Duration of a Google Ads Campaign

Google Ads campaigns can be extremely effective but they can also be extremely expensive and if acquisition costs go up, then you might find yourself wondering if the benefits are worth the outlay, asking yourself: "how long do I need to run a Google Ads campaign?"

Let’s Be Clear

The first thing you need to understand is that, as soon as your Ads stop, the new visitors that come via those ads to your website will dry up as well. It’s like the difference between a tap and a well, stop going to the well and you’ll stop having any water. With Ads, you’re not building anything up, you’re not building a solid foundation in the search engines. If you’re running an Ads campaign for three years and then suddenly stop, then that’s it, you’re back to square one: there’s no reputation in organic search results.

That’s why we strongly recommend that, while you’re benefiting from the direct traffic from Google Ads, you start building a reputation in organic search with Google. That way you allow your visitors from your SEO campaign to grow above and beyond the ones you receive through Ads clicks.

Nullify your Ads Budget

Don't put all your eggs in one basket. A great way to lower your Google Ads budget is by having a good SEO campaign going as well. Analyse your sales and conversions and find out when your cost per acquisition (CPA) is more effective in SEO than in your Ads campaign.

With that in mind and with good professional SEO, you’ll be only a few months away from completely cancelling your Google Ads campaign.

It's not a good idea to start with Google Ads when...

Your website is in a very specific market or in a very specific area. A well-coded website can be enough for Google to rank you higher based on your keywords, without having to invest in a Google Ads campaign. A well-designed site closes the gap between you getting visitors and your site rising in the ranking. Have a look at "How long does SEO take?" to understand everything a lot better.

For example, we were helping out a great private chef in Mosman (a neighbourhood in Sydney, Australia) who worked in a very competitive field in a very small neighbourhood. It's an up-and-coming and fashionable location for Restaurants, Pools to Dog and Pet Spas. Our client has dominated the ranking for various keywords, from the moment her site was launched, even the "under construction" page, which we launched while she was still finding fitting photos, was enough to shoot her to the top of the search results in Google!

Similarly, if you have a creative catering business and a niche idea, for example, a "Vegan Ice Cream Food Truck", a little bit of SEO can bring you a long way in organic search. Match your ideas with great keywords and clever SEO and see how your marketing costs drop as your visitor numbers rise!