We use technology as a resource to increase visibility of housing nonprofits particularly in search engine results where people look for answers to housing insecurity. We are a trusted partner for Google and Microsoft’s social enterprise programs which provide free tech resources for nonprofits. This allows us to acquire grants to pay for advertising and technology resources on behalf of housing nonprofits.

Search Engine Marketing (SEM) is the science of meeting people as they search online for your organization or for keywords related to your mission. Search Engine Marketing will embed your ad into the users search results creating visibility for your organization.

The Google Ad Grant offers free search engine advertising up to $10,000 a month to nonprofits. However, most nonprofits are not using the ad grant due to a lack of time or expertise. If you are a nonprofit offering housing services, you only have to reach out to receive free ad grant setup and optimization from our Google Certified Ad Experts.

To qualify for the Google Ad Grant, your organization generally needs to meet these key criteria:

Nonprofit Status: You must be a registered nonprofit or charity for example, a 501(c)(3).

Valid Website: Your organization must have a fully functioning website with high quality content that clearly explains your mission and services. The site should comply with Google’s quality standards and not primarily be a donation page.

Ad Grant Policies Compliance: You need to adhere to Google’s Ad Grant policies, including maintaining active ad campaigns with like minimum 5% click-through rate. You’re also expected to read and following guidelines regarding ad content and landing pages.

Active Use: Your organization should demonstrate that it’s actively engaged in its mission, most often by maintaining up-to-date content and demonstrating strategic use of the the ad grant to carry out your mission.

Ongoing requirements are in place to force nonprofits to maintain high quality ads. Nonprofits participating in the ad grant program have to adhere to at least the following to ensure the quality of their ads:

Minimum 5 percent CTR (click-through rate) account wide. 

Minimum keyword quality score of 3

Minimum of two ad groups per campaign

Minimum of two ads per group

Minimum of two sitelink ad extensions

Nonprofits that tend to see the most success with the Google Ad Grant typically have or are working towards these attributes:

Strong Online Presence: Organizations with a well-designed, content-rich website that meets Google’s quality standards are well-positioned to convert ad clicks into meaningful engagement.

Clear, Actionable Goals: Nonprofits that have clearly defined objectives such as increasing service usage, driving donations, or boosting event attendance. Clear goals allow for tailored ad campaigns that can achieve specific outcomes.

Relevant, Searchable Services: Groups offering services or information that align with common search queries tend to benefit most. For example, nonprofits in areas like housing counseling, down payment assistance, foreclosure prevention, rental assistance, or disaster relief often have topics that people actively search for.

Dedicated Digital Marketing Resources: Organizations with staff or volunteers who have experience in digital marketing, or that can invest time in learning and managing ads are more likely to optimize their campaigns effectively.

Ability to Measure and Adapt: Successful nonprofits use data to continually refine their campaigns. If you have systems in place to track conversions, monitor performance, and adjust keywords or messaging based on real-time results, you’re more likely to see positive returns from the grant.

Neglecting search engines altogether is the most common pitfall. A survey of housing nonprofits suggests that less than 1% of agencies have experience managing search engine marketing campaigns.

Over reliance on broad match keywords. In the beginning a broad match strategy will bring more traffic to the agency’s site, but over time these leads may prove to be less and less the people which the organization wants to connect with.

Generic Ads with lack of clear call to action. This is the danger of no spending enough time to find those very concise and compelling key words to best describe your service.

Suboptimal landing pages. Even with very effective ads, nonprofits often do not have landing pages or websites designed with a clear and compelling call to action.

Insufficient tracking and analysis. Effective ad campaigns involve a cycle of publishing, learning, and iterating. Without tracking and analysis the organization may not be able to adapt in time to take advantage of how people are searching for related housing services.

Not dedicating enough time or expertise to manage. Optimizing search ads takes time. Organizations that do not invest time in improving their campaigns often finds either their budgets wasted or the users they are attracting are not the target they hoped for.

Managing a Google Ad Grant campaign effectively requires good tracking systems to monitor performance, optimize campaigns, and ensure compliance with program guidelines. Here are some of the essential tracking tools:

Google Analytics:

Website Traffic Analysis: Tracks visitor behavior, traffic sources, and user engagement on your landing pages.

Goal Setup: Allows you to set up goals (such as form submissions, phone calls, or resource downloads) to measure conversions from your ads.

Google Ads Conversion Tracking:

Direct Attribution: Enables you to directly measure which clicks result in desired actions on your website.

Ad Performance Metrics: Helps track important metrics like click-through rate (CTR), conversion rate, and cost-per-conversion.

