bidding and market share
The two big limitations.
Undoubtedly, the Google Grant is a valuable asset for nonprofits, but it’s important to acknowledge its strengths and weaknesses. It’s worth mentioning that the Google Grant may not be the most effective means of fundraising, so it’s important not to be misled. Now, let’s explore the two significant weaknesses many struggle with and why it’s not ideal for fundraising.
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.
Creating smart local campaigns.
Utilizing Performance Max campaigns.
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. 😔
10% search impression share.
Unfortunately, most nonprofits are unaware of this next limitation: most accounts will have an average search impression share (market share) of less than 10%. 🤯 This means that if your keyword is searched 1,000 times a month, you’ll only appear up to 10% of the time. That same keyword might only be searched 100 times locally, and with the 10% cap applying at a local level, this is the reason why many local charities find it challenging to utilize the grant.
Although this limitation cannot be avoided, with the right strategy in place, you can focus on appearing the full 10% and, at times, even go higher than the capped market share for individual keywords.
Although this limitation cannot be avoided, with the right strategy in place, you can focus on appearing the full 10% and, at times, even go higher than the capped market share for individual keywords.
