Google AdWords Express vs. Google AdWords – this is a decision many small businesses ponder as they delve into the realm of digital marketing. The Express version offers a quicker set-up and more hands-off ad management. The traditional AdWords platform offers up more robust reporting and controls.
Get the Full Report with Google AdWords
First, let’s talk about reporting. Google Adwords provides an incredible amount of data about how people find a website, how they behave when they are on the site, and the decisions they make. Google Adwords also shows which ad or link a person clicked on in order to reach your website.
But when using an AdWords Express account, the data is displayed in the AdWords Express dashboard, and it’s extremely limited. Google Adwords reporting can only be used to its fullest potential when it’s used in conjunction with the full AdWords platform.
Maximize Keywords and SEO
A second aspect of AdWords Express that won’t do a small business any good is its keyword limitations. The system will choose a single set of keywords for one product or service, and that’s all you can use for marketing at one time. Plus, the keywords Google designates for an AdWords Express advertisement cannot be changed.
In other words, Google AdWords Express could assign awful broad match keywords to your product’s ads, and they will charge you for any clicks you happen to get, even though those visitors are probably not likely to fall within your target audience.
With AdWords, keywords are selected by the user. A whole bunch of ads promoting any number of products and services can be run at once. Keywords can be changed at any time. Doesn’t this “harder” platform really sound better?
Don’t Settle for AdWords Express
Finally, setting up an AdWords account really isn’t much harder than for the Express option. It definitely doesn’t save enough hassle to make it worth giving up a plethora of data, control over keywords, and the ability to promote more than one product or service at a time. And keep in mind that if you try Express and then realize the traditional platform was the better choice, you can’t just click a button to switch over to AdWords. The setup process starts all over from square one again.
When it comes to keeping a digital marketing campaign rolling, Google AdWords Express is likely to trap small businesses in a productivity bottleneck. All of the program’s limitations end up preventing marketers from hitting their goals. When a company has worked out an online marketing plan to grow their business, they want to see results. They want to compare and test ads before they decide to run one long-term. This is far easier with AdWords than with Express.
If you want a good amount of control, thorough analytic reporting, and flexibility in your online ads, Google AdWords is your best bet. To ask a Google Certified Partner more questions about Google AdWords Express vs. Google AdWords, call PersistSEO at 770.580.3736.