Do Google Ads Really Work for Small Businesses?

Imagine a tool that could identify all the people who want to buy what you have to sell, right now. Wow, right? Wouldn’t that be absolutely amazing?

Brace yourself: that tool exists, and you’ve probably even heard of it.

All day long, every single day, all over the world, billions of people pull up the Google search bar and ask for help finding something they want… right now. Using AI to ask more questions, making it even more imperative that your keywords align with customers’ intent to convert.

99,000 searches per second.

5.9 million searches per minute.

355 million searches per hour… and over 8.5 billion searches per day.

No matter what your business does, I guarantee you that some of those searches are for a product or service or knowledge that you provide.

“Ah, aren’t you clever, Rachel”! you say. But it’s not so easy, is it? I’m competing with nearly 2 billion other websites in the world. Out of all of the potential products and services available on the web, how can I make sure Google serves up mine?

Well, I’m glad you asked!

One Way: Organic Search

We turn to Google because they consistently provide relevant answers to our searches. Their massive data operations analyze (or “crawl”) the web and use a complicated algorithm (math!) to sort and rank all the results, and they do this very, very well.

We know some things about this algorithm—mostly what Google shares with us—but no one outside of Google has the “teacher’s edition” with all the answers to why one site ranks higher than another.

Google continues to roll out regular updates; some small, some game-changing. In the last two years they’ve released several core updates, including a significant shift toward helpful content, more focus on AI-generated and reviewed material, and changes to how site reputation affects rankings. Even for people who eat, drink, and breathe this stuff (like me!), the algorithm’s ways can still be both mysterious and mercurial.

If you want to dominate Google’s organic results, you’ll need to either invest a good portion of your own time learning SEO and keeping up with constant changes, or outsource it to an SEO expert. This can help improve your rankings, traffic, and conversions—but even that may not be enough to guarantee top-of-page-one visibility due to AI overviews, shopping ads, and other items that can push even the top organic result way down the page.

And here’s why.

The Guaranteed Way: Paid Search

Google is a business, and like any business, it needs to remain profitable. When Google identifies a search as having “commercial intent,” it will display ads at the top of the results page, often pushing organic results below the fold.

What is commercial intent? It’s the difference between searching for “how to start yoga” (informational) and “buy yoga mat near me” (transactional). Google is terrifyingly good at recognizing the difference, and places ads accordingly.

Add to that the increased use of Local Services Ads (especially in industries like home services, law, and healthcare), product listing ads, and AI-powered Shopping suggestions, and it’s possible for the first screen of search results to be entirely ads and local listings.

Paid Search Results Surpass Local and Organic Results

If you want to appear at the top of a high-intent search, you’ll likely need to engage in Google Ads (previously Google AdWords).

Whenever someone enters a search with commercial value, the results are split into paid ads, local/map pack results, and then organic results, often in that order.

I’ve spoken with many business owners over the years who tell me they don’t believe in the power of Google Ads because: “I never click on those ads.”

Maybe you feel the same.

Well, Google made $65.5 billion from ad clicks in Q1 of 2025 alone, and that number has grown steadily every year.

According to recent data from WordStream, around 70% of all clicks for commercial-intent searches now go to paid results. So even if you’re not clicking those ads, your customers probably are.

Are You Saying I Have to Pay for My Clicks?

Probably.

Do me a quick favor: pull up Google and type in any search phrase that relates to your business. Now, scan the first page of results. (Don’t worry, I’ll be right here when you get back.)

Did you get lots of organic results but no paid ads? Great! Either your niche is underserved, or the search terms you’re targeting don’t show commercial intent.

If so, you may be able to focus more on organic SEO and get meaningful traffic without spending ad dollars.

But if you saw ads plastered across the top of the results page, you’ll need to budget for PPC if you want to rank there, and make sure your sales funnel is set up to support it.

Okay, You’ve Convinced Me. How Can I Use Paid Search to Connect With Potential Customers?

Google Ads is built to be user-friendly, anyone can run ads. But that’s a little like saying anyone can enter the Boston Marathon. It doesn’t mean the results will be the same.

