Google Ads (previously Google Adwords) is one of the easiest and iron-clad ways of advertising your business online. Google Ads are shown in search engine results and on display networks; and it makes sense, since Google has 92% of the share of the search market, according to Main Street ROI. Also according to the site, businesses make an average of $2 back for every $1 spent – a 200% ROI. Though Google Ads is simple to set up, it’s just as easy to make mistakes. Here are the top five mistakes you need to avoid in 2022 to ensure you cut through to your customers.
Not choosing relevant keywords
If you sell shoes online, it makes sense to use “shoes” as a keyword, right? Sure – but shoes is a broad term and encompasses men’s shoes, women’s shoes, all in varieties of styles and colours. If you’re choosing broad match keywords, it could mean your ads are showing to people not even marginally interested in what you have to offer. If you sell “Blue suede shoes” then use relevant keywords – the term itself, “dancing shoes,” and “the shoes Elvis wore.” Make sure you research your keywords thoroughly before adding hundreds of irrelevant keywords to your list.
Not using the audiences feature
Your audience is who you are selling to. If you’re just selling to everyone and not taking the specific audience into account, you are wasting clicks and in turn, money. You can use the audiences feature in Google Ads better by linking your Google Analytics or Facebook Insights to gauge the demographics searching for your site – if you’re trying to attract 40–55-year-old rock n’ roll enthusiasts but 18–25-year-old basketball fans are showing up, you need to change your bids accordingly.
Writing too few ads
If you’re only using one type of ads – or even worse, one ad period – you could be robbing yourself of more clickthroughs. Writing individual ads for products, segments, and special events is great, but you also need more than one to compare which ones cut through better. Google will cycle through your ads that generate the most interactions (leads, sales, etc.) so the more data you can generate through more ads, the better. You should also be using Smart Ads and Responsive Ads, too!
Ignoring your metrics and analytics
If you’re getting “enough” leads or sales through Google Ads, you may think it’s “working.” Unless you know the numbers, you are running on assumptions. Look at your data – what is your clickthrough rate? What is your impression share? How many conversions do you have? What is your cost per conversion? Are there opportunities for keywords or audiences you haven’t yet exploited? Use all this to refine your campaigns. Also, consider running multiple campaigns at once so you can generate better data using different approaches.
Your landing page isn’t converting
An ad might be good enough to click on but if your landing page stinks, it’s never going to convert. You are wasting your Return on Ad Spend (ROAS) by having an underperforming landing page. Your landing page is where the magic of the ad happens. It’s where your prospect is compelled to buy, sign up, or make an appointment. There’s little point in spending big on Google Ads if your sales funnel or landing page isn’t up to scratch.
Want to know more? Get your FREE Google Ads audit with Conquerr today – and there’s no obligation to sign up.