Google Tag Manager (GTM):

Simplified Tag Management: Centralizes the deployment of tracking codes (tags) for Google Analytics, Google Ads conversion tracking, and other third-party tools without needing frequent code changes on your website.

Event Tracking: Allows you to set up custom events (such as button clicks or form submissions) to capture more detailed user interactions.

Google Data Studio:

Dashboard Creation: Integrates data from Google Analytics, Google Ads, and other sources to create comprehensive, easy-to-read dashboards for ongoing monitoring.

Custom Reporting: Provides visualizations that can help identify trends, measure campaign success, and communicate performance with stakeholders.

Call Tracking Solutions (if applicable):

Phone Call Conversions: For agencies that rely on phone inquiries, integrating call tracking helps attribute phone calls to specific ads or campaigns, providing a fuller picture of campaign effectiveness.

Third-Party Analytics and CRM Integrations:

Holistic Data: Tools like HubSpot, Salesforce, or other CRM systems can be integrated to connect online behavior with offline conversions (like in-person appointments or consultations).

Lead Management: Ensures that you can track and nurture leads generated via your Google Ad Grant campaigns.

By combining these tracking systems, housing counseling agencies can gain deep insights into user behavior, optimize their campaigns, and ensure that the Google Ad Grant is driving meaningful engagement and outcomes.

Housing nonprofits using the Google Ad Grant should track a variety of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to ensure the program supports their strategic mission and outreach goals. Here are some essential KPIs to monitor:

Click-Through Rate (CTR):

Why It Matters: A higher CTR indicates that your ad copy and keywords are resonating with your target audience.

How to Use It: Monitor CTR to ensure your ads meet the minimum requirements for the grant and to refine messaging over time.

Conversion Rate:

Why It Matters: This measures how effectively visitors take the desired action on your site, such as completing a contact form, signing up for a newsletter, or scheduling an appointment.

How to Use It: Compare the conversion rate for visitors coming from the ad grant against overall site conversions to assess campaign effectiveness.

Cost Per Conversion (Indirect Metric):

Why It Matters: Even though you don’t pay per click under the grant, tracking a “cost per conversion” equivalent (i.e., estimated value of a conversion) can help you understand the efficiency of your campaigns.

How to Use It: Estimate the value of each conversion and monitor how efficiently the ad grant supports your goals.

Traffic Quality Metrics:

Bounce Rate: Measures the percentage of visitors who leave the site after viewing only one page.

Average Session Duration & Pages Per Session: Longer sessions and more page views suggest that visitors find your content valuable.

How to Use It: These metrics help assess if your landing pages are engaging and aligned with visitor intent.

Engagement Metrics:

Form Submissions and Phone Calls: Track the number of inquiries generated, which are critical conversion actions for housing nonprofits.

Resource Downloads or Service Sign-Ups: Monitor how many visitors engage with educational materials or service-related content.

Audience Demographics and Geographic Data:

Why It Matters: Knowing who is clicking on your ads and where they are located helps ensure you’re reaching the communities you serve.

How to Use It: Tailor your campaigns based on the demographics and geographic areas that are most engaged.

Compliance Metrics:

Ad Account Health: Regularly monitor if your account meets the Google Ad Grant requirements (e.g., minimum CTR and proper account structure).

How to Use It: Ensure that your campaigns remain compliant and adjust strategies if performance thresholds are not met.

Return on Investment (ROI) and Impact on Mission Goals:

Why It Matters: Beyond online metrics, assess how the ad grant translates to real-world outcomes—such as increased service utilization, client outreach, or community impact.

How to Use It: Align conversion data with overall organizational goals to determine if the ad spend is contributing to strategic mission success.

By keeping a close eye on these KPIs, housing nonprofits can not only comply with Google Ad Grant requirements but also strategically refine their campaigns. This approach ensures that the ad grant remains a powerful tool to drive engagement, support housing counseling services, and ultimately align with the nonprofit’s broader mission.

Whether a housing nonprofit should manage its own Google Ad Grant depends on several factors, including your organization’s capacity, expertise, and strategic priorities. Here are some considerations to help you decide:

1. In-House Expertise and Resources:

Pros: If you have a dedicated staff member or volunteer with digital marketing experience, managing the grant in-house allows for direct control over campaign strategy and quick adjustments based on performance data.

Cons: Without sufficient expertise, you risk mismanaging the account, falling short of compliance requirements, or not fully leveraging the grant’s potential.

