We have compiled a list of our most frequently asked questions below.
If your question is not listed then please feel free to reach out to your Grant Manager and they will ensure that your questions are answered.
Definitions
Ad Groups are groups of keywords clustered around a certain theme, and a group of ads that are shown when someone searches for one of those keywords.
Avg. CPC is an abbreviation for Average Cost Per Click and appears on the Stats Over Time page. Avg. CPC is the average amount of the Google Ad Grant used per ad click.
Campaigns are the primary and largest building blocks of a Google Ads account. Each campaign contains many Ad Groups, each of which contain many Ads.
Click Through Rate (CTR) is the percentage of people who, after seeing an ad, click on it and are taken to the landing page the ad is promoting.
Impressions represent the number of users who saw an ad because it appeared in the results for a search they made in Google.
Impression (Top)% represents search top impression rate, which is the percentage of time your ads are shown anywhere above the organic search results. For example, if your Impression (Top)% is 80%, that means your ads are appearing above organic search results 80% of the time.
Organic Search Results are results that appear when you complete a Google search that are not ads.
General FAQ
How does Google Grant management work at NPM?
That’s a great question! A great analogy is to think of your Google Grant management as laying the foundation for and then building, maintaining, and improving a house over time. We made this video to explain that idea in greater detail!
Why can’t I find my ads on Google?
The purpose of the Google Ad Grant is to bring new users to your website. Therefore Google will likely not show you the ads for your organization since you probably visit your website often! This is a good thing because it avoids unnecessary spending as well.
The best way to confirm that your ads are showing is to look in your ads account where you can view the impressions (how many times the ads were shown) and the clicks (how many times a Google user clicked on your ads) to determine if your ads are showing. You can also ask your Grant Manager for more information about account performance.
What is a good click through rate?
The search network average CTR is 3%, and Google Grant recipients must maintain a 5% CTR in order to maintain their active Grant.
Why should I bid on my own brand name?
Bidding on your own brand name will help target users who know what your organization’s name is and are actively searching for you on Google. In addition to that, you may have competitors that are bidding on your name. By achieving your brand search engine results page (SERP) domination through organic results and ads, you can avoid the risk of your competitor’s ads being shown above your brand listings. Other benefits of bidding on your organization’s name include improving your ads account health, presenting your brand accurately, and possibly a lower cost per click (CPC).
Why Are We Not Spending More Of The Google Grant?
We understand that grant spend can be important to many of our clients! However, we recommend looking at the $10,000 per month as a budget instead of a goal to reach or a measure of account success. It is common to not spend the full amount in one month due to Google’s algorithm that prevents unnecessary spending of the grant. The Google Grant is built to be efficient, only spending as much as you need in order to get the right people to your website, but not a penny more. In fact, Google Grant spend is not an indicator of your ads’ success!
The Google Grant is meant to help nonprofits of all sizes, from local nonprofits to global organizations. The amount each nonprofit spends depends on factors like geotargeting, keyword competition, cost per click (CPC), and more. The Google Grant is extremely generous; it awards small, statewide nonprofits the same $10K per month as it awards to worldwide nonprofits. Imagine the difference in Grant funds these two types of organizations will utilize. The $10K monthly amount is provided to make sure each type and size of nonprofit has enough advertising funds each month. Think of the $10K monthly amount as an unlimited advertising gift, not a “goal” to be met.
For more information about how grant spend works, please watch The Google Ad Grant Is Like A Buffet. Feel free to reach out to your grant manager with any further questions!
What’s The Difference Between A Conversion And CTR?
CTR stands for click-through rate. This is the percentage of people who clicked on your ad in Google Search out of everyone who saw the ad.
A conversion happens when a user clicks on your ad and then completes an action on your website like donating, registering for an event, subscribing to your newsletter, signing up to volunteer, and more.
Did all these conversions on the report really come from ads?
Yes! Every conversion you see on this report represents someone who clicked on your ad first, then completed the conversion.
Why bother tracking conversions?
We want to track conversions for many reasons! Here are a few: Since you are a Google Grant recipient, Google requires conversion tracking. Conversion tracking proves the value of your Google Grant ads. Conversion tracking gives you insight into what all these new visitors to your website are doing!
What can I do to help the account succeed?
More content on your website! The more content, the more varieties of ads we can create, and the broader audience we can reach for you. Remember, our ads are written based on your website and verbiage. Searchable, educational blog topics that relate to your organization are especially useful to the public and boost your ad clicks.
What do you need from me to make the ads perform better?
More content on your website! The more content, the more varieties of ads we can create, and the broader audience we can reach for you. Remember, our ads are written based on your website and verbiage. Searchable, educational blog topics that relate to your organization are especially useful to the public and boost your ad clicks. Example of great topics are: “The Benefits of Exercising” or “Homelessness Statistics in the USA.”
Why is it important for me to update my website with new content?
There are a few reasons why it’s important to update your website with new content! First, updating your website often will make it appealing to a new demographic as well as bring back those who have already been to your website. By updating your content, you are showing that you are active and care about showing people what your organization is doing and therefore building a relationship with them.
Additionally, frequently updated websites tend to gain more search traffic than those that are not updated regularly. This is why we recommend having a blog on your website with informative and promotable content. Fresh content also allows your Grant Manager to create more ads, which can help bring more people to your website. For more information about blogs, feel free to check out this article.
How does return on investment (ROI) work with the Google Grant?
The Google Grant is a powerful tool for developing your brand identity and familiarity through increased web traffic and online engagement after ad clicks. Engagement from your new followers may happen on your website or in person. We know this question is important, so we made an entire video about it! This video goes into deeper detail about how ROI works with the Google Grant.
How should I expect my account to do over a long period of time?
It is important to keep in mind that there is a natural ebb and flow to the Google Grant, so it is normal to see increases and decreases in performance over time. The factors that can impact account performance include geotargeting, competition, seasonality, and more. However, the longer your account is under NPM management, the more time we have to manage and optimize it to drive as much traffic as possible to your website. This case study shows the impact of Nonprofit Megaphone’s management.
I have more questions…
We love questions! Feel free to email your Grant Manager with any questions you have. We are more than happy to answer them!