Warning: Undefined array key "type" in /container/application/public/back9/b9/wp-content/plugins/wpseo-video/classes/class-wpseo-video-utils.php on line 95
Google Ads Archives - Page 2 of 3 - Back9 Creative
Back9 Creative Logo

Category: Google Ads

How Much Money Should I Spend on Google Ads?

Posted on by Phil

Are you wondering how much money to spend on Google Ads? That’s a great question! When it comes to marketing budgets, there is no “one size fits all” answer. How much Google Ads cost depends on several factors, including your target audience, the type of ad campaigns you are running, and the competitive landscape in your industry. To give you an idea of what other companies are spending each year, let’s look at how much the world’s biggest brands are investing in Google Ads.

google ads audit image

Google Ad Spend By Industry

The amount that companies spend on Google Ads varies widely depending on their industry. For example, the top 10 advertisers across all industries spent $3.8 billion combined in Q2 of 2019.

Of those 10 companies, three were retail-focused

  • Walmart
  • Amazon
  • Home Depot

Two were technology companies:

  • Apple
  • Microsoft

Two were telecommunications providers

  • AT&T
  • Verizon Wireless

Two were auto manufacturers:

  • General Motors
  • Hyundai Motor America

And one was a pharmaceutical company

  • AbbVie

Google Ad Spend By Region

It is also important to consider where these ads are being served. The top 10 advertisers spent more than $2 billion dollars just in the United States alone during Q2 of 2019. That’s nearly half of their total budget for the quarter! Other countries such as Canada ($113 million) and Germany ($95 million) also saw significant investments from these major brands. This shows that it is not just domestic markets that have high ad spending but international ones as well.

What’s your Digital Strategy?

As you can see, there is no single “right” answer when it comes to how much money you should be spending on Google Ads each year. Or even each quarter or month for that matter! Every business has different needs and goals when it comes to their digital marketing strategy. However, looking at what the world’s biggest brands are doing with their ad budgets can provide valuable insight into trends within your own industry or region. Thus giving you a better understanding of where your own budget should stand in order to compete effectively! One positive is that Google Ads now charge GST in New Zealand, so at least you can factor that in and claim it back.

So where’s the best place to start with all of this digital marketing stuff? Well, to undserstand how much to spend on Google Ads, is to ensure you have an overarching plan. A Digital Marketing Roadmap it a great tool to have. Not only will it define your goals, but who to target and where.

Location Targeting: How to Make the Most of Google Ads

Posted on by Phil

We’ve all heard the phrase “location, location, location” when it comes to buying real estate. But did you know it applies equally to digital marketing? That’s right – location targeting can make or break your Google Ads and other Cost Per Click (CPC) campaigns. Let’s take a look at why this is so important to get it right. And how you can make the most of your CPC/PPC efforts.

Why Location Targeting Matters

When it comes to digital advertising, one size does not fit all. Different audiences have different needs and interests. So if you want to maximize your campaign ROI, you need to tailor your message accordingly. Enter location targeting.

With location targeting in play, you can target ads based on geographic location. This means that people who are likely interested in what you have to offer will see them no matter where they are located. This helps ensure that every ad dollar spent is being seen by as many relevant eyes as possible. In turn, this means more profit for you! It’s also important to note that with today’s technology, precise targeting is possible down to the zip code level. That way you don’t waste money showing ads to people who aren’t likely customers; instead, those dollars are going towards connecting with those who actually matter – those who will help drive sales and revenue for your business.

Location targeting also works well in tandem with other types of targeting such as demographic or interest-based. For example, if you are a local restaurant advertising a summer special on ice cream sundaes for kids aged 12-17 living within 10 miles of your shop, then using these three criteria simultaneously will increase the effectiveness of your campaign substantially. The more narrowly targeted you can be with your campaigns, the better!

precision matters

The bottom line is this: when it comes to digital marketing (and really any type of marketing), precision matters – and having precise location targeting capabilities allows you to reach exactly who needs to see what message at any given time. Taking the time and effort necessary for proper location targeting pays off big in terms of increased ROI from CPC campaigns like Google Ads – so don’t forget it when planning out your next campaign! Google Ads, Digital marketing, SEO, and SEM are a minefield. It takes years to learn and master. And then it all changes…  To maximise efforts and results it is always worth considering outsourcing to an expert whose job is to keep up with the changes. Then you biggest challenge becomes how to choose the right marketing agency for your business,

Google Display Ads – Why You Should Use Them

Posted on by Phil

There are many reasons to use paid advertising. Here are 9 reasons to use Google Ads in general. Google Display Ads are a type of advertising that falls under the Google Ads umbrella. They allow businesses to show ads on websites across the internet. Display Ads are a great way to reach new customers, and they can be very effective in driving brand awareness and website traffic.