2. Time and Focus:

Pros: Managing the grant internally can be cost-effective if you can allocate the necessary time to continuously monitor, optimize, and report on the campaigns.

Cons: If your team is already stretched thin with core mission activities, trying to juggle digital marketing may lead to suboptimal results and potential noncompliance with Google’s guidelines.

3. Complexity of the Campaign:

Pros: For simpler campaigns—where the target audience and messaging are straightforward—in-house management might be sufficient.

Cons: If you plan to run multiple campaigns targeting various services or geographic regions, the complexity might require specialized skills in campaign segmentation, advanced tracking, and performance analysis.

4. Training and Learning Curve:

Pros: Managing your own grant can be a valuable learning opportunity, building internal capacity for digital marketing that benefits other outreach efforts.

Cons: There’s a learning curve to effectively using tools like Google Analytics, Google Tag Manager, and the Google Ads interface, which might require training and time to master.

5. Compliance and Best Practices:

Pros: In-house management ensures that someone intimately familiar with your mission can ensure that messaging and compliance requirements are met.

Cons: Google Ad Grants come with strict policies (like maintaining a minimum click-through rate and proper campaign structure). A lapse in best practices could lead to suspension of your grant, so ensuring ongoing compliance is critical.

6. Outsourcing Options:

Managed Services or Consultants: If internal resources or expertise are limited, hiring a digital marketing agency or consultant with experience in managing Google Ad Grants for nonprofits can be a worthwhile investment. This approach may provide professional oversight and help maximize the grant’s impact while keeping your team focused on mission-critical activities.

Conclusion:
There isn’t a one-size-fits-all recommendation. Housing nonprofits with the right internal expertise and available time can successfully manage their own ad grant. However, if your organization is resource-constrained or new to digital marketing, partnering with an experienced professional or agency may help you avoid common pitfalls and ensure that the grant effectively supports your strategic goals.

Client needs

Guidance for first-time homebuyers on budgeting, down payment assistance, and navigating the home buying process.

Questions to ask

What will this client type into the google search bar? How can a housing agency meet him where he’s searching with an introduction to pre-purchase counseling?

Client keywords

First-time homebuyer grants, Down payment assistance programs, Homebuyer assistance grants, Help with down payment for a house, No money down home loan options, Government home buying assistance, Low down payment mortgage programs, State down payment assistance programs, How to buy a house with no savings, Affordable home loan options

Sample ad

Client needs

Workshops or courses that teach prospective buyers the essentials of purchasing and maintaining a home.

Questions to ask

What will she type into the google search bar? How can a housing agency meet her in the search results with an introduction to a first time home buyer course ?

Client keywords

HUD first-time homebuyer class, First-time homebuyer education course, Free HUD homebuyer course, Certified homebuyer education, Down payment assistance course, Homebuyer education certificate, HUD homeownership counseling, Homebuyer workshop, First-time homebuyer course near me, Homebuyer education online

Sample Ad

Client needs

Support for homeowners facing financial difficulties, including loan modification assistance and foreclosure alternatives.

Client keywords

Foreclosure prevention counseling, Mortgage assistance programs, Avoid foreclosure help, HUD foreclosure counseling, Mortgage relief options, Loan modification assistance, Homeowner hardship help, Free foreclosure counseling, Stop foreclosure services, Emergency mortgage help

Sample ad

Client needs

Help for renters with budgeting, lease reviews, and issues of fair housing practices.

Questions to ask

What will he type into the google search bar? How can a housing agency meet him in the search results with an support for understanding his lease?

Client keywords

Tenant rights lease changes, Landlord changing lease before it ends, Unfair lease renewal help, Rent increase during active lease, Tenant legal help lease dispute, Illegal lease changes, Renter rights landlord dispute, Tenant protection services, Lease violation legal help, Housing legal aid for renters

Sample ad

Client needs

Assistance in improving credit scores and managing debt to achieve housing goals.

Questions to ask

What will he type into the google search bar? How can a housing agency meet him in the search results with support for understanding his credit repair options?

Client keywords

Credit improvement for home buying, Raise credit score for mortgage, Homebuyer credit counseling, Improve credit for a house, Mortgage options for bad credit, Avoid credit repair scams, Rebuild credit for home loan, HUD credit counseling, First-time homebuyer credit help, Credit score help for homeownership.

Sample ad

Client needs

Post purchase counseling resources for homeowners to manage finances, maintain their property, and avoid foreclosure.

Questions to ask

What will he type into the google search bar? How can a housing agency meet him in the search results with support for understanding his refinance options?

