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Introduction to Google Ad Grants

Using (Free) Ads to Bring People to Your Website
2021 Peter Velikonja, Koios LLC







How Do People Arrive at Your Website?



One Month of Traffic

Example: Koios Website (100 Users)
Example: Tulsa Public Library
(servicepop=640K, yellow=7%)
Example: Oak Park (IL) Public Library
(servicepop=52K)
Example: Champaign (IL) Public Library
(servicepop=90K)
Example: EveryLibrary Institute
(national)


Google Ads (Paid)

Ads on Google look like [this].


Google Ads Auction (Paid)


Google Ads for Libraries

Libraries are a great fit for Google Ads


VoilĂ ! Google Ad Grants

Google offers free advertising for nonprofits


Applying



Note:
  • Paid goes first (secondary auction)
  • Takes some work to maintain
  • Staying in compliance with Google's requirements
  • Spending the full allocation each month is not a given; average spend across the program is 17%


Running Google Ads

Once you have your Ad Grant, you can create a new Google Ads account and start running ads. The Google Ads interface is a big, messy application, meant to give advertisers many options for how, when, and where, their ads will be displayed. It may help to remember it is designed for people who are paying real money for each click.

Ad Campaign Structure

  • Campaign
    • Adgroup
      • List of keywords
      • List of ads

Example: Library Card Campaign



Lessons From Koios



How to Use the Ad Grant

Examples:


How to Get Started

Apply for the Grant Yourself


Consider working with Koios