Why I Believe Google Ads is the #1 Form of Marketing for Small Businesses

Intro

At my company, we live and breathe Google Ads nowadays, but it wasn’t always the case…

When I first launched Little Dragon Media, we did it all: social media marketing, SEO, email marketing, banner ads, etc.

Today, after years of analyzing all marketing channels and their ROI for our clients, it’s time to come to terms that Google Ads is by far the best & the power of Google Ads.

What Makes Google Ads so Great?

It’s very simple, Google Ads gets you in front of **WARM **leads that are looking for your services and products right there and then. The keyword here is “warm”. Do you understand how valuable a warm lead and a cold one?

What about SEO, you say? SEO is great, but it’s slippery! There’s never any guarantee you’ll show up in the top 3. I know some companies that have been working on their SEO for YEARS, and they still didn’t make it to the top 3 results.

With SEO, it’s always a guessing game, and there’s always a part of luck in the whole process. You could be in the #3 spot one day, and #17 the next. It can be very frustrating.

Needless to say, if you want to maximize your traffic and leads and ensure a certain consistency in your sales, you want to always appear in the top 3 results for your main keywords, and launching a Google Ads campaign is the only way to guarantee that.

Google Ads Vs Other Marketing Channels

The table below compares Google Ads with various other marketing channels so you can understand the differences.

Marketing Channel	Description	Key Considerations
Google Ads	Paid ads on Google Search, Display Network, YouTube, etc.	- Immediate visibility - Pay-per-click model
SEO (Search Engine Optimization)	Organic search ranking optimization.	- Long-term strategy - Gradual traffic
Social Media Advertising	Visual and interactive ads on social platforms.	- Brand awareness- Demographic targeting
Content Marketing	Creation of valuable content to engage the audience.	- Builds trust and authority over time
Email Marketing	Targeted emails to subscribers or customers.	- Lead nurturing - Customer retention
Affiliate Marketing	Partner with affiliates who promote your products.	- Expands reach through external referral partners
Influencer Marketing	Collaborate with influencers to promote your brand.	- Builds authenticity and trust
Traditional Advertising	TV, radio, print, less targeted, harder to measure.	- Broad audience reach- Costly

As you can see, Google Ads is the only marketing channel that offers **immediate and predictable visibility. ** It does so through paid ads on Google's search engine and its partners.

SEO focuses on improving organic search ranking over the long-term but you can expect gradual results, depending on how much you invest in it.

Social media advertising is ideal for brand awareness and demographic targeting, while content marketing builds trust over time.

Email marketing is ideal to nurture cold leads and retain existing customers by keeping them engaged.

Affiliate marketing expands reach through referral partners.

Iinfluencer marketing builds authenticity and authority.

Lastly, Traditional advertising offers broad reach but is less targeted and harder to measure.

The choice between these channels depends on specific business goals and target audiences, often requiring a mix of approaches for a comprehensive marketing strategy. However, if you’re looking for immediate clients and have a lower budget, Google Ads should be high on your list.

Why Most Businesses Fail At Google Ads?

Many businesses may struggle with Google Ads for several reasons, and the DIY (Do-It-Yourself) approach often exacerbates these challenges. Here are some key reasons why many businesses fail at Google Ads:

Complexity of Google Ads Platform: Google Ads is a highly sophisticated advertising platform with numerous features and settings. Without a deep understanding of these intricacies, businesses can easily make costly mistakes in campaign setup, keyword selection, bidding strategies, and targeting options.

Keyword Research: Effective keyword research is crucial for Google Ads success. Businesses often fail to conduct thorough keyword research or select overly competitive broad keywords, leading to inefficient spending, poor keyword Quality Scores (QS), and poor ROAS.

Ad Copy and Landing Page Quality: Crafting compelling ad copy and ensuring that landing pages are relevant to the ads is essential. Inadequate ad copy and mismatched landing pages can result in a low Quality Score, higher ad costs, and lower conversion rates.

Budget Management: Without proper budget allocation and monitoring, businesses can overspend or exhaust their budget prematurely. Effective budget management involves understanding the cost-per-click (CPC) for chosen keywords and setting realistic daily budgets.

Conversion Tracking: Many businesses don't set up accurate conversion tracking, making it challenging to measure the ROI of their Google Ads campaigns. Without proper tracking, they may not know which keywords or ads are generating leads or sales.