Client keywords

Lower homeowners insurance costs, Home affordability counseling, Post-purchase housing counseling, Refinance for lower payments, Rising homeownership costs help, Mortgage and insurance relief, First-time homeowner financial advice, Housing cost assistance, Homeowner counseling services, Affordable homeownership support

Sample ad

Client needs

Information for seniors about the pros and cons of reverse mortgages.

Questions to ask

What will he type into the google search bar? How can a housing agency meet him in the search results with support for understanding his refinance options?

Client keywords

Reverse mortgage counseling, Reverse mortgage pros and cons, Senior home equity options, HUD reverse mortgage guidance, Safe reverse mortgage programs, Home equity loan for seniors, Government reverse mortgage help, Reverse mortgage alternatives, Trusted financial advice for seniors, Aging in place financial assistance

Sample ad

Client needs

Support for renters facing eviction, including landlord mediation and connecting with financial assistance programs.

Questions to ask

What will they likely type into the google search bar? How can a housing agency meet them in the search results with support for landlord mediation and rental assistance?

Client keywords

Emergency rental assistance, Landlord mediation services, Eviction prevention help, Rent assistance for medical emergencies, Housing assistance programs, Help paying rent after job loss, Tenant eviction protection, Rental hardship assistance, Nonprofit rent help, Housing stability support

Sample ad

Client needs

Education on budgeting, saving, and managing finances for sustainable housing stability.

Questions to ask

What is she likely to type into the google search bar? How can a housing agency meet her in the search results with advice on purchasing a car while trying to buy a home in the near future?

Client keywords

First-time homebuyer financial counseling, Debt-to-income ratio mortgage impact, Car loan and mortgage approval, Buying a home with existing debt, Home loan eligibility with auto loan, First-time homebuyer financial guidance, Credit impact of new car loan, How debt affects home buying, Mortgage planning for young professionals, Smart financial choices for homebuyers.

Sample ad

Client needs

Information and guidance on accessing grants and loans for down payment and closing costs.

Questions to ask

What is Marcus likely to type into the google search bar? How can a housing agency meet him in the search results with support to help him find eligible down payment assistance programs?

Client keywords

Down payment assistance program, First-time homebuyer grants, Mortgage help with high debt, Homebuyer assistance in my county, Government down payment programs, Debt-to-income ratio mortgage solutions, Buying a home with student loans, First-time homebuyer financial aid, Housing programs for buyers with debt, Mortgage eligibility assistance.

Sample ad

Client needs

Help for homeowners and renters affected by natural disasters, including accessing relief funds and rebuilding resources.

Questions to ask

What is she likely to type into the google search bar? How can a housing agency meet her in the search results with support to help find disaster relief from the recent story?

Client keywords

Hurricane home repair assistance, Disaster relief grants for homeowners, Emergency roof repair help, Government disaster recovery programs, Home repair assistance for caregivers, FEMA housing assistance, Storm damage financial aid, Senior home safety repair programs, Local disaster relief for homeowners, Housing assistance after a hurricane.

Sample ad

Client needs

Information about housing rights and how to identify and report discrimination.

Questions to ask

What is he likely to type into the google search bar? How can a housing agency meet him in the search results with support to help identify and possibly report discrimination?

Client keywords

Fair housing disability rights, Housing discrimination help, ADA tenant protections, Legal aid for disabled renters, Landlord retaliation tenant rights, Housing accessibility legal support, Fair housing complaints, Tenant rights for wheelchair users, Landlord discrimination assistance, Housing advocacy for people with disabilities.

Sample ad

Client needs

Assistance in identifying and applying for affordable housing options.

Questions to ask

What is she likely to type into the google search bar? How can a housing agency meet her in the search results with support to help find any affordable housing options for single parents?

Client keywords

First-time homebuyer assistance, Affordable homeownership for single moms, Down payment help for single parents, Housing assistance for domestic violence survivors, Mortgage help for single-income families, Home buying programs for single mothers, Financial assistance for first-time buyers, Low-income homebuyer programs, Homeownership counseling for single parents, Government grants for first-time homebuyers.

Sample ad

Client needs

Counseling on programs to improve energy efficiency and reduce utility costs.

Questions to ask

What is she likely to type into the google search bar? How can a housing agency meet her in the search results with support to help find programs to improve energy efficiency and reduce utility costs?

Client keywords

Home energy efficiency grants, Government rebates for energy upgrades, Weatherization assistance programs, Energy-efficient home improvement loans, State incentives for energy savings, Home insulation and window upgrade assistance, Utility bill reduction programs, Green home improvement financial aid, Affordable energy efficiency upgrades, Energy conservation grants for homeowners.

