How to Use Google Advertising for Your Transport Business

South Africa is home to a number of medium sized Transport and Logistics companies that move a wide variety of goods across the country and the African continent.

If you are the owner of one of these businesses struggling to get business, consider using Google advertising.

Why?

• There are 31.18 million active internet users in South Africa (Statista, 2019)
• It connects you with the right people at the right time with the right message.
• It allows you to set your daily budget and you only pay for results.
• You are able to monitor and measure the results of the campaign on a daily basis and you can see what is not working and amend it.
• Google has mastered machine learning. It learns algorithms from the past instances of data through statistical analysis and pattern matching. Google’s search engine algorithms continue to evolve and improve, so that they produce the most relevant search results and ads possible.

Google offers five different ways to advertise on its platform, but for a transport and logistics business, a Google Search and Display campaign is recommended.

Google search uses keywords to position your ads alongside what people are searching for. The keywords need to be selected carefully to ensure the right person sees your ad. A search ad is made up of a HEADLINE, DESCRIPTION and connection to a relevant LANDING PAGE (URL).

Google recommends creating different ad groups for each service offered eg “Cross Border Transport” and “Local Transport”. Each ad group should have 3 to 5 different ads with a link through to a dedicated landing page on the website. www.vanito.co.za/border-transport/ and www.vanito.co.za/local-transport/

Display advertising is defined by banner ads that appear in specifically designated areas of a website. Display ads can help you promote your business when people are browsing online, watching YouTube videos, checking Gmail, or using mobile devices and apps. As with the search campaign the market you are targeting is located using keywords.

The banner ads come in different shapes and sizes and incorporate images and text. Google uses the content given (Headline, Description, image, URL) to create responsive banner ads that appear in specifically designated areas of websites. A responsive banner ad is one that can change shape and size to accommodate the different devices used (Desktop, mobile, ipad). Instead of images, Video or Animation can be used in the banners. Video is popular as it’s easy to digest, entertaining and engaging.

Google Ads can work for almost any advertising budget. Set a monthly budget cap, and never go over it. Only pay for results, like clicks to your website.

It is also possible to monitor the performance of the campaign and to make necessary changes if it is not performing.

Use Google advertising to advance your transport business by increasing website visits, initiating leads and driving sales.