There are several reasons why you should use Google Display Ads for your business.

Effective at reaching new customers.

Google Display Ads are very effective at reaching new customers. When someone visits a website that is part of the Google Display Network, your ad has the opportunity to be seen by that person. This gives you the chance to reach people who might not be familiar with your brand or your product.

Flexibility to fit your specific marketing goals.

Google Display Ads are very flexible. You can customize your ads to fit your specific marketing goals. For example, if you want to increase brand awareness, you can create an ad that is designed to generate interest and awareness for your brand. If you want to increase website traffic, you can create an ad that is designed to drive traffic to your website. And if you want to increase sales, you can create an ad that is designed to generate leads or sales for your product or service.

Affordability

Finally, Google Display Ads are very affordable. You can set a daily budget for your campaign, and you only pay when someone clicks on your ad. This makes Display Ads a great way to stretch your marketing budget and get the most bang for your buck.

How to use Google display ads

Google Display Ads come in all shapes and sizes. The key to making them work for you is to create ads that are relevant to your target audience and that stand out from the rest. Here are some tips for creating effective Display Ads:

1. Define your target audience.

The first step in creating effective Google Display Ads is to define your target audience. Who are you trying to reach with your ads? What are their interests? What are their demographics? Once you know who you’re targeting, you can create ads that are relevant to them.

2. Write compelling ad copy.

Your ad copy is what will make or break your ad campaign. Your copywriting for your ads needs to be attention-grabbing and that offer value to your target audience. Don’t try to sell them on your product or service; instead, focus on how your product or service can solve their problem.

3. Use eye-catching visuals.

Your visuals need to be eye-catching and relevant to your ad copy. If you’re selling a product, use high-quality images of the product. If you’re selling a service, use visuals that depict the benefits of the service. And make sure your visuals are optimized for all devices—you want your ads to look good on both desktop and mobile devices.

4. Test, test, test!

The only way to know if your Google Display ads are effective is to test them. Try different versions of your ads and see which ones perform the best. Then, continue to refine your ads until you’re getting the results you want.

Reach New Customers and Drive Sales with Google Display Ads

Display Ads can be a great way to reach your target audience and grow your business. If they’re done right. Display Ads are a great way to reach new customers and drive brand awareness and website traffic. If you’re looking for a flexible, affordable way to market your business, then you should definitely consider using Google Display Ads. In saying that like any tactic in marketing using them in isolation is not always the best option and may not give you the best ROI. Consider using a Google Certified expert and incorporating Display ads into your overarching marketing strategy.

It is important to also understand the role your website plays in your paid advertising strategy – which falls under Search Engine Marketing or SEM. You can send as many people as you can to your website, but if your website sucks it won’t convert.

Can I Manage Google Ads Myself?

Posted on by Phil

Can I Manage Google Ads Myself?

The quick answer is, Yes, you can. You can create a google ads account and set up an advert that’ll be up and running fairly quickly. But ask yourself, how well can you manage Google Ads? Do you understand the intricacies of:

  • Identifying key reports that will give you the most insight into your campaigns?
  • Are you comfortable interpreting the data in your account and knowing what actions to take to optimise your campaigns?
  • Can you explain key Google Ads data such as Ad Rank, Search Impression Share, Quality Score, or Interaction Rate?

If you do, then you probably don’t need to read on, and I’ll bid you a good day. However, if those things seem a little foreign to you then perhaps you should consider outsourcing an expert to Manage google ads for you.
Can, would, or do you service your own vehicle? Or if you employ people do you do your own employment contracts? And do you do all of your accounting with the aid of an expert in their field?
Again if this is something to consider. Having an Expert manage google ads for you will ultimately give you the best opportunity to see measurable, tangible results – and a positive ROI.
If you choose to manage Google Ads yourself, whilst it may seem easy to get started, it is virtually impossible for a novice user to know whether or not they are getting the best results possible, and there are a lot of parts to a successful campaign.

Managing Google Ads

Managing a Google Ad account is not simply looking at the reports once a month and making a couple of random tweaks. It’s about knowing exactly what’s happening in the account day to day. And then being able to dedicate time each week to check key reports. It’s also important to understand how to research ppc keywords, costs per click, and even the user’s search intent. Then there is the landing page each ad directs the user to. Is it optimised for user experience, is it even relevant?

