How to Make a Low Google Ads Budget Work for You

As a small business owner, you should always focus on marketing and promoting your business. But there are so many options and avenues available for marketing—and some are super expensive. But no matter where you are at within your business, there are ways to market effectively. Google Ads is one of the best marketing tools available for every business, and luckily, a low Google Ads budget will still create powerful results. 

In this post, we’ll talk about whether it’s possible to have a small Google Ads budget at all, how to work with a small budget, and how to have the best results no matter your budget. Let’s get started! 

Yes, You Can Have a Low Google Ads Budget!

Google Ads is one of the most effective advertising tools available for business owners. In fact, Google Ads actually tend to generate $2 for every $1 spent. Although there are marketers spending huge advertising budgets on Google, it’s totally possible to advertise on Google without breaking the bank. Want to know how? 

There’s actually no minimum budget on Google. That’s right: you can spend as much or as little as you would like. Especially if you’re in the earlier stages of your business, there’s no need to take big risks and spend huge amounts of money on marketing. Low budget campaigns can actually yield incredible results for any business! You absolutely can work with a low Google Ads budget and find success. 

6 Tips on How to Work With a Low Google Ads Budget

We’ve already established that it’s 100% possible to be successful even with a low Google Ads budget. But how do you actually do it? Here are some of the best tips for working with a small advertising budget and generating results. 

1. Figure Out Your Main Campaign Objectives

Thinking big picture is the first step for any successful marketing campaign. What is the overall goal for your business and your marketing? Once you fully understand what your overarching goals are, you can narrow things down and focus on establishing specific conversion goals. This stage is where you’ll want to create a specific, actionable plan for achieving your bigger goals through those smaller goals. 

Are you feeling stuck in this process? Start by asking yourself some questions to see what feels right. This all comes down to knowing your business. What are you hoping to accomplish with your online marketing? Is your main goal web traffic, physical traffic, or brand awareness? Knowing these goals will help you find success with a low budget by getting specific. 

2. Set Your Google Ads Budget

Once you know your goals inside and out, it’s time to design specific campaigns and implement different strategies to maximize your budget and meet your goals. There are lots of different bidding strategies to try, but having a low budget doesn’t matter as long as you hone in on the results you want to achieve. 

Once you’ve decided on the goals for your business and Google Ad campaign, decide on your Google Ads budget. Be realistic in your expectations and project results in advance. While low-budget campaigns are effective and will yield results, it’s important to temper your expectations to align with your budget—don’t expect to see huge profits overnight! 

How do you get started? First, enter the maximum you’re willing to spend in a single day (if you need help, figure out a monthly budget and do the math from there). Then, enter that into your daily budget, then look at the common data-based averages so that you can understand what to expect. Google actually recommends starting with a low budget, like around $10 per day, and checking frequently to see how your campaign is performing. 

Related: Google Analytics Made Easy

3. Make Sure You Have a Good Quality Score

If you’re working with a small Google Ads budget, it’s essential to make sure that your ads are the best they can be. Quality is absolutely the most important thing to focus on. 

If you’re not familiar with quality scores, here’s how it works: Google assesses every ad for its bid amount, keywords, and landing pages, and then provides a quality score ranging from 1-10. 

Higher scores mean better ranks and better chances of conversions. Make sure your ads are super clear and helpful to consumers every step of the way. 

4. Have a Strategic Keyword Strategy

A strategic keyword strategy for low budget Google Ads should definitely focus on long-tail keywords. These keywords are specific and highly targeted. For example, if you are a local business, use your physical location and business type in your keyword, like “eastern Chicago wedding cakes.”

When you’re running a low-budget campaign, you also need to choose a few really awesome keywords. Don’t bid on too many keywords or create too many ad groups. Instead, focus on strategically choosing the best keywords to create results for your business specifically. 

You should try to find keywords with high search volume, high intent, and low competition—that’s the best way to connect with your target audience. These are the best keywords for low budget ad campaigns. 

5. Improve Your Landing Page

Your ad isn’t the only thing you should focus on when working with a low Google Ads budget. The entire goal of a campaign is to drive results, so you definitely have to focus on your landing pages, too. 

If someone clicks on your ad and the information you promised isn’t clear, available, or enticing, they’re going to leave without taking any action. Capturing the visitor’s attention with a great ad is important, but you have to have that essential follow-through to see results, especially when you’re working with a low budget. 

Aside from the page itself containing the content, your visitors are looking for, you need to focus on creating a positive and efficient experience. Website speed matters! Use compelling headlines, just like you did within your ad. Write concise, relevant, and targeted copy throughout the landing page, and then focus on crafting an effective call-to-action. 

Everything on your website should be user-friendly, mobile-friendly, and fast-loading. These things make visitors convert to customers, and that’s the best way to make sure your low budget ad gets results. 

6. Use Negative Keywords

Have you ever thought about using negative keywords? Google actually has the option for you to enter keywords you don’t want to be associated with. If you sell something but definitely not something else, you can exclude that keyword. Like a bakery that doesn’t sell cupcakes, only custom cakes, or a jeweler that doesn’t sell engagement rings, just necklaces. 

You can also figure out what irrelevant search queries are leading people to find your ads. Then use those as negative keywords to niche down on your traffic. You can find this information in your Search Terms report. 

You can find success and create results with a low Google Ads budget. No matter how much money you’re ready to spend on advertising and marketing, you can still achieve results with Google. There are so many incredible ways to make the most of your budget within Google Ads, so focus on setting your daily maximum budget, choosing a specific targeted keyword, and having realistic expectations for your results. 

There are no guarantees in marketing. But it’s absolutely possible to make a small Google Ads budget work for your business. Start by implementing the strategies in this post and you’ll start to generate results! 

You don’t have to do it alone. I am a Google Ads Certified Professional who has been creating and managing accounts for over 9 years. I handle thousands of dollars in client spend per month and can help you save money by spending your ad dollars efficiently and marketing to your true ideal client. Let’s connect and work together to maximize your budget and create results for your business.