UPDATED FOR 2024: $1,500 GOOGLE ADS CREDIT NOW AVAILABLE

Google Ads is giving away money and for once, I don’t have to laugh when I utter those words.

Real talk – back in like, ehhhh 2015 when Google Ads – formerly, “Google Adwords” – was really getting ramped up and my digital advertising clients we’re PSYCHED! There seemed to be all of these fancy tools out there to way your wildest bidding strategy dreams come true.

I had a colleague mention that his client’s buddy said he could get him “like 200 bucks” in free ad spend from Google if he spent up to a certain dollar.

I laughed. There’s no way in h -e- double-hockey- sticks the GOOG is giving away money!

They’re busy swatting away fraudulent clicks and other privacy concerns of the early 2010’s. Mind you, this is circa 2017 when Google’s stock was as low as $950. As of May 2022 – it’s up to $2,200+. So take that for what you will.

My point is, Google was young, and so were we.

Google Ad Promotions were NEW

I’ll tell ya, for being in marketing – there are too many times I have been TRIGGERED by perfect marketing messaging. Brilliant promotional strategy sincerely rocks my socks. I watch the “FOOTBALL GAME” every February for the ads. You know who I am, I am that girl that’s #HereForTheSnacks!

But I truthfully didn’t see what they were doing. They were offering small promotions to BIG spenders – so they’d get the warm fuzzies and say;

BUT! They’re sneaky. These promotion dollars encourage you to spend your hard earned money on the potential of being visible on their search engine platform. So customers can find you online.

and then they hook you with the line that ‘automated bidding strategies are more likely to improve your performance due to machine learning’.

If you’re an experienced digital marketer, then you know that’s code for

“make it complicated so they won’t ask questions”.

AND THAT’S A HARD NO – IN MY BOOK.

If Google is handing you money, it’s because they expect to make at least double of it back. Remember – they’re running a business, first.

Automated Bidding Strategies Go As Far Back As 2015

Yes, I’m serious. The robots have been working against us for longer than we’ve known and our jobs are to just keep up with them. I’m literally sweating.

But, that’s why I love what I do – because it’s an everchanging challenge and if I don’t already know the answer – you bet your sweet ace that I’m going to figure it out!

Or at least I know someone who knows a guy.

That said – Google has been coming for my job ever since Google invented it. And quite frankly I’m over it. These automated bidding strategies trick business owners into believing that running a successful paid search strategy is as easy as 1,2,3. Well, Google says it is – so it must be!

These automated bidding strategies + smart campaign offerings frequently leave out the key factor in marketing — it must be unique to your business.

Just because someone has figured out how to make a competitor $100s of $1,000s or bajillions of dolloars – doesn’t mean it’s going to work for your company.

Because you’re different and your digital marketing strategy should be, too.

Avoid Giving Your Cash Back To Google Without an ROI

So, Google’s promotion says;

To help you get started with Google Ads, we’ll give you $500 in free ad credit when you spend $1,500.

• Terms and conditions for this offer: Offer available only while supplies last.
• Offer available only to advertisers which are new to Google Ads, with a billing address in the United States. One promotional code per advertiser.
• The promotional code must be applied to your first Google Ads account within 14 days of your first ad impression being served from such account.
• To earn the credit: After the promotional code is applied to your Google Ads account, your advertising campaigns must accrue costs of at least $1,500, (excluding any taxes or applicable fees), within 60 days. Making a payment of $1,500 is not sufficient. The tracking of advertising costs towards $1,500 begins after the promotional code is applied.
• Once 3 and 4 are completed, the credit will typically be applied within 5 days to the Billing Summary of your Google Ads account.
• The credit expires 60 days after it is applied to your account.
  Credit applies to future advertising costs only. Credit cannot be applied to costs accrued before the promotional code was entered in your Google Ads account.
• You won’t receive a notification once credit in your Google Ads account is used up and any additional advertising costs will be charged to your form of payment. If you don’t want to continue advertising, you can pause or delete your campaigns at any time.
• Your account must be successfully billed by Google Ads and remain in good standing in order to remain eligible to use the credit.

Full terms and conditions can be found here https://www.google.com/ads/coupons/terms/

TL;DR Google wants you to create a new Google Ads account so they can take more of your money.

Be strategic with your ad spend. Hire a Google Ads Expert, like me.