Sample ad

Client needs

Specialized counseling for seniors seeking age-appropriate housing or assisted living options.

Questions to ask

What is she likely to type into the google search bar? How can a housing agency meet her in the search results with support to help her find age-appropriate housing or assisted living options?

Client keywords

Senior assisted living options, Affordable senior housing programs, Financial aid for assisted living, Medicaid senior housing assistance, Senior living financial support, Assisted living grants and benefits, Low-cost senior living communities, Housing help for widowed seniors, Transitioning to assisted living, Elderly care housing assistance

Sample ad

Your bidding strategy will influence volume and accuracy. Begin by clarifying whether your primary goal is to maximize overall conversions, maximize the budget, or leverage automated bidding to gain new insights for example. After deciding what your goals are, understanding your conversion history and performance data will be most important to crafting a bidding strategy. Let’s have a look at some bidding strategies to consider.

Smart Bidding:
Smart Bidding leverages machine learning to automatically adjust bids for each auction, aiming to optimize for specific campaign goals. Nonprofits in housing especially can benefit from this automated approach, as your audience may act differently online depending on fluctuations in the housing market. However, it works best with sufficient historical data, so ensure your campaigns have enough conversion history to guide the algorithm.

Conversion Maximization:
Conversion Maximization focuses on driving the highest number of conversions within your set budget. For housing, this means you can potentially reach more individuals seeking services or support. While this strategy can boost overall engagement, it might not always provide the best cost efficiency per conversion. For example, you may find yourself spending an entire month’s budget on a very competitive keyword like “mortgage assistance” where big financial institutions drive up the cost of a conversion.

Target CPA (Cost-Per-Acquisition):
Target CPA bidding aims to achieve a predetermined cost per conversion by adjusting bids in real time. This is particularly useful for nonprofits in housing who need to spread a budget across multiple services. However, this approach requires a stable conversion history to set an effective target, and setting the CPA too low might limit your campaign’s reach.

This means determining which actions on your website represent the most valuable interactions such as completing a contact form, scheduling a consultation, or downloading educational resources. It’s important to map these key touchpoints to your broader organizational goals so that the data you collect accurately reflects real-world impact. Additionally, consider the user journey and ensure that your conversion events capture not only final actions but also intermediary steps that may indicate interest and potential for deeper engagement. By carefully selecting and monitoring these conversions, your organization can optimize campaigns and better allocate resources to achieve the conversions which are most meaningful to your organization.

Assigning conversion values is important to ensure Google’s algorithms prioritize the most meaningful engagements. Here’s what to consider:

Service Inquiries as High-Value Conversions: Assign the highest value to actions that directly connect people with housing support, such as completed intake forms, appointment bookings for counseling, or calls to the office. These indicate strong intent to solicit and engage housing assistance.

Educational Engagement as Mid-Tier Conversions: Downloads of housing resources, attendance at webinars, or spending +5 minutes reading content on the site can be assigned moderate values. These actions reflect engagement and indicate a potential future need for services.

Email Sign-Ups and Awareness as Lower-Value Conversions: While email subscriptions or general website visits are important for long-term outreach, they should be assigned lower values compared to direct service engagement. This prevents Google from prioritizing less mission-critical actions over those with immediate impact.

Fundraising should be considered separately when assigning values to conversions since the primary purpose of the Ad Grant is to promote mission-driven services rather than direct fundraising. But if you are aiming for online donations, these should be valued appropriately based on typical donation amounts and fundraising goals. Keep in mind the grant program prohibits the use of overly commercial ad strategies, including financial incentives like “donate now” messaging as a primary call to action. Using the ad grant for fundraising requires a strategic yet subtle approach that you may want to consult with one of our experts to achieve.

By strategically assigning values, you can ensure that Google’s bidding algorithms optimize for conversions that drive real impact.

We absolutely encourage the nonprofit housing services community to engage with AI tools to improve the efficacy of their campaigns. Important among these are Google Ads Smart Bidding and its machine learning to adjust bids in real-time, ensuring that campaigns prioritize conversions like a signup for counseling or enrollment in a course. Outside of google we encourage AI tools such as Microsoft Clarity to create AI-driven heatmaps and session recordings to analyze how users interact with a site, helping nonprofits improve conversion rates.

