On the 20th of April 2020, Google announced extra information regarding eligibility criteria & Ad Credit details. This article was updated last on 21/04/20 below.
A few weeks ago Google announced that it was offering support to small and medium businesses by providing Google Ads credit to businesses who have been running ads since the 1st of January 2019.
Overview
Google announced it would be releasing US$340 million in Ad Credits which can be used at any point until the end of 2020 across any of the Google Ads platforms. This includes; shopping, display, YouTube, search, smart local, & mobile app installs.
Google has also created a fund that will support NGOs and financial institutions across the globe to provide small businesses with access to capital. Community financial institutions will also receive part of a US$20 million ad grant to provide public service announcements on relief funds to small businesses. This will help small businesses, not only receive access to capital but also help provide important information to businesses during the uncertainty.
How much will we receive?
There has been no indication of how much we will receive through the Google Ads credits. We will update this section when we have an understanding of how this is calculated. Currently, Google has advised that it is building the system, figuring out how much to give everyone is likely a huge component of this.
What do I need to do?
If you’re an existing client of Codefixer, you don’t need to do anything. We will take care of the Google Ads credits and let you know when you receive these on your Google Ads accounts. If you used to be a client and are not currently running Google Ads it may still be worth your while getting in touch with us. If you’re not a client and would like to speak to an expert, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
If you’re not a client of Codefixer (you should be, we’re awesome!), keep an eye on any notifications on your Google Ads account. It may also be worth visiting the “Preferences” setting on Google Ads and ensuring you receive email notifications for account alerts.
Who is eligible?
This scheme will be available to small and medium businesses who have advertised on Google Ads, either directly, or through a partner agency (such as Codefixer) with active accounts since the beginning of 2019. This scheme appears to be global (except the countries you can’t run Google Ads in). Accounts must have complied, entirely, with the Google Ads terms & conditions and accounts must be in good standing.
Accounts must have spent, with a Google Ads account, on 10 months out of 12 in 2019, and must have had ad spend in January or February of 2020.
What is Google Ad credit?
Google Ad credit works similar to store credit when you refund or return an item in a shop. It has monetary value, but can only be used on future Google Ads spend. This Ad Credit can not be removed from existing or previous bills/invoices. This will remain available to spend on the account up until the end of December 2020 and can be used across the Google Ads campaign types.
Can we receive more than 1 Ad Credit?
Each eligible Google Ads account will receive 1 Ad Credit. This means that each account will be credited once with a bulk sum to spend up until December 2020, rather than drip-feeding a monthly allowance. Google has announced that the Ad Credit amount will vary based on the previous account spend, location, and currency settings.
When we receive our Ad Credit?
At the end of May Google will begin to roll out the Ad Credit process in phases. Over the following months, accounts will be notified using account notifications that Ad Credit has been applied to their account. This Ad Credit will be applied once and is required to be spent by the end of December 2020.
Conclusion
Just like with everything right now, hold tight and wait for news! I’m excited to see that businesses such as Google are stepping forward to assist small and medium-sized businesses, just like Codefixer, and just like our clients. This is an incredibly difficult time for some of our clients, and as such, this could be a necessary life-line for our clients to continue generating business through Google Ads.
We will be in contact with our clients when we receive any further information about the Google Ads grant, we will also be in contact with clients that are no longer running Google Ads, training clients, and ex-clients to support them once restrictions on businesses have been relaxed. If you need help setting up, or managing your Google Ads account, please do not hesitate to reach out.
It is our absolute focus to bounce back from this stronger than ever. We are continuing to work around the clock to deliver results for clients and will continue to do so.
Follow along with Googles announcements on the Covid-19 SME relief.
The most recent email received from Google regarding the matter, dated 23/04/20 can be found below.
