What are Google Ads? (And why you should use them)

Do you want more website traffic, more sales, or more foot-traffic in your business? Creating Google Ads is a great, simple way to promote your business online.

Google receives 63,000 search queries every second. That's 5.6 billion searches a day, and this search engine giant boasts 92-93% of the search market. That means over 90% of searches are made through Google. There's a reason why "googling it" has become the generic term for searching online.

And if you're going to be seen online, this is the place to do it.

Organic vs Paid Reach

Your ranking in the search engine depends on many things, most are related to your website's search engine optimization, how much traffic your site sees and how many backlinks it has.

If someone finds your website 'organically,' it means they are able to type in your business name, or perhaps a specific product, and find it on the first page of their search engine.

But if people aren’t finding you organically, what can you do? That's where Google Ads, or SEM come in.

Gone are the days of television and radio ads that are sent out to the masses, hoping they land on the right open, ears or eyes.

If you want simple ads that are targeted to the right people when they're ready to buy, learn, book, etc., then Google Ads is what you need.

There are many ways to market your business online through social media posts and ads. These put your business in front of people. But Google puts your ads in front of people who are searching for you or your services.

Google Ads are a form of search-engine marketing (SEM). Don't confuse this with search-engine optimization (learn more about SEO here). SEM is when you pay to get a better position in search engine results.

So if someone searches for floral men's socks, and you've paid for Google ads, your website or e-Commerce listing will rank higher in that person's search, dramatically increasing the odds that they will end up on your website.

Think about how you use Google:

When you open up Google to search for, say, "restaurants near me," depending where you are, that search can produce a lot of results.

Most of us scan the first few results, then start clicking on some of the options. But would you go to the second page?

We're guessing probably not. Most of us don't. Most people probably only look at the top 3 or 4 results.

There are always going to be websites on that second page, (and third, fourth, fifth) and you don't want to be one of them.

With good SEO techniques, you can improve your ranking in the search engine so you rank higher, but there's no guarantee you will make it onto that coveted first page, let alone the first few results.

With Google Ads, you pay to be on the first page.

But it's not just about "being at the top." In contrast to traditional social media advertising which puts ads in front of an audience that's looking to be entertained, Google puts your ad in front of the people who want what you're offering. These people are in the buying-mindset.

This leads to more conversions, more sales, and makes your ad work better for you. Plus, you only pay for clicks. If your ad lands in front of someone who doesn't click, that's it. You don't pay for the impression.

So, while you will have to pay, you're only paying for results.

Not bad, right?

Search shows intent.

When you search something in Google (or other search engines) it shows intent, whether that’s intent to buy or intent to learn.

For example, you might search "formal dresses Ottawa". This shows that you are interested in buying, or at least finding a formal dress in Ottawa.

Even better: "Indian restaurant near me" If you run an Indian restaurant, how valuable is it to have someone search for this and find your website at the top of the results?

Very valuable.

Chances are they will click on your website, or maybe even contact you, which could turn into a sale.

All this makes it extremely important to know what people are searching for - at least what they’re searching for in relation to your business and what you’re selling.

Try thinking about what your customers might search for in order to find your product or service.

Let's say you're a kids shoe store in Carleton Place. Someone might find you by searching for:

"kids shoes Carleton Place"

or

Stride Rides Carleton Place

or even:

kids runners near me

Getting inside your customers' minds and thinking about how they might search for your product is essential for creating Google Ads that hit.

But don't worry, Google does a lot of this work for you by suggesting keyword themes for your ad campaign.

Now we know what you're thinking:

“Google Ads are just that - ads. People don’t click on ads. I don’t click on ads.”

Maybe you don’t. But statistics show that people do. Besides, one of the best things about Google Ads is that you only pay for results. No clicks? No money spent. Simple as that.

If you’re paying for Google Ads and no one clicks on them - you pay nothing.

And that's a win in our books.

If you're overwhelmed and want help to learn more about Google Ads, you're in the right place. Get in touch and we'll point you in the right direction.