The value of a presence on Google, particularly the first page of search results, can’t be overstated. With over 63,000 searches per second and 5.6 billion searches per day, Google provides an opportunity for businesses to extend their reach all around the world. Because it’s so important to have a presence on Google, many businesses turn to search engine optimization. SEO is a very valuable strategy, but it is slow moving. For an immediate presence, businesses have the option of purchasing pay per click (PPC) ads. If you’re considering investing in paid search to gain an immediate presence on Google, we've broken down everything you need to know.

Benefits of Paid Search

Increased Traffic to Your Website

The main benefit of paid search is that it will increase traffic to your website. Because Google is the most popular search engine on the Internet by a long shot, millions of users will have the opportunity to see a link to your business. Because paid search ads are based on keywords that users are searching, you can also be sure that your business will be relevant to what the searcher is looking for. The combination of this visibility and relevance is a huge increase in traffic. Unlike organic search efforts, you will not need to build up traffic over time. Instead, you’ll see an immediate spike in traffic to your website.

An Immediate Presence on Google

Google is the most popular search engine on the Internet. The popularity of Google demonstrates the importance of establishing a presence on such a high traffic search engine. Not only will paid search ads guarantee you a presence on Google, but they will guarantee you a spot on the very top of Google’s search results as well. When you establish a presence on Google, your site will not only see significantly more traffic, but you will also be established as a trustworthy business and a leader in your industry.

Targeting Your Ideal Customers

Another benefit of using Google ads is the ability to target exactly who you want the ad to reach. In addition to carefully selecting your keyword to match the ideal search queries, you can also target users based on location and other demographics that will help personalize the ads. With these targeting tools, you can make sure that the people you want to see the ad will see it and that your ideal customers are more likely to end up on your website.

Increased Organic Click Through Rates

Believe it or not, having paid search ads will also increase your organic click through rates. Paid search ads have the highest click through rates from searchers who are in the “ready to buy” stage of the buyer’s journey. In contrast, people who are still learning about products, services, or your industry in general, are more likely to click on organic results. However, when searchers see your Google ad at the top of their search results, they are more likely to choose your website if you also have an organic presence. Although they might scroll past your ad, they are likely to click on your organic result if it is visible on Google. For this reason, paid search works very well in conjunction with organic SEO.

Tracking Your Progress

One of the best parts about running paid search ads is that you can easily track their success. Google AdWords provides data that will help you evaluate the success of your chosen keywords, the times of day you run your ads, your ad copy, and more. With the help of the reporting tools, you can even run A/B tests that will help identify the most successful components of your ad. When you find the most successful keywords to generate traffic, you can use the information to inform your organic strategy as well. In addition to the success of your ads, you can even track every dollar that you spend to make sure you’re getting the maximum ROI. With Google AdWords, you will have the data you need to make the most successful ads for your business.

Is Your Business a Good Fit for Paid Search?

The benefits of paid search for businesses is clear, but you might be wondering whether your business is a good fit. Your business can benefit from paid search if you meet any of the following criteria:

You Have A Brand New Website and Want Immediate Traffic

Paid Search campaigns typically don't take too long to set up (the planning necessary to run a solid campaign often takes more time than the setup.) Essentially, you can have an ad up for your website on the first page of the main search engines within an hour of campaign set up  and activation. This is a great option for brand new websites that have little to no exposure in the search engines. The immediate nature of PPC is also beneficial for seasonal businesses.

You Want to Complement Your Organic SEO Efforts

Organic SEO campaigns can take some time to produce results, as you train Google to view your site as an authority in the your industry. This doesn’t mean that you should sit around with your feet kicked back, waiting for the organic results to kick in. 

With a paid search campaign, you can gain top visibility almost immediately. When it’s setup properly, you can draw in instant leads, sales and revenue for your business (as long as you have the budget to compete). Then, when your organic visibility improves due to the search engine optimization work, you will have a strong standing in both areas.

Consider this: when a searcher sees a business in both the organic and paid real estate on Google, it offers the impression that the business is relevant.

