Are Google Ads Worth It for Small Businesses in 2025?

Have you ever looked up a product or service on Google and noticed an ad? That’s Google Ads in action!

Businesses around the world use Google Ads to reach their audience and generate billions every year. It’s a powerful tool that helps brands promote their products and services to the right people.

In simple terms, Google Ads allows small businesses to display their products or services to people searching for similar things online. It’s straightforward and effective.

In this post, we’ll give you a clear and easy guide on how Google Ads can work for small businesses in 2025.

How Do Google Ads Work for Small Businesses?

With the right strategy, Google Ads can work wonders for small businesses. By targeting the right keywords, audience, and locations, you can reach people actively searching for the services or products you offer.

Google Ads For Small Businesses

You’re in control

Set your ads to show when people are most likely looking for what you offer. For instance, running ads for Black Friday deals in January won’t make sense. Similarly, a locksmith promoting emergency services at 3 a.m. but not being available would waste money. And targeting the wrong audience, like advertising a "Men Only Strip Club" to women, wouldn’t be effective either.

With careful planning, Google Ads can take your small business to the next level!

Make Sure Your Landing Page Matches What Customers Are Looking For

People online have very short attention spans. If your ad takes them to the wrong page, they’ll leave your website immediately.

Your landing page also affects your Quality Score on Google Ads. For example, if you’re a roofing company bidding on “roofing materials” but send users to a page about “emergency roofing services,” they’ll likely leave because it’s not what they wanted. This not only wastes money but also gives a bad user experience.

Your landing page must clearly address what users are searching for.

Be Smart About Keywords and Budgets

Highly competitive keywords can get expensive fast, especially without proper management. Remember, a click doesn’t guarantee a sale or lead.

Even if you know your business well, you might not fully understand how potential customers search for your services. This is why deep keyword research is so important for small businesses using Google Ads. It ensures your ads show up for the right searches and attract the right audience.

Focus on Keywords with Buyer Intent

A keyword like "Mens Trainers" might get 1,000,000 searches a month, but something specific like "buy Nike Air Max size 13" with 150 searches shows much stronger intent to buy. It’s smarter to target these specific terms since they are more likely to lead to sales.

Use Negative Keywords to Avoid Wasting Money

During keyword research, you’ll also find keywords that you don’t want your ads to show up for. For example, if you only sell Nike trainers, you wouldn’t want to waste money on people searching for "Adidas trainers." Similarly, if you’re a removal company in London, it doesn’t make sense to show ads for searches related to Birmingham.

Regularly adding negative keywords helps keep your ads relevant and saves money over time—an essential step for small businesses running Google Ads.

Why Google Ads Matters for Small Businesses?

Google Ads generates over 95% of Google’s $60 billion annual revenue, showing how much businesses trust and invest in the platform. On average, businesses earn £2 for every £1 spent on Google Ads, making it a profitable choice across industries. Some companies even spend six figures monthly because it works for them.

Google Ads reaches about 80% of all internet users and accounts for 44% of online advertising revenue. Impressive, right? But these stats mean little for small businesses without a strong strategy in place.

Since its launch in 2000 as Adwords, Google Ads has been a game-changer in online marketing. It remains one of the most effective tools for reaching potential customers.

However, its success depends on tailoring the platform to fit your specific business needs. Mistakes in setting up your campaign can lead to wasted money, frustration, and mistrust in the platform.

Small Businesses who aren’t experienced in this particular digital channel should look to engage with a Google Ads Agency to help them run ads effectively, like us.