Google’s Price Simulator also known as Performance Planner can help housing nonprofits estimate how budget changes impact website traffic and conversions. When housing demand is high and supply is low, more people may be searching for resources like housing assistance, foreclosure prevention, or rental support, increasing competition for search terms. The Price Simulator can model how increasing your budget during peak demand periods can help maintain ad visibility and attract more visitors. Conversely, during times of lower demand, nonprofits can use the tool to adjust spending, ensuring funds are allocated efficiently without overspending on lower-priority traffic. By leveraging budget forecasting, housing organizations can scale their outreach efforts based on market trends, optimizing ad performance while staying within financial constraints.

Keyword insertion in search ads is a dynamic feature that automatically updates ad text to match a user’s exact search query, making the ad more relevant and engaging. By using a special {KeyWord:default text} format in Google Ads, nonprofits can insert search terms directly into their headlines or descriptions. For example, an ad set to display

“Homebuyer Education in {KeyWord:Your City}” might show as “Homebuyer Education in Miami” or if they not search for a specific location the default “Homebuyer Education in Your City”.

This technique helps improve click-through rates by ensuring the ad aligns closely with what users are actively searching for, making it a valuable tool for housing nonprofits looking to reach people in need of specific services. Below are some examples where Keyword Insertion might be especially relevant and attract more traffic to your site.

Mortgage Rate Fluctuations

As mortgage rates increase, more people may search for “mortgage assistance” or “foreclosure prevention” resources.

Conversely, lower rates may boost demand for homebuying assistance programs, making it important to dynamically insert terms like “low-interest mortgage help” or “down payment assistance.”

Government Policy Changes

New housing grants, subsidies, or assistance programs can drive spikes in search traffic for related keywords.

Keyword insertion can help ensure ads stay relevant by dynamically including phrases like “2025 first-time homebuyer grants” or “new rental relief program.”

Seasonal & Crisis-Driven Housing Needs

Hurricane season, natural disasters, or economic downturns can lead to increased searches for “emergency housing aid” or “disaster relief housing.” Keyword insertion can ensure that nonprofit ads reflect timely needs without constant manual updates.

Geo-targeting will allow your organization to tailor search ads to specific locations. By focusing on certain cities, counties, or zip codes, organizations can ensure their ads reach people searching for housing assistance, rental aid, foreclosure prevention, or homebuyer programs for example, in the areas they serve.

Key Benefits of Geo-Targeting:

Reaching the Right Audience – Many housing programs are region-specific (e.g., state-funded rental assistance), so targeting only relevant geographic areas prevents wasted ad spend.

Customizing Messaging – Ad copy can include localized terms such as “Affordable Housing in Miami” or “First-Time Homebuyer Help in Los Angeles.”

Optimizing for Demand – Certain areas may have higher eviction rates, home prices, or mortgage foreclosure risks, requiring more aggressive ad coverage in those locations.

Enhancing Performance – Targeting high-need regions helps maintain the 5% click-through rate (CTR) required by the Google Ad Grant, improving ad efficiency. By integrating geo-targeting, housing nonprofits can increase relevance, improve engagement, and connect with the right audience in the communities they serve, making their Google Ad Grant campaigns far more effective.

Google Ads offers a feature that allows your impressions to be triggered when certain other websites appear in search results. 

How It Works:

Instead of only showing ads when a user directly searches for a keyword, Google can also trigger your ads when certain websites appear in search results.

This allows nonprofits to target audiences searching for information on competitor or related housing service websites, increasing the likelihood of reaching users actively looking for housing resources. For example, targeting users searching for similar services. If people frequently visit specific housing resource websites (e.g., Zillow, HUD.gov, or local housing agencies), your nonprofit can set ads to appear when those sites show up in search results. This ensures visibility alongside authoritative sources, helping people discover your services while researching housing options.

We highly recommend Google Keyword Planner to maximize your Google Ad Grant campaigns. Use it to discover high-impact keywords, estimate search volume, and refine targeting strategies to reach people in need of housing assistance.

How It Works:

Keyword Discovery: input terms related to your mission (e.g., “affordable housing assistance” or “homebuyer education”) and receive new keyword ideas based on user search behavior.

Search Volume & Competition Analysis: The tool provides estimated monthly searches for keywords and highlights whether competition for each term is low, medium, or high. Geographic Targeting: analyze keyword trends by city, state, or region to find  search terms that align with local housing needs.

By now, you can see an ad grant can be anywhere from basic template to rather complex. What happens when the user reaches your website is also crucially important. The goal being to optimize landing pages to convert website visitors into engaged clients, donors, or advocates. A well-structured landing page ensures that users find the information they need quickly and take meaningful action. Below are 3 rules of thumb to keep in mind regarding your landing page.

