Using Google Ads for Podcast (Is it Possible?)

Do you hear? The voice in the head is one of the greatest mysteries of the mind!

To think, this is probably the reason why podcasts can be so effective! They imitate that strange voice always in conversation with your soul.

You begin to relate with it, and the most relatable sentences strike a  chord.

It is also a rapidly growing type of online interaction. Listening to podcasts in transit is an amazing way to pass the distance. A lot of people even start their days with inspirational voice broadcasts.

They also serve as advertising platforms because of their specificity of the target audience.

Besides, a voiced ad may have a greater impact than merely written texts or even displays! So, how do you even promote your podcasts? Can you use Google Ads for this purpose?

Let’s find out!       

Do you need Google Ads for podcasts? 

Let’s be honest! Assess the purpose of using Google Ads for podcasts before you start with it. As it is, it is a highly specific niche.

Google only shows them up when you type in ‘podcasts’ within the search bar. Most of these results are organic, and podcast ads are actually rare.

You can see it yourself! For example, typing up ‘mental health podcast’ in Google did not turn up any paid results!

So, to be practical, there may not be a lot of potential in promoting podcasts with Google Ads. Nonetheless, things keep changing in the Google ecosystem.

Who can say that promoted podcasts on Google won’t be a thing in the recent future? It is well worth a try!     

Google promotes its own podcasts platform organically

There’s another thing that you must know. Google has its in-house podcasts platform. The relevant results from this platform get the spotlight when a user searches for podcasts. It is organic, and as you know already, paid ads are extremely rare.

The bottom line is, Google Ads may not be a great option for paid podcasts. That said, there are still some ways by which you can use the Google Ads platform for the purpose. Let’s explore how.   

Tips for making a good podcast before using Google Ads

Here’s a basic thing. Just making a podcast won’t be enough to cultivate your audience. You will have to be good at it to create a memorable impression.

Besides, Google is very particular to ensure that its ad platform maintains a clean reputation.

Its podcast policies are very strict. You cannot promote the following types of content.

• Deceptive practices
• Dangerous content
• Harassing content
• Manipulated media
• Hateful content
• Medical content
• Terrorist content
• Sexually explicit content
• Violence & gore
• Vulgar language and profanity  
  

In addition, follow the usual tips to make a legible voice recording. Use a good quality microphone and keep ambient noise to a minimum, if not nothing!

Speak in a clear, precise voice that focuses more on friendly conversations rather than reading out a thesis. Don’t garble, stutter, or repeat. It is better to prepare a charming podcast text in advance instead of making it impromptu.    

Using Google Ads for podcasts

Typing in ‘paid ads for the podcast’ on Google shows the ad of a podcast creation site. It also shows a paid blog post on how to make a good podcast.

Therefore, it seems that Google Ads wants to guide users on how to make good audios, but not to actual podcasts.

However, the presence of the paid blog can still be useful. You can write a great blog on your niche and embed your podcast there. Also, make sure the landing page is optimized for ‘podcasts.’

Once you have this blog ready, you can try promoting it on Google Ads. Done right, and it should be a good strategy to target your audience.

Advertising on podcast marketplaces

The world of podcasts is extremely condensed. Mostly, new broadcasters prefer to upload their content on podcast aggregators.

This is because dedicated listeners usually visit these sites to get their daily fix of vocal tonic. Most of these sites also have in-house display ads.

Moreover, you will have to have a paid account at these sites. In addition, you will have to allocate a budget for the ad itself. Therefore, it’s going to be somewhat of a pricey affair.

Furthermore, these sites can come under the ambit of Google marketplace rules for ads.

These rules vary from one site to another. In addition, a marketplace must have a Google Ads integration. Not all sites have this. Hence, even this option may not be a viable one to promote your podcasts. There must be a better way!      

Making your own podcast website before using Google Ads

Here’s the best piece of advice you can get. Promoting on Google Ads can be done best only when you have your own website to promote.

Therefore, it is better to invest in a full-fledged website or landing page to host your podcasts.

Make sure that it is a good website, doing well on the quality score for Google Ads. You can get inspiration from other successful websites for podcasts.   

The right way to use Google ads for podcasts

All things said, you may still want to try your luck with Google Ads for promoting your podcasts. However, at first, Google Ads can seem like a huge puzzle.

Ironically, the plethora of tools used to offer an easy user experience, in turn, makes it very complex.

Google makes use of this psychological block to promote its Smart Campaign mode. So much so, it is the default choice for new marketers. It seems very easy and lucrative, but it may not be the right option after all! It has some major drawbacks.

• No control over ad spend
• You have no control over ad display
• You cannot manage keywords
• Little to no access over key metrics

This is the reason why professional marketers prefer the expert mode of Google Ads. However, even if you are not an expert yet, you can still access it.

This mode allows you to set up manual parameters, sometimes even use Google ads without a campaign. 

Conclusion

Google Ads presents the best choice for online advertising. However, podcasts seem to be one of those rare niches which may not be a feasible option for Google Ads.

There are no restrictions per se, but research shows that the ad platform is not very big on podcasts. That said, you may still want to try out your luck. In that case, you can follow the tips mentioned above.

For any help with Google ads management, you can contact me through contact page and I would be happy to help you 🙂