Since launching the Google Advertising platform in 2000, the questions surrounding the platform have grown into straight up myths. It has changed and developed so much over the years, but somehow there is still a stigma and some mystery behind the scenes. It could be the burned budget, it could be the wrong tactics or even the wrong messaging. Below Digital Savvy will knock out a few of the most common Myths about Google Ads.
1. No One Clicks on Ads
If that were true, Google probably wouldn’t be one of the media companies in the world! Most users online treat the sponsored links as answers to a question they have searched, rather than as advertisements. So where does this myth come from? Well, probably it’s due to the fact that there are people who deliberately don’t click on the advertisements. Are you one of them?
These are, for example, the people who are searching the specific information but aren’t necessarily interested in making a direct purchase right off the jump. On the other end of the spectrum, there are also users who intentionally click on the the organic listing that follows.
These are often persons more aware and willing to buy who are looking for a place which offers products that will meet their expectations. In this case, the users’ purchasing power is noticeably greater. Such customers will not only eagerly click on advertisements that satisfy their needs but they’re also more prone to make a conversion after being redirected to the website!
2. They cost an arm & a leg
Many businesses believe that Google Ads is exclusively for large companies with massive advertising budgets at their disposal & can afford to spend tons of money on ads. They can be expensive. I won’t lie. It really depends on the industry you are interested in promoting.
Google Ads is actually perfect for local and small businesses. It enables to target your marketing strategy at a very defined group of users who live in a particular town or region and might be interested in your products or services. Being strategic with your campaign can not only reduce the costs of advertising, but also increase your efficiency.
Ask for a free quote from Digital Savvy and we can provide you with a recommended budget (one that won’t break the bank!) but that will also be effective in attracting leads.
There is no minimum budget. My clients can choose how much they want to spend each month to get the most of our campaign!
3. If I don’t see my ads when I search for my products or services, they are not working
Stay calm. Your account is active, your budget is intact, and you are receiving clicks from the actual target audience. You are not the target audience. Google ads are also called Pay-Per-Click (PPC) ads. So searching for and trying to click on your ad is only going to cost your money!
At Digital Savvy, to prevent this and keep clients from spending additional dollars, we usually block the company’s IP address in order to make sure our ads are effective to the community. Not employees of the business who may use google as a resource at work.
We promise there are working! And to prove it, we provide you with a custom dashboard tracking keywords, impressions, clicks, and attribute our ads to conversions/sales on the back-end of your site.
4. If I spend $XXX, I will be at the top of the search results
Well.. it might. The bid is just one of the elements that affect the position and visibility of the advertisement. Each time your ad is displayed, it takes part in the ad auction and is appropriately ranked as a consequence. This ranking, on the other hand, determines whether and in what position your advertisement will be displayed.
Also, this is actually a good thing. Now the Walmarts of the world cannot capitalize over mom & pop stores in the area. Everyone gets a chance to be on the first page of the search results. It really depends on the effectiveness of the ad. Whichever option provides the answer to the question the user is searching for, that is what Google will display. Thanks to the elusive algorithm!
5. Google Ads do NOT effect my organic listing
There is no doubt that Google Ads is not an SEO activity, nor does it directly affect SEO results. The one and only situation when Google Ads has an indirect impact on SEO is when a shop or a brand becomes very popular and people are talking and posting on social media about it.
Google Ads do however effect the relevancy or your current organic listing. For example, those of you who do not usually click on the search ad at the top of the page. This advertisement is here to help lead you to a sale.
So if you are looking for new shoes, you may look for a certain brand and see an ad for 20% off that brand at your local boutique. Do you scroll down and look for the map location so you can shop in store? Do you go to the online store in the organic listings further down the page? Exactly.
6. Google only has ads that appear on the search engine
A few years ago, Google AdWords went through a transition after many years as a successful platform. Moving forward, it did not want to be only associated with the search engine. Which is why we now have the new powerful advertising ecosystem, which apart from the Google search engine uses such platforms as: Google Play, Google Maps, Gmail, YouTube or the Google Display Network.
However, many business owners forget about this option and unfortunately limit themselves only to the Google search engine. There are so many additional possibilities of reaching the target audience and consequently hindering further development of their business.
Also Google really likes strategies that include multiple platforms of theirs. For more information on targeted display, check out my other blog post on targeted ads & retargeting!
7. I can run my Google Ads on my own
Running Google Ads campaigns and advertising optimization isn’t a piece of cake and it definitely requires specialist knowledge of Google’s advertising platform. Nevertheless, it doesn’t mean that it’s impossible to run a Google Ads campaign on your own.
However, there are many circumstances when it’s a good idea to hire an experienced and professional agency to run the campaign for you: Profits, Time, & Experience and knowledge. Sometimes it’s just easier and more effective to let people who do a really great job at something, take it off your hands.
If you think you could use some help running your existing Google Ads campaign on your own, with another company, or if you would like to try marketing out – contact Savannah for a FREE quote that includes a guide to how you stack up to your competitors & an extensive keyword list of the top searched phrases in your industry over the last 12 months.