The Pros and Cons of Google Ads PPC

So, you just set up a website and want to begin monetizing it. Where do you begin? One of the best methods right now is advertisements. There are different types of online advertising available, but one that continues to have a great return of investment (ROI) is known as “Pay-Per-Click (PPC)” on Google Ads (also called Google Adwords). Now, this might all sound like a lot of confusing jargon, but don’t worry. We’re going to break down Google Ads, PPC, and the pros and cons for you.

About Pay-Per-Click Google Ads

Although Google Ads have been around for quite a few years now, many people, especially those new to the world of online business, ask, “Just what is Google Ads?” Chances are, without realizing it, you already know what Google Adwords and Pay-Per-Click looks like and entails. You just haven’t been made aware of it yet.

So, here is some homework for you. The next time you search for something on the internet, like “graphic designers in Ottawa” or “web design services near me,” take a look at the top and bottom of the search results page (SERP). There will be text with a little green box that says “Ad.” That’s a PPC ad. While the ads may not always be useful to you, they are affiliated with the keywords that you typed into the search bar.

Businesses big and small can leverage PPC ads through Google Ads and bid on keywords. Pay-Per-Click works by driving traffic to websites. Whenever an ad is clicked, the business doing the advertising pays the publisher—the search engine, for example.

How does this work with Google Ads? Easy. The user—you—will bid on keywords and then, once a search for said keyword is initiated, Google algorithms will sift through all the advertisers and choose winners to appear within that priceless ad space at the top of the SERP. Winners are selected based on a number of factors, including content quality, keyword relevance, and the size of the keyword bid.

Advantages of Google Ads Pay-Per-Click

There are many benefits to PPC marketing for businesses. Here are just a few:

Detailed Tracking Tools

The biggest advantage to Google Ads is that you get a cornucopia of marketing tools and analytical data at your fingertips. Not only do you see measurable results, you also get capabilities for highly targeted advertising. You can focus on geographical location, various markets, demographics, and even set parameters based on the objective of the advertising campaign. As your ad gains more exposure, you can log in to Google Ads to see how much traffic the ad is generating. This enables you to get valuable information so that you can adjust your marketing strategy for future PPC campaigns and keyword bids.

Words for Rebranding and Retargeting

Maybe you’re not new to the scene but you recently revamped your entire business. Put Google Ads to work. A PPC campaign enables you to show off details about your new and improved website, helps with brand recognition and reputation, and will even help you reach new customers. As mentioned above, if your first PPC campaign didn’t do as good as you originally planned, you can use the information you gathered to target a different audience, rewrite your strategy, and come up with better, more successful ads without spending a whole lot of money.

Quick Set Up

Even if you are not a computer wizard, you can still set up a Google Ads campaign without much effort. Google Ads is also available on both PC and mobile platforms, so you can check your campaign from anywhere, at any time. Yes, there are several layers to a decent ad campaign, but the program will walk you through the process. All it really takes is a few test runs, a budget, and use the tools available.

You’ll have a PPC ad in no time.

Cost-Effective Marketing Option for Larger Businesses

The most successful PPC campaigns are the ones that you can invest some money into, which is why larger companies with a greater presence usually do well with Google Ads. Also, businesses that spend over a certain threshold gain access to an expert from Google Ads. This individual will provide your business with more advice to fine tune your campaigns.

Disadvantages of Google Ads Pay-Per-Click

Pay-per-click does have some cons that you should consider before beginning a campaign. Let’s have a look.

Pauses and Deadlines

When your campaign is over, the ads disappear. Also, if you stop paying for a campaign, your ads can no longer be seen. PPC is only a temporary measure and should be thought of accordingly.

Many businesses make the mistake of beginning a campaign without proper planning. Once this happens, it is difficult to stop the PPC campaign. You can only pause it, not delete it. So, if you are going to use Google Ads, make sure you know when to begin a campaign and how long it runs for.

Competitive Market

Google alone receives over 3 billion searches every single day. Not only that, but there are payment thresholds that raise certain businesses higher than the rest in terms of bidding for a spot on the SERPs. Because of that, the cost of certain keywords continues to rise, and the market grows ever more competitive. If you are a small business with a low budget, or if the bid is too low, the ad campaign isn’t going to work well.

Limitations to Versatility

Just like newspaper ads, PPC ads have limits to what can be done with them. You have a set amount of words or characters to use and very little wiggle room for anything else. That means you need an ad that attracts attention immediately if you want to beat the competition.

Bit of a Learning Curve

Even though one of the pros of PPC marketing is that you can get started quickly and without much hassle, there are still elements that continue to be confusing. Moreover, many of the Help files seem to be outdated and too broad. If you need assistance figuring something out, more informative content seems to be lacking. This leads to businesses having to spend more time on figuring out the Google Ads platform before getting the results they want.

Conclusion

Hopefully, understanding the advantages and disadvantages of PPC marketing will help you decide if it is the right move for you. PPC is excellent for gaining brand exposure and conversions, but it can be difficult for smaller businesses to make the cut. Google Ads does have a lot of tools that can benefit your business, regardless of your size, so even if your ad campaigns are not always successful, you can learn something from it.