Grow Your Gift: Three Ways to Optimize Your AdWords Campaigns Today

Last week in our Grow Your Gifts series, we discussed the growth of online giving and the peak months for donations. Now that we know what to expect and when to expect it, today we’re looking at ways to use Google products and tools to attract donors.

Google AdWords and Google Grants enable you to reach people on Google with relevant ads while they are searching for information. To get your campaigns and ads ready for the giving season, here are three quick changes you can make to your campaigns today:

1. New Keywords: By adding new keywords to your search campaigns, you can broaden your reach on Google. Create keywords to reach users who are looking to donate to your cause, not just to your organization. For example, a organization focused on nature conservation could add the keywords “environmental donations” and “donate to environmental charity.”


2. Social Extensions: Fifty-six percent of people are connected to a cause through a family member or close friend, according to Blackbaud’s Raising More Money Online Study. You can create that personal element in your Google campaigns by adding social extensions. Since social extensions show how many people +1’d your Google+ Page, website and ads, people who see your search ad can see how many recommendations you have. Learn how to add social extensions to your AdWords campaigns here.


3. Sitelinks: When individuals and advisors make giving decisions, they look for data that shows that the organization won’t waste their money, according to the Hope Consulting: Money for Good II Study. You can use sitelinks in your ads to help people more easily find sections of your site that demonstrate how donations are applied. To add sitelinks to your AdWords campaigns, follow these instructions.

Later this week, we’ll explore more ways to reach and engage donors. Until then, we’re excited to see your optimized ads on Google!

Posted by Katie Kellogg, Google for Nonprofits team