Skip to content

Articles

Google Ad Grants Management

What Does It Take To Learn Google Ad Grants Management?

Google Ad Grants ManagementManaging Google Ad Grants is an art and science. At its core, it’s a technology platform that presents small text ads to people searching online with Google. The ads are only presented to the specific individuals who are using keywords related to the ads. For example, someone searching for red shoes, would see ads related to red shoes, as well as the organic, non-ads that have to do with red shoes. That’s an over-simplification, but it does outline the key advertising process.

Yet, to be more factual, a better description would need to include important nuances, such as the fact that not all ads may be shown for any given search, even if the keywords are perfectly matched, since other advertisers also have ads they want displayed at the same time. It’s a competitive process. And to make things more interesting, even if there were no competition, some ads might still not be shown, if Google deems them to be low quality. In other words, someone could be searching for red shoes, and even if there are only a few advertisers, Google might show only the best ad, even though they have space to run more ads (especially for any business that elects to bid less, or pay less, for the keywords).

In the commercial world, since businesses are paying to show the ads related to the keywords (more accurately, they are paying for people to click on ads related to specific keywords), those who are paying for the keywords will only run them for some amount of time if the ads are not profitable. So, there’s a self-selection process. If the ads don’t make money, the business will stop paying for them or will continue to do the necessary work to improve the ads. (Technically, the ads themselves are only part of the process. There is important work in managing the keywords and other factors related to the ads).

On the other hand, in the nonprofit world, there has been a tendency for nonprofits to continue to run low-quality ads indefinitely — since Google was footing the bill.

No more.

That changed in 2018.Read More »What Does It Take To Learn Google Ad Grants Management?

Search Volume with Google Ad Grants

One Term That Will Boost Your Google Ad Grants Performance

Search Volume with Google Ad GrantsOK, I get it. You don’t have the time or resources necessary to manage your Google Ad Grants more effectively. Yet, your board of directors is wondering why you can’t get more value from the $10,000 per month ad grants, when you’re only spending a fraction of the money. What’s up with that?

And to make matters more interesting, the rules for Google Ad Grants changed on January 1, 2018 to make it more challenging.

Sure, there’s a lot you can know to be truly proficient with these ad grants. (And the more you learn, the better!) For starters, just what’s needed to keep your account compliant (so you don’t lose your Ad Grants), is mostly technical. Although having a compliant account may not seem so satisfying when it’s not doing much for you, just realize that plenty of nonprofits are losing their Google Ad Grants because their accounts do not live up to the new rules. So, if you haven’t lost your ad grants, you’re in better shape than others.

But what about actually making Google Ad Grants perform more for you?

What’s one thing you can do to get more value from Google Ad Grants that’s not so technical?Read More »One Term That Will Boost Your Google Ad Grants Performance

advertising media

Other Advertising Media vs. Google Ad Grants

advertising mediaWarning! If you’re savvy with Google Ad Grants, you don’t need to read this. This article is basic stuff. But it’s written from the perspective that while speaking with nonprofits about their Ad Grants, not all really get what it is. Or more specifically, they think it’s like something else. And usually the “something else” is a more common type of ad media. So, with the intent of really ensuring a firm grounding of the basics, let’s review some fundamentals.

ADVERTISING MEDIA

Different types of advertising media have unique characteristics that need to be respected to maximize performance.  Google Ad Grants (part of digital advertising) is different from traditional media and if your way of thinking does not embrace how it may be best utilized, your nonprofit isn’t getting its message out to the world as effectively as it could.

OVERLY SIMPLIFIED EXAMPLESRead More »Other Advertising Media vs. Google Ad Grants

Google Ad Grants Changes

Google Ad Grants Changes

Google Ad Grants ChangesThese past 2 years, and especially here in 2018, have seen the most significant changes that Google has implemented for their Ad Grants program since it was established in 2003. Not all are happy with the changes. In fact, many have lost their Google Ad Grants.

But by using Google Ad Grants per their requirements, you’ll be able to continue to reap the benefits of their advertising into the future. Just manage your Google Ad Grants as if you were the one spending the money.

GOOGLE AD GRANTS MODIFICATIONS

In 2016, over Labor Day weekend, Google discontinued their “Grants Pro” program, which provided $40K/mo in Ad Grants to qualified nonprofits. (In brief, nonprofits needed to prove they were using the $10K/mo ad grants appropriately, over time, to be eligible for the $40K/mo. Hence, most nonprofits were never eligible for Grants Pro anyway).

On January 1 of 2018, Google introduced more stringent requirements to continue to receive their $10K/mo Ad Grants. And here, in the middle of 2018, many nonprofits have lost, or will be losing, their Ad Grants. But keep in mind, it’s only those nonprofits that are not maintaining compliance with Google Ad Grants rules who are at risk.Read More »Google Ad Grants Changes