Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising can be a powerful tool to increase your online visibility, drive targeted traffic to your website, and boost conversions. Like any marketing strategy, PPC has its challenges. Here are the top mistakes to avoid when running a PPC marketing campaign.
1. Lack of Keyword Research
A PPC campaign's success heavily relies on the right keyword selection. Often, businesses make the mistake of bidding on generic or irrelevant keywords. A solid keyword research phase is essential to identify phrases and words that your target audience uses. Use tools to find high-performing, relevant, and less competitive keywords.
2. Poorly Structured Ad Groups
A well-structured ad group enhances the relevancy of your ads, leading to higher quality scores, lower cost per click (CPC), and better ad ranking. Each ad group should contain closely related keywords, and the ads should be directly relevant to these keywords.
3. Ignoring Ad Extensions
Ad extensions can greatly enhance the visibility of your ad and provide additional information to potential customers, such as contact information, location details, and more. Not using ad extensions can make your ads less compelling, leading to decreased click-through rates (CTR).
4. Setting and Forgetting Your Campaign
PPC is not a set-it-and-forget-it type of campaign. Regular monitoring and optimization are key to the success of your PPC campaign. Monitor your ad performance, adjust bids, pause low-performing keywords, and optimize ad copy to ensure your campaign's success.
5. Neglecting Landing Page Optimization
Sending your PPC traffic to a generic homepage or a page that doesn't match the ad's message is a recipe for high bounce rates and low conversions. Each ad should direct users to a relevant, well-designed landing page with a clear call-to-action (CTA) that matches the ad content.
6. Overlooking the Importance of Negative Keywords
Using negative keywords can help filter out irrelevant clicks, reduce costs, and increase the quality of your leads. Ignoring negative keywords can lead to wasted ad spend on clicks that are unlikely to convert.
7. Not Tracking Conversions
Without conversion tracking, you won't have any idea if your ads are effective. It's crucial to set up conversion tracking from the outset so you can track the actions of users after clicking on your ad and assess the value of your PPC campaigns.
Learn More About PPC Marketing
Avoiding these common mistakes can greatly improve the performance of your PPC campaigns. Now is a great time to talk to a professional about the benefits of building a strong campaign. Reach out to a PPC marketing service near you to learn more.