Google Features: Paid Vs Unpaid - Contractor Advertising

Some of Google’s features are free. You must pay for others. Google has created a massive advertising platform begging to be utilized by contractors. Contractor Advertising is here to break it all down. Some pieces of the Google platform are free. You can get to the top of organic Google results, get put in the Google Local Pack, and run a Google my Business account, all for free. While these things are fantastic, a lot of Google’s power comes from their paid ad placements. Google’s paid and unpaid features aren’t mutually exclusive. Please use all your resources to create the best advertising strategy for your brand and your business goals. This will give your company a complete online presence and make you more visible to potential customers.

Google’s Free Features

Google has some powerful tools for contractor marketing that don’t need to be paid for. One important thing is Google search results. You can get to the top of Google search results without paying a penny. When was the last time you scrolled past the first page of Google? When was the last time you went beyond the first five results? Searchers click on links at the top of Google, so it’s essential to make sure that’s where your brand is! Another great free tool is Google My Business. With Google my Business, you can add information about your company to be displayed on Google. This includes things like your phone number, website, address, hours, and Google will even show your star rating! Customers can also get directions to your business on Google maps or see photos of your location to make it easier to locate. Google local is another incredible thing available to contractors. When you search for a service, you will often see a search result with a map and three businesses matching your query. This is the Google Local Pack. Getting into the Google Local Pack can be challenging, but you don’t need to pay for it.

Why Pay for Google Ads?

Although Google’s free features are super important, they can only get you so far. If you want to push your brand over the edge, the best move is to start working on a Google Ads Campaign. Google Ads Campaigns are ideal for contractors for several reasons. First is Google’s targeting system. You can set particular parameters to ensure your ad is seen by the exact audience you’re intending. For example, you can target by age, location, interest, demographic, keywords, and websites the user has visited. This can help ensure you don’t waste time and money showing your ad to people who won’t be interested. Another great thing about Google Ads is that you pay per click. This means that instead of paying every time someone sees your ad, you only pay when someone clicks on your ad. This is another feature that will save you money because you won’t be paying to show your ad to people who aren’t interested.

What Does a Paid Ad Look Like?

Google paid ads can be put on Google search or anywhere on the Google display network. The Google display network includes YouTube, blogs, and a network of websites that Google has rights to advertise on. You can choose from many different ad formats, with call-only ads display ads or search ads. We recommend that you select an ad format and where to display your ad based on your advertising goals, business goals, and customers you’re trying to attract. If you’d like to know more about this, we have a blog post on it here!

What Does it Cost?

But it’s a paid feature. So how much does a Google ad cost? Google ads don’t have set pricing. When you create an ad, you also enter a bid. This bid is the maximum amount you’re willing to pay if someone clicks on your ad. In the microsecond, when someone searches for a keyword, a bidding war is triggered. Whatever ad has the highest bid is shown to the searcher. When using Google Ads, you also set a daily budget, so you’re in complete control of how much you’re spending. Different ads have different average costs, so it’s essential to do some research before you get started and pick the best ad for your business goals and your budget.

Use Your Resources

Google has some excellent and powerful features, both paid and unpaid. As a contractor, its essential that you utilize Google to its fullest potential. That means creating an advertising strategy that maximizes Google’s free and paid features. Even if you’re on a small budget, you should still start a Google ads campaign. There’s no minimum so that you can create a campaign with $5 a day!

Need More Help?

Contractor Advertising is here to support you! If you already have some ads running that need some assistance or need help starting your first ad, our Pay Per Click professionals team is here to help. If you’re looking to expand on Google Local and Google my Business, our GMB Experts are here to help! Suppose you want to see your business as the top result on Google for various keywords. In that case, our SEO analysts are here to make it happen. Are you looking for more info? Our blog is an excellent resource for contractors looking to improve their marketing. Not sure what you need? Fill out the form below, and we can perform a free website and advertising analysis and make some recommendations.