Do you want to get started with Google Ads but don’t have much of a budget or are worried about wasted spend? Maybe you already have an account but are just continuing to waste money and not get results?

We often get approached by automotive businesses in both of these EXACT situations. While it will likely take 2 or 3 months to start seeing results from Google Ads improve, it can be done on a budget. AND… once it’s profitable, your budget can be increased.

Firstly, let’s determine what a small budget is. We’re really looking at budgets anywhere from £50 to £1,000 pcm. No matter which end of the spectrum your budget is at, these tips from our Google Ads qualified, automotive marketing experts, should still prove relevant and useful.

Read on for 6 tips to give your automotive brand the best chance at succeeding with Google Ads on a budget.

Keyword Selection

First and foremost is keyword selection. With most small AdWords accounts, the majority of the budget is usually used on Google Search Ads as they are “intent-focussed” and allow you to target prospects that are actually searching for your businesses products or services.

A mixture of terms is absolutely critical here. Don’t just go for a selection of the cheapest, estimated cost per click terms or the EXACT terms that are relevant to your automotive business, mix it up with high-cost phrases (more likely those that are exactly what your ideal customer is searching for) and lower-cost branded and awareness type phrases.

To discover which keywords to use there’s lots of free tools at your disposal – from Google’s Keyword Planner to Wordstream’s Free keyword tool.

Make Use of Location Targeting

Location or geo-targeting is most useful for automotive brands that only serve a particular area or radius around their location – limiting your audience but maximizing your traffic quality. When serving a local area, it’s also worth considering Dynamic Keyword Insertion.

Alternatively, location targeting or bid adjustments can also prove beneficial for e-commerce brands with lots of conversion-based location data.

Calls-To-Action

This may be an obvious one but you’d be surprised at how many automotive brands are advertising on Google without using impactful CTA’s in their ads. A solid, clear call to action will pre-qualify your audience – minimising bounces and boosting conversion rates.

Implement Ad Extensions

Not only can ad extensions have a significant impact on your ad click-through rates but they can also improve conversions. A few examples:

• If your website is fairly poor then call ad extensions could greatly improve leads.
• Lead form extensions can be used for B2B brands – allowing searchers to fill in their contact details and information without having to leave the Search Engine Results Page.
• Sitelink extensions can increase traffic to your site by providing additional options for your prospects.
• Callout extension can help pre-qualify potential traffic, ensuring it’s a higher quality and therefore minimising bounces and boosting conversions.

Get to Grips With Bidding Strategies

As a small to medium sized automotive business looking for Google Ads success on a budget, your return on ad spend (ROAS) couldn’t be more important. Bidding strategies can really make or break a campaign. There’s an abundance of smart-bidding options available – from maximising ad clicks to optimising for a specific return on ad spend.

Regularly Audit and Test

With Google Ads, you never want to have a “set it and forget it” mindset. Make sure you’re checking your account on a regular basis, at least once per week minimum. Check things such as keyword performance and search term reports, ad performance, extensions, schedules and more. Never stop auditing and testing to ensure continuous optimisation and improvement.

Don’t Have Time to Run Your Google Ads? Book a FREE Strategy Session

If you simply don’t have time to run your Google Ads effectively and want to concentrate on other areas in your business then book a FREE Google Ads Strategy Session with Matt today. We will take a look at your account, explore opportunities for improvement and discuss how WDA can help with ongoing management and optimisation. If you’re not currently using Google Ads then we’ll walk you through how to get started!

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