Google Ads, also known as Google AdWords, allows small businesses to compete in a crowded and highly competitive market, even on a tight budget. It may seem next to impossible to effectively promote your products or services when there are industry giants that dominate the market. However, effective marketing and advertising gives everyone an equal fighting chance. For small businesses, Google AdWords can be the way to reach out to their potential customers and gain the necessary exposure in the online world that will help them succeed. 

Running an AdWords campaign is not easy, and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. The fact of the matter is that Google Ads requires a lot of planning and effort before they start yielding viable results, which is why you need a good strategy. With that in mind, here is a small business strategy guide to Google AdWords.

What is Google AdWords?

Google AdWords is a type of PPC (Pay-Per-Click) marketing strategy. The way it works is that you bid for relevant keywords so that your clickable ads will appear in Google’s search results. 

In other words, you’re paying for every click on your ad. If done properly, the gains can easily outweigh the costs by boosting conversion rates for your small business, among other things. 

The cost-per-click depends on how popular or competitive a keyword you’re bidding for is. That said, you don’t have to opt for the most competitive keywords or spend a ton of money bidding on them to have a successful advertising campaign.

Step 1 – Conducting some research

The first thing you should do is take the time to conduct some research. What you’re aiming for is basically an insight into which keywords you should bid on. 

Therefore, you must have a closer look at your target audience so that you can determine how they search for similar products or services online and which search queries they use to conduct their search. This will give you information on which keywords are most commonly used by your potential customers. 

Aside from researching your audience, you should also conduct a competitive analysis. You want to know how your main competitors run their Google Ads campaigns so that you can find ways to outrun them and gain a competitive advantage.

Step 2 – Simplify your account

You might think that if you bid on more keywords, you increase your chances of success. However, that’s a common misconception that may lead you to waste time and money by overreaching. Your keyword account should be small and simple at first. 

Over time, you can bid for more keywords if there’s a need to do so. The key is to bid for the right keywords, not for a lot of keywords if you want an effective campaign and more relevant ads. Therefore, start with something basic and general, like the keywords you discovered through research. After that, you can bid on more specific keywords so that you can reach the right audience.

Step 3 – Manage your campaign

Once you start your campaign, you will have to monitor it effectively and regularly. Furthermore, Google Ads isn’t a campaign that you have to run 24/7. You can always pause it or halt it completely if the business is going great, as well as start it up again if you need more customers. 

However, one thing that you should constantly keep an eye on is how your campaign is performing while it’s running. Oftentimes, you have to tweak your approach and monitor relevant analytics to make the best out of your advertisement campaign. 

If you don’t have the time to commit to it or you don’t know how, you can always find a reliable agency to conduct your AdWords management for you. In any event, the key is to measure the results of your efforts so that you don’t end up wasting money in the end. That’s why it’s vital to manage your campaign whenever possible.

Step 4 – Always plan your budget

It’s no secret that Google AdWords can get pretty expensive. After all, this is where the majority of Google’s revenue comes from. That said, you might want to reach the top of the search result, but you don’t really have to. 

Overpaying doesn’t mean better results. That’s why it’s of vital importance to plan and set a constant AdWords budget so that you don’t end up overreaching. 

For example, it’s advisable to set a monthly budget for your AdWords campaign and stick to it. That way, you’ll know exactly how much you have to spend so that you can allocate enough funds whenever your small business needs to run ads. 

Moreover, if you change the budget often, it may cause your account to underperform. The main reason is that every time you change the budget, Google has to recalibrate the way they show your ads in their search results.

PPC and Google AdWords is a great way to target a specific audience at the right time and in the right place. With enough creativity and unique offers, you can easily convert your leads into customers and manage to succeed in the online market despite how strong or well-funded your competitors may be.