Common Mistakes Being Made When Using Google AdWords

The first thing to know about Google AdWords is that there are trainings and exams that you can take to become certified.

This certification prepares you and gives you the knowledge you need to run and optimize an effective campaign on Google AdWords. When we receive a new client that has an AdWords account already set up and running, we analyze the account to determine the best course of action for optimization besides just changing the budget. Unfortunately, we see the same mistakes on most accounts that are brought to us, and here are just a few of them that tend hold a campaign back from its potential.

Mistake #1: Not using the correct keywords

A lot of clients AdWords account go way overboard with keywords, especially keywords without modifiers. By adding those non-modified keywords, you can receive searches and clicks that don’t necessarily have anything to do with your company or products. When adding keywords, less is more! Keywords can go a long way when you use the right modifiers like: broad match, phrase match, and exact match. These modified keywords can help you narrow down and eliminate clicks and impressions that don’t relate to your company.

Mistake #2: Not using negative keywords

Negative keywords are another way that can help with your spending because it eliminates searches that you don’t want your ad shown on. Google  gave the perfect example of an optometrist who sells eyeglasses. In this case, you may want to add negative keywords for search terms like “wine glasses” and “drinking glasses”.

When choosing what to use as negative keywords, you can look back on the search terms that have already been used in your campaigns to determine which don’t have any relation to your company. Next, you can select negative keywords that are similar, but do not cater to your products. You can always add or remove negative keywords over time.

Mistake #3: Not knowing your CPC

The Cost Per Click on advertisements change every day. It is important that you set your CPC at a reasonable price, but also that you aren’t using your daily budget on one keyword click. It would be a good idea to check your keywords daily or every few days to see your average daily spend. It is also important to understand your goal, are you trying to maximize clicks or focus on very narrow searches. Monitoring the first page or first position bid to see the current max will help you determine your CPC.

Mistake #4: Not having a specific landing page

One of the biggest mistakes we see when using Google AdWords, is driving the paid traffic to the company’s homepage. Because of this, we are unable to see if the ads are truly effective and leading to conversions or transactions. Having a landing page specific to your ads will help you see an increased return on your investment.

Mistake #5: Not using ad extensions

Another simple way to attract users to click on your ad are by using ad extensions. You can add information about your location, what time your store is open, specials that you are having, or even about programs you offer. This information is usually what users are looking for, so giving them links or the information right way can help you have a better click thru rate.

Of course, other mistakes are inevitable, but addressing these common ones will improve your AdWords campaign results. Having a successful AdWords account comes down to monitoring, optimizing and planning your campaigns so they have the effectiveness and results you planned for. Therefore, it is so important to check and re-check your ads for the following:

• No or wrong location targeting – You could potentially be targeting someone in Nevada when your business is specifically in New York
• Broken landing pages – This can cause a lackluster user experience which tends to result in a reduced number of conversions
• Misspellings – It is important to have the correct dates, and spellings for all ads

Need help with your Google AdWords campaigns? At Big Marlin Group, we are a certified Google AdWords preferred partner which means that we have certified and trained employees as well as members of Google ready to help you prepare and implement successful AdWords campaigns. Contact BMG today to learn more at (480) 381-1154.