How Nonprofits Can Use Google Ad Grants to Drive Traffic

Are you struggling to attract visitors to your website? If so, you’re not alone. Even with a compelling website, many nonprofit organizations don’t get the traction they’re after. Google Ads can help.

By infusing Google Ads into your marketing strategy, you can encourage supporters to visit and engage with your site by increasing awareness of your mission and work. What’s more, the Google Ad Grants program offers eligible nonprofits up to $10,000 every month to promote their websites on Google Search.

If this is an approach you’re considering, this guide will walk you through how to craft a Google Ads strategy that fits into your overall marketing efforts.

Optimize your website for the Google Ad Grant

With the Google Ad Grant, you can amplify important pages on your nonprofit’s website like your donation form, fundraising campaigns, volunteer opportunities, and educational content. To make the most of the results, your site should be prepared to handle increased traffic and encourage visitors to take specific actions.

Google also has requirements for nonprofit websites that you’ll need to meet to get approved. Based on those requirements, focus on these key areas of your site:

• User experience: Speed up your site by compressing images, using browser caching, and enabling lazy loading. Also, get rid of broken links, which are links to pages that no longer exist.
• Accessibility: While Google’s website requirements don’t explicitly mention accessibility, make sure that people with impairments or who use screen readers can interact with your site. Consider accessible web design best practices, such as using sufficient color contrast, descriptive image alt text, and clear page structure.
• Mobile responsiveness: It’s likely that many of your supporters and beneficiaries browse the internet on their smartphones. Make sure your website has responsive design enabled so mobile users can interact with your content.
• Site security: During the application process, Google will check to ensure your website has a Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) certificate. This certification protects visitors’ data by securing your site with HTTPS encryption. 
• Clear navigation: Feature a clear navigation menu that highlights your most important pages. Strong calls to action (CTAs) can also guide visitors through your site. Clearly worded CTAs, such as “Donate now” or “Volunteer today” can help them quickly take next steps. 

Mission-related content: Include your employer identification number (EIN) in your site’s footer, publish a clear description of your work and values, feature updated events, and post unique content. This communicates your mission and shows your nonprofit is active.

The Google Ad Grant rules are designed to improve your website’s UX and drive conversions. By focusing on these elements and design best practices, you can ensure your website is optimized to help visitors get involved with your organization.

Follow SEO and Google Ad Grant best practices

A strong search presence encompasses both paid and organic results. By following SEO and Google Ad Grants best practices, your organization can take up more real estate on search results pages (SERPs) for mission-related keywords. For instance, here’s how a SERP is typically laid out:

With AI transforming the way SERPs are structured, prioritizing SEO is an important factor in ensuring Google can effectively crawl and understand your content. Using the Google Ad Grant effectively can help your nonprofit maintain top positions on SERPs regardless of these changes.

Getting Attention’s nonprofit SEO guide shares some tips to align your paid and organic strategies:

• Keywords: Consider what keywords your audience is likely searching for, paying extra attention to keywords related to your nonprofit that you don’t currently have content for. These are opportunities to create content that can capture new viewers.
• Remarketing tactics: Build remarketing lists for users who found your site through organic search but didn’t convert. Target them with ads that encourage them to return to your website and complete the desired action.
• Consistent messaging: Ensure your Google Ads have meta descriptions and page titles that align with each landing page’s content and keywords.
• Local SEO integration: Connect with local supporters by optimizing your Google My Business profile and targeting geographic-specific keywords. Pair this with location-based ad extensions to boost visibility in local search results.

Use the data you collect from Google Ads—such as high-performing keywords, user behavior, and conversion rates—to refine your SEO strategy. As part of the Google Ad Grant program, you’ll have access to tools like Google Keyword Planner and Analytics to monitor results. Conversely, insights from your organic search performance can help optimize your ad campaigns by identifying keywords and content that resonate with your audience.

Integrate the Google Ad Grant with other channels

A holistic nonprofit marketing plan extends beyond search presence. Think about how the Google Ads you create can help expand your digital footprint on other channels.

For instance, consider using social media to drive traffic to the same landing pages as your Google Ads. Posts on Facebook and Instagram that incorporate compelling visuals, stories from beneficiaries, and strong CTAs to the same link your Google Ads are promoting can help increase your reach and conversion potential.

The Google Ads you launch with your grant can also help you grow your email list by directing visitors to newsletter sign-up forms, downloadable resources, or other lead magnets. When someone visits your site, encourage them to subscribe to your email list to stay updated on your nonprofit’s work. This enables you to engage them through targeted email campaigns after they’ve clicked your ad.

As always, pay attention to your performance data. If a particular Google Ad performs well, repurpose its message for social media posts or email campaigns.

How to get started with Google Ad Grants

Most nonprofits with valid charity status and websites that meet all requirements will be eligible for the Google Ad Grant. Government entities, hospitals or healthcare organizations, and educational institutions are usually ineligible, with the exception of fundraising arms associated with healthcare and educational organizations.

If your nonprofit is eligible, follow the steps outlined in Nonprofits Source’s Google Grant application guide:

1. Create a Google for Nonprofits account.
2. Wait for verification from Percent, a Google technology partner.
3. Ensure your website meets the program requirements.
4. Fill out the Google Ad Grant application.
5. Accept the email invitation, set up your account, and create your first campaign.

The application process can take anywhere from a few weeks to months depending on various factors. For instance, during the verification process Percent may reach out for additional documentation to assess your nonprofit’s legitimacy.

Once approved, you can craft your first ad campaign. Conduct keyword research, choose optimized landing pages to promote, and write compelling ad copy. To maintain the grant, you’ll need to follow the program’s compliance rules, such as maintaining a 5% minimum click-through rate and reporting at least 1 conversion per month.

If you need help applying for the grant or maintaining your account, consider exploring resources available online, or connect with a professional agency that offers these services. We work with trusted partners like Whole Whale or Column & Row that help clients apply for and manage Google Ad Grants either directly with the client, or as part of a larger project. These experts know the ins and outs of the Google Ad Grant program and can guide you through your application and help you find success with your campaigns.

With thoughtful strategy and implementation, the Google Ad Grant can become a valuable asset in strengthening your nonprofit’s digital presence and advancing your mission. For more information on how build an impactful website for your nonprofit, connect with us today. 

This article includes tips from a consulting company that advises nonprofits.