Do Google Ads Work for Small Businesses?

No matter the level of quality you were able to offer your audience, it won’t mean much if your target demographic isn’t aware that your business exists. Fortunately, a solid digital marketing strategy can ensure that you get your company in front of the right people.

Running Google Ads is an option that many small business owners consider, but not everyone is sure whether or not it’s worth it. When implemented correctly, this could be one of the best investments that you make into your company.

Let’s explore what you should know. 

What Are Google Ads?

For those who are unfamiliar with the term, Google Ads are paid advertisements that appear on Google’s search results. These can be configured to appear on the results for certain keywords, which allows business owners to target a specific group of people.

In an ideal situation, a user would search for something your business is able to offer them or a term related to it. When they see your advertisements at the top of the search results, they would click the ad and be redirected to your website.

Depending on the needs of your company, this could be a landing page, product page, etc. But a higher budget doesn’t always equate to better performance.

You’ll need to configure a large number of metrics (such as what keywords you wish to target) in order to get the best results possible.

Does the Size of My Business Matter?

It’s commonly believed that only large businesses can benefit from Google Ads. This notion is further supported by the misconception that a larger budget equates to better performance.

The truth is, however, that the size of your business plays an insignificant role in the maximum potential the Google Ads can have. To elaborate, it’s far more beneficial to run a thoroughly researched campaign as opposed to simply throwing money at it.

With enough research and analysis, even relatively small companies can achieve outstanding performance. 

How Can They Benefit My Company?

Google Ads do more than simply display your company’s website at the top search results. There’s also a handful of other benefits that you should keep in mind to help make your decision.

Let’s explore a few of the most notable. 

Performance Insights

One of the most significant ways that Google Ads can benefit your company is through its analytics page. This will provide you with detailed information about the results of your campaign.

You’ll be able to see demographic information about your audience, the percentage of users who clicked on your ad after seeing it, etc. From here, you can take steps to emphasise strategies that are working while modifying those that aren’t.

Over time, this will allow you to optimise the performance of your Google Ads campaign and get the biggest return on your investment.

Multiple Factors to Help Target Users

You’re also able to use a large number of factors when targeting your audience. So, you won’t be limited to basic attributes like gender.

Additionally, you can use geographic location, age, annual income hobbies/interests, etc. This gives you a wide range of flexibility when crafting your campaigns, as you’ll be able to pinpoint the exact type of individual that you’d like to target.

The end result is a campaign that is highly effective when configured properly. For this reason, it’s essential that you have a strong understanding of your target audience, and you should research this demographic as thoroughly as possible before one of your campaigns.

Otherwise, you may not be able to achieve the results that you intend to.

Control Over Your Traffic

Having the ability to control the traffic that your website receives is perhaps the most noteworthy attribute of using Google Ads. This capability allows you to redirect users to a specific page on your site from Google’s search results.

In many cases, this is also a highly effective process. For example, let’s assume that you own a business that sells running shoes.

Some of your target keywords could include ‘running shoes for men,’ ‘what are the best running shoes,’ or ‘men’s running shoes.’ If a user clicks on your ad, it will have already been established that they’re interested in the products that your company provides.

If you direct them to a page on your site that’s dedicated to a relevant product, it’s highly likely that you will make a conversion. You can also use this same strategy to drive traffic to landing pages in order to secure additional email signups. 

Split Testing

Sometimes, you’ll have multiple ideas for a campaign but aren’t quite sure which one to go with. Through split testing, you can run multiple campaigns concurrently the target the same audience.

As you begin to generate results, you can then gain insight into which method is the most effective for your target demographic. A common scenario involves creating multiple landing pages and then driving different segments of your audience to each one.

These pages typically vary in the offer they present, the ad copy, and even the images that are used. 

So, Do Google Ads Work for Small Businesses?

The answer is yes— but only if you implement them correctly. The above information will ensure you’ll be able to take full advantage of the utility Google Ads provide and hit metrics you never thought possible. 

For those without a notable level of experience in this area, it’s highly recommended to outsource this obligation to a professional. Want to learn more about what we have to offer? Feel free to reach out to us today and see how we can help.