What could you do with 5,500 free clicks to the website of your nonprofit?
The Google Ads Grant program affords you the option to explore these possibilities. The underutilized program literally gives certified nonprofits free advertising through Google Search.
Do you want to show the world your exciting rebrand? Done.
Do you need to amplify the cause of your mission? Done.
Do you desperately need to advertise a call for volunteers? Done.
Do you have a major fundraiser or Kickstarter coming up? Done.
The world is your Gulf Coast oyster with Google Ad Grants. Need proof? Look for the campaign we are running for our client Smart Home America’s “Don’t Goof. Reroof” initiative. This nonprofit is based out of Mobile, Alabama and advocates for higher construction standards to improve homes’ abilities to withstand high wind events like hurricanes, tropical storms and tornadoes. Smart Home America currently has vendors along the East Coast and Gulf Coast as well as inland states like Colorado and Oklahoma.
Smart Home America hired Seersucker Creative to launch its Google Ad Grants campaign in late 2019, and we’ve successfully bought in 5,500-plus clicks and over 90 thousand impressions for the brand.
That’s the equivalent of $15,647.12 of advertising. Do you think those types of numbers could help your business?
It’s a Tricky Road
If you’re interested in pursuing this route for your nonprofit we advise you to get started on the qualification process immediately. Google the product is ubiquitous but Google the staff is not. So, there is a lot of running to stand still early on. Then it’s a sprint again and waiting again for a response from Google. However, it’s a small price to pay for the wonderful program. Just get started right now.
After you’ve qualified for the Google Ads Grant and have built your search campaigns you’re ready to get into the game. As with any game, there are obstacles to overcome for victory. The following are just a few examples of what we’ll be up against.
Without getting into the nitty-gritty, the Big Goal to achieve with your nonprofit’s campaign is to achieve a 5% click-through rate (CTR). Your CTR is determined by how many clicks you get divided by how many times your ad shows (impressions) on the page. Remember, this is just for Google Search so you don’t have the advantage of visuals or remarketing (those ads that follow you around to other websites). The point is, you better have an ad that gets people to respond. If you don’t achieve the 5% CTR two months in a row your account will be suspended until it is reviewed and deemed acceptable by Google. We’ve never had to deal with this thankfully (#humblebrag).
Other restrictions include no use of single keywords. So you can’t simply use “cats” for your nonprofit pet store, but you can use “fluffy cats,” “cats in New Orleans,” and “adorable cat videos.” If you use the latter, just make sure your website actually has adorable cat videos. To be compliant, you will have to set up valid conversion tracking as well. There are other requirements like having at least two ads per ad group and at least two ad groups per campaign, which is really just common sense.
One of the rules that is buried in the details is that your nonprofit’s ads will never appear above a paying customer’s ad on the Google Search page. We believe this is your biggest challenge and why you need an active manager of your Google Ads Grant. For example, for our friends at Smart Home America, we are advertising in markets that include construction and real estate. These are very competitive markets. These are markets where one click can make a company thousands of dollars so they aren’t afraid to pay good money per click. That’s why you need a smart, experienced and, just as importantly, never-say-die company at your side to obtain your nonprofit’s goals. Seersucker Creative is that company.
This is just the tip of the iceberg about this intricate, and surprisingly still esoteric program. We’ve been through the battles and know the do’s (use maximize conversions) and don’ts (Smart Campaigns are a waste of time). We can put our experience to work for you.
Our mission is to do good works. Our cause is to amplify your message. Let Seersucker Creative help your nonprofit be the most successful it can be.
Seersucker Creative 