5 Things All Business Owners Need To Know About Google Ads

I’ve had a lot of enquiries lately for Google Ads. Yay! I love running Google Ads. But I have to say, I haven’t recommended it for everyone.

There are a lot of people who seem to think that Google Ads will be the be all and end all solution to their business to get more customers, whether that’s buying some skincare products or enquiring about building a double storey house.

I wanted to share some insights on this, so here are 5 important things all business owners need to know about Google Ads.
 

5 Things All Business Owners Need To Know About Google Ads

 

1. Google Ads Is NOT A Magic Wand For Your Business

Google Ads will never be a magic wand for your business.

If you’re struggling to get people to buy or enquire, chances are, Google Ads is not going to solve your problem completely.

You need to look at WHY people aren’t converting and work out how to change that.

It could be your website isn’t clear enough, it’s too slow, it’s not secure, your copy doesn’t scream ‘BUY ME NOW’, your contact form isn’t working, or myriad of other on site problems.

 

2. Google Ads Gets You Eyeballs, Your Website Needs To Convert Them

The main thing you need to realise about Google Ads is this:

 

Google Ads will bring people to your website. 

But it’s your website’s job to turn those people into leads or sales.

 

There is NO point running Google Ads to a website that just isn’t set up to encourage people to buy or enquire.

You need to have essential elements of your website absolutely spot on before you even think about running Google Ads.

Because what’s the point of paying for traffic unless your website’s going to be able to do its job.

Here are some key things every website needs to drive conversions:

 

• Your website must be fast.

 

• It must be trustworthy and factually correct.

 

• It must have clear copy that encourages people to take action and sells them your solution to their problem. No spelling mistakes!

 

• It must have obvious ways for people to contact you.

 

• If you’re selling online, your website must be secure (https instead of http).

 

• You must be tracking all your online leads via Google Analytics.

 

• Speaking of which, you must have Google Analytics installed on your website!

 

If you’re interested in how to optimise your website for conversions, read this.

 

3. It Takes Time To Get Enough Data To Make Broader Decisions

Google Ads is generally speaking not a platform you should randomly run for short bursts at a time.

With automation and machine learning becoming part and parcel of Google Ads performance optimisation, it needs to have a significant amount of data to inform decisions, just like your account manager (that’s me!).

When making bigger decisions like what ad text is converting best for a particular ad group, or what demographics are buying the most, you need to have at least 6 months’ worth of data to be able to do this confidently.

If you’ve just got 2 months of data and you’ve only run ads for 2-3 days at a time once a week, chances are it’s not going to be significant enough to allow you to know you’re making the right decisions.

So please don’t run Google Ads unless you’re prepared to do so for at least 6 months.

I don’t lock anyone into contracts or minimum periods, but I do explain this to them so they know it’s not a short term quick fix option when it comes to their digital marketing strategy.

 

4. Not All Campaigns Are Created Equal

You might already have Google Ads campaigns set up, but there’s 100% chance I won’t be able to take them over and run them as is.

Why?

Because if you were happy with their performance, you wouldn’t be talking to me in the first place.

Different account managers will manage accounts differently. That’s fine. But there are recommended structures for campaigns and ad groups that should basic knowledge to anyone claiming to be a Google Ads specialist.

Unfortunately, more often than not, the campaigns I review are so badly structured it’s not even funny. It makes me super mad!

I’ll see campaigns with one ad group, containing 200+ keywords, all on broad match. WTAF! (This is bad in case you didn’t know.)

If that account manager didn’t know any better than this to set it up, I can’t see how they can effectively manage those campaigns.

So when you ask why I charge a set-up fee and can’t just take over your existing campaign, that’s why.

 

5. Google Ads Isn’t For Everyone

Now this might come as a surprise, but Google Ads may not be right for your business.

Your business may be much more suited to Facebook Ads, or Instagram Ads, or you might need to look at your SEO or email marketing first.

There are agencies out there that will tell you to run Google Ads no matter what. Why? Because they want your cash. Simple as.

Me? I want to get you results. And if I don’t think Google Ads will get you the results you deserve, I’m gonna tell you. No BS, no beating around the bush. I’ll straight up tell you.

Generally, I find that Google Ads works best for higher value products and services. The lower your price point, the more you’d have to sell to get a return on your investment. And often businesses with lower value products and services (say $50 and under) don’t usually have a whole lot of budget to blow on Google Ads.

So when you need to make tough decisions about where you invest your marketing budget, Google Ads might not be the right choice for your business.

 

Hopefully, that’s helped you understand if Google Ads is an option for your business. 

If you’re still not sure, give me a ring and we can chat about your digital marketing and business goals to see if Google Ads would be a good fit for your business. 

If you want Google Ads management without the BS, I’d love to work with you! 

Contact me now for a free Google Ads review and quote for your business now.