Google Ads for Dispensaries: Your Questions Answered

What Is Google Ads?

Google Ads is the search giant’s pay-per-click ad platform. With 93% of the search market in the US and Canada, Google is a powerhouse, making Google Ads the must-use platform for advertising.

When you run a search on Google, the top of the search results frequently hosts ads. Those ads show up when a searcher uses particular keywords. By bidding on keywords, you can get your ads to the top of search results.

Can Dispensaries Use Google Ads?

While Google Ads place many restrictions on ad copy, MediaJel is able to work within their rules to create engaging ads for dispensaries and delivery services.

There are certain terms that can’t be used, like marijuana and cannabis, but it’s totally possible to market your dispensary or delivery service via Google Ads.

How Do Google Ads Work?

Google Ads are based on keywords. Users create relevant ads centered around certain keywords and then set their price limits (per click, per campaign, and per day). These are considered bids. Multiple companies can bid on the same keywords and when someone searches that keyword, Google will pick the most relevant ad to display. This means that the person with the highest bid doesn’t automatically win the top ad placement. Rather, it depends on multiple factors like search intent and how relevant Google thinks your ad is for the query. If someone clicks on your ad, then Google bills your account. Your ads will continue to run until your ad spend is exhausted.

To use Google Ads, you’ll need a Google account linked to your business and a credit card that can be linked to your account.

Why Should I Use Google Ads?

Imagine putting your marketing in a place where you know potential customers will look.

That’s what you do when you use Google Ads.

Because your ads will only appear when someone searches your keywords, you’re marketing to someone who’s already interested in your business. And you make it easy for them to find you. They don’t have to search through a bunch of results—Google ads get you to the top of search results and help you get more traffic to your website.

What Do I Need to Do to Get Started with Google Ads?

With MediaJel’s Google Ads service, getting started is easy. We do all the heavy lifting! The main thing you need is a goal you’d like to accomplish. For example, let’s say you’d like to drive more people to your online menu. We can create a landing page for your ads that helps drive people to that page and copy that compels them to click.

How Are Google Ads Created?

We research keywords to find ones that will not get flagged by Google and that will match user search intent so you can get high-quality impressions.

We then use a copywriter to create a compelling call-to-action. You’ll get to review the copy before it goes live.

How Are Google Ads managed?

Google Ads provides analytics that we monitor to ensure your ads are effective. We track how many times your ad appears (impressions) and how many clicks it receives (conversions). We look for patterns to determine if we need to make changes. For example, if your ad starts receiving fewer clicks, we’ll change things up to boost your conversions and drive more traffic to your site.

Who Determines the Goal of the Campaign?

We’ll discuss your goal together and find the one that best suits your business objectives. Our goal is always to help our customers make more sales. We’ll offer advice based on our experience, but we always work collaboratively.

How Long Does it Take to See Results from Using Google Ads?

Your ads will begin appearing as soon as they’re approved by Google, which means that in less than a week you can start seeing increased traffic to your website.

Is There a Recommended Minimum Ad Spend?

While the old adage, “you have to spend money to make money” remains true, we’ve updated it a bit. To get the most from your Google Ads campaign, you need to spend enough money to get analyzable results. Depending on how many stores you’re running campaigns for, this amount will vary. We’ll provide you an estimate of what we think will be the most effective for your company when we speak!

Who Sets the Ad Spend?

Ad spend should be determined by your goals, keywords, and budget. We allow clients to set their ad spend for the month, however, we can certainly offer recommendations based on our experience so you can truly maximize the effectiveness of your campaign.

Is There a Minimum or Maximum Time Limit for the Ads?

We work on a monthly basis, however, if you have special campaigns you’d like to run, for example, for a sale event, that you’d like to run for two weeks, we can certainly do that. There is no maximum time limit.

Will Google Ads Improve My Search Rankings?

While Google Ads won’t improve your organic search results, they will help put you above the fold. Because Google Ads are displayed before organic search results, they’re more prominent. To improve your search rankings and start showing up in the local pack, you’ll also need to focus on search engine optimization (SEO).

Do I Still Need to Do SEO if I Use Google Ads?

To create a robust strategy, we recommend using both SEO and Google Ads. While Google Ads will help create a short-term boost in website traffic during the lifespan of your ad campaigns, a well-implemented SEO strategy will generate high-quality organic traffic and boost your search rankings.

Why Do I Need My Campaigns to Be Managed and Optimized?

Creating ads and just letting them run can lead to sales. More often than not, though, it leads to wasted ad spend.
When we monitor and optimize client campaigns, we focus on making changes that will lead to better results. This means that you’re getting a better return on your investment. Over time, your campaign effectiveness will end up paying for your campaign management thanks to reduced waste.

Do I Need a Credit Card to Use Google Ads?

Yes, in order to enable your Google Ads campaign, we’ll need a credit card on file for your ad spend.

How Does Google Determine When I Should Be Charged?

When we set up your ad, we’ll input a maximum spend based on the budget you’ve allocated for Google Ads. Google will then run your ads, and each time someone clicks on your ad, you will be billed for the “cost per click” (CPC). The CPC is determined by how many people have bid on a particular keyword. In some industries, a business can expect to pay up to $11 for a single click. In our industry, because fewer dispensaries use Google Ads, the cost-per-click is much lower, which means it is relatively inexpensive to run these sorts of campaigns.

Can I Bid on My Competitor’s Keywords?

Yes! If you’ve done a search for a particular brand before, you may have noticed that other brands or sellers were showing up in the paid ads.

These companies choose to bid on competitor keywords to try to get some of their market share. This can be a useful strategy, especially if the competitor isn’t using Google Ads.

Have more questions? Check out our Google Ads webinar or contact us to learn more.