3 Objections To Google Ads
Whenever I am discussing advertising options with new clients, I am surprised at the reactions I receive when Google Ads are brought up. The objections fall into 3 categories:
“They’re so expensive!”
“I’ve heard they don’t work.”
“Social media is better.”
As with anything in 2019, rumor quickly becomes fact. So with that in mind, I wanted to address each of these objections, and clarify some of the misconceptions that exist around running Google Ads.
“So Expensive!”
When comparing cost per click, Google Ads do run more expensive than clicks on Facebook. Average CPC on Google runs around $2.00. Facebook averages are closer to $1.00. Of course, these vary greatly across industries, but in general, it appears Facebook ads are less expensive than Google Ads.
Until you dig deeper. Once you start looking into cost control and other metrics that most fail to investigate, you can see that the cost differentials are not that stark, nor are they a true barometer of value.
Imagine you are in a grocery store. You have just finished a 12 hour day at the office, you still need to pick up the kids and get dinner ready. You have two options: One, you can purchase ingredients, and prepare a meal at home; total cost $12.00. Or, you see a fully prepared dish that needs to be warmed up for 20 minutes; cost $24.00. Does the time saving factor into your decision? Of course it does.
This illustrates the difference in the cost. Yes, the passive Facebook scroller may be interested in your product or service. Or not. Or not now. The individual that comes across your Google search ad has actively searched for your product or service, so you are top of mind at the moment. What better time to have your business appear?
Also, the variation across industries makes a large difference as well. Geographically, you run into the same issues as you might on Facebook (more dense populations require higher budgets, etc.). However, within industries, you are able to achieve some significantly lower CPC rates on Google. For example, a current retail client of ours is experiencing a $.06 CPC on an ad campaign, generating thousands in online sales.
So the expense, while on the surface might look more daunting, the ROI and intent level of the potential lead more than cover the differential.
“They don’t work!”
This objection is always a confusing one to me. Typically, the conversation goes like this:
“Google Ads don’t work. I tried it.”
“So you hired someone certified in Google Ads to run them, and they failed?”
“Well, I hired a guy. I don’t know if he was certified. You can get certified? He said he’s done them before.”
If there is one provable thing in the digital marketing space, it is whether or not one is certified through Google. Just ask to see it! No such certifications exist for social media marketing, so you have to really investigate someone prior to hiring them.
Understanding the ad auction, how the various types of ads are placed and what keywords to use all take time to learn and understand. Google updates the platform regularly, and to run them without going through the requisite training is a fool’s errand.
Other versions of this objection are similar, but the source of the objection will differ. Often I’ll be told “my friend told me no one uses them.” Well, with billions of searches logged on Google daily, people are most certainly using the platform, and those that are not advertising in this arena are losing out to those that are.
Remember this: Google is the most popular search engine. Youtube is ranked second. Google owns Youtube. So if you are going to advertise on Google, you are also able to advertise on Youtube.
“Social media (Facebook) is better!”
This objection might be my favorite. My first question is “what makes you say that?” Invariably, I am given the same answer “well, everyone is on Facebook!” Are they?
Facebook has seen a steady decline in use, especially amongst younger consumers. Google’s search volumes have continued to increase year after year. Facebook bought Instagram in response to their dwindling use, but IG has not yet become the marketing powerhouse that Facebook has been for years.
Yes, “everyone” is on Facebook. Including your competition. Droves of advertisers are flooding newsfeeds with ads, so much so, that there isn’t really anything distinguishing them.
Small businesses are able to advertise on the cheap, but this also means that they are being buried by others with bigger budgets. If your business page has less than 2,500 followers, your ads are rarely being seen by enough people to have an impact.
Because of the other two objections, you can almost guarantee that your competition isn’t advertising on Google. Yet. Which means the time to start distinguishing yourself is now. Why not be present when someone is raising their hand, ready to buy your product or service? Why wait months for someone to be ready to make a decision, when, daily, billions of people are already making purchase decisions? Because it’s too expensive? Because it doesn’t work? Or because social media is better? Hardly.
Contact POSH Detroit, and let us show you how we can help you stand out on Google, and how we can help you build a winning Google Ads strategy.