Google AdWords are Still an Important Tool, Here’s how to Use Them
It is impossible to be on the internet and not have used Google as a means to find what you are looking for. The search engine giant is so ubiquitous that the verb “google” is accepted as a replacement for “search on the internet for”. As a result of its tremendous popularity, Google started offering paid search services for businesses that want to get their brand known. Initially, these were called Google AdWords, though Google has since rebranded them as Google ads.
Still, the concept of Google Adwords lives on as every Google search results page contains multiple advertisements atop the rankings. These ads are an important tool for marketers to showcase their business to the billions of users who search on Google. Utilizing Google Ads is a type of Search Engine Marketing (SEM) that requires practice and expertise to perfect, so it is suggested that any business interested in growing their brand through SEM should use a digital agency to maximize their marketing efforts.
Before reaching out to a digital marketing agency, it can be helpful to understand just exactly what Google Ads are and how an agency can help.
What are Google Ads?
Back when Google AdWords were separated from the other paid advertising services Google offered, the concept was very simple. Marketers would design ads, using Google’s templates, that looked like organic search results that included keywords their team identified. Marketers would then bid on these keywords against others in the industry, with top result for any keyword search going to the highest bidder.
These keyword bids were dubbed Google AdWords because that’s exactly what they were: words in an ad that appeared on Google search results. Since 2018, Google AdWords has been replaced by Google Ads, which is an amalgamation of AdWords, shopping, and other ad-related services.
What is SEM?
SEM is the strategic use of services like Google Ads to grow a brand’s business. It involves paying for advertisements to appear on search engines. SEM is an effective and efficient way to get visibility for your business; however, it is also expensive. By bidding against competitors for keywords, the cost of performing SEM can grow quite high. Small businesses essentially have no chance against larger competitors as large companies.
Working with an Agency
Experienced agencies will have worked with SEM tools like Google AdWords for years and will have seen the transition into Google Ads. They will be able to help your business design succinct and powerful ad copy for your targeted keywords and help diversify which keywords fit for your business.
Additionally, they will support you to invest in Search Engine Optimization, which is the organic way of reaching the top of the result page. This approach is particularly helpful for brands who may not have the budget to compete in SEM but want to make an impact on the world’s largest search engines.
In digital marketing, every opportunity to improve your brand visibility is worth taking. SEM and SEO are just one of the many tools marketers use to reach as many potential customers as possible.