Should I be advertising my business with Google AdWords?

Google AdWords, SEO, Advertising
Aug 2, 2018
Digital Marketing

You’ve no doubt seen the subtle ad banners at the top of the Google page when you conduct a search. Do you usually click on them? Why or why not? And, anyway, how effective are they, really?

You might not realise it but AdWords (now called Google Ads) is worth tens of billions of dollars to Google, with over 90 per cent of Google’s revenue derived from their search advertising services. This is mind-boggling stuff.

This isn’t just on paper, either. Plenty of businesses use and swear by the ability to leverage AdWords to sustain and grow their business. After all, Google is everywhere. When we refer to web engines, how often do you find yourself saying “I’m going to Safari it” or “Let’s ask Bing”?

But the question is, will AdWords work for your business? Let’s take a look at five crucial factors.

A Short Buying Cycle

Immediacy wins the day.

For example, use “emergency locksmith Perth” as a search term. Put yourself in the shoes of the searcher. Do you think you are going to spend time researching and carefully reviewing the top providers in order to obtain three quotes? No, you need to get into your house, fast! The first one you like the look of, you are going to use.

Therefore, AdWords wins the day over other searches that have appeared on the page below.

Your Brand

Successful businesses understand the importance of cultivating and projecting their brand in the marketplace.

Whether you are the industry heavyweight or a new, up-and-coming disruptor, you want people talking about you. And when people talk, they invariably search. Word of mouth is a high-converting channel. But it needn’t only exist offline; online it can be a powerful force too. The ability for your brand, business name and product lines to be discovered makes AdWords an important consideration. It not only protects against competitors seeking to raid your name and goodwill, but also ensures you take control of the user experience.

On the flipside, aggressive, sassy brands have been known to go after their competitors and do it well. Search for Pizza Hut and the results for competitor Domino’s shows up first – WITH a 30 per cent off voucher no less! Brand matters, even if it’s not yours.

AdWords, brand, digital marketing

A cheeky strategy by Domino’s.

High-Value Business

If a business is in a high-value industry, where winning a new client or making a sale can result in significant once-off or lifetime revenue, then AdWords is a great fit. Why is that?

The cost of acquiring the client is more than offset by the expected return. It is for this reason the insurance sector and legal professions are often the most competitive (and therefore the most expensive) markets when it comes to AdWords. But if the expected return is into the tens of thousands of dollars for each new client, then there is plenty of motivation to be found at the top of the page.

FURTHER LISTENING: Brand Newsroom episode 158: Is Google AdWords right for your business?

Can You Convert?

One often overlooked consideration when it comes to AdWords and whether it’s right for your business relates to what happens after the click. In other words, once they make it to your site, do users take action to make contact or buy from you? If they don’t, then it will be very difficult to make AdWords’ return on investment positive.

I worked with a business that sold industrial products for warehouses, factories, manufacturing plants, and so on. The products were specific and many were high value, so it seemed to be a good fit. However, there were two problems:

It was a disaster. The clicks were there, the market was there, but the site meant the client simply couldn’t convert them to business.

A Defined Offering

If users know and can define what they are looking for, then there is an opportunity to present yourself before the market via AdWords.

But sometimes there is a disconnect between what the user is thinking they need and what they actually need or want. For example, if I am looking for a new sofa, I might have a style in mind but as a novice home stylist I may not know the correct name for that style. I have probably heard a few different names bandied about on the lifestyle channel but is it really ‘Scandi’ I’m interested in or would you call it ‘Hamptons’? Or something else entirely? A few searches will probably yield the right answer but for an advertiser, if I am not searching for what they’re paying for, there is a low likelihood of sale.

Conversely, if I am selling TVs and people will be searching for a certain size and type of TV (e.g., an OLED 65in) then I can ensure I am found for specific and related search terms. The difference in this case being the user has shown their specific interest via search, indicating they’re much more likely to be in the buying phase.

FURTHER READING: Is SEO right for your business?

So, there you go. The five crucial factors that will help you determine whether you should use AdWords for your business.

 

If you want to know more about AdWords and your content marketing plan, get in touch with Lush – The Content Agency. We’re Western Australia’s full-service content marketing agency. You can call our Perth office on +61 08 9228 3380.