Google AdWords is the most commonly used Ad Distribution Network today. It doesn’t matter if you’re a creator, an SME or a large corporation, chances are that Google Adwords is part of your marketing strategy, the only different might the size of your budget. The effectiveness and popularity of Google Ads is self-attested, which is why its reach is what it is, not to mention the fact that it has through knowledge of the most popularly used search engine, Google. So, it’s definitely a plus.
While Google Ads can be quite effective when used correctly, it can also cost quite a lot of money, depending on a number of factors, such as product, keywords, target audience, region, etc. Now, one must spend money to make money, so as long as the ads are generating leads and sales, there is no concern. However, if the Google Ads are not being used effectively then the cost of each sale or lead can be quite high. The ideal would be to reduce the cost of each lead or sale to as little as possible, thus maximizing your profit, but in order to do that your Google Ads game needs to be on point.
Still, mistakes are quite easy to make, regardless of whether one is new to the game or a professional. It is always prudent to brush up on your skills to ensure that you are not wasting money chasing eyeballs that may never convert to leads or sales.
Here are 6 common Google Ads Mistakes that may lead to wastage of money, as well as how to avoid them or correct them:
1. Keyword Research
The first step to any successful Google Ads strategy, or rather any marketing strategy, is research, which is the most important part of keyword research. Keyword Research allows you to know which keywords are relevant, which keywords can be used to push your ad, and which to avoid. Knowing which keywords are effective and which are not can be the difference between a successful campaign and a wasted one.
Keywords primarily fall into 5 major categories: broad match, broad match modifier, phrase match, exact match, and negative match. Broad match are the main keywords that relate to your brand or product. It will match searches with the words in any order, as well as synonyms. However, it should be noted that campaign should not be run focusing on the broad match, they are usually too vague to result into leads or sales. Instead, focus the campaign on broad match modifiers, which are broad match keywords with a plus in front of them. Here, the ads will only be shown on queries that contain that exact word, but the individual words can be in any order. Phrase match are keywords where the ads will only show up on searches that contain that exact phrase. Exact match, as the name suggests, are keywords where the ads will only show up on that exact search query. Negative match are keywords that should be excluded, where the ad specifically won’t be showed.
The perfect campaign utilizes all five types of keywords effectively. Ignoring one or the other is like having an effective tool but choosing to do things the hard way, which also costs more money. It just doesn’t make sense.
2. Negative Keywords
Many people actually miss out on negative keywords. They are either unsure of how to use it or think that it is not that important. However, it can be a very handy tool that can help you save a ton of money. As the name suggests, negative keywords work by excluding or blacklisting certain keywords. The reason for this is that you don’t want to pay to show your ad to people who are not interested in your product to begin with. Consider an example. If you sell designer women’s hats, you don’t want your ad to show up when someone searches for baseball hats. So you can add the term ‘baseball hats’ to negative keywords. That way your ad won’t be associated with it.
3. Search Terms
Another handy feature is Search Terms. This basically allows you to see what keywords have users searched for to see your ad. You can then classify the keywords to see which keywords got the most clicks, or the most views. The ad can then be optimized for the keywords that are generating the most leads and sales. This tool can also help you see which keywords that your ad is showing up for but are not relevant for your brand or product. You can then add those keywords to negative keywords, so that you can stop wasting money on them.
4. Ad Text
Remember the golden rule: Content is king. It won’t matter if the keyword strategy is perfect, if the ad itself isn’t worth looking at. The ad must be catchy enough to garner attention so that people will stop and read the ad, and even click on it. AdWords limits the first headline to 30 characters, with 30 characters for an additional headline and 80 for the rest. Make sure this includes all the relevant information but in a compelling manner. It should encourage the visitor to click and then convert once they reach that landing page.
5. Landing Page
Many people tend to link the ad to their homepage, however this leads to a major concern. If all your audience is coming to the same place, how do you know who is coming from where? It would be better to link the ad to a landing page so that you can monitor how much audience you are getting from the ad, and how effective that ad is at generating leads and sales.
6. Ad Extensions
Ad Extensions are an add-on feature that is available in Google Ads. Traditional Ads are text based, however Ad Extensions allow them to be so much more. It expands the type of activity people can take on your ad, which in turn makes the ad more interesting and people to be more likely to click on it. The audience in more invested already even before they have clicked on the ad. There is many different types of extensions available for different types of ads. Be sure to check them out and see how it can liven up your ads.
These are some of the ways that you can streamline and optimize your Google Ads Strategy. Though you may already have a great strategy in place and you may already be doing everything correctly, it never hurts to double check everything, while also keeping these pointers in mind. Or these points may help you set up your new Google Ads account and set up a new strategy, if this is your first time doing it. In either case, we hope this article has been useful. If you feel like we have missed out on something, or you have come across ways that you think makes things easier, please feel free to post in the comments section below.
