This is a sponsored post written by BrightLocal. The opinions expressed in this article are the sponsor’s own.
In a recent survey of over 300 online marketers and business owners, BrightLocal discovered the truth about AdWords Express performance and how it compares to standard AdWords—specifically, whether it drives positive ROI for local businesses.
If you’re unfamiliar with AdWords Express (AWE), it’s worth checking out an in-depth guide to the service.
The survey results are clear: AWE doesn’t provide the same value as standard AdWords and fails to meet its objective of helping local businesses attract new customers.
The core reason for this failure lies in the service’s simplicity, perhaps to an excessive extent.
Let’s delve into the key findings of the survey and analyze the main issues.
57% of Marketers Say AdWords Express is Not Effective at Driving Traffic
78% of Marketers Say AdWords Express Delivers Low ROI
88% of Marketers Say AdWords is More Effective than AdWords Express
Analysis
It’s apparent that marketers are not satisfied with the results they achieve from AWE. Both services use similar text-based ads and ad placements in Google and Google Maps. So why does AdWords outperform AWE?
When AWE was created, Google removed many features that business owners found confusing, aiming to make AdWords more accessible to small and medium businesses (SMBs). This resulted in a service that made it quick and easy to start advertising on Google. Great, right?
Actually, no. The simplified nature of AWE stripped away almost all the tools that marketers use to optimize ad campaigns for ROI-positive traffic. SMBs are thus left with an understandable service that doesn’t deliver the cost-effective leads their businesses depend on.
More Data, Pros & Cons, & Best Practice Guide
AdWords clearly outperforms AdWords Express.
However, 8% of marketers believe AdWords Express outperforms AdWords, indicating there is still some merit to the service.
For the full survey findings, detailed pros and cons, and a best practice guide to using AdWords Express, refer to the original study on BrightLocal.
Image Credits
Featured Image: Image provided by BrightLocal. Used with permission.
In-post Photo #1: Image provided by BrightLocal. Used with permission.
In-post Photo #2: Image provided by BrightLocal. Used with permission.
In-post Photo #3: Image provided by BrightLocal. Used with permission.
