The top 10 reasons to use Google Ads (AdWords)

At Web Marketing Workshop we love Google Ads (AdWords) – as a marketing tool for our clients, and for our own business; as a flexible campaign management tool; and as a highly measurable, data-rich advertising service that is constantly evolving.

You may be one of the many website companies to be using Google Ads (AdWords) as part of your marketing strategy, or perhaps you’ve used it in the past. Or you may be an online business that has yet to try Google Ads (AdWords) to target your customers using search. Either way, here are our top 10 reasons why we think AdWords is such a powerful, cost-effective marketing tool:

1) Search marketing is targeted
The most effective form of marketing, apart from word of mouth, is search engine marketing. Whether you use search engine optimisation (SEO) or pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, when you place your business in front of searchers when they are looking for your product or service, you are reaching ‘warm’ prospects. This is known as ‘pull marketing’ – where you are meeting your potential customers’ needs at the time they are looking to buy – as opposed to ‘push marketing’ such as press ads, radio or TV advertising, which has a larger element of wasted spend. Google Ads (AdWords) is the primary form of PPC advertising and displays search listings within the prominent ‘Ads’ section of the search results.

2) Get immediate search rankings
If you want to rank well in the search results, and quickly, then Google Ads (AdWords) is the answer. Achieving rankings using SEO can take time, particularly in competitive markets, whereas you can create a new AdWords campaign and be ranking in the search results within an hour.

3) Target an unlimited number of search terms
When using SEO on your website, you can be limited by the number of pages available to target the range of search terms relevant to your market. However, with Google Ads (AdWords) you can select and bid on as many search terms as you want, regardless of your website’s size.

4) Use the flexibility of campaigns
The range of settings and tools available within AdWords can make your campaign extremely flexible, enabling the ability to test a range of techniques and strategies within a short period of time. From targeting a small geographic area, to focusing on a few key search terms, or getting your ads just to appear on mobile phones, AdWords is under your control. You can also use your search advertising as a tactical tool to be turned on or off to support sales, offline brand advertising or seasonal trends.

5) Use the detailed targeting options
Together with search term targeting and advert scheduling tools, Google Ads (AdWords) can also be used to focus ads around geographic areas and so you can revise ads by location or compare results by city or state. Short market coverage tests can be performed to test offers, creative copy and landing pages, giving you a powerful tool to measure and refine your marketing campaigns – the use of Google Analytics and Website Optimizer can also be included here.

6) Control your spend and reduce the risks
Google Ads (AdWords) has a low entry cost and therefore you can usually test this marketing technique with a low initial budget. Compared to other forms of marketing, an AdWords PPC campaign can be tightly focused and you can control your daily or monthly spend within a set budget.

7) Direct visitors to the best pages on your website
With AdWords you can decide which pages become the landing pages on your site, whereas with SEO, Google may rank a page that isn’t as appropriate for the search term being used. You can direct users who click on your ads to the most relevant pages to make it easier for them to buy or take another action. You can create standalone pages just for AdWords traffic and test offers and page layouts to see which work best.

8) Use the data to measure the effectiveness of your spend
A Google Ads (AdWords) account contains lots of data options, with segments, charts, reports and user analysis (particularly if you also link in a Google Analytics account). This means that you get immediate and highly measurable feedback on what works and what doesn’t, so that you can continually refine your targeting to make the most of your advertising spend, within a short period of time.

9) Use the data to improve your website’s SEO
Most importantly, Google Ads (AdWords) should be used alongside your website’s SEO development, by helping to identify the best search terms for your market that are being used on Google and which generate the most relevant traffic. You can test new terms in AdWords and refine your SEO to continually develop and improve your ‘natural’ search engine rankings, which will attract more clicks and for no cost.

10) Use AdWords for wider advertising campaigns
The expansion and improvements to the AdWords Display Network means that you can expand the reach of your online marketing campaigns beyond search. You can target visitors to other websites by related content, interests or topic-related websites, and with ‘remarketing’ you can target web users who have previously visited your website. By using image ads, this expanded coverage can provide a powerful and low cost way to generate brand awareness within your target market.

As AdWords continually develops and adds new tools for advertisers, the opportunities for targeted, cost-effective marketing increase. If you’re currently using AdWords we hope that you’re seeing these benefits for your business. If you’ve not yet tried AdWords, now’s a great time to run a test campaign, and we can help with a FREE £70 advertising credit for new accounts.

For more information or for help with a new or existing AdWords campaign, please contact us.

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