Using Google Ads to
Boost Online Presence

We already spoke of the omnipresence of Google when we discussed Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Google Business Profiles (GBP). Setting up your GBP is a bare-bones essential to running a business. SEO might as well be called Google Search Engine Optimization and is a long game that takes time and money to get it right. While your website is getting finely tuned to rank up high on the first page, perhaps even making it into the Map Pack, there are a number of different Google Ad services at our disposal. Our goal is to get eyes on your business and leads that convert to sales on a much shorter time horizon. While targeted ads can help any business at any point, for the most part, it’s fits into the bucket of immediate and short-term solutions when considering a comprehensive online presence strategy.

Have you ever Googled something only to have a number sponsored ads appear before the actual search results? What’s happening here is that businesses are paying to have their links and information shown to a user who search for certain keywords. If you are looking for those keywords, those businesses’ dollars put their ads in front of your eyes. This is called an “impression”. It can be effective because while those ads are shown with a *sponsored asterisk, they are often highly relevant to the keywords searched and fulfill the needs of the user doing the searching. Some users ignore the ads and want to see the top results of the search (one reason SEO is important!), but for many just seeking the quickest solution, the ads provide them the information they seek. This is one of the reasons that Google ads are not only effective, but cost efficient. They can be set up a number of different ways, which we’ll discuss below, but if your curiosity is piqued and you’re interested in finding out how Targeted Ads could send leads to your digital doorstep, drop us a line!

Google Ads &
Local Service Ads

At the moment, there are two main buckets from which to select when setting up targeted ads through Google. Google Ads, originally launched in 2000, is the product more established and widely used. Local Service Ads, originally launched in 2015 in San Francisco as Home Service Ads, are limited to a smaller number of broad industries with a strong focus on the “local” aspect. That limited number of industries was chosen for a nationwide rollout 5-6 years ago, but Google continues to add to the list, most often in limited test markets. Google Ads, commonly referred to as pay per click (PPC) advertising, is not tied to local service areas the way LSA’s are. 

With Google Ads, you can focus on generating leads, online sales, offline sales by directing foot traffic to a brick & mortar store, increasing brand awareness, or find more users for an app. 

LSA Local Service Ads are currently available for elligible industries such as Home, Business (lawyers, accounting, real estate), Health, Learning, Care, Wellness, Beauty, & Automotive. Fortunately, these are pretty broad umbrellas. The beauty of Local Service Ads is they help you stand out on Google. You can show up in Google Search and be discovered by more customers in your immediate service area with Local Services Ads than you would without. They help you book more jobs and gain new customers in the communities you serve. You’ll inspire confidence with potential customers by displaying the “Google Guaranteed”, “Google Screened”, or “License verified by Google” badge. They have a huge stake in being seen as a safe and reliable search engine that connects people to products and services. And, they’re good at it. Hence, customers are more likely to choose your business with confidence if they can see you’ve been vetted by Google. Now more than ever, people are trying to support and buy locally, helping their own communities thrive, so there’s a lot of potential to build loyalty with customers in your immediate service area! 

Another key difference with Local Service Ads and reason whey they work so well is that you are paying for results – not clicks, like Google Ads. Both strategies have their place, but with LSA ads, you only pay when customers get in touch through your LSA campaign, so you can focus serving your new expanding customer base. These leads are highly motivated and loaded with “buyer intent” because they have already searched for a service they need.

With both Google Ads and Local Service Ads, you need to connect with customers multiple times in order to drive and nurture those leads. A carefully managed campaign is the key to making sure potential customers feel taken care of along their purchasing journey. 88% people want to buy from companies and brands that inform and educate them along their way to making a purchase. Sadly, only 47% of companies maximize the potential of their brand by customizing the journey to purchase or becoming a client. While NOT EASY, IT IS INDEED SIMPLE. Stand out from the competition by providing the guidance your potential customers need to make an informed decision. They expect these interactions to be seamless, fast, and relevant. Weathered Bell Digital can get your business set up with a comprehensive and targeted ad campaign and that leverages the power of Google Ads and Local Service Ads to grow your bottom line. We will work to ensure both that the leads are scaling up to the volume you’re seeking and the quality of leads stays high. 

Turning Temporary Google Ad Boosts into Big Picture Gains

In terms of the long game, we don’t want you to have to allocate a significant portion of you budget on targeted ads indefinitely. When we run a Google Ads campaign, we are not just looking for that temporary boost to website traffic and sales, although yes, that’s one of the immediate short-term benefits we want to see. There’s a rich set of data that comes from these ads and therein lies much of the value. Analyzing that data, finding out how and when the most qualified leads accessed your website and converted to sales, and from what demographics those leads came provides us with insight we can use to focus our efforts for future sales goals. 

That’s how we’ll establish your reputation as the most trusted provider of products and services in your market. The closer we get to that goal, the less we will have to rely on the targeted boosts that come from an effective Targeted Ad campaign. Drop us a line and let’s have a conversation about how Weathered Bell Digital can help get you on your way to dominating your corner of the market.

That’s how we’ll establish your reputation as the most trusted provider of products and services in your market. The closer we get to that goal, the less we will have to rely on the targeted boosts that come from an effective Targeted Ad campaign. Drop us a line and let’s have a conversation about how Weathered Bell Digital can help get you on your way to dominating your corner of the market.

Weathered Bell Digital, LLC

Request a free website audit before you go!