You’re Seeking Valuable Data to Refine Your Keyword Strategy

Google Adwords allows users to target specific keywords and search terms. From there, you can analyze your data and work to identify the keywords that produce the highest conversion rates. This information is helpful for informing your SEO efforts as well: if a specific keyword is producing strong results through paid search then it would be beneficial to attempt to rank your website for the term organically as well. 

Beyond this, you can also take the data from your Adwords campaign and Google Analytics account to analyze the conversion path your traffic takes. This undoubtedly helps to improve your funnel and identify areas that can be improved to increase your overall conversion rates.

You Need to Capture the Attention of Your Audience at Precisely the Right Time

When you search for a product or service online— let’s say an auto mechanic in your area, for example— you generally know what to type into the search engine to receive the results you’re looking for. You know what you need, and your audience does too. 

So, what does this mean for paid search ads? If consumers already know what they want, and your ads and keywords align with their search, they’re likely to read and click on your ads to learn more about your products, services, or promotions. This is effective, considering that it avoids resorting to high-pressure sales tactics, cold calls or “selling” the customer on what you have to offer. Rather, it offers the consumer the ability to make an informed decision.

You Want to Promote Seasonal Products or Services

One of the many benefits of paid search is that you can turn the ads on and off at any time. For this reason, these ads are very useful to market seasonal products or services or to push products that you happen to have a surplus of. Through paid search, you can promote very specific products or services that you wish to sell. You can turn these ads on at very specific times and turn them off when you’re ready to move on to the next product. You can also run multiple ads at once, making sure to promote all of the products and services that are important and creating specialized, relevant traffic for each one.

When is a Business a Bad Fit for Paid Search?

If you’re still not convinced paid search is for you, you might wonder about the traits that make a business a poor fit. Although most businesses can extend their reach and grow through the use of paid search ads, your business might not be a good fit if you meet the following criteria:

Your Business Does Not Have a Prospect Follow-Up Process

If your business depends on lead generation and doesn’t have a back end nurturing and closing funnel in place, then a paid search campaign may not be a good fit. Businesses that delve into paid search without solidifying their sales funnel are much more likely to fail. Having a tried-and-true process for working and closing leads will ultimately deliver more successful outcomes in terms of revenue and profit.

You Have No Interest in Analytics

If you have an existing Paid Search account but have no idea what you want to accomplish, you’re not setting your business up for success. You’re facing an uphill battle if you expect your account succeed without clearly defined goals and objectives. If you’re spending money on advertising, someone better have a clear answer of what the goals are and should be able to show the metrics that prove whether or not you’re on track to meet those goals. 

If it’s unlikely that you will find interest in discussing your paid search goals, supporting metrics, and KPIs, Paid search isn’t a good fit, as it requires clear established goals and a solid system to measure whether those goals are being achieved. Paid Search without measurement is a fruitless endeavor.

You Aren’t Willing to Collaborate

Contrary to popular belief, you can’t just hire a college student to plug in data and monitor the account. A successful paid search campaign demands skill, an informed strategy, a thorough understanding of the advertising platforms, a nuanced understanding of rules and guidelines, and a little creativity. If you aren’t willing to seek out professional help, your chances for success are limited. 

On the other hand,  it’s not helpful to hand over all of your efforts to a Paid Search professional and never look back. True paid search strategy comes with collaboration. Think of it this way: you are the expert spokesperson for your business and your Paid Search account manager is an expert in their field. Together you can collaborate and forge great strategies and ways to execute on any goals you may have for your business, products and services. Two heads are better than one.

ImageWorks, LLC | CT Paid Search Agency

Don’t miss out on the most comprehensive paid search audit in the industry!

Find out what you are doing wrong, where the missed opportunities are, and most importantly, if your paid search programs are working for you so that you can lower cost and increase your conversion rates.  The SEM team at ImageWorks will examine important key metrics and let you know what our highest priorities would be to get your campaigns in the best of health. If you don’t have the necessary resources, we offer flexible management solutions and pricing models to meet your needs.

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