Google is pretty smart – we all know this. But an expert in Google ads will make calculated adjustments and apply new opportunities to maximise traffic, conversion, and ultimately revenue.

In competitive industries, like law firms, travel, and tourism, or Finance and insurance to name a few – this requires daily check-ins and adjustments to bids strategies, for example, just to maintain the ad position and level of traffic to the website.

A lot can happen in the space of a month. Google Ads is definitely not a “set and forget” platform, so don’t be tempted to think that a profitable campaign will remain profitable without any intervention from you. It’s likely that it’s taken months, maybe years, to get it to a profitable state, and it will continue to require work and time to keep it profitable.

You Can Lead a Horse to Water…

You may have heard the saying ‘you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink’. This also applies to Google Ads. And in particular your website. Imagine the information (or content) on your website is the water. Once you lead your prospects to said water, you need to ensure they find what they are looking for. Simply put, what do you want those visitors to do once they get there? And how easy is it for them to drink – or take that action – How will you make them stay longer? How will you convert them into contacts and then customers?

And if they do convert, what is your lead nurturing process or strategy?

These are all relevant questions to be thinking about and if possible answering before you even set up the Google Ad account.

Why you shouldn’t Manage Google Ads yourself

On more than one occasion I have heard from clients who tried to manage Google Ads on their own. And all too often, have made a complete mess of it. They end up spending thousands of dollars and have no idea if they got any ROI from it.
We’re all human, and with digital marketing being such a minefield, we understand the attraction to manage Google Ads yourself.

Google encourages you to have a go, with their ‘easy’ AdWords Express offer that pops up with every Google service you sign up to.
It seems by doing it yourself you will save on agency fees.
There are so many companies offering SEO and Google Ads services. They hail from who knows where around the world at seemingly cheap rates. (if you’re like me you get at least a few emails a week in your inbox)
All the Google Ads companies claim to be “experts”
Yellow Pages have sale reps selling Google Ads every time you want to talk about how expensive their adverts are.
It’s really hard to know who you can trust and at least if you manage your digital marketing yourself, you’re the one in control right?

If you have tried outsourcing to digital marketing companies before you may have had a bad experience. Unfortunately, as marketing companies, even the honest ones, often get tarred with the same brush, or worse we inherit the distrust or the baggage the client carries with them from the previous firm.

There are still a number of reasons you’ll see better results using a certified expert to manage Google Ads and should avoid trying to do it yourself –

  1. Being found in ways you don’t want to be
  2. Showing the Search Results in the wrong locations
  3. Being found for the wrong keywords
  4. Appearing for negative searches
  5. It’s always Changing

Get a professional to Manage Google Ads for you

Like the references above in the first section, about vehicle servicing legal contracts and accounting practices, there are some tasks or jobs we don’t (or shouldn’t) do ourselves. Factors like not having the time, resources, or expertise to do them as well as they need to be done all contribute here..
Some people may ‘have a crack’ at certain tasks (probably) to save money, some may just enjoy learning or doing it themselves. When it comes to digital marketing and Google Ads, it all depends on how much time you have to learn and keep up-to-date with the ever-evolving changes.
It’s a well-known fact that time is our most valuable commodity – in fact, the one thing on earth we can literally never obtain or acquire is more time. Smart people understand that swapping money for (other people’s) time is an investment – after all, we can always get more money – but we can never get more time!

The Damaging Effects of upsetting Google

We see this so often. To save money, people sacrifice their time to create their own templated websites. Often they try to do their own SEO and manage Google Ads themselves too. Months down the track, they give up in frustration and ask for help. Or worse – they deduce that digital marketing doesn’t work! The trouble is that on the internet, some things last a long time. A website that has been penalised by Google or damaging SEO practices can take months (or more) to put right.
If you’ve tried to manage Google Ads yourself, we understand you’re probably just trying to lead your horse to water. But you may be just getting led down the garden path…
You could actually be doing or already have done some lasting damage that will take time to put right. If you’re spending a bunch of money on Google Ads but not getting results, or even worse, you have no idea if you’re getting results at all – the best advice we can give you is, STOP! Talk to someone who understands and get yourself back on track.

Do Google Ads work?

Posted on by Phil

The internet is rife with advertising. Ads appear before YouTube videos, in the middle of Facebook feeds, and on top of Google results. Google Ads–formerly Google AdWords–are the ads that appear before the normal results. They’re a quick way to get to spot one on Google quickly. But does advertising on Google Ads really work?

