TLDR: Google ads can help you advance your business goals through their exceptionally wide reach and high ROI. With the right optimization and monitoring, Ads can boost your sales and brand awareness.   

Intro

Google Ads, or Google AdWords, is a widely popular advertising platform for good reason: it has massive reach, flexible campaigns for almost any budget, and a variety of ad styles to reach your specific audience. However, it’s not a magic button to instantly increase revenue. It takes a certain level of time and skill to maximize your use of the platform.  

Here we’ll cover the advantages and disadvantages of using Google Ads, how to choose from the many different types of ads they offer, and how to optimize your Google Ads for the best results.  

So, how can Google Ads help you reach your specific business goals? Let’s find out. 

What are the benefits of using Google Ads?

Google Ads have many advantages. For one, they tend to deliver a higher ROI than other platforms, because users are actively searching for topics, rather than casually browsing. If your ads are optimized well (more on the below), this means you’re paying for more qualified clicks per ad.  

However, there’s plenty of research demonstrating why Google remains a top choice for advertisers: 

• On average, businesses make $8 in revenue for every $1 they spend on Google Ads. That’s an 800% return on investment! (WordStream) 
• 63,000 searches get processed by Google every second. (WebFX)
• Google Ads have the potential to reach 90% of internet users worldwide. (WordStream) 
• Paid search ads have been shown to increase brand awareness by up to 80%. (Google) 
• 41% of clicks go to the top three paid ads on the search engine results page (SEPR). (WordStream) 

Overall, Google Ads are great for companies that want to increase awareness about their products/services, or drive qualified consumers directly to their website.  

What are the disadvantages of Google Ads?

It stands to be said that, like any advertising platform, Google Ads aren’t perfect and they aren’t for everyone. There are a few main drawbacks that tend to scare people away from using Google to get the word out: 

Competition: Google Ads are more competitive than ever, and just because you build a campaign, doesn’t guarantee your sponsored links will land on the first Search Engine Results Page (SERP).  

Budget: Increased competition is also driving up the cost of PPC ads. To achieve the high ROI that makes using Google advertising so appealing, campaigns need to be carefully targeted. Google does offers several budget-friendly options (and at the end of the day, you’re setting how much you spend), however they need to be carefully targeted to be effective. 

Time Commitment: To attain the highest results possible, you’ll want to dedicate a certain amount of time to monitoring your results and A/B testing to reach your goals.  

Google is a highly rated advertising platform for good reasons, but it is important to approach it with clear expectations. Ultimately, whether you choose to invest in Google Ads comes down to your budget, time, and ability to continuously monitor, test, and adjust your campaigns. 

What Types of Google Ads are There?

There are plenty of in-depth articles that thoroughly breakdown the 22 different types of Google Ads, but here’s a brief overview of the nine most common categories: 

Search Ads: Text-based ads that appear at the top or bottom of Google search results when users enter specific keywords or phrases. They are commonly used for driving website traffic and generating leads. 

Display Ads: Visual ads (e.g., image, video, or rich media) that are run across the Google Display Network, which includes a vast list of websites, apps, and YouTube channels. Display ads are optimal for brand awareness, remarketing, and reaching a broad audience. 

Shopping Ads: Product-based ads that display product images, prices, and other details directly in Google search results. These are ideal for e-commerce businesses looking to promote their products. 

Video Ads: These are the ads you see on YouTube but they’re also used across the Google Display Network. They come in various formats, including skippable in-stream ads, non-skippable in-stream ads, and bumper ads. Video ads are excellent for visual storytelling and engaging with audiences through video content. 

Local Ads: Designed to drive in-store visits and local online conversions, local ads include formats like Local Search Ads and Local Inventory Ads. 

Discovery Ads: These ads appear in Gmail, YouTube, and the Google Discover feed. They’re designed to engage users with visually appealing, personalized content and drive brand discovery. 

App Ads: Promote mobile apps on Google Search, Google Play, YouTube, and across the Google Display Network. These ads help drive app installations and user engagement. 

Smart Campaigns: A simplified campaign type designed for small businesses or advertisers new to Google Ads. Smart Campaigns use automated features to optimize ad delivery and performance. 

