Google Grants holds immense importance for all individuals involved in nonprofit organizations. Our journey with Google in conducting webinars spans 17 years. If you possess a 501(c)(3) status, Google Grants can provide your nonprofit with $10,000 in Google money every month.
Many of us are likely associated with nonprofits that are not optimized effectively. Often, these organizations are run by volunteers or individuals lacking technological expertise. To address this issue, we have developed a process that empowers nonprofits to succeed with Google Grants.
Through our webinars with Google, we have gained insights into the major challenges faced by nonprofits. Let’s walk through this process and tackle these challenges. A significant concern is that only 5 to 6% of nonprofits spend more than $1,000 of their $10,000 grant. This issue arises due to insufficient content, inability to meet the 3 quality score, and failure to achieve the minimum 5% Click-Through Rate (CTR). Although Google has increased the maximum bid from $1 CPC to $2 CPC, many nonprofits still struggle to make the most of their grant.
To overcome this, we recommend starting by creating one-minute videos featuring various individuals involved with the nonprofit, such as the Executive Director or the beneficiaries. These videos can then be transformed into blog posts, highlighting renowned celebrities who donate or sharing impactful success stories. For instance, our friend Mark Horvath sets a remarkable example with his homeless charity, invisiblepeople. He showcases specific individuals and their stories, each of which can be turned into a boosted post.
Boosting these posts requires finding associated keywords relevant to our search. Nonprofits often fail to spend their grant because they focus on narrow terms. By targeting broader terms, like “pet housing for battered women,” we can reach a larger audience and effectively utilize the grant.
It’s important to note that Google Grants exclusively revolves around search keywords, excluding display or YouTube ads. Even search partners are not included. Consequently, bidding on the charity’s name alone might only consume $20 out of the $10,000.
To expand the number of keywords we can target, we need more content rather than more keywords. This means that having a wider range of content allows nonprofits to bid on a broader set of keywords and maximize the grant. So, if you want to leverage your relationships with nonprofits to support causes you believe in, consider creating blog posts or one-minute videos expressing your admiration for these organizations. You can even use part of their Google Grants money to promote the blog post showcasing the collaboration with the nonprofit. This mutually beneficial strategy helps both you and the organization.
Now, let’s break down the ten-step process:
- Allocate up to $1,000 of the $10,000 grant to promote your blog post.
- Keep in mind that Google changed the rules, limiting geographical targeting unless it’s a national nonprofit. However, if you’re a local business collaborating with a local nonprofit, you can still leverage geo-targeting.
- Select relevant keywords to ensure a 5% CTR. Utilize the celebrity angle or associate your cause with well-known individuals, buildings, or organizations to attract enough traffic and meet the CTR requirement.
- Make the most of this free money from Google to assist nonprofits while benefiting yourself. We’re here to provide support and assistance.
Google Grants present significant opportunities for nonprofits to enhance their online presence and reach a wider audience. By understanding the rules, addressing common challenges, and implementing effective strategies, you can fully leverage Google Grants for the benefit of your nonprofit organization.
Understanding Google Grants and Common Challenges
Google Grants provides eligible 501(c)(3) nonprofits with $10,000 in Google money each month. However, nonprofits often face difficulties optimizing their campaigns due to limited resources and technical expertise. By identifying the common challenges encountered by nonprofits, we can develop strategies to overcome them.
Creating Compelling Content to Meet Requirements
To meet the 5% Click-Through Rate (CTR) requirement, it’s crucial to direct the grant towards the nonprofit or a dedicated page on their website. This page should feature engaging content that clearly communicates your intentions and showcases the organization’s work. One effective approach is to collect one-minute videos from stakeholders and convert them into YouTube-friendly videos that can be embedded on your site. This strategy not only enhances your search engine optimization (SEO) efforts but also increases brand exposure.
Optimizing Keyword Choices and Protecting Brand Terms
Due to recent rule changes, nonprofits must strategically select their keywords to maximize the grant’s effectiveness. Protecting your brand terms becomes crucial, and considering it as a form of brand term buying can be beneficial. By bidding on associated keywords and leveraging well-known individuals or celebrities associated with your cause, you can increase traffic and achieve higher CTR.
Expanding Content and Bidding on Relevant Keywords
Expanding your keyword choices requires creating more content rather than simply targeting a broader range of keywords. Collecting one-minute videos and stories from customers allows you to demonstrate the impact your nonprofit has on the local community. Transcribing and transforming these videos into articles and YouTube-friendly content enables you to bid on the names of individuals associated with your foundation, leveraging their credibility to drive traffic and engagement.
The Importance of Abundant Content and Nonprofit Initiatives
Abundant content, including videos, blog posts, and embedded YouTube videos, plays a pivotal role in driving successful Google Grants campaigns. Content enables you to bid on related keywords, branded terms, and the names of individuals associated with your foundation. Prioritizing content creation is essential, as it directly impacts the success of your campaigns and expands your nonprofit efforts. By utilizing the grant to support various topic-related initiatives, such as events, sponsorships, and grants promoting healthy lifestyles and mental well-being, you can further amplify your impact.
To excel in your Google Grants campaign, a well-thought-out strategy combined with compelling content creation is essential. By understanding the rules, optimizing your keyword choices, and leveraging abundant content, you can effectively utilize the grant while promoting goodwill and marketing your nonprofit foundation’s brand. Remember, content is the key to success in driving impactful campaigns and expanding your nonprofit’s reach. With Google Grants as a valuable resource, you have the opportunity to make a significant impact and drive positive change.
About the Author
Dennis Yu
Dennis Yu is co-author of the #1 best-selling book on Amazon in social media, The Definitive Guide to TikTok Ads. He has spent a billion dollars on Facebook ads across his agencies and agencies he advises. Mr. Yu is the "million jobs" guy-- on a mission to create one million jobs via hands-on social media training, partnering with universities and professional organizations.You can find him quoted in major publications and on television such as CNN, the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, NPR, and LA Times. Clients have included Nike, Red Bull, the Golden State Warriors, Ashley Furniture, Quiznos-- down to local service businesses like real estate agents and dentists. He's spoken at over 750 conferences in 20 countries, having flown over 6 million miles in the last 30 years to train up young adults and business owners. He speaks for free as long as the organization believes in the job-creation mission and covers business class travel.You can find him hiking tall mountains, eating chicken wings, and taking Kaqun oxygen baths-- likely in a city near you.