Why you should be using AdWords to sell tires

Internet has changed the way people research and transact. Long gone are the days when people used to refer to the Yellow Pages to find businesses.

In today’s digital-first environment, a majority of users rely on the Internet to find a business that can fill their needs.

The amount and type of information available on the net is staggering and it has given consumers the ability to educate themselves rather than simply relying on a so-called expert.

So how do you break through? How do you get your message seen by thousands of potential customers? One way is to use the power of Google.

Google AdWords is an online advertising service by Google for businesses wanting to display ads on Google search results.

Taran Sodhi, chief executive at marketing agency Conceptual Minds—which has many clients in the U.S. tire and automotive industry—said consumer-facing tire businesses without an AdWords presence could be missing out on “hundreds of thousands of dollars” in revenue.

U.S tire dealers should embrace AdWords

Sodhi said consumers are researching tires online in high volumes and AdWords provides an obvious way to reach them. A Google study in 2013 showed 41 percent of tire buyers spent more than a week researching their purchases through digital channels and 68 percent researched their tires online before making a purchase. Some 73 percent visited multiple sites before making their final purchase.

“In this highly competitive online environment, it’s becoming tough for any business to rank well organically for each and every tire-related search term,” Sodhi warned.

“So it is our recommendation that every marketing strategy should leverage AdWords as part of its mix.”

That is particularly important because the Google study found 86 percent of tire prospects came from searches that did not mention a particular business name or website domain name.

“Therefore, tire businesses with minimal organic presence (those not being found easily via Google search) and ones that are not investing in ongoing content generation (like blogging and being active on social media) should consider investing a higher portion of their digital marketing budget on AdWords,” Sodhi said.

“This will allow them to be visible for search terms where they lack organic presence and at least give them an opportunity to earn that searcher’s business.”

Google AdWords is targeted advertising

Sodhi said Google AdWords is appealing to businesses because it allows a company to set a budget, choose where the advertisement appears and measure the results of the ad.

“With cost-per-click (CPC) bidding, a company will only be charged if a user clicks on the ad,” he said.

“A company can target their desired audience by search words—commonly referred to as keywords—or while browsing websites similar to your business.

“AdWords allows businesses to target users in any phase of their buying cycle. It can help target users who may be in the early stages of their buying process and simply researching (research phase), in the comparison phase or the purchase phase.”

The Buying Cycle. Courtesy of Conceptual Minds. — The Buying Cycle. Courtesy of Conceptual Minds

So, how do you get an ad on AdWords?

If you are just starting out and have the time, analytical mindset and patience for your campaigns to produce results, then you can certainly do so on your own. Here are Sodhi’s step-by-step tips:

Visit the AdWords site: https://adwords.google.com
Enter your basic information, including your email address and website (if your company doesn’t have a website, ads can still be created using AdWords Express)
For the sign-in process, you will need a Google Account. If you use Gmail or YouTube, you already have an account. If you don’t have an existing account, you’ll need to create one.
Now you’re ready to create your first ad campaign. You will consider the following:
- Your daily budget
- Your target audience
- How you will reach your audience
- Keywords that will trigger your ads to show
- Your cost-per-click (CPC)
- Your ad’s description
You will then be transferred to the billing page and decide when and how you will pay for your ads.

If your business does not have the capacity to create advertisements or run marketing campaigns in-house, Sodhi recommends hiring a marketing agency to do it for you. Marketing professionals are trained to create campaign strategies that will help ensure your ad gets results. He suggests getting an experienced, automotive-focused agency with AdWords expertise to undertake the work.

Next week Sodhi will share his advice on how to craft a successful Google AdWords ad for your tire business.

Tagged: Google AdWords

How to use Google AdWords to sell tires

Why you should be using AdWords to sell tires