As a marketing strategy, paid ads can be a powerful tool in any brand’s arsenal. Done right, it can instantly boost your website to the top of search results and provide significant ROI.
On the flip side, paid ads can be a costly exercise in futility, especially if you fall into the common pitfalls.
So, what are the mistakes you should avoid? Here are the top 6 to be aware of.
Mistake #1—Trying Too Many Keywords Simultaneously
Keyword research is one of the most important elements of creating a paid ad strategy that converts. But simply throwing dozens of searches at the wall is not a substitute for a well-thought and executed plan.
When you have too many keywords going, it means that you have to juggle:
- Managing multiple ad groups
- Writing several ads
- Optimizing landing pages
This not only takes up time, it also makes it difficult to determine what’s working and what’s not.
Mistake #2—Bidding on Top Keywords
Often, single-word searches or top searches end up being exorbitantly expensive. Yes, this strategy may cultivate more clicks, but it’s unlikely that these positions will lead to enough conversions to produce ROI. Typically, such words are reserved for the biggest brands—those with deep pockets, where it’s worth the loss to ensure that their competitors can’t have the top spot.
Instead of simply selecting the most popular terms, focus on long-tail keywords that are closely tied to user search intent.
Mistake #3—Poor Quality Ads
It doesn’t matter if your keywords are on point if the ads themselves do not convert. One of the best ways to optimize your ads is by using Quality Score. Here, Google offers basic suggestions to follow:
- Analyze and understand the components of Quality Score, including expected clickthrough rate, ad relevance, and landing page experience.
- Increase keyword and ad relevancy by using ad groups and matching the language of ad text to search intent.
- Improve clickthrough rates by using CTAs, tailoring ad text to the audience, and spotlighting your unique selling point.
- Update landing pages to have consistent messaging, be mobile-friendly, and connect visitors to what they’re searching for.
Mistake #4—Not Enough Landing Pages
Too many companies make the mistake of having a generic landing page for multiple different keywords. This can create problems since that landing page may not perfectly align with the keyword or the user intent. Instead, every keyword should have a designated landing page.
Mistake #5—Lack of Ad Extensions
Ad extensions are a free and easy way to optimize your ads, adjust settings, and change your copy. It allows you to use:
- Sitelinks
- Call extensions
- Location extensions
All of these elements enhance the quality of the ad. They provide more information to the user, increasing the likelihood that they’ll click on the ad.
Mistake #6—Not Knowing Your Metrics
Do you know what it costs you to convert a customer? Do you know the customer’s lifetime value?
Without your key metrics, your efforts with paid ads will simply be guesswork. And that’s a recipe for losing money on your investment.
That said, when you know these metrics, you can adjust ad campaigns and bid on keywords that will help you target and convert the right prospects.
Semgeeks—PPC Marketing out of NJ
PPC marketing is probably the most effective way you can instantly start converting customers. But, if you make mistakes, such as those discussed above, it can also be exorbitantly costly.
Want to ensure that your paid ads provide ROI?
That’s where we come in. As a PPC management company in NJ, Semgeeks knows exactly how to customize a paid ad campaign for your brand that lands.
What does that look like? Let’s chat.
Sources:
Google Ads Help. 5 ways to use Quality Score to improve your performance. https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/6167130?hl=en
