Can I run Google Ads for free?

Can I Run Google Ads for Free?

In the competitive world of digital marketing, businesses are always looking for cost-effective ways to reach their audience. Google Ads is a top choice for many due to its extensive reach and effectiveness. But the question arises: Can you run Google Ads for free? While you can't run Google Ads campaigns entirely for free on an ongoing basis, there are strategies to minimise costs and leverage promotional credits to kickstart your campaigns. Additionally, there are other methods to promote your business on Google without spending money. Here’s a detailed guide on how you can advertise on Google and increase your visibility without breaking the bank.

How to Promote Your Business on Google for Free

These are the five most effective ways to advertise your business on Google without paying for ads:

1. Create a Free Google Business Profile
2. Optimize Your Google Maps Listing
3. Get Free Traffic from Google Search
4. Use Google Shopping Free Listings
5. Get a Free Google Ads Coupon

1. Create a Free Google Business Profile

A highly effective way to gain free advertising on Google is by creating a Google Business Profile. This free service allows local businesses to appear in Google’s local search results and on Google Maps, enhancing visibility significantly. By verifying your business and optimising your profile, you can ensure your business appears prominently when users search for relevant services in your area.

Benefits of Google Business Profile:

• Local Search Visibility: Appearing in local search results drives significant traffic from nearby customers.
• Business Information: Display essential business information, photos, posts, and respond to customer reviews.
• Credibility: Enhancing your business's credibility and trustworthiness.

Optimisation Tips:

• Ensure all business information is accurate and up-to-date.
• Add high-quality images of your business.
• Display your business address correctly on your website.
• Use structured data markup to provide Google with more information about your business.

2. Optimise Your Google Maps Listing

Google Maps is another powerful tool for local businesses. Ensuring your business appears on Google Maps can drive considerable foot traffic and online engagement. To appear on Google Maps, you need to have a verified Google Business Profile and ensure that your business address is accurate and consistent across all platforms. This can significantly improve your visibility for location-based searches.

Steps to Optimise Your Google Maps Listing:

• Provide a valid address in your Google Business Profile.
• Ensure your business is verified with Google.
• Display the same address consistently on your website.
• Ensure your website is mobile-friendly since most Google Maps searches are performed on mobile devices.

3. Get Free Traffic from Google Search

Another effective method to gain free exposure is through organic search results. Achieving high rankings in Google’s organic search results for relevant keywords can drive substantial traffic to your website. This involves optimising your website for search engines, a process known as Search Engine Optimisation (SEO).

Key SEO Strategies:

• Technical SEO: Ensure your website is easily crawlable and indexable by Google. This includes optimising website speed, ensuring mobile-friendliness, and using secure connections (HTTPS).
• On-Page SEO: Optimise your content to target relevant keywords. This includes using keywords in titles, meta descriptions, headers, and throughout the content.
• Content Creation: Produce high-quality, relevant content that addresses the needs and interests of your audience.
• Link Building: Acquire backlinks from reputable websites to improve your site's authority.

While SEO is a long-term strategy that requires ongoing effort, it can yield significant returns by driving free traffic to your website.

4. Use Google Shopping Free Listings

For e-commerce businesses, Google Shopping offers a great opportunity to showcase products without paying for ads. Since April 2020, Google has allowed businesses to list their products for free in Google Shopping. These listings can appear in the Google Shopping tab, Google Search results, YouTube, Google Maps, and Google Images.

Steps to Get Started with Google Shopping Free Listings:

• Create a Google Merchant Center account.
• Upload your product feed to Google Merchant Center.
• Ensure your product information is accurate and up-to-date.

This can help drive traffic and sales without the need for paid advertising.

5. Utilize Google Ads Promo Codes

Another way to reduce costs when starting with Google Ads is to use promo codes. Google often provides promotional credits to new advertisers, which can help you run your first campaigns for free. To find these promo codes, search for “Google Ads free credit” or partner with a certified Google Partner who can provide these credits.

Getting Started with Google Ads Promo Codes:

• Search for "Google Ads free credit" online to find current promotions.
• Contact official Google Partners to access promotional credits.

Running Google Ads on a Low Budget

While completely free advertising isn’t sustainable long-term, starting with a low budget is feasible. Google Ads allows you to set daily budgets as low as $1 to $5, which can help you experiment with different campaigns and strategies without a significant financial commitment.

Strategies for Maximizing a Low Budget:

• Smart Bidding: Use automated bidding strategies to optimise your ad delivery and maximise your budget.
• Focus on High-Intent Keywords: Target keywords that indicate a strong intent to purchase.
• Use Negative Keywords: Exclude irrelevant searches to ensure your budget is spent on valuable clicks.
• Monitor and Adjust: Regularly review your campaign performance and adjust your bids and targeting to improve ROI.

Conclusion

While it’s not possible to run Google Ads entirely for free on an ongoing basis, there are several strategies to minimize costs and make the most of available resources. Utilizing free tools like Google Business Profile and Google Shopping free listings can significantly enhance your online presence without incurring costs. Additionally, leveraging promo codes and starting with a low budget can help you gain valuable insights and results from your Google Ads campaigns.

For businesses in Australia looking to maximise their digital marketing efforts, partnering with a digital marketing agency like Bobo Digital can provide the expertise and support needed to effectively manage and optimise your Google Ads campaigns for better performance and ROI.

Contact Bobo Digital today to learn how we can help you leverage Google Ads and other digital marketing strategies to grow your business.

‍