Common Mistakes with Google Adwords
Google Adwords has a lot of functionality to it but forgetting these important features could have you losing money and business. Don’t do it.
1. Forgo Ad Scheduling
Ad scheduling allows you to create a time table for when your ads will appear. If you have Google Analytics installed and connected to your Google Adwords account (and I think it goes without saying that YOU SHOULD) you can see the time of day that traffic is arriving to your site from your campaign. If you have running your ads without an ad schedule for a while, that can actually play to your benefit because you have collected data that can tell you the best times for your ads to be running. Creating ad schedules allows for customers to see your ads when your business is open but furthermore it can help you weed out those clicks that aren’t converting and help you save your budget for the right clicks.
Don’t forget time zones when you are making ad schedules!
2. Ignoring Search Term Reports
Search term reports are the method that helps create a perfect negative and enabled keyword list. Every morning we begin the day by running a search term report because it contains important data like what the query was that triggered your ad, what keyword matched the query, how many impressions were triggered that day, the cost, average position, etc. These reports are essential for understanding the language of your customers and the way your campaigns are operating and helping you make necessary, beneficial changes to your account.
Location reports work in the same way!
3. Forgetting Search Impression Share
I always tell clients that the best part about Adwords for digital advertising as opposed to print or radio is the tangible data gleaned everyday. I can tell you exactly where, when, why and how long someone has interacted with a site after clicking through an ad. If you are wondering how your Google Adwords campaign is running in comparison to your competitors, there are several different ways to determine that. By learning your Search Impression Share, you can learn the number of impressions you received versus the number of impressions you were eligible to receive. In a perfect world, you would have 100% Search Impressions Share, meaning that every time there was a relevant search, your ads would appear. But if you don’t have 100% Search Impression Share, you can find out whether it is due to your ranking or your budget! How helpful!
Display Impression Share exists as well for your Display campaigns!
4. Not Analyzing Bounce Rates
Bounce rates are another important factor you should not ignore in your campaigns. If your only goal with your Google Adwords campaign is to increase traffic to your website, that is fine, but you can do that without being flippant toward the kind of interaction. You could just light your pile of money on fire and have more fun. Bounce rates can tell you if your keywords and ads match your landing pages, which is crucial information not just for click conversion but for Google to continue ranking your ads highly.
5. Google Adwords Ad Stagnation
So you’ve been running your ads for a while and you’re getting a decent conversion rate and everything is going well with the account. Running the same ads for any longer than 6 months is not recommended. You have to keep ads relevant for seasonality and new content. Google rewards websites and accounts that it sees as being regularly updated and changed. Don’t just rest on your laurels, always be testing to find the right formula and learn new facets about your industry, business and customer.
If you have any more questions about Paid Search Marketing or what you can do to improve your PPC campaigns, give Online Optimism a call. We are a Google Partner Agency and we have several Google Adwords certified staff ready to answer your questions!
