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. 

General FAQ

Why Don’t I See My Ads When I Search For Them 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.

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 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.

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.

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 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. 

Why Can’t We Keep Administrative Access To Our Google Ads Account?

With Nonprofit Megaphone being the only one with administrative access, this keeps us solely responsible for the ad creation, changes, and management of your account. This ensures that the account is always in compliance with Google Ad Grant policies and best practices.

Client Success FAQ

How Much Notice Do We Need To Give To End Management?

Please give us at least a 10-day notice if you wish to end management.

Will I Get Administrative Access To My Account When We End Management?

Yes! Our team will transfer administrative access back to you and notify you via email when we do.

Do We Need To Work With A Marketing Firm To Keep The Google Grant?

You do not need to work with a marketing firm to keep the Google Grant, but it is highly recommended.

Can We Pause Our Services And Come Back At A Later Date?

Unfortunately, no. The Google Grant requires active management. If it is not actively managed, it can be suspended and it would take time to get the account back in good standing.

If I Downgrade My Plan, Can I Upgrade It In The Future?

Absolutely! We can set up month-to-month billing which allows for plan flexibility. 

Analytics FAQ

What Is Google Tag Manager And Why Is It Important?

Google Tag Manager (GTM) is a tool that is used to track conversions on your website. GTM allows us to see what people are doing after they’ve clicked on an ad, including filling out forms, signing up to volunteer, making a purchase, donating, and more. GTM helps Google see that you are getting hard ROIs, which can help with your ad performance.

Can You Grant Another Person Access To Our Google Analytics Or Google Tag Manager Accounts?

It depends! If NPM holds administrative access to these accounts, then we would be happy to extend access as needed. If we do not, we can let you know who we originally received access from so you can reach out to them.

We Use Third-Party Websites To Handle Items Like Donations, Registrations, Or Other Parts Of Our Conversion Process. Can You Help Us Set Up Tracking For Conversions On These Sites?

Due to third-party site restrictions, cookie restrictions, and Analytics tools limitations, we cannot make any guarantees that we will be able to track conversions happening when users leave your website and occur on a third-party site. We also cannot communicate with support personnel for a third-party site on behalf of your organization. Our team can provide Google Analytics or Google Tag Manager code for you to send to your third-party support representatives, and we can provide support articles, if they exist, from the platforms that detail how to set up tracking. We can also set up conversions in the Google Ads account once data is being sent to Google Analytics from the third-party platform.

Can You Help Us Out With Other Analytics Platforms Besides Google Analytics? (i.e. Matomo, Squarespace, Piwik, Etc.)

Our team currently only utilizes Google Tag Manager and Google Analytics for Google Ad Grant conversion tracking.

Will You Create And Send Us Google Analytics 4 Reports? 

Your Grant Manager can generate Google Ads reports outlining many different data metrics. Reach out to them and let them know what you’re interested in seeing! If you’d like Google Analytics Data specifically, our Google Analytics Report Creation Add-On is your best option. Ask your Grant Manager if you’d like more details on this! 

What Are The Best Tracking-Friendly Donation/E-Commerce Platforms?

We’ve found that Classy and Fundraise Up are both excellent platforms that integrate well with e-commerce tracking in Google Analytics 4.

Do We Have To Install Google Analytics And Google Tag Manager On Our Site In Order To Have Conversion Tracking? 

Yes. If you happen to be on a platform that does not allow for the installation of Google Tag Manager, then our team can set up tracking using only Google Analytics, but ideally we prefer to use both to have the most control and flexibility over tracking.

Are There Restrictions On What Can Be Tracked For My Google Ad Grant Account? 

Google’s best practice recommendations are to focus on bottom of the funnel, meaningful conversions. Ideally we want to track things that are the final action the user takes on your site to convert rather than just clicking on navigational call-to-action buttons.

What Is A Success Page/Thank You Page? 

A success page is a web page that a user sees after successfully completing a specific action on a website or application. This action could be anything from completing a purchase to submitting a form, signing up for a newsletter, or creating an account. The purpose of a success page is to confirm to the user that their action has been successfully completed and to provide any relevant information or next steps. It can also serve as an opportunity for the website or application to engage with the user further, such as by offering related products or services, encouraging them to share their experience on social media, or inviting them to sign up for additional features. Here is an example of a success page.

Can You Help Me Install Google Tag Manager/Google Analytics? 

For most common website platforms, yes! Reach out to your Grant Manager and they can connect you with your Analytics Specialist who can assist with further instructions.

Content FAQ

When Will I Receive My Content? 

Your content will be submitted three to four weeks after you approve a topic with your writer. Approving topics quickly, or even ahead of time, will allow for you to receive your content on the most consistent schedule possible.

Can I Edit My Content Once It Is Submitted? 

Yes! You are welcome to make any desired changes to your content before publishing it on your site. We do encourage clients not to change titles, which are written to include high-value keywords, and your writer will put other important keywords in bold so you know not to remove them unless entirely necessary. You are welcome to remove this bolding before posting as well.

Can You Edit My Content Once It Is Submitted?

• If you receive long-form SEO content, you may submit one round of standard edit requests within one week of draft submission. Major edits—such as rewriting extended sections or making significant structural changes to a piece—are not included in this policy, though you can request a rewrite in place of your next piece or make use of our Content Revisions Add-On to make such requests. You can also use this add-on if you’d like to request revisions more than one week after your draft was submitted.

• If you receive short-form Basic Content, we cannot accept edit requests without purchase of the Content Revisions Add-On. Because these pieces are only about 400 words, it often takes much longer to explain to your writer what they should change than it does to do so oneself, and your writer will have very few words to commit to any edits. It is more efficient and effective for all involved if you edit your short-form content directly, though you may also request more significant revisions with our revisions add-on. This is also our policy because most edit requests for such short pieces end up constituting essentially a rewrite, and if the request is simpler than that, it is easier for everyone if the client makes that edit directly.

What Types Of Topics Work Best? 

Broad, general topics work best, because these are what users are most likely to search for, especially those who are not yet familiar with your organization and therefore represent the greatest possible growth in awareness and exposure. Ultimately, the broader and less brand-specific your content is, the more people will find it online. For an example of a client blog that the Nonprofit Megaphone team writes for, check out the Glaucoma Research Foundation blog!

How Are Topics Determined? 

Our writers conduct keyword research to determine what relevant terms people frequently search for. We center our content around these keywords so that your organization appears in ads and organic results when people make these popular searches.

How Should I Communicate With My Writer? 

Your writer compiles all notes, resources, suggestions, and edits to inform their work on your future content. As such, it is best to communicate with them by email so that they have all important details in writing. Calls with your writer are not included as a part of your content plan or add-on.

Why Doesn’t Our Content Focus More Exclusively On Our Organization/Program? Why Are Branded Content And Calls To Action Saved For The Last Few Paragraphs? 

This is an essential part of search engine optimization and content marketing. Given the way that search engines and user behavior work, someone finds your content on Google or Bing because they are searching for the answer to a question or information that they don’t currently have. If you don’t provide this general information first, your readers will immediately “bounce” off of the page and go looking for a more informative, useful post. 

However, if you start by giving a searcher objective, impartial information that responds to their search query, you will demonstrate your organization’s expertise, value, and trustworthiness right off the bat. Only once you have communicated these qualities to a reader will they have any interest in taking further action with your organization, or even pledging support. By saving your branded content and calls to action for the end, we are giving the reader a chance to move from the “top of the funnel (TOFU),” where they are unlikely to take any concrete action, to the middle (or even the bottom) of the funnel where conversions are much more likely, making the most of both “TOFU” and “BOFU” marketing tactics.