AdWords marketing, a key element of a Google Ad campaign, is a powerful form of digital marketing that strategically places your product or service in front of individuals who have already demonstrated interest by clicking on your ad. This targeted advertising approach ensures your message reaches an audience that is more likely to convert. What makes it even more beneficial is that with a Google ad campaign, you only pay when someone clicks on the ad, not just when they see it, making it a cost-effective marketing solution. Many businesses have found this method to be highly productive in marketing their goods and services. However, as with any Google Ad campaign or digital marketing strategy, mistakes can happen that affect the overall outcome. To maximize the success of your AdWords marketing, here are five common mistakes to avoid.
- It is choosing a keyword that is too broad. Even though it may seem likely to attract many potential buyers, the cost will be too high to give you a good return on investment (ROI). It’s better to start with several long-tail keywords that will be much cheaper and work your way up as you get more profits. These keywords can be found in your Google Analytics or Webmaster Tools accounts.
- Many people try to squeeze as many keywords into each campaign as possible. The idea with adwords marketing is to be laser targeted. One keyword for each campaign and landing page would be ideal, but it takes too much time. Instead, restrict yourself to about five keywords.
- Sending visitors straight to the home page of your website. This leaves them confused as they try to find the information they expect from the ad keywords. It results in higher bounce rates and costs more. You need a dedicated landing page for each Google ad campaign that gives the visitor exactly what they want without looking for it.
- Not including negative keywords. For instance, if you were selling sunglasses, negative keywords could be drinking, wine, beer, or water, all of which, when added to the word ‘glasses’, make up a product you are not selling. By including these words as negatives, you ensure people interested in those things do not click on your ad, costing you a lot of money for nothing.
- Not measuring the return you get over investment means you don’t know which keywords or ads are performing better and which are not making you much or any profit. You can waste much of your budget if you keep the wrong ads running. And you can lose more if you don’t ramp up those madly successful campaigns. While setting up Google Analytics or another tracking tool is a little complicated, it can mean the difference between success and failure. That said, if you just run one campaign at a time, you can be sure of knowing what it is bringing in. But it may take longer to find one that works well.