How To Do Google Ads on a Low Budget
At Powerserve, we run campaigns of all shapes and sizes. From massive, national-level campaigns that drive thousands of conversions to small campaigns that spend about $2 a day.
We love big campaigns, but we also know that those just won’t work for everyone. While it completely depends upon your goals and objectives, this article can serve as a guide to spend a small or low budget on Google Ads and still see real results.
Running PPC, or Pay Per Click advertising on Google Ads is complicated – but effective. On average, companies that advertise on Google Ads generate two dollars for every dollar spent. Check out this great Google Economic Impact article to learn about their Methodology.
However, some people have been known to blow through large budgets with little to no effect. If you want to dive down this rabbit hole and read some terrifying stories, check out this Reddit thread.
Step 1 – Set your Max Daily Budget
You need to understand that with Google Ads the old adage, “you get what you pay for” is VERY TRUE. There is no minimum spend with Google Ads and a “low budget” campaign could spend as little as $1 or $2 a day. Expecting a 10X return on your money is unlikely, but you can expect to see results.
To start, enter the maximum of your low-budget spend in the Budget field.
Step 2 – Pick a Single Keyword
That’s right, just one. You are only spending a couple of bucks a day and the average CPC (that’s cost per click) is about $2.75 on Google Ads.
Since you are trying to spend a very low budget, you can’t bid on more that one keyword. So, when it comes to a small budget, pick one good keyword.
In most cases, the cheapest keyword will be what we call a “branded term”. This is something like the actual name of your business or product. Since you “own” this term, Google knows that and you can win clicks and ad placement at a much lower rate than your competition.
If your company’s name is “Jeremy’s Chicken Feet”, then boom, that is your first keyword. Someone searching for “Jeremy’s Chicken Feet” (obviously a bad idea) is looking for something specific and that is the name of your company, Google knows that you have the best result AND you are bidding on a Google Ad, so you get top placement, FOR CHEAP.
This is a medium to low volume keyword with low competition. Do a search to look for potential matches before choosing your keyword. Stay away from broad topics like, “SEO” or “Best Chicken Feet in the World”.
To find the best keywords and understand volume, use the Google Ads Keyword Tool.
Step 3 – Create a Single Keyword Ad Group
In the biz, they call it a “SKAG”. I think that’s kinda gross, but there you go. Single Keyword Ad Groups take your single keyword and modify it with the three specific match-types Broad, Phrase and Exact.
Step 4 – Create a Single Ad and Great Landing Page
One keyword. One ad. Write your copy and make sure you have a compelling landing page.
Step 5 – Choose the right Bidding Style
There are ten different types of bidding style and all of them have their place, but a low-budget campaign should focus on “Enhanced Cost Per Click”.
This type of “smart” bidding allows Google to use artificial intelligence, machine learning and automation to increase or decrease bids on behalf of you. This results in Google increasing your bids when it is the best fit. This prevents wasted clicks.
Step 6 – Start your Campaign and Measure Results
That’s right, it’s time to press “go”. Remember, keep your keyword, ad copy, and landing page consistent. With a low-budget, everything needs to be perfect. Run the campaign for a month, making any adjustments needed.
Want some help? Let us know!