For many businesses, yes, it does. However, success depends on many factors, such as how much time you invest into creating the ads, the quality of the website itself, and of course, advertising budget. Even on a smaller budget, Google Ads can work–as long as they’re done right.

The different goals of advertising on Google Ads

Ask most businesses what their goal for Google Ads is, and they’ll answer with “Get more customers”. And Google Ads can help with that. But the final sale or new customer is only one stage of the Buyer’s Journey. There are several different types of goals in Google Ads with the main ones being getting website visits, getting leads, and making sales.

Getting website visits through Google Ads

Not all sites need or even want sales or customers. For some, the goal is to raise awareness. Think of non-profits like charities, who want people to be aware of a specific issue. They may not have anything to sell. They may not accept donations. For these types of sites, the goal is to educate customers, and you’ll pay Google Ads for each click on your ad that leads to your website, with the average across all industries being about $3.80 NZD per click.

One study showed that educated customers are over 130% more likely to do business with a company. And the more expensive the product or service, the more likely someone is to do thorough research before making a decision. Using the website traffic goal can help get people to your website–then it’s up to you to have the right information on the site to keep them interested. If your site is small and simple and you don’t add articles or updates regularly, the website traffic goal may not be right for you.

Since costs per click (CPC) are relatively low, they’re a fantastic option for a smaller budget. Sometimes, people simply don’t know that you’re an option. By showing up in Google for the right keywords, they can find you, learn about you, and maybe decide to do business with you.

Getting leads through Google Ads

When you can’t make sales directly through the website or are looking to get leads, advertising on Google Ads can help you get them. Google Ads can help by having you pay for each conversion. Standard options for conversions include calls made by clicking the call button on an ad or filling out a contact form. You can also set them for custom actions–like if someone visits a thank you page–but these require adding some code to your site manually or by using Google Tag Manager. Naturally, the cost for a conversion action is much higher than the cost per click, currently at around $70 NZD per conversion.

The benefit of using this kind of goal and bidding strategy is that you can see how many leads come directly from ads. If you sell a service that profits you $500 and ends up costing $50 to get a customer, then you’ve gotten yourself a pretty good deal… Especially if they become a regular!

Getting Sales through Google Ads

If you have the ability for people to buy products directly on your website, you can create Google Ads to target getting purchases. Using this goal is great because it’s easy to track if your ads are making you money. However, to work properly it requires extra setup and adding code to your website to track purchases. Technically, a sale is considered a conversion action by Google Ads. This means across all industries, the average is $70 NZD.

For smaller, less expensive products however, this amount can be much lower. The cost per action on apparel, for example, is around $15 NZD. On the opposite end, for high-tech industries, it’s over $180 NZD.

How do you get your cost per click or cost per action lower?

If those costs seem like they’re a bit on the high side, that’s because they are. Properly made and optimised ads can be much cheaper and deliver better results. But these require a bigger time investment both for the ads and for the website itself.

Google decides how much an ad costs to run based on Quality Score. This quality score is a scale of 1-10 and includes the relevance of the keywords, the design and writing on the ad itself, and the relevance of the page the ad leads to. Using the keyword “best” and with an ad that just says “We’re the best” and a page with only “Call us now” will be closer to a 1. Well-written ads leading to an optimised page clearly related to the search term can get you a 10. And the difference in cost for quality ads isn’t just a little bit either. A 10 ad can cost half as much of a 4 ad and several times less than a 1.

Real-world examples of successful Google Ads

At Back9 Creative, we have several clients who are consistently outperforming others in their industry with better results at a lower cost. Some of these include:

  • A retail store with a cost per click of 20 cents NZD–less than 1/10 of the average across all industries and less than 1/5 of the average for other e-commerce sites.
  • A property maintenance company with $34 NZD cost per action — less than half of the Consumer Services average of $84 NZD.
  • A speciality service B2B business with under $2 NZD cost per click and $60 NZD cost per action — with average B2B at $160 NZD per action and $4.67 NZD per click.

So how are these costs so much lower than average? First, we are certified in Google Ads, which involves taking courses created by Google and passing the certification exam. We also aim to maximise Quality Score through a combination of creating professional ads with excellent website experiences. Finally, we update ads, campaigns and keywords regularly to maximise effectiveness. If you’re looking to advertise on Google Ads successfully, get in touch with us today and see what Google Ads can do for your business.

