As a marketer, I was curious about Google AdWords. And I am not alone. This is apparent when looking at Google’s search term trends. People are commonly searching terms like, “Google AdWords” and “How does Google AdWords work.” So, I set about my way to learn more about it and whether it could be used for the clients I typically work with: communities, utilities, and economic development agencies.
First of all, what is Google AdWords?
Google AdWords is an online advertising tool that allows users to place ads in a range of locations. Businesses can create extremely targeted B2C ads that appear digitally in a variety of locations, such as YouTube videos, apps, partner websites, and of course on Google Search results.
There are multiple options for making the most out of a Google AdWords campaign while controlling costs. One example is retargeting, or showing ads to people who have visited your site before. You may have experienced retargeting after looking at a product online and then seeing ads for the same product while you’re browsing other websites later. Another example is the option to pay for the ad only if a desired action occurs, like making a purchase or completing a desired task.
Is Google AdWords Worthwhile for Public Entities?
At first glance, our clients, who are mostly cities, utilities, and economic development agencies, may not see any value in creating a Google AdWords campaign. However, it can be a very impactful tool to all of those entities. Cities could benefit from Google AdWords by creating a campaign to direct people to sign up for a community newsletter or other initiative. The city would only pay for ads that result in someone signing up. The best part is the city determines how much it is willing to pay for each person who signs up. Once that budget is spent, the campaign ends.
Economic Development clients could create a cost per click campaign to raise awareness of their cities and incentives. These ads could be specific to each primary sector focus and have targeted keywords so that people who are not interested in the particular sector will not see the ads. Retargeting ads could be beneficial for clients looking to get people to sign up for conferences, memberships, etc.
How Much Can You Spend (or not spend) on Google AdWords?
Before you are ready to create an ad, it is important that you have your budget and goals determined. This will help make the process and selecting the right campaign type easier and more impactful.
When creating an ad, it is important to always:
• Use enthusiasm and have a call-to-action.
• Remember things might look different on a mobile phone since less text is shown.
• Have a location in your description, as that is often how people google (ex: ND economic development).
• Descriptions should be specific, actionable, and highlight unique details.
• The landing page must be specific and give users what they are looking for. It is also important that it has a fast loading time.
• Use extensions to direct users to specific areas. This can increase the click-through-rate by 10%-15%.
• Remarketing tactics can be used to stay top of mind.
Is Google AdWords a Good Tool?
Yes. Google AdWords can be beneficial because ads generate results that are targeted and can be analyzed. And unlike billboards and print ads, the results are clear, quantifiable, and can be easily tested and updated. The platform is extremely flexible and affordable. It is especially good for entities with up-to-date websites with clear communications goals.
For More Information
If you are interested in learning more about Google AdWords campaigns or learning more about AE2S Communications services, please do not hesitate to leave a comment or reach out to me at Taylor.Corbett@AE2S.com.