Top 6 Google Ads Myths People Worry About
There are so many different opinions formed around Google Ads (or what was known as Google Adwords) Some people live by their ad campaigns and encourage others to bask in the google glory, while others will swear black and blue that google is just sitting there taking all their money with no return. There will be tones of articles about how the general internet user doesn't click on google ads and stick to just the organic servings (and honestly i don't really blame them) But before you totally loose your mind and click away from this blog, let's debunk these common google ad myths so you can sleep easier at night.
Myth #1: Google Ads Don't Work
Well I mean, if they didn't work they wouldn't be a thing right? Just like anything, it only works if you know how to use it! Setting up a successful Google Ad campaign isn't as easy as people believe. The top Ad experts do ALOT of research to figure out what works well... and what doesn't. If you just jump in and smash together an Ad campaign and hope for the best... your results are going to be awful.. and I mean really awful. The key here (like with anything) is making sure you understand the aspects of what goes into a Google Ad Campaign so you aren't just throwing your money to the wind! So I guess this myth is a half and half?
Myth #2: People Don’t Click on Google Ads
Well if I may speak for myself here, often I'll click on the top displayed ads when i'm searching for something specific. Since I know the company behind the Ad campaign has set specific keywords that fall in line with what i am searching for there is a VERY HIGH chance that the website will offer just that. Generally speaking tho, most people can't tell the difference between Google Ads and the organic search results anyway. Notice that little "ad" icon under the search result? yeah that's a target ad! Google has made changes to the way their ads display over the years and people are clicking on ads waaaaay more than they used to!
Myth #3: You Can’t Track Return on Investment with Google AdWords
With the amount of data and analytics available to us now, I don't even know how this is a myth let alone something people actually believe. Marketers have a slew of tools available to us now to pinpoint exactly where those ad budgets are going. When an Ad campaign is set up correctly on the platform, you can see EXACTLY how each of your ads are performing. From that data you can make changes to when and how your ads display, who they are displayed to, who they are targeting, the exact location you want to target and even change all the copy on your on to improve the performance. Google Ads aren't a "Spray and Walk Away" type of marketing. The power of it comes from paying attention to all the data that the wondrous Google provides us so that we can maximize that Return on Investment. Heck, you can even input tracking code into your website and track all the conversions your Ad produces! You can get CRAZY specific!
Myth #4: Display Ads Don’t Work
I would probably chuck this myth in the half true category again. The realness of displays ads is that they don't work if you show them to the wrong people (duh). If ads are shown to people who are not interested in the slightest in what you are offering then of course it's not going to be effective. Display Ads can be EXTREMELY powerful and DO work if you show them to people that actually care about the Ad content. For example, if you are in the market for a new computer and you see an Ad for 20% off the latest model you were considering, you're more likely to click on it than if you weren't interested in buying one right? They say a picture is worth a thousand words and a super effective (sounds like a Pokemon move) Google Display Ad Campaign makes complete use of the value of images in advertising. One thing I see when I go in to help clients with their current campaigns is having Display Ads activated with no images... That's not going to help AT ALL is it?
Myth #5: You Need a BIG Budget for Google Ads
The beauty of Google Ads, is you only pay for the clicks that your Ad generates. If you get no clicks, then you don't pay a thing (but you would probably want to adjust your campaign since clearly it will have been set up wrong.) If you set things up correctly, then each click is potentially from someone that wants to buy the goods you are offering. Each click can cost a few cents to a few dollars depending on the Cost per Click that you have set and the keywords that you are bidding for. I mean, you can spend HEAPS of money on Google Ads. Some of the keywords we bid for cost up to $30 per click! (the web design market is VERY VERY competitive) But that doesn't mean we have to spend that large amount of money either! If you (or your Ad manager) is clever, they can produce a decent Return on Investment with even the most humble of an Ad Campaign Budget. We always suggest to clients that starting with $100 per month is a good foot step in the door! So while you do need to invest some budget if you plan to get into the Google Ads space, but it doesn't have to break the bank either!
Myth #6: My Competitors Can Click Through My Whole Budget and Waste My Ad Spend
With every business out there having a rival, some so dastardly they would look to waste their competitors ad spend to make their own more prominent. One of the top worries I hear from my clients is "What if my competition tries to click through my ad budget" Hmmmmm so could it be possible that Domino's Pizza could have their employee's search Google for their competition like Pizza Hut and smash through all their budget? Then go onto taking down Hell's Pizza?! THIS IS MADNESS?! There is good news tho, Google alread thought of this banga of a problem years and years ago! They also thought of a way to prevent it from happening! Yay Google! Fake Clicks will not kill your Ad budget
Well, I suppose that's possible, but it's extremely unlikely. If your competitor is going to such great lengths to eat up your ad budget, they'll probably be the ones out of business. The cost to orchestrate such a scheme would be astronomical, unless of course they had a team of volunteers doing this. Naturally, anything can happen if you want to create enough conspiracy theories. Spam Clicks. Fake Clicks. Competitor Clicks. Google refers to these awful little things as "Invalid Clicks" and they do NOT count against your ad spend (phew). MYTH BUSTED! Your competitors literally cannot click you out of business! What? more questions?! Does that mean Google won't charge me if one of my competitors clicks on my ad once? Alright... You got me there... that first click will actually count towards your budget, so you will be charged for it. But that one fake click from a nasty rival isn't going to break the bank or your budget (unless your paying like $1000 per click, which I hope you aren't) But what if my competitor strategically sets up people around the globe who go from public computer to public computer, clicking on my ads until I'm out of budget? Jeepers, can you chill?! The chances of anyone having the time for anything like that is extremely low. If they are going to go to all the time and effort of doing that, they may as well have put the resources into creating a better Ad Campaign in the first place! (They would probably be the ones going out of business at this rate) The cost of putting together such a complex scheme to see you go under would be out of control! Like I can't even put the figures together in my head! I spose if they had a dedicated cult following willing to do it all for free then anything is possible (yes that's right start a cult and destroy the competition fam!)
Have I blown your mind? or put it at ease?
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