Where Google Ads appear
One name covers several formats. Search ads sit above the organic results and answer a specific query. The Display network shows banners across websites and apps, YouTube carries video, and Maps helps local businesses where the address matters. Performance Max is a separate format that spreads impressions across all of these on its own, based on the goals you set.
For most small and mid-sized companies in Tashkent and the regions, starting with Search is sensible. It sits closest to real demand, and it is the quickest way to learn whether the channel works for you at all. The other formats can follow once you know which queries and pages actually bring customers.
When Google Ads fits and when Instagram is better
Search advertising is strong where demand already exists: renovation, medicine, legal services, education, delivery, B2B supply, equipment. The person has come looking for a solution, and your job is to appear with a clear offer.
If the product is an impulse buy or few people know it exists, Search will give you little reach, because nobody searches for something they have never heard of. Targeted ads on Instagram and Facebook do better there, since they create interest. If you sell through a Telegram channel or a marketplace such as Uzum, Google can still be used, but you need to track honestly where the deal actually closes.
How a campaign is built: keywords, negatives, ads
In Uzbekistan people search in Russian, in Uzbek in Latin script, sometimes in Cyrillic, mix languages and misspell names. A good Google Ads setup covers these variants rather than translating one keyword. Ads and landing pages should be written in the language you intend to use when replying to the customer.
Negative keywords matter just as much. If you sell new equipment, you do not want queries like “free”, “used”, “do it yourself” or “jobs”. Without regular review of search terms, part of the budget goes to people who will never buy from you.
Then there is the landing page. If someone searching “air conditioner installation” lands on a generic home page, they leave. The page should answer the query, show the terms, and offer a simple way to get in touch: a call, a form, Telegram.
Without measurement you are working blind
A common mistake is launching ads before tracking is set up. All you see is clicks and spend, and the key question, whether it pays back, stays unanswered. Before launch, decide what counts as a result: a phone call, a form submission, a tap through to a Telegram bot, a payment via Click or Payme, a message in a messenger.
Each of those actions is recorded as a conversion in Google Ads and in your analytics. From then on you look not at clicks but at the cost of an enquiry and how many enquiries reached a sale. For that you need a CRM, or at least a spreadsheet where managers mark the outcome of each lead. Without it, a campaign can look successful in a report and still bring no money.
What makes up the cost of Google Ads
The price of a click is set by an auction. It is shaped by competition for the query, the quality of the ad and page, the region, the time of day and your bid. That is why there is no “average price”: a click for a dental query in central Tashkent and one for narrow industrial equipment will cost very different amounts.
Total spend is the ad budget that goes straight to Google, plus a specialist’s time for setup and management, plus website improvements where needed. Ask a contractor how ad billing works and in which currency payment is made before work begins, not after.
Choosing a contractor and where to start
The market has freelancers, small teams and agencies. The difference is often not price but transparency: you should get access to the ad account, an explanation of where the money went, and reports in numbers rather than general impressions. Be wary if someone promises an exact number of leads before launch or will not give you account access.
Start with a short list: goal, geography, languages, landing page, a way to record enquiries, and a test budget you can afford to lose while checking hypotheses. If you would like to go through the task together, the markdev team can look at your business and suggest a Google Ads launch plan for your niche. Write to us and we will discuss the details.
FAQ
Where do I start with Google Ads if I have no website?
You need at least a simple landing page with a description of the service, the terms and contact buttons. Ads without a page where a person can leave an enquiry almost always waste the budget.
How is Google Ads different from Instagram targeting?
On Google you appear to people who are searching for your service; on Instagram you reach an audience you create interest in. Search usually suits existing demand, while social media suits introducing a new product. Many businesses use both.
Do I need to run ads in Uzbek?
If part of your customers search in Uzbek, yes. Latin-script Uzbek and Russian queries differ, so it is better to split them into separate campaigns and write the ads in the matching language.
How do I know the ads are paying off?
Count enquiries and sales, not clicks. Set up conversions, connect analytics and compare leads against real deals in a CRM or spreadsheet.
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