Google Ads vs Google Ads Express: Why Google Ads Wins Every Time

So, you’ve been looking at different types of Google advertising and you are deciding between Google Ads and Google Ads Express. Let us help you with this: Google Ads vs Google Ads Express? Google Ads wins 10 times out of 10.    

Let’s look at what these two are and why the decision to pick Google Ads over Google Ads Express is an easy one. 

What is Google Ads? (Formerly Google AdWords)

When you search on Google, you receive a list of search results. Have you ever noticed that the top search results may have a green ad square in the top left corner? These are ads from Google, known as Google Ads.  

If your website doesn’t rank as well as others, Google Ads allows your website to be shown higher in search results based on the keywords you are targeting. The intent is that when users search for a keyword, results show your ad result near the top, and users will click your result first.  

Yes, this costs money, but it can be effective if you are starting out, haven’t broken through the top contenders in your industry, or would like more leads/customers. 

What is Google Ads Express?

Similar to Google Ads, this advertising platform that is often attractive to small businesses. It’s often used because of the ease of set up and hand-off ongoing management it offers. Set up your account in 15 minutes and Google does the rest of the work? Say no more! No website? Don’t worry – users can call you directly with one click on your ad. 

Essentially, Google Ads Express is marketed as an “easier” version of Google Ads that can be set up quickly. Although you don’t have to do the groundwork after the set-up, the quality of groundwork is where the issues lie. If it seems too good to be true – it probably is. 

What’s the Difference?

Sure, Google Ads and Google Ads Express seem similar, but the difference is the control over your monthly monitoring and optimization.  

If you aren’t familiar with Google’s advertising or don’t have the resources to manage Google Ads, Google Ads Express seems like a less overwhelming option. Who wouldn’t trust Google to manage their own branded ads? While it’s not like they’re scamming you, they aren’t offering the manual optimizations that truly get the best bang for your budget. 

Let’s look more closely in terms of the lack of control and management where Google Ads Express falls short.  

Why You Should Avoid Google Ads Express 

No ROI

There is no “conversion tracking” in Google Ads Express. Yes, your ads are still showing for brand awareness, which is important, but having tracking to show how many people have contacted you or completed an action on your website is huge. This proves what your return on investment is and can justify the cost of advertising on Google.  

Trust us, your financial controller will agree. 

Broad match keywords

This means your ads will show up on more keywords than needed. In turn, there are more opportunities for users to click on your ads and for Google to charge you.  

Kickpoint provides an excellent example for this: If Ads Express bids for edmonton catering companies, broad match keywords can end up showing to edmonton pig roast companies. Reason being, is they can generally be related in catering terms, but chances are this catering company would definitely not offer pig roasting. This leaves you with users searching for pig roast companies clicking on your ads and Google charging you, all for the user to realize you don’t offer that type of catering and leaving your website. 

No keyword choice 

Similar to broad match keywords, you cannot choose your keywords – Google does this for you. You can’t add any new keywords, you can only turn on/off any keywords that Google has chosen for you. This goes back to the note above about more opportunities for users to click on your ads which means more of your money in Google’s pocket.

No negative keywords 

This is a huge bonus when advertising on Google. This means you can remove any unwanted keywords associated with terms users may search for in relation to your industry.  

Not sure what keywords you would want to avoid for advertising? Here’s an easy one to avoid: FREE.  

Add-on extensions
 

Add-on extensions can be many things: call-outs, site links, structured snippets, locations, or options to directly text/call the company. These appear at the bottom of your add to all work together to make the search results appear more dynamic.  

This extension builds up your ads and add extra information that users may be looking for – which is a bonus you would be missing with Google Ads Express. 

Bidding Options
 

Do you have one keyword producing the best results, while your other keywords are simply helping to hit your daily budget with no conversions? Bidding adjustments allow you to allocate a larger percentage of budget to your keywords producing better results and less on the others.  

This means your ads with the better performing keywords will show more often and optimize your ad spend to utilize these to produce more conversions – and better results for you. 

Unfortunately, Google Ads Express is unable to change the bidding on different keywords, leaving all your keywords being shown an equal amount – for good or bad. 

How Do I Manage Google Ads?

Are you unsure of how to manage Google Ads?  

Google offers some great free resources including some video tutorials that can help you get started. 

Don’t have time to constantly manage Google Ads?  

We offer Google Ads set up and optimization and can manage your ad account with all the above-mentioned things that Google Ads offers. Get in touch with us and see how we can help!

Megan

Megan has been in the digital marketing space for the last 14 years. She has a extensive expertise in lead generation and ad technology, spending the last 7 years immersed in this field. She's worked in marketing roles as part of the Google for Entrepreneurship program, the Accelerator Center's JumpStart program, as well as the MaRS Youth Business Acceleration Program. This combined with her Public Relations Degree gives Megan an integrated approach to strategic marketing, lead generation and brand awareness.