In the ever-evolving landscape of digital marketing, Google Ads has been a staple for businesses seeking to expand their online reach and boost their visibility. However, a recent decision by Google to introduce a £40 charge for consultation sessions has left marketers concerned about the impact this might have on their advertising strategies and the performance of their clients' Google Ads campaigns.
Let's delve into why this new charge could be detrimental, particularly for small businesses.
- Impact on Ad Budget Allocation
Advertising budgets are a delicate balance that require careful planning and allocation. The introduction of a £40 charge for consultations brings an additional expense that businesses need to account for. This could result in a shift of funds away from actual advertising budgets to cover consultation fees. As a consequence, businesses might find themselves with reduced budgets to bid on keywords and display their ads effectively, leading to diminished results and impact.
- Prioritisation of Ad Revenue over Client Performance
As the Ads System is the biggest driver of revenue for Google, it’s understandable that they want to generate profit through this channel, however, that doesn’t necessarily mean that they have your business interests at heart. It’s well known by now that Google Ads reps often encourage account administrators to consider 'optimisations' that aren't necessarily aligned to the intricacies of each individual business and their objectives. Whilst Google are showing a desire to positively impact a campaign, it’s impossible for them to consider each business’ objectives on an individual basis. Marketers or Marketing Agencies will prioritise the overall campaign performance for their business or client over and above the revenue it would generate for Google.
- Strain on Resource
For businesses with limited resources, spending time on consultations could divert attention from other critical tasks such as product development, customer service, or day-to-day operations. Whilst Google may be deemed the experts on their Ads, as previously mentioned, the consultations are unlikely to take into consideration your individual business goals, let alone business operations and procedures. So, unless you have a digital marketing specialist in-house, not only is it going to take budget for the consultation, it’s going to take some considerable time to implement the advice given, understand what it means to your business and then analyse the results to identify if it’s the best way forward.
By using Marketing agencies or PPC agencies, you have immediate access to human interaction with specialists who will have the time to dedicate to your business, understanding in-depth your processes and objectives. They’ll have the skills and expertise to set up, manage and optimise campaigns on these platforms, freeing you up to do what you do best.
Expert Opinion
"Although the introduction of the Google Ads Consultation fee is in its infancy, it’s hard to see how it will have a positive impact to its users. There will be a lack of in-depth knowledge of the individual businesses and will focus on Google Ads as the sole marketing channel. As with all marketing, it needs to be taken as an holistic approach and Google Ads consultants simply don’t have the time to understand each business’ unique strategy and how Google Ads will integrate with that."
