Let’s work together
before we talk about power pages

Understanding the Google Grant.

The Google Grant presents a wonderful opportunity for nonprofits, regardless of their size. Nevertheless, it’s crucial to acknowledge the limitations that come with the grant. The key to achieving success lies in devising strategies that can effectively overcome these limitations. That’s where our expertise comes into play. We’re here to help you implement the right strategies. 🤓
bidding and market share

The two big limitations.

The Google Grant can be a valuable resource for nonprofits, but it is important to understand both its benefits and its limitations. While it offers great visibility, it is not always effective for fundraising, so it helps to have realistic expectations. With that in mind, let’s look at two common challenges nonprofits face with the Google Grant and why it may not be ideal for driving donations.

Limited bidding.

The grant has ✌️ two significant limitations. The first one we’ll explore is quite familiar: you cannot outbid a paid competitor. This implies that even if a paid account bids lower than you for the same keyword, they will still outrank you. Let’s take a look at what most paid competitors are doing.
A pink check mark icon.
Creating smart local campaigns.
A pink check mark icon.
Utilizing Performance Max campaigns.
A pink check mark icon.
Bidding on bottom of the funnel keywords.
Many nonprofits focus on volunteer and donation keywords; it’s worth mentioning that prominent organizations such as St. Jude and UNICEF are also competing for these terms. Due to their size, it’s safe to assume they’re not relying on the grant but instead opting for a paid account. This is why the Google Grant is not great for fundraising. 😔
Not all testing is created equal icon

10% search impression share.

Unfortunately, many nonprofits are not aware of this next limitation. Most Google Grant accounts have an average search impression share, or market share, of less than 10 percent 🤯. This means that if a keyword is searched 1,000 times in a month, your ad may only appear up to 10 percent of the time.

The impression share limit does not guarantee that your ads will appear the full 10 percent of the time. The 10 percent impression share is an upper limit, meaning that if you target keywords that are too competitive, your ads may not appear at all.
marketing funnel and quality score

Working around those limitations.

With a limited market share, can we make an effort to avoid competing directly with paid advertisers? Absolutely. Let’s dive into marketing funnels and quality score to see how this can work 👇

Marketing funnel.

Paid accounts use bottom of the funnel keywords. These keywords are designed to drive CTAs and are commonly used in revenue-generating campaigns. Below, you’ll find nonprofits’ most common strategies for bottom of the funnel.
A pink check mark icon.
Seeking new volunteers.
A pink check mark icon.
Donation or fundraising campaigns.
A pink check mark icon.
Generating new corporate sponsors.
The majority of paid accounts aren’t targeting top of the funnel keywords, which is a great opportunity for your Google Grant. By emphasizing an awareness strategy (top of funnel), you can steer clear of bidding against paid competitors. 😎
Not all testing is created equal icon

Quality score.

By now, we’ve understood the importance of using top of funnel keywords. So, you might wonder why your ad would be prioritized over another nonprofit’s if you’re both using the same keyword. The answer is actually quite simple. It all boils down to quality score.

A quality score is made up of:
A pink check mark icon.
Ad relevance.
A pink check mark icon.
Landing page experience.
A pink check mark icon.
Expected click-through rate (CTR).
With a high quality score, not only do you outperform other nonprofits, but you also reduce your cost per click (CPC) and you can maximize the full 10% search impression share, and even surpass it (at times).
short and long version power pages

Putting everything to work.

You’ve got a good grasp on the two main limitations (bidding and impression share), the importance of focusing on top of the funnel keywords, and how to make the most of your search impression share using quality score. We’ve combined all of this into one strategy: Power Pages.

Introducing Power Pages.

A Power Page is an optimized page on your site that has been improved so the Google crawler can read and understand it more easily, while also supporting ad performance and quality score.  🤖
A pink check mark icon.
Long lasting ad spend.
A pink check mark icon.
Improves organic (SEO) listings.
A pink check mark icon.
Helps achieve a high quality score.
A pink check mark icon.
Increases market share and lowers CPC.
Are Power Pages always blogs? Power Pages are not limited to blogs. They can also be regular pages on your website that have been optimized to perform better in both organic search and ad results.
Not all testing is created equal icon

Short and long versions.

Short: This version is used when there are limited keyword opportunities or when we want to improve an existing page on your website. Examples are shown below.
A pink check mark icon.
Example: Short version with limited keywords.
A pink check mark icon.
Example: Standard page on your website.
Long: This version typically delivers better performance, mainly because of the greater amount of content and keywords on the page. Examples are shown below.
A pink check mark icon.
Example: Text only long version.
A pink check mark icon.
Example: Long version with multiple CTAs.

FAQs.

A blue icon representing a question mark.

Can we use our grant for bottom of the funnel keywords?

Yes, of course! Ideally, all accounts should have a mixture of top and bottom of the funnel keywords. We’ll make sure your account focuses on both. 🤩
A blue icon representing a question mark.

Do we have to create new landing pages?

No, not at all! We can help you optimize the current pages on your website. To give you an idea, here’s an example of a page we recently optimized for one of our clients. 🫶
A blue icon representing a question mark.

Should Power Pages be included in the navbar?

It’s completely your choice. You have the freedom to decide whether your Power Page should be included in your navbar or not. If you prefer, it can be exclusively available to those who click on your Google Grant ads. 🙌
A blue icon representing a question mark.

Can a local nonprofit utilize the entire $10,000 monthly budget?

Absolutely, but local nonprofits would have to broaden their reach. Typically, this involves targeting a larger radius, which could be as wide as 200 miles from their location, or even targeting the entire state. 🎯 The specific keywords used will determine the extent of their target area. Local nonprofits can expect to spend around 10-50% of their monthly grant budget without expanding their geo targeting.
A blue icon representing a question mark.

Does Blue Tusk provide the content for the Power Pages?

We’ll find keywords with a high search volume and low competition for your pages. Additionally, we’ll provide an outline that includes the slug (URL), meta tags, and headers. Consider this outline as the framework for your Power Page. We can create the content itself, but that’s a separate fee. 👍
A blue icon representing a question mark.

What if we want to hire you after the review?

We’ll send you a custom proposal that aligns with your ad platform and budget. If you’d like to get the ball rolling right away, email us at hello@bluetuskdigital.com. 😃

Hey, there. 👋
I’m Michael Mentado.

Director of PPC @ Blue Tusk Digital

I’m Michael, but feel free to call me Mike. Along with our CEO, I keep a close eye on all our accounts and account managers. With over a decade of leadership experience and masterminding everything PPC, you can be confident that your account will be in the best hands. If you’re ready to learn how your account is performing get your free review from me today!

Get your free review
A photo of Michael Mentado.