How Google Adwords Changed How You Sell

Technology is a hell of a thing. We have instantaneous access to insurmountable amounts of information with the stroke of a key and the press of the search button. Heck, you don't even have to go to Google anymore. Just type what you want in your search bar and it will load the best search results based on your keyword with the first three-to-four results populating Google Adwords ads. With this capability, potential customers have changed the way they search and in turn changed the way you sell.

Enter Google Adwords

Since the advent of Google Adwords some 17 years ago, the digital advertising landscape has been forever changed. The user is now able to key in specific search terms for products or services they desire and Google Adwords grabs from a pool of advertisers that best suit their search and toss them strategically around the page (well, top and bottom of the page since right sidebar ads were nixed). So, why is this a good thing?

Google Adwords bridges the gap to organic search

Sure you have a good business model, your product is stellar, and your service might be impeccable. But, who cares if no one can find you? Climbing the SEO ladder to success might leave you forever refreshing the search results pages hoping for that day you hit the first page, but now you've got to climb higher until you reach the top three, eventually to the top spot, maybe. That comes after continuous efforts in providing quality, original content, and staying on top of digital marketing trends.

Google Adwords offers you the capability to steal the first spot, if and only if you're willing to optimize your account and user destination. Your willingness to participate in pay-per-click advertising is rewarded generously you take the time to learn the ins and outs of the Google Adwords platform or opt to hire someone to help you achieve premium placement. But, why do you need top spot placement?

The top spot gets 33% more traffic

A recent report by Moz found that on average organic page one results received 77.33% clicks, with 67.60% in the top five results. Page two and three only received 5.59% of the clicks. You can obviously see here why it is important to push for higher ranking. With Google Adwords, the top spot placement received 33% more traffic than those of other spots on the list. Pair this with the self-serve nature of the platform and you have a no-brainer digital marketing decision to make. But, you must account for how your customer might buy.

Price transparency in Google Adwords

Do you sell a product or service that has a set price? Consumers have access to various apps that search lower prices and coupons for products. Even big-box stores like Best Buy have elected to price match Amazon.com as long as it shipped and sold by Amazon. Though this chopped Best Buy's margins, they were able to remain a viable option for consumers who prefer a real-life sales experience or like me, instant gratification should Amazon not have one-day delivery available.

In a study from Pew, eight out of ten consumers are now shopping online and 65% say they want to compare prices before making a purchase. This means that you need to leverage prices, especially if your competitors are doing the same.

Google Adwords A/B price testing

One benefit of Google Adwords is the ability to test different ad copy and landing pages. Depending on your industry you might find that price is a pain-point for a lot of people. This is especially prevalent in the service-based industry like carpet cleaning, landscaping, pool services, and select plumbing, HVAC, and electrical contractors. Do your research and see what your competitors are offering. If you notice pricing making the top page placements, you might consider drafting up an ad that discusses price in some facet like:

1. $X price for X service
2. Starting at $X price
3. $0 installation

Mixing up the message is a good way to see what performs better for your service, but might prove difficult for your product. So, how do you get around price?

Prepare the comparison tables

If you sell a service that is highly competitive or a product that is similar to your competitors, you need to prove your company's superiority. What gives your product or service a better benefit for the consumer? What is your competitive edge? Gather the key variables for your product and two-to-four other products and set up a simple side-by-side comparison. This will help users better understand a price gap or why your product is superior.

Sound hard? Get your phone out (only if it shoots 1080p or higher) and buy a tripod. If you don't want to sit down and type it out, a video is your next best bet. Bonus, video can be used as ads and shared through Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube (by way of Google Adwords) opening up new avenues of advertising and marketing exposure.

Prove your product is superior

Sure, you might have a good comparison table, lack thereof, or a video, or not. Either way, people want proof. We can all throw out statistics like the fact that 86% of business owners will be smarter after reading this post, but the statistic is total BS until I do my research. If you have gathered emails from sales or past jobs, it will benefit you to do a little email marketing to gather reviews and testimonials for your products or services and ask questions like:

1. Why did you choose to hire/buy my product/service?
2. How was your experience with our company?
3. How likely would you recommend us to a family member or friend?

This is something you should be doing anyway to boost reviews on Google and Facebook. Get your customers speaking for you and you will have a brand new audience when it comes time to recommend products or services to their family and friends.

Wrapping it up

All of the topics discusses are easily achievable, but it just takes patience and an investment of time. However, knowing who you are selling to and how they shop can help you leap over a lot of hurdles when you start to advertise with Google Adwords. So, which will you choose when you start selling? Shoot us a message and let us know.

For more information on optimizing your Google Adwords, fill out the form below and let's talk.