Many shakeups have characterized the digital marketing universe in recent years. To say we’re no longer advertising the way we did in the 2010s is an understatement.
From “Big Data” to programmatic advertising, new technologies and capabilities continue to push the envelope on how marketers and advertisers reach their customers.
With all of these changes in recent years, this may leave you wondering, “Is Google Ads worth it?” If you want to drive leads to your sales funnel and ramp up ROI in the 2020s, then the simple answer is, “Yes.”
Of course, it’s a complicated topic that requires further exploration. With that in mind, let’s deep dive into the role of Google Ads for business today.
Google Ads 101
“Does Google Ads work?”
We get asked this question regularly, and there are so many variables involved that it can be challenging to give a concise answer.
After all, the effectiveness of a Google Ads campaign is directly related to the choices made by the individual who sets it up. That said, it’s likely a tool your company can’t do without.
Google Ads is the largest pay-per-click (PPC) network in existence. The vast majority of companies use it, including some of the largest corporations on the planet.
What makes Google Ads so powerful? For one, it comes with almost instantaneous results. As soon as you launch a new campaign and get approved, you can expect to start seeing traffic.
Few advertising approaches come with this immediate turnaround, drawing on Google’s massive network in the process.
That said, don’t discount the setup and maintenance it takes to power your PPC campaigns. Without the right expertise, this process can get long and drawn out, and it may not yield you the results you want.
Google Ads Versus SEO
Here’s another question that we often hear, “Should I focus on SEO or PPC Google Ads?” My answer? You need to focus on both.
That said, these represent two entirely different solutions to the same problem, bringing more people to your site. While a strategically executed SEO plan is worth the investment, don’t expect results overnight.
SEO can take between three and six months or more before you see the rankings you’d like. While you can’t ignore SEO, it doesn’t contain the same immediacy as Google Ads.
Instead of thinking about these two approaches as existing in opposition to one another, recognize that they are complementary elements of a broader digital marketing strategy.
What’s another thing to keep in mind when it comes to Google Ads? You don’t have to make significant commitments to start reaping benefits.
With SEO, for example, you need to work with an agency or individual. This process requires a contract and serious pre-investment.
With Google Ads, however, there’s no need for a long-term commitment, and you can work with an incremental budget. You can make adjustments based on real-world data grounded in how your ads are performing.
Turning to an ad agency will help you get the most out of this approach. They can offer expert guidance to optimize your ad campaigns.
Google Ads Provides Scalable Marketing Solutions
Google Ads represent the best solution for those looking for a scalable digital marketing solution that can grow and change with their company. It gives you access to millions of keywords and unlimited audience targeting.
Once you start seeing results, increase your campaign’s daily spend. That way, you’ll bring in more clicks.
Because keywords get ranked through a bidding system, paying more per click means increased rankings.
Having trouble rising above position six on page one? Then, up your spend and watch your ranking jump to position three. Of course, the higher you are in Google search, the more traffic you’ll receive.
By ramping up your bids on specific keywords, you have the power to target visitors strategically.
Google Ads Gives You the Tools to Succeed
Although sometimes overlooked, Google Ads come with an impressive array of charts and analytics. These resources are built into its software and provide you with invaluable stats about your ads.
What are some of the things you can learn about your campaigns through Google Analytics? Statistics include everything from conversion rates to advertisement positions. These analytics will help you fine-tune your ads.
Having these numbers at your disposal provides you with the ability to make better decisions about your ad spend, decisions backed by actual data.
Analytics take the guesswork out of digital marketing. You’ll be able to see your high converting keywords and increase the spend for them. You’ll also know right away if a campaign isn’t having the desired effect.
With the analytics provided by Google Ads, you’ll rest assured your marketing budget is going where it needs to.
No more casting about for what works, with a thousand fails along the way. Just find an ad that’s bringing in decent traffic and increase the spend. There’s no need to try something new or head back to the drawing board.
A Failsafe When Things Don’t Go Your Way
It wasn’t that long ago that advertisers had to develop ad content, creative, and then spend days or weeks negotiating placement online with publishers. This process was followed by the ultimate commitment, ad publishing.
Because of the cumbersome nature of pre-programmatic advertising, once your ad ran, you had no control over the final results. Maybe you found a typo after the fact or realized too late that your intended audience didn’t respond well to your creative.
Too bad. There was nothing you could do about it. Talk about a helpless feeling!
With Google Ads and PPC, however, if something’s not working, simply stop and fix it. For example, if your campaign doesn’t achieve the objectives you set for it, you can pause it at any time, in a matter of seconds.
