Google. We all know the name, we all know what it is, and I’m willing to bet that most of us have at least once uttered the words, “Google it”.
But for some reason when marketers say the word “Google” to their clients, it’s enough to make some business owners go into a cold sweat 😰.
So I’m here today to change that, and give you four of the best reasons to start advertising on Google, like today!
Visibility
So you wanna get on the first page of Google? Congratulations, so does everyone else 😜.
While your SEO efforts may pay off eventually, it could take a long time to get to the highly sought first page for those non-branded keywords. So while you wait to get to page numero uno, 75% of people will never scroll to the second page, and if you then add mobile phone searches into the mix, your business could very well be invisible on Google organically speaking.
Allow Google paid ads to enter the group-chat.
Yes the advertising landscape is a pay-to-play space, this shouldn’t be new information as a business owner, so if SEO is the marathon, then paid search ads is the sprint, and you can go straight to the top of the search results and start getting eyeballs on your ads immediately. Whether it’s text, shopping, discovery or display ads, your results will appear on the prime positions on Google (and their networks and partners), and can also include a product photo, product information such as price and shipping, all pre-click, which means you don’t have to pay until someone clicks on the ad. Invisibility be gone!
Qualified Traffic
When a person goes to Google he/she/they are clearly showing strong intent for something. Maybe it’s informational, and they want to know what the weather in Melbourne is today. Maybe it’s educational, and they need help patching a hole in the wall, or maybe it’s transactional, and they are looking for a specific Lego set to buy.
Regardless of the ‘why’, each of these micro-moments show a clear intent by the customer for a desired outcome, an outcome that can easily be fulfilled by Google.
Social advertising is a smart move because you want to market your products/services where your potential buyers are hanging out. The main downside though, is it requires disruption of the users attention, and your ad needs to be not only something they could have an interest in, but more importantly, it needs to be compelling enough to stop a person mid-scroll.
Luckily for you, you don’t need to compete for anyone’s attention on Google. If a user is on Google, chances are they are actively searching for something, and if you can you get your ad in front of the right user at the right time, you can feel confident that that traffic is qualified for your offer #winning.
Complementary to Other Advertising Channels
“But I get great results on Facebook/Instagram. Why do I need to pay to be on Google?”
Great question Janice.
The simple answer is a combination of the things already mentioned above, visibility and traffic.
When a user is hanging out on social media, they are usually there to fill in time, to get inspired, to see who crashed into the Montague St Bridge this week or for FOMO. So while you can try to capture their attention in their social feed, their intention to purchase something wasn’t necessarily their motive while binge watching the latest dance trend on Stories.
By including Google into your advertising mix, you’re able to spread yourself across all the different steps of the customer purchase journey from awareness, to consideration through to purchase. And sInce it takes at least eight touch points to close a sale, if you miss the conversion during their first interaction with your business, you could help close the gap when the user completes a branded search or you can retarget them with your products on the display network, complementing your original social advertising efforts.
Brand Protection
Did you know that your competitors can bid on your brand name in Google Ads?
Yeah I know, bummer.
You worked hard creating your brand, the logo, you even got help from a SEO specialist who’s helping your content show up for high traffic keywords #greatjob. But then a competitor comes along notices that your making headway with your organic rankings, bids on your brand name, and *ta-da* they are now at the top of the search results. And it’s totally legit.
The solution?
Bid on your own brand name too so that you can protect your brand from competitors who want to leverage your brand and take some of your impression share and traffic. Yes you have to pay, but the good news is it will be less expensive than what your competitors pay because bidding on your own brand will take the user to a landing page with your brand all over it, which is much more relevant than your competitor doing the same thing. Google rewards relevancy in the ad auction, so your ads will not only be cheaper than your competitors, they may also reward you with a higher placement above their #win-win.
I could go on and on about why it’s a good idea to start advertising on Google [I never even mentioned the incredible reach, the easy set-up, great reporting, low barrier to entry or mobile friendliness, and yet, all of these things are true too!], but the basic truth is you just need to try it for yourself and see if it’s the right fit for your business. And with 5.6 billion searches happening every day to answer the world’s questions, why not let your products or services answer at least some of them 😀.
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