Lack of Optimization: Google Ads campaigns require continuous optimization. This involves A/B testing ad variations, adjusting bidding strategies, adding negative keywords, and refining targeting options. DIY advertisers often lack the time or expertise for ongoing optimization.

Competitive Landscape: In many industries, competition for keywords and ad placements is fierce. Without a strategic approach, businesses may find it difficult to compete effectively and may overspend on bids.

Inadequate Knowledge and Experience: Google Ads is a specialized field, and businesses that attempt a DIY approach may lack the expertise needed to navigate the platform effectively. This can result in poor ad performance and wasted ad spend.

Failure to Keep Up with Changes: Google frequently updates its platform, introducing new features and changes to ad formats and policies. Staying up-to-date with these changes is crucial for maintaining a successful Google Ads campaign, which can be challenging for DIY advertisers.

Misalignment with Business Goals: Sometimes, businesses fail at Google Ads because their campaigns are not aligned with their broader business goals. Understanding how Google Ads fits into the overall marketing strategy is essential for success.

Benefits of Hiring a Google Ads Agency

At Little Dragon Media, most of our Google Ads clients have tried the DIY approach first before hiring us.

They all experienced the pain and misery that comes with trying to make a Google Ad campaign work when you have very little knowledge about the platform’s features.

Hiring a Google Ads agency can offer several benefits to businesses looking to run effective and efficient advertising campaigns. Here are some of the advantages:

Expertise and Experience: Google Ads agencies typically have a team of experts with extensive experience in managing ad campaigns. They understand the platform's intricacies, best practices, and can optimize campaigns for better results.

Time Savings: Managing Google Ads campaigns can be time-consuming. Hiring an agency allows businesses to focus on their core operations while the agency handles the advertising efforts.

Cost Efficiency: Agencies can often achieve better results for the same budget due to their experience in optimizing campaigns. They can help reduce wasted ad spend and improve ROI.

Access to Tools and Resources: Agencies often have access to premium tools and resources that can enhance campaign management, analytics, and reporting.

Customized Strategies: Agencies tailor strategies to meet the specific goals and needs of each client. They can provide personalized recommendations for keyword selection, ad copy, and targeting.

Continuous Optimization: Agencies continuously monitor and optimize campaigns to improve performance over time. They can adapt to changes in the advertising landscape and adjust strategies accordingly.

Creative Content: Many agencies have in-house creative teams that can design ad creatives, landing pages, and other assets to improve ad quality and conversion rates.

Reporting and Analysis: Agencies provide detailed reporting and analysis, helping businesses understand campaign performance and make informed decisions.

How Much Does it Cost to Hire a Google Ads Agency?

The cost of hiring a Google Ads agency can vary significantly based on several factors, including the scope of services, geographic location, agency reputation, campaign complexity, ad spend, contract length, and industry competition. I dive into it in detail in this article, but here are some general guidelines to give you an idea of what to expect:

Scope of Services: The more comprehensive the services you require, the higher the cost is likely to be. For example, if you need campaign setup, ongoing management, ad creative development, and landing page optimization, it will typically cost more than just basic campaign management.

Geographic Location: The cost of services can vary based on the agency's location. Agencies in major cities or regions with a higher cost of living often charge more than those in smaller towns or regions.

Agency Reputation: Well-established and highly regarded agencies often charge premium rates for their expertise, track record, and reputation.

Campaign Complexity: The complexity of your Google Ads campaigns can impact the cost. More extensive campaigns with numerous keywords, ad groups, and targeting options may require more effort and resources.

Ad Spend: Some agencies charge a percentage of your ad spend as a management fee (e.g. 10% or 20%). The higher your ad spend, the more you may pay in management fees. However, some agencies offer flat monthly fees regardless of ad spend.

Contract Length: Some agencies require clients to sign long-term contracts, while others offer more flexible month-to-month arrangements. Long-term contracts may have lower monthly fees but can commit you to a specific agency for an extended period.

Industry and Competition: Industries with high competition for keywords and ad placements may require more effort and resources to achieve results, potentially affecting the cost.

On average, Google Ads agency management fees can range from a few hundred dollars per month for small businesses with relatively simple campaigns to several thousand dollars per month or more for larger businesses with complex and highly competitive campaigns. It's important to obtain quotes from multiple agencies, thoroughly review their pricing structures, and consider your budget and specific needs when selecting the right agency for your business. Additionally, be sure to clarify any additional fees or charges that may apply in your contract with the agency.