GOOGLE ADS AND SMALL BUSINESSES

Not long after I launched this website, Google sent me this in the mail:

I expected to open it up and find a list of tips about organic search, content creation and keyword selection. Instead, I opened it and found this:

I can see the attraction this kind of mailer might hold for small business owners. “An easy-to-create Google ad” sounds, you know, easy. And if you’re the CEO, chief marketing officer, sales team, and IT guy for your company, easy is mighty appealing. The only problem with easy, though, is that it doesn’t often yield the kind of results that are worth having.

Creating useful, optimized content for your website isn’t necessarily easy. It’s not difficult, but it does take some time and effort before business blogging and information distribution becomes part of your marketing routine. A one-and-done ad doesn’t require upkeep. It doesn’t require knowledge sharing or interaction with followers.

Ask yourself this, though, before you bite on an easy-to-create ad offer: When was the last time you clicked through on an Internet ad? When was the last time you decided to purchase a product or service based on a really great Google ad?

Most consumers aren’t swayed primarily by ads — because it’s too easy for any person with $100 to make claims in an ad, throw it out to the world, and see what happens. Most shoppers are far more likely to believe a trusted resource, and you can tap into that tendency in three ways:

1. Share your expertise on your website and blog to become the trusted resource. Help visitors find you — through Google search, not ads — by incorporating the keywords your prospects are likely to use into your copy and headings.
2. Distribute your content through the social media networks that are most popular with your target audience. Consider LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter. Depending on your business, you might also want to create a presence on Pinterest, Yelp or other platforms.
3. Make it easy for others to share your stuff. Include social links on your blogs so your readers can share you with their networks when they read something great — and then make sure you’re giving them something great to read.