Many businesses, big or small, need some type of marketing strategy to drive people to their product so they can nurture them as leads and hopefully turn them into customers. One of the main and most successful methods of doing this is by running Google Ads PPC Campaigns. Now, although this method can prove to be very fruitful it can also prove to be very costly and unforgiving if not executed correctly. It’s important to understand what mistakes to avoid before you start running ads, otherwise it could end up costing you thousands of dollars and send you back to where you started. Here are 3 Mistakes to avoid at all costs and how you can fix them if they do happen.
1. Using Wrong Keyword Matches
Google lets you run ads in 3 keyword matches that you should be familiar with before you start, these are:
- Broad Match
- Phrase Match
- Exact Match
Broad Match – When using Broad Match keywords, it means that your ads will show when people are searching for the keywords you entered and they will display regardless of the order of the words. For example, if you’re selling Tennis Racquets, your keywords might read “tennis racquets, best tennis racquets, tennis racquets for sale, tennis racquets best, etc.”
Which means that your ads will appear to people searching any of those keywords and even if the person searching isn’t looking to purchase anything, the simple search of any word in your keywords will put your ad in front of them.
Phrase Match – When using Phrase Match keywords, it means your ads will ONLY appear when the items are searched using the exact order of the keywords. So, if your keyword is: “green tennis racquet” then your ad will only show for searches of that phrase in that order. Your ad will also show if there are other words in the search, so if they search “Best green tennis racquet” your ad will still appear so long as the phrase “green tennis racquet” is included in its exact order.
Exact Match – Exact Match keywords convert better than Broad and Phrase matches but the number of monthly searches is typically lower due to the fact that with Exact match your ads will only appear when only the exact keyword is entered. For example, only if the phrase “green tennis racquet” is entered will your ad appear, any other words before or after the keyword will result in your ad not showing.
Understanding the difference between these Keyword Matches is the difference between your ads converting or not, so make sure you analyze what it is you’re trying to accomplish before bidding on keywords so that you don’t waste money on keywords that won’t convert.
2. Not Using Negative Keywords
One of the biggest mistakes is the omission of negative keywords altogether. Remember, the name of the game is Conversions and you want whatever money you put into these keywords to produce results and make money in return. So, although it seems like just using keywords may be sufficient and getting your ads in front of every person may seem like the move, it can be counterproductive. For example, if your product is a paid business development course, you’ll want your negative keywords to include “free” or “unpaid”. Otherwise, you’ll be paying for ads to be put in front of people that have no intention of purchasing your product. So, by using negative keywords you can lower your cost and increase your revenue.
However, be smart about the use of negative keywords too. Don’t use too many otherwise results can be hard to track, make sure you are customizing your keywords and keep a spreadsheet of both your keywords and their negative counterparts.
3. Not Bidding on Your Own Brand
Bidding on your brand allows you to increase conversions but has many other benefits as well such as preventing competitors from hacking your brand. What this means is that if you don’t bid on your own brand, others, like your competitors, most likely will. They can use this to hijack your prospects and potential visitors to their sites. So, although you may rank higher than your competitors, if they hijack your keywords, they can get ahead of you. So, it’s important to stay ahead of them.
Remember that your ads should be targeted to the right people. This is the only way you can gain a larger audience, generate better leads and increase your profits. So, study these mistakes, along with many others, and set yourself up for success.
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