The reality of today is that we now live in a world where phone books and online directories have been superseded by search engines. If you, or anyone for that matter, wants to know about anything and everything, where is the first place they go? Google, of course.
Google commands almost 70 percent of the search engine market share in the U.S., and you’ll find their paid advertising in a majority of your searches. These are located above and on the side of “organic” results.
These results can be bought through the Google AdWords management platform. Without getting into the nitty gritty of it all, this system is based on a bidding system and the quality score of potential advertisements. Those who choose to use it must bid on a cost-per-click or a cost-per-thousand impressions for their ad to appear, which is based on what others are bidding on. The amount they choose to bid with will determine where and how often their ad shows up in search results.
Google will then determine the quality score of your ad based on its relevance to your chosen keywords, the click through rate, the content you provide afterwards, and how users engage with it. There are many parts that will need regular testing and tuning to generate a higher quality score, but a higher quality score will generate more impressions and a lower cost-per-click.
The Excuses People Make Not To Use It
Below are some of the reasons why some business owners refuse to use the Google AdWords management system as a lead generator:
My Customers Don’t Buy Online
Your customers may not make their purchase online, but 97 percent of consumers will research products and services online prior to buying. As was mentioned earlier, Google is the first place anyone and everyone goes when they need to find the answer to their question. Your customers want to see that they are dealing with a reputable company and that they are getting the best price available. So while you might not be going to make a sale online, you still need to assist your customer’s research questions.
In this case, your measurement of success may not be in the sale you could potentially make, but instead the quality of the visit. Quality is generally judged by the number of pages visited or how long a user spent on the website. From this information, we can deduce which visitors used your website as a source of information. If anything, higher quality visits typically mean that customers now view your brand as a leader in your space for the product or service you offer.
In September of 2013, Google did a study that revealed 70 percent of mobile searchers click to call directly from the search results as opposed to even looking at a company’s mobile site. Surely that gives you an idea of just how useful the Google AdWords management system is?!
Simply put, if you aren’t using Google AdWords, your results won’t appear unless you scroll down the page. Generally, users are not using their smart phones to browse websites – they are looking for a solution to their problem.
I don’t click on them because they are Ads
Statistically speaking, between 15 percent and 20 percent of searchers still do. A larger portion of these clicks are going to the top 3 paid results, while the remainder are going to the ads located in the sidebar.
Something else to remember is that you are not paying for the service unless a user clicks on your ad. You are actually paying to get someone who is searching for your service to then visit your website. Worst case scenario is that they choose not to click on your ad which means nothing has been gained or lost.
I’ve used it before and all I did was spend money
Good for you for having tried it, but answering the following questions may determine whether you used it to its full potential:
- Did you dedicate any time to researching the keywords to include in your campaign and learn how to run the campaign properly?
- Did you track the results of your campaign effectively?
- Did you define goals and metrics for your success? Were they realistically achieveable?
- Were you continually adjusting your campaign as you analysed your data?
If you answered no to any of these questions, then perhaps you need to have another go. As a business owner, running an AdWords campaign can involve a lot of work, so don’t be afraid to get some assistance when doing so.
Hiring an Agency
There are so many self-proclaimed “AdWords experts” out there that it can often to determine the good from the bad. Be sure to vet out all the nearby Google AdWords management company and if none of them can satisfy your needs, or answer your questions, cast your net a little wider.
Make sure they understand your goals as this will likely generate more leads or sales. They also need to be understand what a successful campaign is to you, and then they can instruct you as to whether this is achievable. As always, be sure to ask for testimonials and case studies to get an idea of what sort of agency you are dealing with and if they can help you achieve the results you want.
