Common Mistakes When Creating a Google Adwords Campaign
Creating an effective Google Adwords campaign can be challenging for both beginners and experts, especially if you’re just beginning to use PPC advertising. While you can spend hours monitoring the market and seeing what your competitors are doing, profound insights about your market will only come when you put out an ad and analyze the data you get. Nevertheless, this strategy also makes it easy to make mistakes – and some that can be very costly.
Fortunately, there are lots of information about Google Adwords in the internet. Unfortunately, you have to spend a lot of effort and time with sorting out good advice from bad ones. Your best bet is to get your information from someone who has gone to where you want to be. Perry Marshall has been teaching about Google advertising through his book “The Definitive Guide to Google Ad words” not long after Adwords had been established. In the book, Mr. Marshall tells all his secrets in creating effective campaigns.
To create an effective Google Adwords campaign – one that generates lots of traffic, conversion and sales from your target market – be sure not to commit these 5 common mistakes:
1. Not including your keywords in the body of your ads. Most ads I see only utilize keywords on their headlines. Do not neglect the body of your ads as 1-2 keywords or keyphrases placed in there will make it more relevant to search engines and your market alike.
2. Directing your ads’ traffic to your homepage. The primary purpose of a homepage is to provide broad information about the contents of a website. There’s a good chance that your visitors will leave your site if they have to exert effort to get the information they came for in the first place. Your ads could be the best ads in your market but you won’t make a sale if all your visitors leave after a second. Make it easy for your visitors by stating your offer upfront on a landing page.
3. Using only broad match keywords in Google Adwords Keyword Tool. New users only use the ‘broad match’ function in coming up with keywords in Google’s Keyword selection tool. This function is only useful for you to gain a feel of your niche or market. Keywords produced from phrase matches and exact matches will yield keywords that are more apt and targeted to your market.
4. Using keywords that do not get results. Discovering the exact keywords your target market uses takes time. Monitor the performance of your ads to check if your keywords bring you the kind and volume of traffic that you desire. If your keywords are performing sub-par, then spend some effort to search for other keywords. The Google Ad Words Keyword Selector Tool has a ’synonym’ feature you can use to produce new keywords and make the most out of your campaigns.
5. An uninteresting headline. Surfers will not read your ads if your headline is un-interesting. The headline of your ad serves as the hook to reel in visitors. A good headline will compel your audience to read the rest of your ads. State the most important benefit you’re giving in your headline to compel viewers to read the body of your ad and click through it.
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Comments
2 Comments on Common Mistakes When Creating a Google Adwords Campaign
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Alan Mitchell Search Marketing on
Mon, 2nd Nov 2009 4:50 pm
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Matt Umbro on
Mon, 2nd Nov 2009 5:05 pm
Hi Roy,
Some nice tips, especially agree with your first point about relevancy. I’ve found countless examples of PPC ads that don’t include the user’s keywords in headlines or descriptions:
http://www.alanmitchell.com.au/techniques/relevancy-the-holy-grail-of-ppc/
Also agree with your and third point on over-use of broad match – exact and phrase match can be extremely powerful if used effectively.
Hi Roy,
Item #3 is the most often mistake I run into when taking over AdWords campaigns. Some people do not even know the difference between the three match types (four if you count negative keywords). Bidding only on broad keywords is a sure fire way to burn your budget.
I would also add to this list the fact that all campaigns by default are opted into the Content Network. I think it is a bit of a shady tactic by Google, but it is something that needs to be addressed right away.
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