficult to ignore.
5. It Allows for Effective Monitoring and Analysis
Some marketing strategies are difficult to monitor and it can be tricky to understand the impact they have and the value they provide to your business.
Google Ads is the exact opposite of this. Everything is measurable and you can see tangible results. For example, you can look at analytical data and metrics relating to your Ads through the platform and via Google Analytics.
These let you see exactly how many people viewed your ads, the conversions they generated, and the actions that resulted from people clicking on them.
This means you can monitor the effectiveness of your marketing, make adjustments, and strive for continual improvement which isn’t always possible with other marketing tools.
6. It Can offer a Better ROI Than Other Marketing Strategies
Ultimately to be successful you want your marketing strategies to create a positive ROI. You spend $1000 on a campaign, you want it to at least make that $1000 back.
Working with a Google Ads marketing agency and spending on a PPC campaign is one of the few strategies that can reliably give you a positive ROI.
This is due to the pricing model Google uses, and the sheer volume of people who use their platforms and the potential reach your adverts can have.
7. You can Improve Brand Awareness
While you primarily want conversions and sales, Google Ads is also great for your brand awareness. Just think of this – every time someone sees one of your ads, your business becomes imprinted in their mind.
This repetition and constant association can be incredibly powerful. It gets people talking about your business, helps keep awareness boosted, and makes sure that your company is memorable.
Incorporate Google Ads as part of Your SEO Marketing Today
We hope you now have an answer to the question, are Google Ads worth it for small businesses? The answer is a resounding yes. As you can see from the above benefits your company stands to gain so much from PPC advertising and it can be an important part of your overall SEO strategy.
