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Google AdWords is a powerful marketing tool, but it can also be tricky to use. If you don’t know what you’re doing, you can end up wasting time and money with very little return on your investment. That’s why we’ve put together this list of 10 common Google AdWords mistakes that you should avoid in 2023.
Whether you’re just starting with Google AdWords or have been using it for years, this list will help make sure you get the most out of your campaigns and maximize your ROI. Read on to learn more about these common pitfalls and how you can avoid them!
What is Google AdWords
Google AdWords is an online advertising platform where businesses can create ads to gain visibility and reach potential customers. Through this advertising platform, users can bring their message across directly to the people they’re trying to target.
Google AdWords allows you to set your budget so that you never pay more than what is comfortable for your business, and also allows you to measure the success of your ads.
By being able to finely target the right demographic and interests with Google AdWords Advertising, your business has the opportunity of finding amazing results through online advertising.
Not Researching Keywords
If you’re not researching keywords before creating your Google AdWords campaign, you’re missing out on a key opportunity to improve your campaign’s effectiveness. Keyword research can help you identify the terms potential customers use to search for products or services like yours, and then craft ad campaigns around those keywords.
Without keyword research, you could be bidding on terms that no one is searching for, or worse, terms that are so popular that your ads get buried on the search results page. Either way, you’re wasting money on clicks that aren’t going to convert into customers.
To avoid this mistake, take the time to do some keyword research before creating your AdWords campaign. You can use tools like the Google AdWords Keyword Planner or Google Trends to find high-volume keywords related to your business. Once you’ve identified a few target keywords, build your ad campaigns around those terms to make sure you’re getting the most bang for your buck.
Not Optimizing Landing Pages
Your Google AdWords campaign is only as good as your landing page. If you’re not optimizing your AdWords campaigns’ landing pages, you’re missing out on many potential leads and conversions. Here are some common mistakes that people make when optimizing their landing pages:
If you’re not optimizing your AdWords campaigns’ landing pages, you’re missing out on many potential leads and conversions. Your landing page is the first thing that potential customers will see when they click on your ad, so it’s important to make a good impression. Make sure that your landing page is relevant to the keywords that you’re targeting, and that it has a strong call to action.
Not Testing Landing Pages
It’s important to test different versions of your landing page to see what works best. Try different headlines, calls-to-action, and images to see what gets the most clicks and conversions. A/B testing is a great way to optimize your landing pages.
Not Mobile-Friendly Landing Pages
With more and more people using mobile devices to browse the web, it’s important to make sure that your landing pages are mobile-friendly. This means that they should be easy to read and navigate on a small screen. If your landing page isn’t mobile-friendly, you could be losing out on a lot of potential customers.
Bidding Too High or Low
One of the most common mistakes made when using Google AdWords is bidding too high or too low for keywords. When bidding, always remember to take into account your competition.
If you are in a highly competitive market, you will likely need to bid higher than if you are in a less competitive market. Another factor to consider is the quality score of your ad. The quality score is based on factors such as click-through rate (CTR), the relevance of your ad text and landing page, and the historical performance of your ads. The higher your quality score, the less you will need to bid per click.
Not Targeting the Right Devices
If you’re not targeting the right devices with your Google AdWords campaign, you could be wasting a lot of money. Make sure you know who your target audience is and what type of devices they use before you create your campaign.
One of the most common mistakes advertisers make is not targeting the right devices with their campaigns. If you want to reach people who are using smartphones, for example, you need to make sure your ad is targeted at that device. Otherwise, you could be wasting a lot of money on ads that no one will ever see.
Before you create a campaign, take some time to think about who your target audience is and what type of devices they use. Once you know that, you can create an ad that is specifically tailored to reach those people.
Not Excluding Irrelevant Keywords
When creating a list of keywords to target with your Google AdWords campaign, it’s important to avoid excluding relevant keywords. This can happen if you’re too focused on short-tail keywords, or if you’re targeting too narrow of a market.
For example, let’s say you sell women’s clothing. You might be tempted to only target keywords like “dresses” or “skirts.” But by doing this, you’re excluding a whole host of other potential customers who might be interested in your products but aren’t using those specific terms to search for them.
Instead, try to think more broadly about the types of keywords that would be relevant to your business. In addition to “dresses” and “skirts,” you might also want to target keywords like “women’s clothing,” “ladies’ fashion,” or even just “clothes.”
By including these broader, more relevant keywords in your campaigns, you’ll stand a better chance of reaching your target audience – and generating more sales.
Not Creating Negative Keywords Lists
By not doing this, you are essentially leaving money on the table and missing out on potential leads and conversions.
Negative keywords are words or phrases that you don’t want your ad to show up for. For example, if you sell women’s shoes, you would want to add “men” and “boy” as negative keywords so that your ad doesn’t show up when someone searches for those terms.
Creating a negative keyword list is relatively easy and only takes a few minutes, but it can make a big difference in your campaign’s performance.
Not Relying on Automatic Bidding
There are several reasons why you might not want to rely on automatic bidding, including:
You lose control of your budget – If you’re not closely monitoring your campaign, you could end up spending more than you intended.
You miss out on opportunities – If you’re not actively managing your campaign, you could miss out on opportunities to optimize your ads and improve your results.
Your ads may not be seen by as many people – Automatic bidding can sometimes result in lower ad positions, which means fewer people will see your ads.
If you want to get the most out of your Google AdWords campaign, it’s important to take an active role in managing it. This means setting manual bids and carefully monitoring your results so that you can make the necessary adjustments to achieve success.
Not Having a Call-to-Action
A call-to-action is essential in any ad, as it tells the reader what you want them to do next. Without a call to action, your ad will likely be ignored or forgotten about. Make sure your call-to-action is clear and concise, and make sure it stands out from the rest of the ad.
Not A/B Testing Ad Copies
Ad copy is the text that appears in your ad, and it’s important to test different versions to see which performs best. There are a few different ways to A/B test ad copy, including using Google’s built-in tools and third-party software.
If you’re not A/B testing your ad copy, you could be missing out on a lot of potential clicks and conversions. Even small changes can make a big difference in performance, so it’s worth testing different versions of your ad copy.
Not Tracking Conversions
If you’re not tracking conversions, you’re missing out on valuable data that can help you improve your Google AdWords campaign. Without conversion data, you won’t be able to see which keywords are driving conversions, what ad copy is most effective, or how well your landing pages are performing.
Without conversion data, you’re flying blind. Make sure you’re tracking conversions so you can make the most of your Google AdWords campaign.
Conclusion
Google AdWords is a complex and ever-changing platform, which can make it difficult to keep up with the latest best practices. However, by avoiding these common mistakes, you can help ensure that your campaigns are successful.
