Billboards and Google Ads: The Perfect Pair for Local Businesses

The Perfect Strategy for Modern Marketing

Digital advertising tools like Google Ads are increasingly popular, but traditional out-of-home (OOH) advertising—particularly billboards—remain a powerful and highly visible medium.

Many businesses don’t realize the incredible synergy between billboards and Google Ads. By combining these two strategies, local businesses can drive greater brand awareness, attract more customers, and maximize their return on investment (ROI).

This blog post explores how billboards and Google Ads work together, the benefits of using both platforms, and practical tips for implementing a cohesive campaign that drives results.

Why Billboards and Google Ads Make the Perfect Pair

At first glance, billboards and Google Ads might seem like two completely different forms of advertising. Billboards are physical, highly visible, and reach people as they travel through daily life. Google Ads, on the other hand, are digital, targeted, and highly measurable. However, when used together, they create a powerful synergy that can amplify your brand’s impact.

Here’s how they complement each other:

• Billboards Create Awareness: A billboard grabs attention and puts your brand top-of-mind for people in high-traffic areas.
• Google Ads Capture Intent: Once someone sees your billboard, they may search for your business or campaign keyword online. Google Ads lets you capture that intent and direct them to a specific offer or landing page.

By combining the offline exposure of billboards with the targeted precision of Google Ads, businesses can ensure they are reaching consumers at multiple stages of the buying process.

5 Benefits of Combining Billboards with Google Ads

1. Boost Brand Awareness and Search Traffic

Billboards are an excellent tool for building brand awareness, especially for local businesses. A strategically placed billboard ensures repeated exposure to your brand, making people more likely to recall your name or message.

Once potential customers are aware of your brand, the next natural step is for them to look you up online. This is where Google Ads come in. With search campaigns targeting your business name, services, or promotions, you can ensure your brand shows up when customers search for you.

Example:

A local HVAC company advertises “24/7 Emergency AC Repair” on billboards. Someone who sees the billboard during their commute may later search on Google for “emergency AC repair near me.” If the company has Google Ads targeting this search term, their ad appears at the top of the search results, turning brand awareness into actionable leads.

2. Increase Trust and Credibility

Consumers tend to trust businesses they see consistently across multiple platforms. A billboard provides a strong offline presence, while Google Ads reinforce your credibility online.

Why This Works:

• Seeing your business on a prominent billboard establishes legitimacy.
• Later, encountering your ad on Google Search or Display ads creates a sense of consistency, which builds trust.

When businesses combine offline and online strategies, customers perceive them as established, reliable, and omnipresent. This is especially effective for small businesses looking to compete with larger brands.

3. Reach Customers Across Multiple Touchpoints

Modern consumers interact with brands across multiple channels before making a purchase. A billboard may be the first interaction, but follow-up digital ads are essential for closing the loop.

Google Ads allow you to create multiple touchpoints, including:

• Search Ads: When someone searches for your brand, service, or location.
• Display Ads: Visual ads that show up on relevant websites, reinforcing your message.
• Retargeting Ads: Targeting users who have visited your website or interacted with your business online.

This multi-touch approach increases the likelihood of converting billboard viewers into paying customers.

Example:

A restaurant advertises its “New Weekend Brunch Menu” on a billboard. Later, Google Ads retarget website visitors with a display ad showing mouthwatering menu images, encouraging them to make reservations.

4. Bridge the Gap Between Online and Offline Advertising

Combining billboards and Google Ads helps businesses bridge the gap between offline and online advertising. Here’s how you can seamlessly connect the two:

• QR Codes on Billboards: Adding a QR code to your billboard allows viewers to visit your website or promotional landing page quickly.
• Custom Keywords or Hashtags: Use a unique keyword or hashtag on your billboard that customers can search for online.
• Landing Pages for Billboard Campaigns: Direct Google Ads traffic to specific landing pages designed for users who saw your billboard.

These techniques create a cohesive user experience and allow you to track how your billboard campaign is driving online behavior.

5. Measurable Results and Improved ROI

One of the challenges of traditional advertising is measuring its impact. However, by integrating Google Ads into your billboard strategy, you can track measurable results and improve your overall ROI.

How to Measure Success:

1. Track Direct Traffic: Use Google Analytics to see how much traffic your website receives after launching a billboard campaign.
2. Use Custom URLs: Create a custom landing page URL specific to the billboard campaign. Monitor the performance of that page.
3. Monitor Search Volume: Use tools like Google Trends or keyword tracking software to measure increases in searches for your brand name or services after the billboard goes live.
4. Measure Google Ads Performance: Look for increased clicks, conversions, and search impression share for branded keywords.

This data-driven approach allows businesses to evaluate the effectiveness of their billboard campaign while optimizing Google Ads for maximum performance.

Practical Steps to Combine Billboards and Google Ads

Ready to integrate billboards and Google Ads into your advertising strategy? Follow these steps:

1. Define Your Goals

Start with clear objectives for your campaign. Are you looking to:

• Build brand awareness?
• Drive traffic to a website or store?
• Generate leads or sales?

Align your billboard message and Google Ads strategy with these goals.

2. Design a Clear, Actionable Billboard

A successful billboard:

• Has a short, clear message.
• Uses bold visuals and fonts.
• Provides a simple call-to-action, such as a website URL, phone number, or keyword.

3. Optimize Google Ads for Search Intent

Target keywords relevant to your campaign. For example:

• Branded keywords: “Your Business Name”
• Local keywords: “Your Service + Near Me”
• Campaign-specific keywords: “Weekend Brunch Specials”

4. Use Retargeting Ads

Launch retargeting campaigns on Google Display Network to stay top-of-mind for those who have visited your website after seeing the billboard.

5. Monitor and Adjust

Track key performance metrics, such as website visits, leads, and conversions. Adjust Google Ads targeting and messaging based on the data to maximize campaign ROI.

Real-World Example: Small Business Success with Billboards and Google Ads

Scenario:
A local gym launches a billboard campaign promoting their “$1 Trial Membership” for new members.

• The Billboard: A clean design with the message: “Try Us for $1 – Learn More at FitZoneGym.com.”
• Google Ads:
  • Search Ads: Target keywords like “FitZone Gym,” “Local Gym Trial,” and “Gym Near Me.”
  • Display Ads: Retarget users who visit the website but don’t sign up.

The Result:

• A 30% increase in website traffic.
• A surge in branded search terms on Google.
• A significant boost in trial memberships and long-term signups.

The gym created a seamless customer journey that converted interest into action by combining a high-visibility billboard with targeted Google Ads.

Conclusion: Why Billboards and Google Ads Are a Winning Combo

Billboards and Google Ads are not competing strategies—they’re complementary tools that work together to drive results. Billboards create widespread awareness and visibility, while Google Ads capture intent and provide measurable outcomes.

For local businesses, this combination offers a powerful, cost-effective way to:

• Increase brand recognition.
• Drive website traffic and leads.
• Maximize ROI with a multi-channel approach.

You can create a seamless customer journey that transforms attention into real business growth by aligning your offline billboard campaigns with targeted Google Ads.