Tag Archives: SEO

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.

Near the closing of 2009, there was a lot of hype swirling around the search engine industry.  The subject?  Google – The world’s most powerful and integrated search engine. The public had been privy to rumors of vast changes that were in motion for the search engine during the upcoming year. True to form, Google did not disappoint. The search engine actively restructured a multitude of its user interface features, tweeked their algorithms, and made some other notable improvements that solidified its continued dominance of the search engine market (nearly 70%!!!) for the upcoming year.

For starters, Google raised the bar on the requisites for navigation. They introduced Google Instant. Google’s search results have also begun to appear in real time, actively changing as text in the search bar is added or removed. The search engine has taken a greater interest in dates and time zones, sharpening the results even further for organic searches.

Even though Google decided to scrap plans to build an entirely new social network to compete with Facebook and Twitter, they certainly didn’t let it hold them back. Google Chrome achieved the rank of the fastest browser on the market, and with subsequent updates, is expected to reach speeds 60 times faster than the original model within the first half of 2011.

Though many of these changes seem gargantuan, the greatest changes to Google last year are arguably the little ones, the slight alterations to the user interface that helps speed up and hone each individual search while putting forth the image that Google has strived to achieve all these years: a minimalist, clean search engine with a wealth of possibilities.

The search tools have been moved to the left side of the screen, while an additional panel highlights the most relevant search results and possible refinements. New predictive search queries automatically bring up the most pertinent results with the advent of Google Instant.

Google also made a significant evolution to its local search algorithm. Google used to display top local search results that had optimized Google Places pages and a lot of web citations; now they have added a lot of weight to that businesses website as well. The product of this addition has been dubbed “hybrid” search results – results that are a mixture of local and organic origin.

With changes like these being implemented or planned every day, it’s difficult to keep up with Google’s ever shifting look and feel. For the uninformed user hoping to attain Google stardom on the front page, the trek is complex and confusing. It would take an SEO expert to effectively catapult an average business to the top of the list, and that’s when SEO marketing firms like Local Splash find their time to shine!

Local Splash Featured
Employee SEO Advice

By Nanette Lagos
Office Manager

Request Online Reviews from Your Customers

Getting your customers to leave reviews about your business on popular social sites will boost your rankings in local search results! Suggest they go directly to Google or Yelp for best results!

Nanette was born and raised in Baja, Mexico. She graduated in Industrial Engineering and has been working with Relevant Ads, Inc. since September, 2007.