What Is Google Ads (Formerly Adwords) and How Can It Grow Your Business?

With 2020 predicted to see 2.05 billion online buyers globally, digital marketing is more important than ever. Most businesses know that a strong online presence and a clear marketing strategy are crucial, but how does Google Ads fit into this equation?

What does Google Ads do?

In a nutshell, the main source of Google’s revenue is its advertising platform, primarily based on the PPC (pay-per-click) strategy. Google Ads is a digital marketing resource that allows companies to run online ads directing users to their services or products. The platform is extremely malleable, catering to the specific needs of a company, whether their goal is to attract more website visitors, retain clients or generate online sales.

Ads can be presented in the form of interactive clickable videos, images or text. This variety in format ensures individual ads are appropriate to a company’s target demographic.

A Google Ads strategy is based around keywords, which you can bid on against other competitors. Where you end up in Google’s search results will depend on how successful your bid is. Only when a user clicks your ad would you be charged, and the user would be directed to your websites landing page

What are the benefits of using Google Ads?

There are many reasons why you should be investing in Google Ads in 2020.

• Searchability: first and foremost, utilising Google Ads allows you to be found on the Google search page.
• Brand awareness: not only can Google Ads help you to maintain brand awareness with pre-existing customers, but it also gets your name known to new clients looking for products similar to yours.
• Practical spending: Google Ads allows control and flexibility over what you choose to spend. The PPC strategy means that you only pay when someone clicks on your ad. This means you only pay when people are interacting with your marketing.
• Creative control: you have the say over what you want your ads to show and where they appear, while the varying designs (text, image, video) allow for unique and creative ads.
• Specific location: you can choose the location for your ads to target, whether that’s local or global.
• Track your ads: there are numerous measures in place to help you check how well your ads are performing, including spend, clicks and engagement. You can see which campaigns are succeeding and which aren’t and respond appropriately.

How Google Ads can help your company grow

When used well, Google Ads can generate interest, leads and value in a relatively short space of time. When relying solely on SEO, however, achieving the results on Google can take time.

Google Ads allows your website to show up immediately on Google’s search engine, with its placement and rank dependent on the success of your keyword/audience bidding. Ultimately, Google Ads encourages immediate website attention that can then be honed by learning more about how to target your ads and promote them accordingly.

How can I ensure my ad campaign is successful?

The following tips will help you make the most of your Google Ads campaign:

• Have a clear goal: know what you want to gain from your ad.
• Know your customer: who is your target audience? Keep them in mind when designing the ad.
• Include a call to action: whether you want your customer to buy now, call now or click through to another part of your website, be sure to include this in your ad.
• Get advice when you need it: while Google Ads is designed to be simple to operate, using it successfully can require greater expertise. Don’t be afraid to call on an expert to make sure you’re making the most of your campaign. 
• Expand your marketing campaign: for best results, try integrating Google Ads into a more comprehensive marketing campaign that involves blogging, email advertising, mailing lists and social media networking. Cover all bases to expand your reach.

What about the new Google Discovery ads?

Google Discovery looks to take online advertising to the next level by incorporating AI into its strategy. The basic goal is to show products to customers before they even knew that they want them, allowing for Google Discovery to predict what a customer wants to see.

This removes the middle step of a customer having to search for a product. Instead, it is already presented to them. The more someone uses Google Discovery, the better it understands their preferences, and so it can tailor their experience to fit their habits and tastes.

The benefits of Google Discovery ads

• Wide reach: not only are the ads available on the Google Discovery app, but they are also on Gmail and YouTube, allowing for a large number of people to see them.
• Visuals: in our visual age of social media and videos, Google Discovery’s focus on image-based advertising ensures your adverts appear current and interesting.
• Targeting options: with custom, affinity and in-marketing advertising options available, you can target your ads based on the interests of your customers.
• Relevance: with more conversation focusing on moving away from keywords and into targeting, it is likely that Google Discovery will become a central means of advertising. Getting to understand the system sooner rather than later will set you ahead of your competitors.

It is important to note that the Google Discovery app was only launched in Beta in November 2019. It is certainly usable, but it’s worth ensuring that your ads are specifically targeted and your goals are clear before beginning a campaign.

What’s next?

There’s a lot to explore when it comes to Google Ads. It’s an exciting platform that holds lots of potential for company growth and lucrative advertising strategies. Expert help is on hand to assist every step of the way to ensure that your company makes the most of what Google Ads has to offer.