Performance Max Ads: These are another type of automated campaign. Advertisers provide assets such as images, headlines, and descriptions, and Google uses machine learning to create ads that fit various ad formats and placements, optimizing for performance. 

How Do You Choose the Right Type of Google Ad for Your Company?

Choosing the best type of Google Ads for your company depends on your specific marketing goals, target audience, budget, and the nature of your products or services. Here are some steps to help you decide which Google Ad type is most suitable for your business: 

Define Your Marketing Objectives: Common objectives include increasing website traffic, generating leads, boosting sales, raising brand awareness, driving app installations, or increasing in-store visits. 

Know Your Target Audience: Understand your target audience’s demographics, interests, and online behavior. Different ad types may work better for reaching specific audience segments and how they may look for your product. Multiple ad types may be able to align with different stages of their customer journey. 

Determine Your Budget: As stated earlier, some ad types are more budget-friendly than others. Types such as Search Ads and Display Ads can be cost-effective, while Video Ads, may require a larger budget to develop as well as run. 

Consider Your Product or Service: If you’re an e-commerce business, Shopping Ads are probably going to be highly effective for you. If you offer a unique app, App Ads will be a priority.  

Competitive Analysis: Research what types of ads your competitors are running. This can provide insights into which ad formats are successful in your industry. (Hint: Constello’s Digital Marketing Audit has a competitive analysis built in to help you build a marketing strategy that works.) 

Keyword Research: Perform keyword research to identify the keywords your potential customers are searching for. A longer-tail keyword will narrow the amount of people who see your ad, but will also mean they’re likely a more qualified buyer.  

Testing and Optimization: Don’t be afraid to experiment with different ad types. Google Ads allows for A/B testing, so you can refine your strategies based on performance data. 

Measure Results: Once you’ve selected an ad type and launched your campaigns, regularly monitor their performance using Google Ads’ analytics tools. Adjust your strategy as needed to optimize results. 

Remember that it’s often beneficial to use a mix of ad types to achieve your marketing objectives. Your strategy may evolve over time as you gather data and gain insights into what works best for your company. The key is to remain flexible and adaptable in your approach to Google Ads. 

How Do You Optimize Your Google Ads?

As we’ve emphasized, proper optimization is critical to getting the most out of your Google Ads campaign. How you optimize will vary slightly depending on the type of ads that you build, but the following items should be considered in any campaign: 

SEO Keywords: Keywords in Ads work very similarly to keywords on webpages. Search and product ads use them to determine when your ad is displayed on SERPS, while types like video and display ad typess use them to determine what content pages are most relevant to show your campaign on.  

Tailor your keywords to match your goals. If you want to drive sales and qualified leads, specific long-tail keywords will bring in users that are searching to buy. If you’re looking to build brand awareness or cast a wide net, a broader keyword will help with this, however it can use up your budget faster.  

Relevance: Google also judges the relevance of your ad’s content to the keywords you’re aiming for. If you pick a keyword that is only vaguely related to the product you’re actually advertising, Google will penalize your bid as a low-quality ad. 

Landing Pages: In a similar vein, your landing pages should be relevant and specific to your ad. For example, if you’re advertising the latest line of trousers your clothing company has launched, your ad should take the viewer to that product’s page rather than a homepage. The more a user has to dig for what they’re looking for, the less likely they are to convert.  

Scheduling: Schedule your ads for when your customers will be looking for your product. If you work for a CRM company, try running your ads during the workday when people are looking for better software. If you sell candles, running your ads in the evening may bring you more success, as that’s when users are in the mindset to buy a relaxing treat. However, don’t just run on assumptions. Scheduling is an area of ads that is worth experimenting with, as your optimal timing for visibility may surprise you.   

All of these areas can benefit from testing and adjustment. Monitor your ads regularly and take advantage of Google’s A/B testing features to see the best results.  

So, How Can Google Ads Help You Advance Your Business Goals?

Google Ads is an excellent tool for building brand awareness and driving sales. With a high ROI, and thousands of users per second, it can give businesses an extra boost toward reaching their goals. Although it’s no magical solution, with the right optimization and know-how, Google’s ad platform can be a vital tool for growth.  

Want to know how your business can specifically benefit from Google ads? A Constello digital marketing audit can show you where the opportunities are in your market to make the most of your advertising. To find out more about what a Constello audit can do for you book a demo today.