How important is Google to your business? How effective are Google Ads? And, the big question, should you advertise on Google? Yes. Yes, you should. And we have the stats to prove it.
Do Google Ads Work?
When you’re figuring out an advertising budget for your business, you obviously want to find the best place to spend your money to get the most out of your investment. If you’re wondering if people really use Google to decide what to buy and who to buy it from, the answer is yes. In fact, you have probably used Google to decide things like what plumber you should hire, or where you should order your next pizza.
According to some statistics, Google display ads alone reach about 90% of internet users, and more than four billion store visits are the result of clicking on a Google ad. Those are pretty impressive numbers that really show the extent of Google’s reach.
If you have a local or regional business, Google is the key to your success with online advertising. Surveys show that about 29% of people search for a local business every week. In all, 86% of consumers use the internet to find businesses in their area, and 72% use it to research local merchants. If you own a small business and are trying to attract people from a specific region, Google Ads is one of the best ways to get yourself out there.
So, why Google Ads specifically? Why not Bing or Facebook or some other search engine? To answer that, we have to look at just how large Google’s market share is.
How Prevalent is Google?
Google is the most popular search engine by far so ads on Google are seen by a much larger audience than any other platform. How much of the market share does Google own? A whopping 75%.
But that’s not all. Google Ads display network actually extends beyond that, reaching up to 80% of internet users on their favorite websites, mobile apps, YouTube videos, and even in their Gmail accounts. There are more than 2 million sites and roughly 650,000 apps in the Google Display Network. So, Google Ads actually reach far beyond the search engine itself.
It’s also worth noting that advertising is very profitable for Google. Consider this: ads make up about 97% of the company’s total revenue. Why is that relevant? Because Google knows how much their ads matter, and try to provide their users with the best possible experience.
Isn’t SEO Enough?
Of course, search engine optimization (SEO) is important, but it’s a very different beast than Google Ads. SEO is ideal for building a brand reputation over time and improves your website’s organic ranking in search engine results. It’s also free, which is appealing to small businesses, especially those just starting out.
But even with a good SEO approach, you may struggle to get to the top of the search engine results page (SERP) quickly. And it’s important that you do – about 98% of people who use Google to find a business end up choosing one on the first page or one of the top three ad results.
Google Ads are a much faster way to be seen and, believe it or not, it’s easier than SEO. There are just so many factors to SEO, whereas Google Ads is a lot more straightforward. Google Ads also show up in places other than SERPS, which is an important thing to consider. Even if you perfect your SEO, it’s not going to get your ads popping up on websites and apps. Google Ads does.
So, yes, SEO is important. But using it in combination with Google Ads is a good approach. Pay for Google Ads to start getting the word out about your business while you build your reputation. Meanwhile, use your SEO technique to carry your brand into the future.
How Effective Are Google Ad Campaigns?
With a good campaign and proper management, Google Ad campaigns are extremely effective. According to Google, most businesses make about $2 for every $1 spent. Believe it or not, about 70% of mobile searches get results within an hour of being seen, and 70% of people performing a search on a mobile device end up calling the business directly from the link in the ad.
Let’s look at the mobile side of this for a moment because it’s really important. Today, 69% of the time spent on the internet is done so from a mobile device. From a business perspective, some evidence shows that appearing in mobile ads increases brand awareness by as much as 46%. So, the fact that Google excels at mobile advertising is important for business and the success of your ad.
Here’s another thing to keep in mind. As much as 84% of people between the ages of 18 and 29 use a mobile device when shopping online, and 78% of those between the ages of 30 and 44. This is a huge opportunity, and Google Ads certainly takes advantage accordingly.
When surveyed, most people using Google Ads for PPC campaigns planned to increase their budget for the campaign. That’s a pretty good sign that they’re seeing some success. After all, you’re not going to throw more money into a PPC campaign that’s failing.
Search Network vs Display Network
There are two options for advertising on Google Ads: the Search Network or the Display Network. We touched on both of these a bit already, but let’s take a closer look.
Google Search Network
The Google Search Network covers more than just the SERP. Yes, your ad may show up in results on the main search page, but you can also advertise on Google Maps, Google Shopping, Google Images, and more. Basically, ads in the Google Search Network show up in any type of search.
For example, someone using Google Maps to search for a pizza restaurant might see an ad for your pizza restaurant. Or, someone searching for men’s boots on Google Shopping may get an ad for a retailer that’s nearby.
Google Display Network
You can also advertise on the Google Display Network, which takes your ad much further than results pages. As we mentioned, there are more and two million sites and 650,000 apps in the Google Display Network, which makes ads visible to nearly all online shoppers. This alone highlights why SEO is not a good substitute for Google Ads. No matter how high your page ranks, you’re still missing out on a lot of exposure.
Why Use Google Ads
If you’re still not convinced, here’s a quick rundown of the top reasons why you should consider Google Ads for your business:
- Google’s reach is massive. More than two trillion searches are done of Google every year. That’s over five billion – every day! Talk about a lot of opportunity for exposure.
- You can target your ads effectively, and you have full control over all your campaigns.
- When setting up your ad, you can limit your daily budget, set maximum bids, and beyond.
- It’s very easy to see the results from your ad and collect information like impressions, budget, clicks, and more so you can analyze the data and make necessary changes.
- Even if people don’t click on your display ads right away, display ads can increase brand awareness by presenting your products or services as people browse the internet.
- Your campaign is scalable: as your business grows and your advertising budget increases, you can easily make the changes you need to keep ascending.
- While SEO is important, Google Ads gets much faster results.
You Still Need a Good Campaign
Setting up an ad on Google isn’t difficult. But it’s not exactly easy either. It’s not a “set it and forget it” type of thing. A good ad requires a lot of monitoring and analyzing so you can figure out what’s working, what isn’t, and what you need to change.
It’s also worth mentioning that you should use different ads for each platform. That means what you run in a Google Search ad should be different ad from what you run for Google Shopping. And you’ll need yet another ad if you’re choosing to work with the display network.
All that said, when you have a good campaign, you’re likely to get good results. The stats speak for themselves.
To ensure you have the best possible approach to boost sales and brand awareness, consider working with a PPC expert. Not only does PPC Masterminds have the experience to get immediate results, you’ll have someone to hold accountable if things aren’t working. You have a business to run – outsource your Google Ads work for tried and true expertise.
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