According to a study recently conducted by Nielson Research, a global leader in measurement and information, Google is the number one most-visited website on the Internet. The data, gathered from a study of work and home computer browsing habits, covered the period between January 1 and October 31, 2011. An average of 153,441,000 people visited Google every month with over a billion during the 10-month span. According to the study, Facebook came in close second with an average of 137,644,000 visitors per month.
Check out the complete list of the top 10 most-visited U.S. bases websites of 2011:
The information presented in the study goes to show just how important it is for local businesses to be found in Google. It’s not only the most visited website; it’s the most popular search engine, dominating the industry with 67.5% of the visits share according to Experian Hitwise. Local Splash can get your business on the first page of Google. Explore our services here.
Google Ads is a service that allows users to create and run pay-per-click ads for their business. Pay-per-click (PPC) means just that, that you only pay for the ad when someone clicks on it. These ads are displayed along with the search results when someone searches Google using one of your keywords. The ad will appear under “Sponsored links” in either the side column of the results page or the top row above the free search results.
The main advantage of Google Ads is that since you choose relevant keywords for your ad, it allows you to advertise to an audience that’s already interested in your business. When potential customers search for your keywords on Google, your sponsored ad will appear above or next to the natural search result (see image). With Google Ads, you get the freedom of choosing from multiple ad formats that can include text, images and videos.
This is what Google Sponsored Ads look like on the search results page.
PPC marketing is especially valuable to those local businesses who are in very competitive industries or industries where you travel to the customer rather than the customer coming to your physical location. This is because Google Maps is geo-targeted which means its hard to get exposure in a certain location without a physical address. For example, if your business is in Huntington Beach, but you would like to service customers throughout Orange County as well as Los Angeles County, the easiest way to reach your target audience would be with PPC ads. In fact the entire PPC system can be customized so ads appear exactly in the area where your target audience resides. At Local Splash, the option of PPC advertising is available to all of our clients through our premier local SEO services. We will work with you personally to target those zip codes, days of the week and time of the day you’d like your PPC ads to appear.
If your business is in Orange County but you would like to service customers throughout Orange and LA Counties, PPC advertising can help.
The cost of your Google Ads PPC ads varies depending on the audience you are trying to reach and the location of your business. There’s no minimum monthly charge for Google Ads. You have full control over how much you’re willing to spend each day as well as how much you’re willing to pay per click or per impression (your ad being seen in the search results). The best part about a PPC advertising campaign is that you pay only for clicks on your ads or for impressions your ads receive.
The price per click of each ad also depends on which keywords you want to use. The more competitive keywords, or the keywords that people want to use the most cost more money per click. These are generally broad keywords; for example, “salon.” The more targeted and specific keywords tend to cost less because there is less competition for them. An example of a targeted keyword is “huntington beach salon” or “hair stylist orange county.” Being more specific when choosing your keywords is a good idea because targeted keywords convert to business and phone calls. You can use the Google Keyword Tool to view keyword traffic and cost estimates then make a decision about choosing the right keywords in order to maximize your budget.
Once you get your account set up, you can analyze your Google Ads reports to figure out which ads are working for you and which ads need to be replaced or altered. PPC campaigns are all about trial and error because what works for one business might not necessarily work for yours. If you aren’t familiar with PPC advertising, it can be complicated and in many cases it’s best to let a professional handle your campaign.
Local Splash will take care of all aspects of your paid ad campaign. Local Splash only charges a 25% fee to manage the majority of our clients PPC campaigns. Many companies may charge up to 50%. For customers who spend $500 or more on their Google Ads campaign, Local Splash charges even less for management. For example, customers that spend $1000 or larger on their PPC ads, will only be charged an 11% management fee by Local Splash.
Local Splash currently has 14 Google Ads Qualified team members who have demonstrated expert status in Google Ads by taking and passing both the Advertising Fundamentals exam and one advanced-level exam. These individuals have received a Google-branded certificate that showcases their Google Ads knowledge.
According to our Local Splash Google Ads Certified experts, any business that goes out to service their customers should definitely think about using PPC marketing to reach customers that may not be in their direct area. However, companies that have a physical business location can benefit just as much as those that don’t. This is simply because Google only allows 5 keyword categories on Google Places accounts and their Google Ads accounts allow up to 2000 keywords. The additional keywords will help your business show up for more keyword phrases, therefore increasing the chances of potential customers finding you rather than your competitors.
Are you ready to start your pay-per-click advertising campaign? Call one of our friendly customer service representatives and let one of our Google Ads experts set up a campaign that will give you the maximum bang for your buck today.
Local Splash is happy to announce the official launch of the Local Splash Refer-A-Friend program! This program allows our current clients to earn free service credits when they refer their friends to Local Splash.
The details are pretty simple: 1) Go to localsplash.com/refer-a-friend 2) Fill out the form completely. 3) We will receive the referral information and contact your “friend.” 4) Once your friend signs up for Local Splash service and stays with us for 31 days, you will receive an automatic credit for your next billable month of basic service – up to a $159 value! (If you are getting Google Ads, that charge will still be incurred.)
There is no limit to how many friends you can refer. The more friends that you refer and sign up with our service, the more free months of basic service you will receive!
If you have any questions about the Local Splash Refer-a-Friend program or about our service in general, please call your account manager at 877-635-6225 or write us an e-mail at [email protected].
