It’s no secret that Google Ads are taking over the search results, slowly but surely. It really hit home for me this morning.
I dropped my coffee pot the other day and it smashed. Since my model of coffee machine is no longer in existence, I thought I would look at new coffee makers.
Google Ads take over search…
I live online, but the majority of my searches are local or informational. These type of searches still do well using traditional search techniques. I searched for coffee makers – just to see what was on the market.
The whole screen was taken up with ads!
Google shopping results have also switched to a commercial model. That means those nice images at the bottom of the screen will also be paid ads very soon (if they’re not already).
Not all searches are equal
This type of sponsored results take over only happens on keywords with buyer intent – and then not all of the time. The push from Google over to ads and sponsored results has been going on for a while. Team that with the aggressive organic search changes – well it makes sense to use ads as part of your online marketing mix.
Studies have shown that for commercial keywords, paid clicks beat organic by almost 2:1 in the US, although overall organic search still wins. It all depends on the intent of the searcher.
When to use Google Ads?
If you are operating in a competitive search sector – like product listings where you want the click direct to the product, ads are the way forward. While not every search pushes organic listings completely below the scroll, it’s certainly dog-eat-dog out there.
Mixing Google ads in with other online marketing techniques also increases your visibility and conversion. These days you can get ads that do all kinds of fun things:
- build your email list with a direct sign up
- remarketing
- click to call
- product search
- local map markers
- not forgetting traditional Adwords
My coffee maker experience this morning reminded me of this great infographic from Word Stream. While the stats are US based, it still makes for a good read. Plus, it has pandas with battle axes…
The War On Free Clicks
Over to you… Do you use Google ads or other paid advertising as part of your online marketing? What’s your experience?
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Great post, which I am thinking about as you know, not made my mind up yet though.
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