How to Determine if Google Ads are Right for Your Business

Are you considering Google Ads as part of your marketing plans? Google Ads can be a great advertising tool, but before you get started, we’ve outlined some considerations for your business.

What are Google Ads?

Google Ads (previously called Google AdWords) are a PPC (pay per click) advertising system developed by Google that gives you higher placement in Google’s search results based on paying for specific keywords.

Q & A

If you’re wondering if Google Ads are right for your business, there’s one important question to ask yourself:

Are people actively searching for your products or services?

Now that’s the topline question, but we’re going to make some additional enquiries to support this primary question:

• Are people consciously looking for your products/services or are they more likely to realize your value when they stumble upon it?
• How popular is the online search for your business offerings? Is it a high or low volume service/product?
• How competitive is the market for your products/services?

Google Ads aren’t right for everyone. What we’re trying to get to the heart of with these questions is how active a search query you’ll be dealing with.

Example A

If you’re a locksmith and your specialty is helping people who have just been locked out of their homes, then you’ll be dealing with very specific and decisive search queries. If someone who lives in Toronto has been locked out of their home, they’ll probably type in things like, “locksmith Toronto”, and “fast service locksmith Toronto”, and “locked out of the house locksmith Toronto”. This is a type of business that provides a solution that people are actively searching for. When people are under duress, they won’t want to shop around on dozens of different websites, they’ll want to pick the options that come up first. Appearing at the top of the locksmith list will be very important for you, so Google Ads would be a great option.

Example B

Here’s a different example. If you run a dance studio in Toronto that offers beginner swing dance classes for adults, Google Ads might not be the best option for you. Sure, some people might search specifically for “swing dancing Toronto”, or “beginner swing dance classes Toronto”, but how many people are actively seeking out that service? Some, but not many. And there probably aren’t an awful lot of swing dance studios in the city to compete with. (I happen to know that you can count them on one hand.) If you had a well optimized website (SEO) then your website would come up on the first page of search results anyways, so you wouldn’t need to put your money into Ads.

Facebook Ads vs. Google Ads

So in the case of the swing dance studio, we would rule out Google Ads is out, but Facebook ads would be the perfect fit instead. With Facebook ads, you can target certain demographics of people who might not be actively searching for swing dance classes, but if you hit them with a compelling ad at the right time, you might pique their interest. In a case like this, I would definitely recommend Facebook ads over Google Ads.

Understanding your Target Audience

It all comes down to understanding if people are actively searching for your product or service OR if people need to be shown and told about your value in order to generate interest. When there’s a high volume of specific searching going on, Google Ads is great. When the element of surprise, curiosity, and catching interest are required in order to suggest to people that they consider your products or services–something that they weren’t actively hunting for but would perfectly suit their needs–then Facebook ads are the way to go.

If you need help navigating your digital marketing options, don’t hesitate to reach out to us. We specialize in Google Ads, Facebook ads, and online marketing, and would be happy to offer you a free consultation to help determine what platforms would be right for you.