Google recently announced its plan to provide $340 million of free Google Ad credits to small and medium-sized businesses. The ad credit scheme is Google’s way of supporting these businesses in light of the current COVID-19 crisis.
But what does it involve, which businesses are eligible, and how can you claim your free ad credit? Read on to find out the details of how this scheme could benefit you and your local business.
Which businesses are eligible?
The scheme is open to small and medium-sized across the globe, but there are some restrictions and requirements. To be eligible, you must meet ALL of the criteria below:
Have had active Google Ads campaigns that you spent money on in 10 out of the 12 months in 2019.
Have spent some money on Google Ads in January or February 2020.
Have advertised directly with Google Ads or through a partner.
Have adhered to Google’s advertising policies.
If your Google Ads account is too new to meet the spending criteria, unfortunately, you will not qualify for the scheme.
How do I apply?
Google is applying the ad credits to all accounts that meet the criteria. This means there’s no need to apply. If your business is eligible, your Google Ads account will be automatically credited, and you will be notified when this has happened.
How much will I get?
The amount will vary. Every eligible business will get one credit applied to their account, but the value of that credit will vary based on your country, currency, and your historic ad spend. In theory, the more you usually spend with Google Ads, the higher the value of your credit will be.
If you work with a Google Partner agency with a manager-level account, any credit you are eligible for will still go to your account, and not the manager-level agency account.
How can I use my Google Ads credit?
The credit can be used across multiple campaigns and includes all campaign types, including Search, Display, and YouTube ads.
If you need some ideas for making the most of your free ad credit, see our previous post on how to get the most out of pay-per-click ads for your local business.
If you are a LeadSpruce client, we will use these credits as part of our account management and campaign optimization.
When will I receive my credit?
Some businesses will see the ad credits in their account in late May, with other businesses being credited over the following months. So far, there is no information from Google on what order they will begin rolling out the credits, so it’s difficult to pinpoint exactly when each eligible business will receive them.
You can only use your credit for future spend, so you can’t use it to pay any of the balances for ads that ran before you received the credit.
When does my Google Ads credit expire?
The credits will expire on 31st December 2020, regardless of when they were received. So if you have not used your credit, or have only used part of it by the end of 2020, it will expire. Any unused amount of credit will be removed from your ad account after this date.
At a time when many businesses are struggling, and more ad more people are staying home and using the internet in larger numbers than ever before, this could be just the lifeline some businesses need.