Google Ads can be worth the investment if used correctly, offering significant returns and precise targeting.
Google Ads is a powerful digital marketing tool for businesses seeking to grow their online presence. The opportunity for instant visibility and targeted traffic is undeniable. But, the path to success isn't always easy. As such, you might be wondering, "are Google Ads worth it?".
Let's explore how advertising on Google can take your business to the next level and also what to watch out for.
Source: Hootsuite
Understanding Google Ads: are they worth it?
Google Ads (formerly Google Adwords) operates on a pay-per-click (PPC) model, where you pay each time a user clicks on your ad. This gives small businesses the flexibility to control costs and choose whose click you want to pay for. This is what gives Google Ads its power to drive traffic and sales. You can show up at the right moment, when your potential customers are ready to buy.
The Promise of Google Ads
Targeted Reach: Advertising on Google allows you to get your ads in front of the people most likely to buy your products. This allows you to target your desired audience by keywords, demographics or interests.
Measurable Success: One of the strongest benefits of Google Ads is it’s measurability. You can track every click, every sale, and every penny spent. This offers you clear insights into your return on investment (ROI).
Speed to Market: With other channels, such as SEO, they can take a long time to bring in traffic. But, with Google Ads, you can get your products in front of customers straight away.
The Pitfalls: Where Google Ads Can Go Wrong
As Sun Tzu or Spiderman (I forget which) once said “With great power, comes great responsibility”. While Google Ads offers a lot of promises for growth, you need to bear in mind the platform's complexities. Without a nuanced understanding of the platform businesses run the risk of:
Budget Drain: Without knowing, you might be bidding on inefficient keywords or using the wrong bidding strategy. This can lead to a high cost per click (CPC), or bring in low-quality traffic.
Missed Opportunities: Failure to optimise your ad copy and landing pages, can lead to low conversion rates. This means you'll have to spend even more money to capture the same number of sales.
Overlooking Valuable Data: Google Ads provides a wealth of data. Some may say too much for beginners. Misinterpreting this information can lead to misguided decisions and strategies.
The Case for Expert Guidance
Diving into Google Ads without expert guidance can feel like overwhelming and daunting. We’ve seen it time and time again with clients saying that advertising on Google hasn’t worked for them and they don’t see the value. Yet, when we come to look at their accounts they were wasting spend left, right and centre. With a lot of persuasion, we've had the opportunity to turn those accounts around. They've then gone on to become Google Ads advocates.
Here’s how partnering with specialists, like Toast, can transform your digital marketing experience:
Cut Corners: In our time, we've already made and seen all the mistakes. Save yourself the time, effort and money and avoid them in the first place.
Strategic Insight: Don't wing it. We can bring a strategic approach to keywords, bidding and ad copy. Making sure the right decisions are made for your business.
Ongoing Optimization: A good agency will run continuous tests to ensure your campaigns and ads spend are working hard for you.
Deep Analytics Understanding: Experts can crunch the complex data, provide you with insight and turn that into actionable strategies.
The Learning Curve: Why Mastery Takes Time
Advertising on Google is not about setting up campaigns and watching the traffic roll in. It’s about continuous learning, testing, and adjusting. Here's why the platform demands a deep dive:
Evolving Features: Google is always updating its ads platform, introducing new features and retiring old ones. Keeping up requires constant vigilance.
Complex Bidding Strategies: Mastering bidding strategies to maximize ROI takes time and experimentation.
Analytics Interpretation: You need to understand how to interpret Google Ads analytics. This is imperative to informing strategy adjustments and is crucial to campaign success.
TL;DR
Google Ads offers a lot of potential avenues for growth, but if not approached correctly you risk wasting time and money. If you're considering advertising on Google, we recommend seeking some expert digital marketing guidance. This can be the difference between a campaign that soars and one that sinks.
If starting out on Google Ads seems daunting, you’re not alone. At Toast, our core ethos is to be clear, transparent and honest. Through this, and our comprehensive management, we write campaign success stories. Want a strategic partner that creates a strategy that aligns with your business goals? Reach out to us today.
The Author
Adam has been knee-deep in the world of digital marketing for over 7 years, mastering the art of PPC and SEO for both B2B and B2C brands. As the brains behind Toast Digital, he’s got a knack for turning clicks into conversions. When he’s not busy making marketing magic, you’ll find him passionately talking about his latest vegetable-growing triumphs or showing off his camera roll, which is 90% dog pics. In short, he knows his stuff – whether it’s marketing or marrows.