You’ve got three options:

Go it alone. Plenty of YouTube videos, online courses, and Google’s own Skillshop certification can teach you how to start running ads.
Hire an expert or agency. A good one should be able to get you a positive ROI within a few months, and save you money on costly mistakes.
Go hybrid. Get help setting up or optimizing your campaigns, and then manage them yourself with some coaching or oversight.

Here Are a Few Critical Tips to Make the Most of Your PPC:

Choose keywords carefully and budget wisely

Some keywords now cost $100+ per click in industries like law, finance, or insurance. Don’t get discouraged, niche and localized keywords are your friends.

Can’t afford “Maine destination wedding”? Try “Maine beach wedding” or “York coast elopement packages.”

Do your keyword research

Use tools like Google Keyword Planner, Ahrefs, SEMRush, or Ubersuggest to find the right balance of search volume, intent, and cost.

Use negative keywords

Don’t want to pay for clicks that aren’t relevant? Add negative keywords. For example, a bakery not offering gluten-free items should add “gluten free” to its negative keyword list. It can also be a good practice to add the w’s (who, what, where, when, and why)

Time it right

Use ad scheduling to show ads when your ideal customer is searching. B2B services may convert better during 9–5 hours. Restaurants? Thursday–Saturday evenings might be prime time.

Watch for “pogo-sticking”

If users click your ad and immediately bounce back to the search results, that’s a bad sign and can mean that your site is loading too slowly, or that your landing page content doesn’t align with what your users are searching for. This affects your Quality Score, which can drive up your ad costs and lower your rankings.

What is a Google Ads Quality Score?

Think of it as your ad’s “credit score.” Google uses it to determine how relevant and helpful your ads are. Higher scores = lower costs and better placements.

Google evaluates:

Click-through rate (CTR)
Ad relevance
Landing page experience
Keyword to ad match
Historical performance

According to WordStream, CTR is the #1 factor. If your ads get clicked more often than others, Google rewards you with lower costs per click (CPC).

Use Ad Assets (formerly ad extensions)

Extensions make your ad bigger and give users more ways to click. Some common ones in 2025:

Sitelink assets – extra links to pages on your site.
Call assets – click to call directly from your ad.
Location extensions – for brick and mortar locations.
Image extensions – yes, images!
Promo/price extensions – self explanatory.

These take up more space in the results and can improve click-through rates.

Landing Pages Matter (A LOT)

Sending users to your homepage instead of a targeted product or service page? That’s a wasted click.You want your landing page to be as focused as possible to keep users there so they will perform your desired action (purchase, form fill, etc.).

Make sure the page you link to:

Matches your ad copy
Focuses on one clear call to action
Reflects the search intent
Loads quickly and looks great on mobile
This directly impacts your Quality Score and conversion rate.

Don’t Be Afraid to Ask for Help

Google Ads is accessible, but competitive. We use industry-leading tools and data to optimize every campaign. If you don’t have the time or budget to do all the heavy lifting (strategy, setup, A/B testing, tracking, refining), we’re here to help.

Whether you love or hate that Google prioritizes paid ads, the reality is clear:

Businesses have always paid for visibility, and in 2025 that visibility starts with search. Paid ads, when executed properly, are one of the most measurable, flexible, and scalable ways to drive new business. You can test, pause, and scale your campaigns—something you can’t easily do with organic SEO alone.

Looking for some additional guidance before getting started? Here are a few resources:

Not sure where to start—or just want to get it right the first time? Let’s talk. We’ll help you set up, optimize, and take off with a campaign that actually converts. Let’s set up a time to chat!

Rachel Burgard

Rachel was born and raised in southern NH, and became an official Mainer in 2016. With an academic background in psychology, she brings to flyte a passion for people and a fascination with what motivates them. This, combined with her artistic skillset, made the decision to pursue a career in marketing a no-brainer.

With a big sense of humor and sentimental nature, she becomes the “morale booster” of whatever group she’s in.

Outside flyte Rachel can usually be found doodling in her sketchbook, doing spot-on impressions (if she does say so herself), or binging the latest Netflix competition show.