When you do a Google search, have you ever noticed the results (ads) on the right side of the page (and sometimes at the top)? These are called pay-per-click (PPC) ads. Google calls them “AdWords.” Unlike regular “organic” search results, businesses guarantee themselves first page exposure by paying Google only if someone clicks their ad and goes to their website. The real power of this type of advertising for small businesses is that you can have these ads “geo-targeted.” Which means that only people in your market will see, and click your ad. Online advertising is like the yellow pages…on steroids.
Most experts believe it takes at least a few months to get ranked in the regular/free/organic listings on Google. I’ve found that time is only a couple weeks, but maybe I’ve just been lucky. Either way, many small businesses can’t afford to wait until their website gets ranked organically on Google. Click here for more about organic SEO
Now, even businesses like mine show up extremely well (first page) on Google’s organic search results, but I still utilize pay-per-click advertising with Google. Why? Because I want to take up as much real estate on the first page of Google as possible. It’s just like having a second ad in the yellow pages, only you don’t have to pay for this one unless someone clicks my link (and that usually only runs from 25-cents to 2-dollars (depending on the keywords and the competition).
Here are a few of the big advantages of a Google AdWords PPC campaign:
- Your ads are usually visible within 15-30 minutes.
- Your ads are segmented to specific keywords that are a match your business.
- People who click your links are highly targeted and relevant (if done correctly).
- You’re only paying if a potential customer clicks the link and goes to your site.
When we’re producing a Google PPC campaign, we incorporate the following services:
- Google account setup
- AdWords Account Setup
- Account management
- Weekly PPC analysis
- Ad copywriting
- Keyword research and keyword list building
- Landing page design
- Conversion tracking
There are many things a small business owner can incorporate into your website marketing, but Google AdWords is not one of them. Online PPC advertising is shockingly cost-effective if you know what you’re doing. If you don’t, it can be worse than a trip to Vegas.
