Google Ads is a powerful digital marketing tool and if done right, it can be an essential part of your marketing strategy.
But like with all popular things, there are conflicting opinions and the internet is full of myths that have evolved over the 20+ years of Google Ads.
Let’s look at the five most common misconceptions and uncover the truth behind them.
Google Ads campaigns generate results immediately
This might really shatter some people’s expectations but there is no such thing as quick overnight results in Google Ads. The key here is to understand how the Google Ads system works and how important machine learning is for your campaigns to perform well.
Google Ads uses machine learning to optimise your campaigns and typically the more data it gets, the better your campaigns can be optimised. Depending on your campaign budget, data can accumulate faster or slower but even with a high budget, Google recommends a minimum learning period of 2-3 weeks for the sole purpose of collecting data.
After this initial learning period, we can start analysing the data and make adjustments where necessary. From here onwards, it is a constant cycle of collecting data, analysing it and making changes based on it.
You can start with any budget
Okay, yes, you can but if your budget is too low it will take you months to get enough data and you won’t be able to optimise your campaigns. As described before, Google needs plenty of data to work well and if there is not much data coming in, the system can’t optimise and you don’t have a solid base to make decisions for adjustments.
Here is an example: Google Ads works on a pay-per-click (PPC) system meaning that an advertiser is charged only if someone clicks on their ad. The cost-per-click (CPC) depends on many factors but say your average CPC is $1 and you have a daily budget of $5 for your campaign (or $155/month), your campaign cannot get more than 5 clicks per day or 35 clicks per week.
Google Ads works for every business
It is no secret that Google Ads is one of the most powerful digital marketing channels, but it doesn’t work well for every business. According to Google, every business can run Google Ad campaigns and while this is true in theory, in practice it doesn’t make sense for everyone.
Google Ads works well for most B2C businesses like e-commerce, service-based businesses, education, recruitment or not-for-profits. B2B proves to be more challenging as the lead times are often longer, more people are involved in decision-making processes and tracking can be more complex. Additionally, B2B deals are often done via personal networks and less through a Google search.
Another thing to consider is whether you have a product or service that people search for. Google Search Ads only make sense if there is awareness of and demand for your product. For new inventions or very niche products, other channels or campaign types would be better suitable.
Google Ads is the magic bullet in your marketing strategy
People tend to think that once they run Google Ads campaigns, sales and enquiries will start flooding in. After all, you paid for it so you can get quick results, right? Wrong. Google Ads is only one part of your digital marketing strategy and needs to be supported by other channels, like social media campaigns, email marketing and your website SEO.
Sending paid traffic to a poorly designed website is as much a waste of money as not following up on leads after their first interaction with your business. Relying on one marketing channel only is always risky – whether it’s Google Ads or any other channel.
Instead, pick a small number of channels that work best for you and make sure they are integrated with each other. For example, you can use Google Search to generate website traffic and newsletter signups, then follow up with new users with a personalised discount in an EDM.
Your Google ad appears everyone someone searches for your keywords
There is no guarantee that a user sees your ad when they search for a keyword you have in your campaigns – and that’s good! Other factors like competitors and their bids but also the user’s search history, location and the probability that they click on your ad play a role in determining whether your ad appears or not.
It’s common that clients want to see their ad and search for one keyword after another to make their ad appear. Of course, they don’t click on their ad because they would have to pay for the click. For Google, this is a signal that this ad and its advertiser might not be the best match for this user and at some point, it will show ads from competitors instead.
This exact principle applies to everyone – if you do multiple searches for the same or similar terms, see the same ad multiple times but never click on it, then Google will stop showing it because your behaviour indicates that it’s not a good fit for you. That is part of Google’s machine learning and a great way to ensure that your ads are shown to relevant people only.
Conclusion
In summary, there are some unrealistic expectations some people have about how Google Ads works and it’s important to understand what this channel can or can’t do. It’s important to work out the right strategy for your business, set an appropriate budget and understand that testing and optimisation never stop.
If you’re ready to get started or want to improve your existing Google Ads campaigns, get in touch with the team at JK Digital.
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