Will Google AdWords Express Promote Your Google+ Page?

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New Way to Promote Google+

Recently, Google offers small and local businesses to use its AdWords Express service. It provides a way to promote Google+ pages apparently everywhere, but on Google+ itself, which Google reasserts should be an ad-free zone. This omission may make these ads less effective for those seeking for new customers or followers to their Google+ pages. Meanwhile, it gets those same small businesses spending their marketing budget to promote their Google+ pages for Google.

AdWords Express & Google+ Pages

If you’re not familiar with AdWords Express, it’s Google’s version of automated paid search. With AdWords Express, small and local businesses who are in a time shortage and don’t have time to properly set up campaigns let Google run their ads. Then, Google chooses where to show the ads. Some will appear in Google search results, based on terms that Google selects. Some appear within Google Maps. Some appear on non-Google sites that are part of the Google advertising network.

Since some small businesses don’t have websites, Google has offered them free ones to use with AdWords Express through its “Get Your Business Online” service. However, Google has said that business owners can drive visitors to their Google+ pages. Christian Oestlien, a member of Google Product Management, announced that AdWords Express would now “offer” business owners a new way to promote their Google+ pages. Along with the announcement, Oestlien mentioned that this option would be available for all Google properties, except Google+. In fact, Oestlien took a pseudo-swing at Facebook by stating:

“…We only show these promotions when they’re appropriate—not overwhelming people with random ads when they’re trying to spend time with friends.”

Why No Advertising On Google+?

Many could argue that if you are trying to “attract more followers”, they would want to do so on Google+. Why does it show social network ads in search? Why, for instance, do you show them for your Google+ page in maps? This is a hard stance that Google+ took throughout 2012. It simply isn’t a better place for admins to try and grow fans with ads than from targeted ads in the social network.

Well, Can You Advertise To Just Google+ Users?

No. A Google representative has confirmed that the only targeting option is “normal targeting,” so it will reach everyone. This is a huge negative for those AdWords Express advertisers who are trying to build a following for their Google+ page. Seeing that you can’t advertise on the social network and you can’t target those across the Google network with a Google+ enabled account, you have no guarantee that a click is coming from someone who has a Google+ account or if they have even heard of Google+ before.

So Just What Is This New Service That Google Is “Offering”?

Google’s announcement concerning to AdWords Express reads like this:

  • You give your money to Google to handle online advertising
  • Google spends your money across their network
  • Instead of driving traffic to your site, the new announcement ”offers” businesses the ability to let Google drive traffic to a Google property
  • The goal is to “attract new followers and customers” but Google can’t show ads within the social network itself.
  • Nor can active Google+ users be targeted

Why Is This A Bit Suspect?

While Google+ has been relatively successful, it has come at the hands of a huge investment. Ranged from advertising during big NFL games, to worldwide print and TV campaigns, to big NFL partnerships, Google has spent inordinate marketing resources on the Google+ product. In a way, Google is now leveraging AdWords Express users’ budgets to do so, too.

The conspicuous lack of ability to target ads on Google+, or even to target users who are on Google+, makes un-targeted, poor advertising for those looking to build their pages. The majority of those users who click on the ad will have to be sold on Google+ first before they can follow a brand page. Instead of hitting active users, advertisers are simply handing money to Google to blast the budget across the general Google network.

None of the other social networks operate in this fashion. Facebook offers a variety of advertising options across the social network, Twitter has a handful of ad options across Twitter. The key is that all of these are on the network that has that social scent trail to it.

So Is This New Service Helpful For Anyone?

Is this worth doing? In some cases, absolutely. If a company doesn’t have the resources for a website and they don’t want to promote their Facebook page, this gives them an option to get up and running. If you are on a low budget and need a landing page, this option may be very tempting to get fresh prospects. The issue isn’t with the “attract new customers” statement that Oestlien made, but more about the attraction of new followers aspect as there is no Google+ user targeting built into the service.

While this new targeting may look valuable, serious lack of targeting makes it tough to recommend to anyone. From Google’s standpoint however, this would be an ideal selection for advertisers as a big byproduct of the budget is more awareness of the Google+ product. For more information, please visit our main page or call us today at 1300 008 964.

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