Need the advantages and disadvantages of Google Ads? That’s exactly what this piece shares. We will start with the advantages and then move down to the disadvantages.
I’m sure you know what Google Ads are so I wouldn’t waste time with the basics. However, do note that every individual/company’s experience and results vary massively with Google Ads.
Also, nothing on this piece is financial advice. I’ll simply list the pros and cons of Google Ads. They may or may not work in your favor depending on all the factors I’ve discussed below.
Let’s get started then?
Contents
What are the advantages of Google Ads?
Here are the top benefits of Google Ads in 2024:
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Biggest & highest exposure
There’s no doubt or argument about this. No other platform on the internet or anywhere else can offer you the exposure Google does.
As of 2022, Google processed 8.5 Billion searches/day! That’s 99,000 searches/second! And this is just its “search stats”.
Did you know that a survey found that 98.7% of surveyed websites use Google ads! These are additional viewers your ad is displayed to.
Point being, you get the maximum sets of eyes for your ads if you use Google.
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Buyer-intent audiences
So, when you show your ads on social media, you get to target people based on pages they’ve liked ,websites they’ve visited, age, interests etc.
All of these are “guesses”. There’s no guarantee that someone who likes the Iron man page wants to buy an Iron man figurine. Sure, they may be interested in it, but they may not have the budget for it? They may not be into figurines at all?
On Google however, you can target keywords. So, if you run ads for “Iron man figurines under $100” there are much higher chances of the person actually buying these.
Similarly, for every keyword, you can target keywords which have a much higher chance of conversion as compared to other ad platforms.
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Advanced Targeting
This isn’t a feature “unique” to Google Ads. However, you do get to choose a very specific/narrow audience to target.
You get to target your advertisements to specific geographic places such as nations, states, cities, or even postal codes.
You can even select a user’s device or browser language so that ads are only shown to those who use these languages.
You can also choose the devices such as mobiles, computers, tablets etc.
Demographic targeting allows you to not just set age and gender but even economic background (incom
Of course, you can also target using the user’s interests, such as hobbies or purchasing patterns, as well as their actions, such as whether they have just made a purchase or looked for certain keywords.
There are many other options that let you select exactly who you wish to target with your Google Ads!
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3 pricing models
You get to choose how you pay for your Ads. You can either pay for each click or based on “impressions”. There’s even the CPA model which lets you pay based on how the visitors interact/engage with your ads.
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Advanced automation and budgeting
You do not need to spend all your time managing your ads. You get to set how much you wish to spend a day, how many clicks you want and everything else in-between.
This makes sure your ads keep running smoothly without your funds drying up within seconds.
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Very flexible with the budget
Google Ads doesn’t have a minimum requirement. Anyone can set an ad up. More importantly, you get to pick and choose your keywords. Hence, if a certain keyword is too expensive for you, you can go with its other variations.
Sure, this would slightly reduce your audience, but you can still run your ads and target potential customers. You will not have to pay more, or completely give up the idea of running ads.
What are the disadvantages of Google Ads
With great advantages, come great disadvantages (not always, but you get the point, eh?)
So, here are the primary disadvantages of Google Ads:
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Very competitive
Hey, Google Ads offer the highest exposure. This obviously means a lot of advertisers would want to be on the platform, your competitors too, wouldn’t they?
This makes it highly competitive. Your ad copies, creatives, landing page and everything else has to be better than your competitors. Just because you’re paying, doesn’t mean you’ll make sales.
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Needs some expertise
Okay, so setting up a Google Ad is extremely simple. Running a successful ad however? Not so much.
Because of the broad audience and extreme audience customization you get, it’s very easy to pick the “wrong” target-base.
You’ll need to monitor, optimize and change your ad with time to get the best results. You also need basic idea of keywords so you can select better or equal keywords without paying much.
So, the CPC is set for keywords based on how much others are willing to pay for it. It’s like bidding in an auction. Hence, if you’re bidding on premium keywords or industries, competition becomes a bit lethal. Unless you have a sizeable budget, competing with those companies may not be easy.
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Limitations on word count and other areas.
The one problem with Google Ads (those appearing on the search engine) is that the description is limited. Unlike social media, you can not write as much as you want. There’s only a specific length of text that can be displayed on search engines.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Google Ads- Worth it?
The final question- Are Google Ads worth it? Well, let’s recap everything we’ve discussed so far?
The benefits are massive. You get access to an unprecedented number of users, can target specific keywords and be very specific with your target audience.
Furthermore, you also get configurable bidding options, providing you control over your ad spend. This also allows you to optimize your campaigns for optimum Return.
Of course, it has its downsides. It’s primarily the cost. Some keywords and industries may be serious cash hogs, especially if you are new to ads.
However, let’s look at the bigger picture? The benefits clearly outweigh the cons. When done right, it can actually be a game changer for you and your business.
So, my final verdict is that Google Ads are 100% worth it. However, the results would massively depend on your budget, target-audience, goal, landing page and nearly every other factor involved with the ad.