How Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Impacts Google Ad Grants
Nonprofits face the unique challenge of leveraging scarce resources to stand out amongst the countless websites, companies, and organizations crowding the Internet—fierce competition to reach potential supporters and promote their causes. But you’re not trying to reach everyone online, just the right people. One way to increase your organization's online visibility is strategically integrating Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Google Ad Grants. This powerful combination can significantly impact your digital presence, helping you rise to the top of search results and get in front of the right people (e.g., potential supporters and donors).
SEO is the first step towards establishing a strong online presence. It's the foundation of your digital strategy. By incorporating relevant keywords into your content, you can increase your chances of being discovered by potential supporters. This goes beyond just having a website, but rather having a website that is easy to find and navigate for those looking for your cause.
Your website's page titles and meta descriptions (the short description block you often see below a page title when you Google something) are like your first impression to your audience. The two work together to describe to both the search engine and the person searching what that page is all about. By carefully crafting your titles and meta descriptions—and including your main keywords—you can improve your SEO rankings and attract more clicks. It's like setting up signposts that lead directly to your door.
In addition, the structure of your website is important. User-friendly URLs (clear, concise, easy-to-follow structure) and a well-planned internal linking strategy make for a better user experience and guide your audience through a journey that may lead to meaningful actions, such as donations or signing up for newsletters. For example, you write a blog post detailing your organization’s work as part of one particular program. In that blog post, you’ll reference the program (e.g., “our Free Kibble for Good Dogs program”) and link the entire phrase. This makes it clear to the reader that your blog post is about that program and that if they click that link, they’ll be taken to the program page. Simultaneously, it describes the same thing to a search engine—the linked text describes the link.
Here are a few things you can do to improve your website's search engine rankings:
Conduct thorough keyword research and use those keywords throughout your website's content, including titles, meta descriptions, and pages. Think about the words your audience would search for on Google, Bing, DuckDuckGo, etc., and use those words to describe your work and on your content pages. Zapier put together a handy list of the best free keyword research tools.
Ensure your website is mobile-friendly and responsive, as Google now favors mobile-optimized sites for higher search rankings. This probably isn’t shocking, though. We’re an increasingly mobile-first society; for many people, their smartphone is their main computing device. So make sure your website is accessible and useful on smartphone screens if you want to elevate your content on search.
Create high-quality content that resonates with your audience and encourages them to engage with your cause. This is why we’re huge proponents of nonprofits utilizing blogs. You don’t have to be the NY Times. You just have to use it to provide periodic updates or information about your work. A blog is an excellent resource for writing articles about why your work is important, how donor support is making a difference, and sharing other informational and educational information. Remember that you’re an expert in your work, but your supporters likely aren’t, so use high-quality content across your website to help bridge that knowledge gap.
Optimize your website's page load speed by compressing images, minimizing code, and leveraging browser caching. Some of this is technical; you’ll need to talk with a webmaster. But other components are pretty easy—like resizing photos. You can create a simple automation on your Mac or iOS device or use free online tools to resize your images so they look good on your website but aren’t big enough to render on a billboard.
Implement HTTPS to protect your visitors and build trust with your audience while boosting your SEO rankings. Yeah, this is technical, too, but SUPER easy. Many web hosting companies provide this (the lock you see in your address bar or any site that starts with ‘https’), or you can check out Let’s Encrypt. This is also a requirement for your Google Ad Grant, so if you’re applying to the program, take care of this ASAP, and if you’re already using your grant, you’re probably OK.
Use internal linking to guide visitors to relevant content within your site, improving SEO and keeping visitors engaged for longer. As mentioned above, reference other pages and content you publish so readers and site visitors can move around your site and get the full picture of your organization and your work.
Once you have established a strong foundation for your website and SEO, your Google Ad Grants campaign is poised for greater success. Google Ad Grants is a powerful tool that amplifies your message and propels it to the forefront of Google's search results. While SEO doesn't directly change the rules or mechanics of the Ad Grant program, it does impact the overall quality and relevance of your website, which can indirectly help your ads perform better.
The critical role of SEO comes into play when people interact with your ad. Their engagement signals Google that your content is relevant and valuable, which enhances the likelihood of your ad appearing in similar future searches. This feedback loop between user engagement and ad visibility underscores the importance of integrating SEO practices to optimize the effectiveness of your Google Ad Grants campaign.
Your landing pages should deliver on the promises you make in your ads. This is crucial because aligning your landing page content with the keywords and messages from your ads ensures that your audience finds what they were promised. A strong SEO foundation for your landing pages can help capture attention and convert interest into action. It is important to link landing pages to ads that are closely related to the ad's message and keywords. This coherence is essential for improving conversions by delivering on the promises made in your ads.
For example, the Coral Reef Alliance wrote a blog post about the effects of sunscreen on coral reefs. This post is informative and relevant to anyone searching for sunscreen or coral reef conservation information, so it made for excellent Google Search ads. Once someone landed on the page, they were greeted with the information they searched for, likely learned something new, and were introduced to the Coral Reef Alliance at the same time.
When it comes to maintaining your SEO and Google Ads, regularly adjusting your keyword strategy, refining your ad copy, and optimizing your landing pages based on analytics are essential practices. It's important to keep an ongoing conversation with your audience where you listen to their needs through analytics and speak to them through content and ads.
To fully understand how SEO improvements can impact your Google Ads, it's crucial to closely monitor your data. Google Analytics and your Google Ads dashboard can provide valuable insights into metrics such as click-through rates, time on site, and conversions. As your website's SEO improves, you should see positive trends in these areas, which can also improve your Ad Grant performance.
SEO and Google Ads are two powerful engines that work together to improve your online visibility. Strategizing your keyword targeting across ads and organic content can amplify your online presence, while optimizing your landing pages can ensure a seamless experience for users who click through from your ads, increasing the chance of conversion.
For nonprofit organizations, the intersection of SEO and Google Ad Grants provides an excellent opportunity to enhance your digital presence. Incorporating SEO best practices into your Google Ad Grants strategy can improve your visibility and create a more engaging and impactful online presence. This dual approach can attract more supporters and drive meaningful action towards your mission.
