Introduction
Who hasn’t heard of Google Ads? If you don’t know what it is, you
might have been living under a rock all this time! Within the realm of online
advertising platforms lies the powerful tool known as Google Ads—a creation by
none other than Google itself. Formerly referred to as Google AdWords, this
platform facilitates businesses' ability to create compelling advertisements
across multiple channels offered by Google Services, comprising but not limited
to the esteemed networks of search engines like YouTube or partner websites
alike.
Intriguingly enough, through utilizing this gem of a toolset that
allows advertisers bidding rights over select keywords—businesses can ascertain
consistent visibility for particular phrases or terms within searches relevant
both within and outside the bounds of one's chosen keyword. Comprehensively
put: These paid-for adverts appear within the searches generated on Google and
other websites—that's how the pay-per-click (PPC) model Rolls.
Notwithstanding, Google Ads encapsulates a corpus of ad formats
varying from textual or visual implications to even app promotions—truly
leaving no stone unturned opportunity-wise. The prospect of ad targeting is
where advertisers continue to shine as they navigate through keyword focal
points, suitable settings for location, educational opportunities alongside
linguistic acumen, demographic considerations, and intriguingly personal
interests when campaigning.
To ensure that campaigns befit an inclusive audience not only
targeted and effective but fiscally wise—performance metrics such as
impressions, clicks, click-through rates (CTRs), and conversions along with
countless beneficial returns on investments are made available by the notorious
platform. Thus enabling advertisers to take deliberate steps in improving their
advertising strategies.
But wait, before you get too excited, make sure you familiarize
yourself with the pros and cons of Google Ads to help you decide whether this is for you or not.
Pros
1. Traffic is almost always guaranteed:
With thousands of people using Google to search for something
every single second, you are pretty much assured that Google Ads will help you
tap into audiences you might not have even thought of and have more traffic
flowing to your website.
2. Spend only what you can afford:
Google Ads gives you full control of your budget since you will
only be paying every time someone clicks your ad. Just set a budget for the day
and you’re good to go!
3. You’ll be instantly gratified:
Running Google Ads will help you increase the chances of people
seeing your business right away, so you can almost expect overnight and
transparent results out of your efforts.
4. You will receive helpful analytics and data to support your
marketing efforts:
Hunches, crossing fingers, and leaving things up to luck don’t
have a place if you’re using Google Ads. Instead, you will be getting tons of
analytics and data you can use to boost engagement, drive more conversions, and
ultimately more results.
5. Enjoy exceptional targeting capabilities:
Reach may be important but you will only be missing out on lots of
conversions if you just advertise to anyone. Google Ads will help prevent
losing conversions because you can target your ads to those consumers who are
already looking for terms relevant to what you’re trying to advertise.
Cons
1. It can get a bit expensive:
High-volume and high-intent keywords are often
competitive and every click may even cost a lot. Keywords typically range from
as low as 50¢ to $50, to some even priced for as much as $90.
2. Natural results are more trusted than
ads:
Although you can boost your visibility to
have your brand right there in front of your target audience, one downside here
is that people tend to trust organic results more.
No one wants to feel as if
someone is selling something to them. As a result, they shun away from PPC ads
such as Google Ads because they already know that a business or site paid for
it to be there.
3. You need to know what to do and how to
do it:
Believe it or not, Google Ads requires a
rather big learning curve. Although it’s not necessarily a downside of the
effectiveness of Google Ads themselves, the fact that it’s not user-friendly
makes it super difficult to get the results you need if you didn’t use them
before.
Novices may even end up wasting more money
while trying to familiarize themselves with Google Ads. In such cases, you
won’t have any other choice but to hire a professional.
Bonus Information
In addition to Google Ads, here are some
alternative options:
ü Using Social Media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter,
etc
ü Using traditional advertising methods like radio, billboards, TV
commercials, etc
ü Using Email Marketing platforms like Mailchimp, Constant Contact, and
many more to send promotional emails to target customers
ü Placing visual ads on websites, blogs, and mobile apps. Google Display
Network, Bing Ads, and other Ad networks provide opportunities to reach a wide
audience
ü Working with influential individuals or content creators since influencers
can create sponsored content or endorse products to their engaged audience
ü Platforms like YouTube and Vimeo provide opportunities to run video ads
effectively reaching users who consume video content
ü Through creating valuable content such as blog posts, articles, videos,
and podcasts to attract and engage your target audience while subtly promoting
your products or services
ü Using affiliates to promote your products or services in exchange for a
commission on sales
Now that you know the pros and cons of
Google Ads, do you think it’s the right choice for you?