9 Key Reasons to use Google Ads

Posted on by Phil

Do Google Ads really work? Yes! Google Ads is one of the most effective ways to increase your sales fast and, with the right setup and management, it’s an extremely powerful tool that can bring in a whole new set of customers. And more customers equals more money for you! In this article, we’ll go over 9 key reasons to use Google Ads for your business, and why now is the best time to start.

1. Get your business on the 1st page of Google

The most straightforward reason to use Google Ads is that it will get your business found on Google. And as an ad, you can jump straight to the top of Page 1. This doesn’t mean that your ad will show every single time someone searches for your industry, but it does mean that it will show up frequently. Without Google Ads, it will often take a few months for your website to rank well on Google (but that’s a whole other story, and requires lots of work!) But with Google Ads, the results can start right away.

2. Reach people anywhere

Even with the best flyers and print ads, your reach is going to be limited by distribution and region. Since Google Ads is on the internet, you can reach the next city, the next region, even countries on the other side of the world. If you have the ability to ship internationally, you can target people in say, the US who would’ve never heard your revolutionary radio ad. You can reach people anywhere, and even gain fans and followers for your brand from outside the country. 75% of users say that paid search ads make it easier to find information, which is especially relevant when they live far away from you and wouldn’t see your local advertising. 

3. Increase the number of visitors to your website

The more people that view your website, the more likely they are to hear and understand what you have to say. They may share it with their friends, family, or other people they know that have a question you can answer. Even if they don’t share it, more visitors to your website can help your organic SEO (which means getting found without paying google for ads) grow, which can help you get more visitors, to get your more sales, to get you more visitors, and so on.

4. Find customers ready to buy from you

It’s not just quantity that matters, but quality. People that take the time to click on ads are 30%-50% more likely to make a purchase than regular website visitors. People that come across your website on accident may be looking to buy, but they may just be doing research. But if someone clicks on an ad, they tend to know that they’re being sold to–and continue on anyway. Without any Google Ads, you could be missing out in this important group.

5. Get new leads

Google Ads isn’t just for making sales from eCommerce websites. If you don’t or can’t sell online, you can still use Google Ads to collect customer information for new leads. You can send people to a dedicated landing page where they can request more information, submit info for a free quote, subscribe to your newsletter, and more. Then you can get back to them on your own time with the info they need or have them continue through your sales process.

6. Grow brand awareness

For many companies, brand awareness is one of the most important things on the marketing checklist. Building brand awareness helps people become familiar with your brand. They may not need what you’re selling at the time, but they’ll begin to associate your products and services with you. Then, if they ever do need what you offer, you’ll be first on their mind.

7. It costs less to advertise than traditional methods 

Traditional advertising can be expensive, typically a few hundred or even thousands of dollars for a limited run. Meanwhile, Google Ads can reach people for a very reasonable cost. And it doesn’t expire. In terms of how much you should spend on Google Ads, it’s hard to nail down exactly how much ads will cost.

Typical cost-per-click varies by industry, but there’s plenty you can do to end up on the lower end of the cost spectrum. The best and simplest way to get your cost down is to have your ads managed by a certified Google Ads professional. 33% of people click on search ads because of how relevant the ad is to their search. And professional management can make sure that your account is relevant to the right people. Even after setup, management, and your ad budget, you can get a far greater return by having your account set up properly. 

8. Adjust ad campaigns easily

If you do traditional advertising like printing flyers, once they’re printed, they’re final. Noticing a typo or changing a deal after the fact, means you’ll have to get an entirely new run printed. Or hand them out with outdated information. With Google Ads, changes are easy. You can adjust your ads with a few clicks. You can change the budget in a matter of minutes. If you’re having a difficult month, you can even pause the ads temporarily, and resume then again whenever you want. With this kind of control, you don’t have to worry about Google Ads running you dry. That’s because you can adjust campaigns whenever you need to.

9. Make more money! 

We talked a lot about spending money on Google Ads. But the old wisdom is true here: you have to spend money to make money. Including setup and regular management, the average business makes $2 for every $1 spent on Google Ads. 100% return is pretty good! And Google is constantly updating the platform to make sure running ads is worthwhile. 97% of their revenue comes from ads after all, so they have to make sure it’s worth your investment! A properly set up ad account can make a huge difference in getting customers, and ultimately, making you more money.

Ready to use Google Ads?

If you’re keen to start using Google Ads, that’s great. You can be successful with Google ads if they are done right. So in saying that, we don’t always recommend trying to manage Google Ads yourself, unless you have some experience… Using a professional for creating an account, setting up some campaigns, and helping you run your first set of ads will pay off. Get in touch with us if you’d like to see how Google Ads can help you!