Google has an incredible reach when it comes to potential customers, so it is easy to see why their AdWords application has been so successful. It is important to realise that while Google AdWords is a very powerful marketing tool, how you implement your campaigns is important. There have been a lot of changes in online marketing recently, but AdWords can still offer your company new ways of reaching clients.
The Wild West Days
In its infancy AdWords was a cheap way for SME's to market themselves: the PPC was low; usually measured in pennies, so the bar to entry was low even for crowded markets. The drawback to this was that results were quite haphazard, not always bringing in a good ROI. Google had very little quality control in the early days, meaning that paid search items gained a reputation for being hotbeds of spam, malware and cons. It was also possible to lose a lot of money if your advert piled up clicks from a ‘spam bot’.
Those days are long gone, and all the major companies are using AdWords now. Popular keywords will cost you pounds, not pennies per click. But the quality of adverts has increased exponentially, there are now spending caps that let you control how much you want to pay, and the potential results are phenomenal. The reputation of the service has increased across the board – with good justification.
Outdated Views Of AdWords
Unfortunately, the view many businesses have of AdWords is based on outdated misconceptions that were only half true when they first became concerns ten or more years ago. They therefore miss out on a really valuable source of potential new business.
It is unadvisable simply to rush into an AdWords campaign cold without any preparation. However, discounting AdWords because of its perceived cost or complexity is to misunderstand its true potential as a business development tool.
While using AdWords is more nuanced that it was a few years ago, it is important to see how valuable it still is. If your company wants to get prominent placement on a Google results page, an AdWords campaign will get you there. You could spend a fortune on other forms of advertising, and not get the same kind of publicity that AdWords offers you.
Once you realise that these common misconceptions about AdWords are untrue, you will be free to approach the platform in an entirely new light.
Misunderstanding 1: It's Really Expensive
AdWords isn't cheap anymore, especially if you want to buy popular keywords. But you can hunt down niche keywords that don't have a broad appeal, so your PPC isn't high. The plus side to this is that the clicks you attract will have a good chance of being interested in your area of business. You can also use negative keyword lists to filter out unwanted attention, and maximise the chance of a conversion.
When you are bidding on keywords, think about distinct words that apply to your area of operation. There are many words you can use that won't have a broad appeal, so they should still be affordable to purchase. While AdWords isn't the giveaway that it once was, it still offers you a lot of value for what you pay for a click. Thinking strategically about your keywords will help keep your costs down, and remember that you can always set spend caps to keep your campaign within budget. You will never be faced with a runaway AdWords bill.
Misunderstanding 2: Spam Bots Will Cost You A Fortune
Google has become very adept at making sure that a click that you pay for was made by a human. Not only that, but they are very strict when it comes to people who try to ‘game’ the system. The bottom line is that if you are paying for a click, it was made by a human who is a potential customer. There is no guarantee that a click will convert, but you can be positive that if you pay for a click, it was made by an interested human being.
Misunderstanding 3: It's Hard To Use
AdWords gives you a lot of options when it comes to how you advertise on Google, and this can be intimidating for some businesses. While knowing how to launch and manage an AdWords campaign takes some foresight and planning, it isn't impossible to launch one in-house if you absolutely have to. You will need to dedicate some time to learning how to create a campaign, so getting help from a professional AdWords agency like JDR is usually a good idea. We can help make sure your costs are kept as low as possible and you get the best returns from your spend.
How To Use AdWords Successfully
If you are struggling to figure out how to get AdWords working for your business, get in touch with one of our specialists today. There are a lot of scare stories out there about AdWords, and most of them are completely untrue. When used correctly, it is actually one of the most cost-effective forms of online paid advertising. What is more, it makes a perfect companion to other marketing techniques, such as SEO, ensuring your brand gains maximum online exposure.
