How Google Ads Can Help Build Your Business

A question we hear very often from our customers is: "I have a great website and I have seen a lot of traction organically, but I want to take the next step to market my business. What do you recommend?"

The answer is a "Search Engine Marketing" tool. By far the most important and successful Search Engine Marketing tool is Google Ads.

What Are Google Ads?

When search engines first became popular, everyone realized the importance of appearing on page one for any pertinent keyword phrases that were important to a business. Sensing a way to make money, Google took advantage of this and reserved "geography" on the top and now bottom of every page one search for paid ads. These are called Google Ads and they are the only way we can assure a customer that they will immediately get to the top of page one of a Google search.

How Do Google Ads Work?

Google, in essence, sells those 3-4 spots at the top of page one, for any specific keyword, to the highest bidder in the form of an "algorithmic" auction. Whoever bids the most for a particular keyword, in a particular zip code, at a particular hour of the day, will indeed appear at the top of page one of a search.

How Much Does it Cost?

Google charges the customer on a "pay-per-click" basis. Which means that the customer only pays when someone clicks on their ad. The cost per click is totally dependent on supply and demand. So, if there are 50 businesses bidding for those 3 spots on the top of page 1, the cost per click will be much more expensive that if 5 people were bidding for the spots. Because of this, Google Ads in large metropolitan areas tend to be more expensive than those in lightly populated, more rural ones. The customer determines a budget which can be changed at any point for any particular keyword.

Should I Run My Own Google Ad Campaign?

While you can run your own campaign, we, in no uncertain terms, do not recommend it. The goal of a running a Google Ad campaign is to get the biggest bang for every Google Ad dollar that you spend. In order to accomplish this, the campaign should be run by an expert in the field who knows all the tricks and in-and-outs of running a Google Ad campaign. Terms such as "CTR" (Click through Rate) and "Quality Score" are examples of part of Google’s algorithm which cannot be handled correctly without an expert. There are a vast number of different tools that a Google Ad campaign manager can use to increase the effectiveness of any campaign!

What Happens when a Potential Customer Clicks on the Ad?

A big mistake that many people make when running a Google Ad campaign is that when a potential customer clicks on the ad, it takes them to the home page of the company’s website and does not direct them to either the specific product or service that the potential customer is looking for. For that reason, we always recommend building specific "landing pages" which will discuss the product or service mentioned in the keyword search.

How Do I Track the Results?

It is imperative, since this campaign does cost money, to be able to determine an accurate way to measure results. This can be provided by putting a "tracking" phone number and a specific landing page "contact form" on every landing page. In this way, you can see how many people took action on the ad by either calling the business or filling out a form.

What Do I Do to Evaluate the Campaign?

Google Ad campaigns are evolutionary and constantly changing. It is absolutely necessary to meet with your Google Ad campaign manager on a regular basis to go over the analytic tools and examine the results. Google Ad campaigns need to be constantly tweaked in order to be as effective as possible. This includes, among many other things, changing keywords and adjusting budgets.

Dr Joshua Gindea is the Executive VP and co-founder of Doctorsinternet.com a company which manages a doctor's online persona, reputation, website, social media and search placement.