Google Ads can be a difficult tool to learn how to use. And even once you know how to use it, it takes time to learn the intricacies that allow you to get the most value for your advertising spend. This is why Google offers Ads Express (formerly Google AdWords Express), a solution that was designed to help small business owners launch successful Google Ads campaigns easily – without having to be Google Ads experts. Sounds great, right?
However, Ads Express may not be right for every small business. Below, we’re diving deeper into what Google Ads Express is, how it differs from Google Ads (formerly known as Google Ads), and whether it’s the best choice for your company.
Ads Express is a low maintenance ad solution designed to make it easy for small businesses and other advertisers to create Ads campaigns that help them reach more potential customers online. Ads Express is basically a simplified version of Google Ads that’s quick to set up and easy to use. Google wanted to provide a streamlined, automated ad solution that could be utilized by those with little or no experience (or by advertisers with limited time and resources).
While Google Ads Express used to be a standalone solution, it is now available in Google Ads as “smart campaigns.” With this function, advertisers can set up an ad in just 15 minutes. However, Google’s promise of easy, low maintenance online advertising may be a bit misleading. You can’t just set and forget your Ads Express campaigns – you still need to monitor and manage your ads over time to ensure you’re getting the best return on investment (ROI).
At first glance, the difference between Google Ads and Ads Express may seem small or even insignificant. However, the differences are important. One major distinction between the tools is the way in which campaigns are managed. With Google Ads, you are able to continuously update your campaign while it’s active. This allows you to make adjustments to optimize your clicks or change keywords.
Meanwhile, with Ads Express, you have less control over your campaigns, as ad management is automated. Google takes control of this optimization instead of allowing you to make adjustments. While this may seem less overwhelming to those who are new to the ad platform, it can also have some significant disadvantages when it comes to making sure your business is getting the most out of its ad budget.
Another key difference is the available ad formats. Both Google Ads and Ads Express use the Google advertising network, but they don’t offer the same ad formats. With Google Ads, you can use animated banners, static banners, video ads, and expanded text ads placed on Google or partner sites. With all of these options, it’s easy to A/B test different formats to see which perform best with your target market.
Ads Express, on the other hand, only allows you to use text ads on Google. Not only does this limit your ability to test out different formats, but it can also reduce your ads’ reach. This also means that you can’t use video ads on youtube, which can be a valuable option for brands that want to capture the attention of their busy audience and drive more traffic back to their site.
Right now, you may be thinking that Google Ads Express sounds like a great way for small companies with limited budgets and experience to run Google ad campaigns. However, Ads Express may not be the right choice for your business, given its limitations.
Here are just a few reasons why you may want to reconsider using Ads Express:
One of the biggest disadvantages of Ads Express is that it uses broad match keywords. This function makes your ads appear for keywords that are similar to those that you select, including related searches or synonyms. Though this may sometimes work in your favor, it also means that your ads may appear for searches that are completely unrelated to what your brand offers. Thus, you are spending money serving ads to an audience that is not likely to purchase your products.
Instead of selecting your own keywords, Ads Express requires you to choose from categories that apply to your brand. This means that Google has full control over which keywords your account is bidding on. And if the keyword you want to bid on is not in the category list, you cannot add it manually.
You also can’t specify how much money you want to bid on certain keywords in Ads Express. Allowing Google to automate this part of the ad campaign process means that you could be experiencing higher cost-per-click (CPC) rates and spending a significant amount of money on keywords that just aren’t converting.
Negative keywords are keywords that you do not want your ads to appear for. For example, many high-end brands may use “cheap,” “inexpensive,” or “low cost” as negative keywords to ensure that their ads are not shown to people who are looking for budget products. Negative keywords help you narrow down your ad audience to those who are most likely to buy, allowing your business to get the most value for its Google ad spend.
Unfortunately, Ads Express does not allow you to use negative keywords. While you can turn off terms that you don’t want to bid on, this doesn’t actually keep your ads from being shown for those keywords. Your ad may still appear for unwanted terms through a broad match keywords search. This means that you could be paying to show your ads to users who are not likely to buy from your brand, decreasing your return on investment.
Ad extensions are extra features that you can use to enhance your Google ads, such as call outs, snippets, and site links. These extensions add additional information to your ad, which makes it more enticing for viewers to click on. Ads Express does not allow the use of ad extensions, which means you could be missing out on an important opportunity to attract potential buyers.
Though Google Ads Express may seem like a great option for small businesses, it can actually end up wasting significant money and resources. Ads Express just doesn’t offer the same control regarding keywords and budget, which means you aren’t likely to get a positive return on investment. A better option? Hiring a skilled digital marketing agency that can set up and manage your Google Ads campaigns for you.
The pay-per-click experts at Zero Gravity Marketing can help you create a strategic, effective ad campaign, no matter the size of your business. For more information about our services and how we can help you achieve real results, contact us today!