America is home to the largest global corporations, but it is also big on local businesses. According to Small Business Association stats, the country has 33.2 million small businesses, accounting for 99.9% of all. These enterprises have created 63% of new jobs from 1995 to 2021. Canada reports similar numbers, with 1.19 million (97.9%) small businesses providing employment to 8.2 million individuals.

While these numbers are surely inspiring for local entrepreneurs, they also indicate stiff competition against similar businesses and big brands. The only way to sustain, survive, and thrive is with a robust marketing plan. When it comes to marketing your local business, you cannot just rely on conventional measures like retail signage and events.

Investing in an online presence is essential because even small-time buyers search for brands and products online. A good-looking website gives you a head start. Organic outreach like search engine optimization and social media campaigns come next. What about leveraging paid tactics like Google Ads?

You may have some qualms about the expense, considering 47% of small businesses spend less than $10,000 yearly on digital marketing. The truth is that Google Ads aren’t just for corporations and big brands. Even small businesses can make the most of them without feeling the pinch. You only need the right strategy to achieve more with less.

Let us share a few actionable tips to maximize the potential of Google Ads for your local business.

Understand the Worth of Advertising on Google

The first step is to understand the worth of advertising on Google, even for a small business that can easily spread the word through billboards and recommendations. Paid ads cost a bit, so you must have convincing reasons to embrace the strategy despite your shoestring budgets. Did you know that 63% of users click Google Ads while browsing the internet? Imagine how many sales these clicks may generate.

According to the K6 Agency, local businesses should not hesitate to invest in paid ad strategies because they offer worthwhile results. Google’s Economic Impact report states that every $1 spent on these ads generates$8 revenue for a business. Additionally, the strategy delivers fast sales with less work and offers options like display, shopping, video, and app campaigns.

Have a Google Business Profile

The next step is to build a Google Business profile for your small brand. It enables you to manage your online presence for buyers to easily locate your store through Google Maps and local search results. A profile is the foundation for your ad campaigns, so you shouldn’t cringe about the effort.

A Google Business Profile should include the basics like location, business hours, contact details, and a link to your website. You can add photos and customer reviews to make it more credible. Once done, you need to connect it to your Google Ads account to push ads in the map placement.

Run Local Campaigns

Running a local campaign can help you get more people to your store. Showing your ads to potential buyers near your location is a great idea because it can drive impulse purchases by hitting the sweet spot at the right time. It’s convenient for buyers to step in and pick products when they are just around the corner, right?

A local campaign should provide your store location with maps, attractive images, and compelling videos. Throw in a personalized recommendation or discount offer to get your foot traffic surging.  The good thing is Google automatically optimizes bids, ad combinations, and ad placements, so you can do more with less.

Get Strategic with Local Keywords

When running Google Ads campaigns for your small business, you must integrate localized search terms into your keyword strategy. Some examples are:

• Near me keywords
• City/Zip code
• Other location indicators

Having localized terms makes your campaign prominently visible to target buyers searching for your keywords in your location. You can rely on the tactic to beat the big brands because customers love the convenience of shopping nearby.

Use Analytics to Build Remarketing Audience

Every ad click costs money, so you must target only the right audience to avoid random clicks. When it comes to building your remarketing audience, you must stick with the users staying on your site for at least ten seconds. The best way to find them is by using Google Analytics. The tool provides reliable information about potential customers after they click on your ads. It can show details such as:

• Bounce rate
• Percentage of new sessions
• Average session duration
• Pages per session

These values give you a complete picture of how your buyers interact with your keywords. You can use the data to guide your keyword development and bidding strategy.

Conclusion

Google Ads make a worthy investment for local businesses. Missing out on the strategy is a bad decision. The best piece of advice is to make the most of your paid campaigns with the right strategies. Following these tips can help you maximize your Google Ads ROI and compete with the big names in the market.