Clear and Actionable Messaging – Use concise headlines, easy-to-read content, and a strong call-to-action (CTA) such as “Apply for Rental Assistance” or “Schedule a Housing Consultation.”

Fast, Mobile-Friendly Design – Ensure pages load quickly and are optimized for mobile users, as many people searching for housing assistance do so on their phones. Conversion Tracking & Forms – Implement simple, easy-to-complete forms and track key actions like sign-ups, downloads, or appointment bookings to measure success and improve engagement.

Background:
A newly established housing nonprofit, Affordable Housing Now (AHN), has recently been approved for the Google Ad Grants program. Their mission is to connect low-income families with affordable housing resources, first-time homebuyer assistance, and rental aid programs.

While they have a general idea of the keywords their audience might search for (e.g., “first-time homebuyer grants,” “affordable housing assistance,” and “rental assistance programs”), they are unsure about the best bidding strategy. They are considering Smart Bidding options, including Conversion Maximization and Target CPA, but they lack historical data to guide these decisions.

Now, they must determine how to approach bidding effectively while ensuring they maximize the $10,000 monthly ad spend provided by Google Ad Grants.

Key questions for the case

1. How do we balance our initial keyword selection between broad reach and high-intent searches to ensure we attract the right audience from the start?

2. At what point should we transition from manual bidding to Smart Bidding strategies like Conversion Maximization or Target CPA, and what data should we collect before making the switch?

3. What specific steps can we take to continuously optimize our campaigns, ensuring that we fully utilize the $10,000 monthly Google Ad Grant without wasted spend?

What did AHN decide to do?

After analyzing their campaign performance and discussing potential solutions, Affordable Housing Now (AHN) developed a strategic approach to optimize their Google Ad Grants campaign and ensure their “Make Your Home Energy Efficient” initiative effectively reached the right audience.

1️⃣ Transitioned from Manual Bidding to Smart Bidding – AHN started with manual bidding to establish a performance baseline and gradually transitioned to Smart Bidding strategies. They implemented Enhanced CPC first, then moved to Conversion Maximization and Target CPA for campaigns with sufficient data.

2️⃣ Refined Keyword Strategy – To improve ad performance, AHN expanded their long-tail keywords to focus on high-intent search terms like “energy efficiency grants for homeowners in [city]” rather than broad terms. They also added negative keywords to exclude irrelevant or low-converting searches.

3️⃣ Optimized Location Targeting – To ensure their ads were only reaching their target service areas, AHN refined their geotargeting settings to focus on specific counties and cities. They also changed advanced location options to exclude users searching for, but not physically in, their targeted locations.

4️⃣ Improved Ad Copy and Landing Page Experience – AHN updated their ad headlines and descriptions to include clear eligibility criteria, ensuring only qualified users clicked their ads. They also optimized their landing pages with stronger CTAs and better mobile usability, leading to higher conversion rates.

5️⃣ Ongoing Performance Tracking and Adjustments – AHN committed to weekly performance reviews using Google Ads reports and Google Analytics to track trends, identify inefficiencies, and fine-tune their bidding and targeting strategy.

By implementing these changes, AHN maximized their Google Ad Grant budget, reduced wasted spend, and increased the number of qualified applicants for their energy efficiency program.

Background:

A housing nonprofit The Better Housing Coalition (BHC) based in Broward County, Florida, has been actively running Google Ad Grants to promote its “Make Your Home Energy Efficient” campaign. The campaign aims to help homeowners within Broward County access grants or assistance programs to improve their home’s energy efficiency.

Since launching the campaign, their intake form submissions have increased significantly. However, a major issue has emerged:

Management wants to ensure that only Broward County residents see the ads, reducing wasted ad spend.

However, a number of applicants are coming from outside of Broward County, including some from other states.

This has strained internal resources because staff must spend time filtering out ineligible applicants.

Key questions for the case

1. How can we adjust our Google Ads settings to ensure only Broward County residents see our ads, while preventing clicks and form submissions from people outside our service area?

2. What keywords or targeting adjustments can we implement to reinforce that our program is only available to Broward County residents?

3. How can we refine our ad copy and landing page messaging to clearly communicate eligibility requirements and reduce out-of-area applicants?

What did BHC decide to do?

After reviewing their campaign data and discussing solutions, The Better Housing Coalition (BHC) decided to take a multi-step approach to ensure that their “Make Your Home Energy Efficient” campaign effectively reaches only Broward County residents.

