If you are spending money on Google Ads, you will likely have one main goal – to drive as much traffic as possible to your website. You want to see a sizable increase in your online sales. However, managing and maximizing these ads is not always as straightforward as you might expect. To guide you towards success, here are the top five most common Google Ads mistakes, and what to do to fix them.
1) Adding too many keywords per ad group
If your business offers a diverse range of products, you won’t be able to create one single, standalone ad group. The whole point behind creating separate ad groups is to ensure that each ad served is 100% relevant to each keyword.
As such, it is better to create as many ad groups as your products. This approach is the best possible way to reduce your cost per click (CPC) and increase your click through rate (CTR).
2) Neglecting to bid on branded keywords
What are branded keywords, exactly? They are any search terms that include your brand’s name. Many business owners assume that they don’t need to add in branded keywords because if a person is searching for their business, it shouldn’t prove too challenging to find it.
However, as many Google Ad companies like Bluelight in New Zealand will tell you, the reality is that your competitors are likely using your brand name as a keyword of their own. This means that they are going to appear above your organic ranking in Google. In some cases, this could lead to them ‘stealing’ your potential customers. As such, it pays to bid on your own branded keywords in the long run.
3) Structuring your ads incorrectly
The ad content itself is what is going to determine whether people will click through to your site or scroll on by. This is why your content needs be spot on!
Luckily, there is a formula that works when it comes to generating the attention that you need:
Include your keyword in the first headline of the ad, and note some of the features and benefits in the second headline.
Continue features and benefits in the description and follow with a strong call to action.
It is also extremely helpful to include your keyword in the display URL that you decide to use.
4) Neglecting to use ad extensions
Ad extensions contribute more value to your Google Ads, so strive to use them whenever you can. The full range of ad extensions currently includes:
- Callout extensions
- Sitelink extensions
- Call extensions
- Message extensions
- Review extensions
- Price extensions
- Seller ratings extensions
- Structured snippet extensions
- Location extensions
Did you know that it is possible to utilize all nine of these extensions in a single ad? Not only is it possible, but digital marketign agencies highly recommend this strategy as well. Your click through rate is likely to increase by up to 20% as a result.
5) Choosing not to split test your ads
Split testing involves creating two ads and testing each to see which is more effective. Most likely, your taregt audience will prefer either Ad A or Ad B.
Don’t guess when it comes to deciding which ads are strongest and which are going to generate the most promising results. Split testing is imperative, and you may be surprised at what you discover. Luckily, there are a variety of online tools that allow you to conduct data-driven split testing, including Splittester and Adalysis.
Bottom Line
Hopefully, you will now be on track to making your Google Ads a consistent success and seeing the results that your business deserves!