With Google Ads, there are no fixed terms, no contracts, and no wasted money. It’s a win-win for you and your company.
Differentiate Your Brand from the Competition
Digital marketing is all about rankings and traffic and the competition trying to steal them from you. The brands that compete with yours remains locked in the same struggle to raise their rankings and gain more leads and conversions.
Of course, there are only a finite number of people in your target audience, which means cutthroat competition every day without fail. How can you gain the upper hand on behalf of your brand?
Google Ads provides you with an easy way to outdo your competition while you wait for other long-term investments such as SEO to kick in. It requires ad spend, though.
If your competition’s placing the majority of their marketing resources in SEO, you can quickly get a leg up through PPC Google Ads. Bidding enough on a keyword allows you to jump ahead of organic traffic.
What’s more, if they’re heavily invested in PPC ads, too, you can always outbid them. Yes, this requires a robust marketing budget, but increased traffic will prove well worth it, giving you the advantage you need to make your brand stand out.
When you outbid the competition, you steal their traffic and send it straight to your site. While this may not be a financially sustainable practice forever, it can give you the chance you need to gain positive attention and new customers.
How to Assess If Google Ads Is Right for Your Brand
Now that you’ve got a better understanding of how Google Ads works, let’s explore whether it’s beneficial for your brand. Consider these factors before moving forward with Google Ads:
- Your marketing budget and time constraints
- Your traffic potential based on keyword research
- What your competitors are doing
Let’s dive more deeply into each of these categories to determine whether or not Google Ads is currently right for your brand.
Marketing Constraints: Budget and Time
When it comes to starting a Google Ads campaign, one of the biggest challenges you’ll face is knowing how much to allocate towards your ad budget to get the desired results. In general, you can expect double the return from Google Ads.
Nonetheless, investing money into the process can feel risky, especially in the beginning.
How can you assess whether or not your current budget will garner beneficial results? Start by taking a look at cost-per-clicks in your industry. Then, compare this with the conversion rate to develop a monthly cost for each keyword.
With these figures, you’ll know exactly how much needs to go into PPC Google Ads to make a positive splash. You should also consider your current time constraints.
Although Google Ads results are instantaneous once your ad gets approved, the build-up to approval may require weeks of working on your initial account set up.
You’ll also need to factor in daily “time sucks” such as adding negative keywords, growing new search terms, testing designs, adjusting budgets, and creating additional ads.
Heaping all of this on your plate, along with running your business, may not prove realistic. Working with an ad agency, however, might provide the perfect solution.
Keyword Research and Traffic Potential
Because Google Ads costs money and can prove time-consuming, particularly at the beginning, you need to run keyword research upfront.
What does keyword research do? It shows you how many people are searching for a keyword. If there are only ten people per month looking for a keyword you’d like to optimize for, then it’s time to rethink your strategy.
When you find keywords with a relatively high volume, however, that indicates people are looking for your products and services. Anything below a few hundred searches per month, however, means your products are too niche.
In other words, you won’t see enough of a boost to make Google Ads worthwhile. This step in the game is where an experienced advertising agency can help you find the right keywords and approach to ramp up your website and landing page traffic.
If you do not see the numbers you like, reach out to the professionals for a second opinion. Yes, you can DIY Google Ads, but it’s a costly risk. It’s unlikely they’ll bring you the same ROI that an experienced agency can.
What’s more, an agency can provide you with the analyses you need if your current digital marketing strategies are failing.
Get Savvy When It Comes to Competitor Research
Ready for another way to determine how effective Google Ads will prove for your brand? Look at what your competition is bidding on. Competitor research can help you uncover useful data about how much other brands are spending on terms.
What’s so great about this information? It will help you formulate a more accurate figure when it comes to what your company needs to spend to stay in the race.
How to get started? Head to SpyFu and type in the URL of a competitor. It will generate a list of ad text and keywords that this website is using. It can even provide you with monthly spend information.
Armed with lists of your competitors’ keywords, you’ll be ahead of the game when it comes to Google Ads setup time.
Is Google Ads Worth It?
“Is Google Ads worth it?” The answer to this question is more than likely, “Yes.” That said, you should crunch numbers before making a final decision.
Use the steps above to help with keyword and competitor research so that you’ve got reliable data and numbers to back up your approach moving forward.
Still not sure where to start? That’s where we can help. Keep reading for seven reasons to hire an agency for PPC management. For more information on whether or not Google Ads are right for you, schedule a consultation with one of our experts today.
