I know what you're thinking: you've been spending months on Google ads for your Marbella business and, apart from the odd click, no sign of new customers. You wonder if this is just throwing money away or if you are doing something wrong. The truth is that it happens a lot, but most of the time the problem is not with Google, but with how you set up your campaigns and what you expect from them. I'm not going to sell you miracles, but I can give you a clear picture so you can change what's not working and improve your results without spending too much money.
Target your customer in Marbella: segmentation is not just about geography.
The most common mistake is to think that if you put "Marbella" in the advertisement area you are all set. No. If you have a restaurant in the centre of Marbella, advertising to the whole of the Costa del Sol is a budget burner. But this is not enough either. What we see a lot is that interests, time slots or devices are not well targeted. For example, for an aesthetic clinic in Puerto Banus, it makes no sense to advertise to those who are not looking for aesthetics or to place ads in the middle of the night.
An ideal customer can be defined by neighbourhood, age, behaviour or even devices. In Marbella, if you sell dinner, target adults looking for restaurants after 19:00. If you have a surf shop on the coast, take advantage of weekends and the young mobile audience. Tune that up and you'll see worthwhile clicks start to come in.
The ad itself: more than just pretty text, it must connect to the real issue.
The text of your ad is what defines who clicks and who passes. A "Come to our restaurant" or "Professional dental services" is no good. The problem is that this copy is generic and does not speak to the Marbella customer as a person. What works is a direct message that highlights the unique value you offer. For example, a mechanic workshop in San Pedro can put "Pre-summer check-up guaranteed in 1 hour, no appointment needed - Taller San Pedro". You see, it's concrete, useful and builds trust.
It also fails to include clear and measurable calls to action. Don't just say "Call me" or "Just visit us", say "Book your appointment online now and save 10%" or "Fast service, no waiting". This clarity makes you stand out from the local competition.
Landing page and result: where do customers go after clicking?
Another thing I want to make clear: having the best advert and perfect targeting is useless if the click leads to a slow, confusing or unclear website. In Marbella the competition is high and customers are unforgiving of wasting time looking for what you want to sell them. A restaurant advertising its menu should point to an up-to-date menu with easy booking. A shop should display prices, opening hours and contact details without the customer having to go mad.
In addition, many businesses misplace the call to action or put in very long forms. The ideal is to have short forms or, even better, a phone number that someone answers quickly. According to studies, 70% of users abandon if the website takes more than 3 seconds to load. So watch out for that. The investment in Google Ads must be accompanied by a website ready to close the sale or appointment.
Conclusion
If your Google ads are not attracting customers in Marbella, start by checking three things: make sure you are targeting your local audience and timing; check that your ad copy solves a real need and is clear; and check that the click-through leads to a quick and easy-to-use website or landing page. It's not magic and it takes some tweaking, but it does work. If you need help with this, at SOL Marketing Agency we work with just such businesses in Marbella so that your ad spend pays real dividends.
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