The Google Ad Grant is a hugely powerful tool for UK charities, offering up to $10,000 (around £7,400) in free advertising spend each month on Google Search. When managed effectively, this grant can significantly boost awareness, drive donations, and recruit volunteers. However, many charities fail to maximise this opportunity due to common management mistakes, which can lead to poor results and even account suspension.
To ensure your organisation is making the most of this invaluable resource, here are some of the most common Google Ad Grant management mistakes and how to avoid them.
1. Ignoring Google’s Strict Compliance Rules
Google has specific policies for its Ad Grants program, and failure to comply can result in your account being suspended. One of the most critical requirements is maintaining a 5% click-through rate (CTR) each month. If your CTR drops below this for two consecutive months, your account could be cancelled.
Other key compliance rules include:
- Account Structure: You must have at least two ad groups per campaign and a minimum of two ads per ad group.
- Keyword Quality: Keywords must have a quality score of 3 or higher. Single-word keywords are generally not allowed, with some exceptions for brand terms.
- Sitelink Ad Extensions: You need to have at least two sitelink ad extensions active in your account.
How to avoid this: Regularly monitor your account’s performance, paying close attention to your CTR. Stay informed about Google’s policies and ensure your campaigns are structured correctly.
2. Poor Keyword Selection and Strategy
Choosing the right keywords is fundamental to a successful Google Ad Grant campaign. A common mistake is using overly broad or generic keywords, which attract irrelevant traffic and make it difficult to achieve a high CTR. For example, bidding on a broad term like “charity” is unlikely to yield good results.
How to avoid this: Focus on long-tail keywords that are more specific to your charity’s mission and the services you provide. For instance, instead of “homelessness,” a more effective keyword would be “support for homeless people in London.” Use keyword research tools to identify relevant terms with decent search volume and less competition. Also, make use of negative keywords to prevent your ads from showing for irrelevant searches.
3. Neglecting Conversion Tracking
Without proper conversion tracking, it’s impossible to know if your ads are driving meaningful actions, such as donations, volunteer sign-ups, or newsletter subscriptions. Many charities make the mistake of not setting this up, meaning they can’t accurately measure the return on investment of their ad spend.
How to avoid this: Set up conversion tracking in both Google Ads and Google Analytics. This will allow you to see which keywords and ads are leading to valuable actions on your website, enabling you to make data-driven decisions to optimise your campaigns.
4. Sending Traffic to Irrelevant Landing Pages
The user’s journey doesn’t end when they click on your ad. The landing page they arrive on must be directly relevant to the ad they clicked. A mismatch between your ad copy and landing page content will lead to a poor user experience, a high bounce rate, and a lower Quality Score from Google.
How to avoid this: Ensure each of your ads links to a specific, relevant page on your website. The landing page should be user-friendly, load quickly, and have a clear call-to-action that encourages visitors to take the next step.
5. The “Set-It-and-Forget-It” Approach
A Google Ad Grant account is not something you can set up and then leave to run on its own. It requires ongoing management and optimisation to remain compliant and deliver the best results. You are required to log in to your account at least monthly to show that you are actively managing it.
How to avoid this: Dedicate regular time to managing your Google Ad Grant account. This should include reviewing your campaign performance, testing new ad copy, pausing underperforming keywords, and exploring new opportunities.
6. Incorrect Geo-Targeting
A frequent error is targeting all countries and territories, which is the default setting for new campaigns. This can lead to a lot of irrelevant traffic and wastes your ad spend on clicks from people who cannot support your charity.
How to avoid this: Be specific with your location targeting. If your charity only operates within the UK, then you should only be targeting users in the UK. You can even narrow your targeting to specific regions or cities if your services are localised.
Conclusion: Maximising Your Grant’s Potential
The Google Ad Grant is an incredible asset for UK charities, but it requires careful and strategic management to unlock its full potential. By avoiding these common mistakes, you can ensure your campaigns are compliant, effective, and driving meaningful results for your organisation. If you lack the time or expertise to manage your Google Ad Grant in-house, consider working with a specialist agency that can help you navigate the complexities and maximise your impact.