1️⃣ Refined Geotargeting in Google Ads – BHC updated their location settings to only target Broward County and exclude all other areas, ensuring ads were shown only to people physically within their service area. They also changed the advanced location settings to target people in or regularly in Broward County, rather than those merely searching for it.

2️⃣ Enhanced Keyword Strategy – BHC adjusted their keyword list by adding geo-specific terms like “Broward County energy assistance” and “Broward home efficiency program.” They also implemented negative keywords to block searches related to other states and counties, preventing out-of-area clicks.

3️⃣ Clearer Ad Copy and Landing Page Messaging – To set proper expectations, BHC revised their ad headlines and descriptions to clearly state “For Broward County Residents Only.” They also added a bold eligibility disclaimer at the top of their intake form, ensuring applicants understood that assistance was limited to Broward County.

4️⃣ Ongoing Monitoring and Adjustments – BHC set up weekly reviews of their Google Ads location report to track where clicks and conversions were coming from. They committed to refining their approach as needed, including potentially narrowing targeting further by zip code if necessary.

By implementing these changes, BHC successfully reduced out-of-area applications, saved valuable staff time, and ensured that their resources were directed only toward eligible Broward County residents.

Background:

A housing nonprofit, Pathway to Homeownership (PTH), offers a free credit score management course to help low-credit individuals improve their financial standing and become eligible for homeownership.

To attract participants, PTH runs a Google Ad Grants campaign and tracks the following conversions:

1. Views of the course signup page
2. Calls to the office for more information
3. Completed signups for the credit course

After several weeks, PTH notices a key issue:

• Many users visit the signup page
• Several people call the office for information
• Few actually sign up for the course

Additionally, some of the people clicking on the ads have good credit scores and don’t need the course, leading to wasted ad spend.

Key questions for the case

1. How can we adjust our conversion tracking and bidding strategy to ensure that Google prioritizes users who are most likely to complete the credit course signup rather than just visiting the page or calling?

2. What audience targeting strategies can we use to specifically reach people with low credit scores who need this course, while filtering out users who don’t require credit improvement?

3. How can we refine our ad messaging and landing page content to better communicate that this course is designed for individuals struggling with low credit scores, increasing the likelihood of qualified signups?

What did PTH decide to do?

After reviewing their campaign data and discussing solutions, Pathway to Homeownership (PTH) developed a strategic approach to ensure their credit score management course was reaching the right audience—individuals with low credit who genuinely needed the program.

1️⃣ Refined Conversion Tracking and Bidding Strategy – PTH assigned higher conversion values to completed course signups ($100), ensuring Google prioritized these over lower-intent actions like page views ($5) and phone calls ($25). They also switched to Maximize Conversion Value bidding, allowing Google to focus ad spend on users more likely to enroll.

2️⃣ Implemented Audience Targeting to Reach Low-Credit Individuals – PTH leveraged Google’s Custom Audiences and In-Market targeting to focus on people searching for terms like “how to improve my credit score” and “bad credit home loans.” They also excluded high-income ZIP codes and other areas where fewer people likely needed credit assistance.

3️⃣ Refined Ad Messaging and Landing Page Content – PTH updated their ad copy to clearly state that the course was designed for people struggling with low credit (“Credit Below 600? Get Help to Become Home Loan Ready!”). They also added a quick self-assessment on the landing page (e.g., “Is your credit score below 640? This course is for you!”) and included testimonials from past participants to increase trust and encourage signups.

4️⃣ Ongoing Monitoring and Adjustments – PTH committed to weekly performance reviews of their Google Ads reports and conversion data to ensure their campaign was continuously improving, making further refinements as needed.

By implementing these changes, PTH significantly increased the number of qualified course enrollments, reduced wasted ad spend, and ensured their Google Ad Grant was being used effectively to support individuals working toward homeownership.

Our mission is to make sure people can find the housing resources they need at the moment they are searching for it. If your organization needs help setting up a Google Ad Grant account, there is no charge for that, we’ll help you for free with the basics. Beyond setup, we work with every nonprofit to offer affordable solutions that align with your funding sources.

Tell us what are the aspects of your program most closely tied to your funding sources and we make sure you hit those targets so any costs will be as a result of you hitting your targets. The best way to work up a proper quote is to schedule a call, tell us what programs you want to boost, and let us come up with a plan to meet your mission or funding goals.

With our focus and experience working exclusively with housing nonprofits, there have been few objectives we have not been able to link directly with our advertising efforts.

Yes, we’ll create a workflow which can work directly with your existing CMS.

Schedule a time to talk so we can review your strategic goals and key metrics. Our services are customized to what you need to see happen.