What Are Google Ads?

Google Ads are a Pay-Per-Click (PPC) form of search engine marketing. Advertisers bid on a set of keywords that are relevant to their business and create ads that match those keywords. Consumers type these keywords into their search bar when performing a Google search. For example, if a consumer was looking to hire a nearby financial advisor or find water restoration services, they could type in "financial advisor near me" or "water restoration."

Your ad registers for these keywords by running Google Ads, putting you at the top of the search and ahead of your competitors.

But that's not even the best part; you only pay for the ads when someone clicks on them! Hence the name: Pay-Per-Click Advertising.

Do Google Ads Work For Small Businesses?

Yes, they do. Google Ads work for all sizes of businesses. Google Ads are an efficient way for businesses to increase brand awards, gain website traffic, and generate more leads or sales, depending on your business type. Google Ad budgets can be as large or small as you'd like, and it doesn't take much to be effective. For small businesses, local ad listing can especially drive results.

Furthermore, you can track your results in real-time. Unlike a billboard or other forms of advertising, Google tells you exactly how many people saw your ad, clicked on your ad, and converted from your ad. Google's real-time results tell you firsthand if they are working for you.

This is just the tip of the benefits, let's dive into ten more.

10 Reasons Why Small Businesses Should Use Google Ads:

1. Reach People When They're Looking For You
2. Target Based On Geography
3. It's Faster Than SEO
4. They're Measurable
5. They're Scalable
6. Builds Your Brand Awareness
7. Drives More Sales
8. They're Cost Effective
9. Secure Your Brand Name Searches
10. Your Competitors Are Running Them

1. Reach Consumers When They're Looking For You

By targeting the right keywords within your campaign, your ads will be placed in front of consumers at the exact time they go to search for you.

They are Google searching your product or service for a reason; they are ready to take action! Google Ads allows your business to be placed right in front of that user without relying on organic SEO.

2. Target Based On Geography

If you're running a local business, you don't want to appear in the search results outside your target area. This is where the benefit of geographic targeting comes in.

Google Ads allows you to target your searches based on geography, meaning your ads will only show to the consumers that will purchase your product. If the searcher is outside your target location, they will never see your ad.

Google Ads can be a dominant medium for small businesses combined with other local SEO tactics.

3. Google Ads Are Faster Than SEO

First and foremost, Search-Engine-Optimization (SEO) is important; I don't want this section to make it sound like it's not. As SEO is important, Google's algorithm is constantly changing. 

Because of the difficulty SEO brings, Google Ads is a far easier method in getting to the top of search results.

4. Google Ads Are Measurable

With any form of PPC advertising, results are measurable. Google Ads allows you to track clickthrough rate, cost per click, ad spend, impressions, conversion rate, and a lot more.

Google Ads allows advertisers to see which aspects of the campaign are performing well and which elements are not performing to par. This allows advertisers to adjust campaigns in real-time, bidding more for the high-performing keywords and not as much for their counterparts.

Conversions are the ultimate goal of ads. PPC ads give you an exact return on investment and won't leave you guessing on the effectiveness of your campaign.

5. Google Ads Are Scaleable

Not totally convinced to bet the house on Google Ads? That's okay; it doesn't take much budget to get started with Google Ads. 

With Google Ads, you can scale up or cut back your budget as much as needed. Small business owners can start with a very targeted campaign and broaden it out over time to include more products or services and add additional campaigns as needed.

6. They're An Easy Way To Build Brand Awareness

Google Ads can be an excellent way for brand new businesses or businesses just trying to increase their reach. By getting your brand on Google's search, display, and shopping network, you can potentially get your brand in front of thousands of people each month. This creates brand awareness!

7. Google Ads Can Lead to Increased Sales

Google Ads allows you to get your small business in front of consumers looking for exactly what you're selling. This provides the opportunity to attract the attention of new customers who may not have heard about your business prior.

Small businesses often get overlooked by consumers for the giants in their industry; Google Ads is an excellent way for those business owners to get their products in front of those who otherwise may have never found them.

8. Google Ads Are Cost Effective - You Can Set Your Own Budget!

You can control every aspect of your budget with Google Ads. On a large scale, you set a maximum amount of money you are willing to pay each month running the ads. Some months you may reach that maximum number; other months, you may not. This max budget could be $2000+, or it could be as little as $100 per month.

9. Protect Your Brand Name Searches

If you aren't bidding on your own brand name, your competitors very well could be. Letting them show up ahead of your business in organic searches is not good for your business. Even if you rank #1 in the organic search results, there could still be up to three ads shown above you.

10. Your Competitors Are Running Google Ads

Even if your competitors aren't bidding on your brand name, they are bidding on the other keywords related to your industry. If you both offer water restoration services, they will be bidding on those keywords. If built correctly, your website was built around these exact keywords. This puts your competitor above you on search results, no matter how good your organic search ranking is.

Conclusion: Are Google Ads Worth It For Small Businesses in 2024?

PPC and Google Ads can be effective for businesses of all sizes, as long as you use them correctly. Small businesses want to take advantage of Google Ads as they will love the return on investment they produce. Google Ads are effective, targeted, and affordable.

Are you interested in starting your own Google Ads campaign? Contact Murray Marketing Services!