Hey there!
I'm Benjamin from Loves Data.
In this video you'll learn the 9 biggest AdWords mistakes that you need to avoid when managing
your account.
By avoiding these common mistakes will put you ahead of the competition.
You'll be rocking AdWords in no time!
And even if you don't have time to apply all of the tips to your own campaigns today, even
a small change can have a positive impact on the performance of your account.
Let's jump in and cover the 9 biggest AdWords mistakes!
// Mistake number 1 is - Not using keyword match types.
There are 5 main keyword match types that you need to be aware of.
These are Broad match, Broad match modified, Phrase match, Exact match and Negative match.
If you're just using broad match keywords then your ads will be displayed on wide range
of keywords, which means you'll need lots of negative keywords to ensure your ads appear
for the most relevant terms.
Here's a comparison of the different match types that can trigger your ads.
You can see as you move from broad match to using broad match modifiers you will reduce
the number of impressions of your ads.
As you move to phrase and exact match you become even more precise.
Exact match keywords can be useful for focusing in on your most important keywords, but they
also come with limited search volume, so you'll need to balance the keyword match types you
use in your ad groups.
Mistake number 2 is - Being too shy with negative keywords.
Adding lots of negative keywords won't hurt the performance of your campaigns, in fact
it will help you achieve higher click through rates and your ads will be more relevant as
people are searching.
If you find that you're adding the same keyword to more than one campaign, then create a negative
keyword list in the shared library.
This will allow you to manage a single list of negative keywords that are applied to multiple
campaigns.
Mistake number 3 is - Skipping the use of branded keywords.
I've found that bidding on your own branded terms is the cheapest traffic you can acquire
from AdWords, but it's not just about cost, it's about visibility and conversions.
Having a paid ad along with your organic listing on search results will lead to more clicks.
Google and Bing have both done studies on incremental clicks and found that running
ads on branded terms will increase your traffic.
And since you get to control the message and landing page, you'll also see higher conversion
rates.
Mistake number 4 is - Only having one ad variation per ad group.
You always want to be testing new things and this includes your ad variations.
If you only have one ad in each of your ad groups you're likely to be missing out big
time!
You absolutely want to be testing your ads.
Having two ads within each of your ad groups allows you to test different calls-to-action
and messaging to see what works and what doesn't.
Here are five things you can start testing in your ads now...
Include location specific details.
Test different calls to action.
Include credentials and awards.
Try different selling points, including prices and promotions.
And try testing changes to punctuation and capitalisation.
You should always be testing!
Mistake number 5 is - Not considering the relationship.
It's important to consider all of these elements; the keyword, the ad and the landing page.
The better the relationship between these elements, the better the performance of the
campaign.
It's simple, it's logical, but it's often overlooked (and not just by beginners).
Mistake number 6 is - Incorrect geographic targeting.
When it comes to setting your geographic target I recommend using the data you currently have
at hand to help you decide.
If you can find the locations where you're currently receiving conversions, then start
with those before you begin expanding your reach.
Some people immediately feel that their product or service will succeed with a global audience,
even though they're only currently converting very localised customers.
This simply isn't the case with AdWords.
I've found that when people insist on starting with a larger geographic target that includes
areas where they don't have any existing business things tend to fail.
Start with the locations where you're currently winning.
You can always expand later.
Mistake number 7 is - Poor landing page experience.
If you're really serious about getting the most out of your campaigns, then you really
need to be starting with the landing pages.
You need to think about where people land and then work from there.
And if you don't have a suitable landing page, you might want to reconsider launching that
new campaign...
Rather than investing in something that won't work, spend the time fixing your landing pages,
or at least setting up some quick optimisation tests before your launch your campaign.
Mistake number 8 is - Not using the Search Terms report.
Because of the keyword match types there's a difference between the keyword you are bidding
on and the search term that someone enters when they're on Google.
The Search Terms report allows you to see what people are searching for...
Review these search terms.
You'll find the report within the 'Keywords' tab - just click on 'Search Terms'.
You should spend time here on a regular basis reviewing the search queries and deciding
if they're good - in which case you should add them to an ad group.
If they're not good, then you'll want to add them as a negative keyword.
Mistake number 9 is - Missing conversions.
I don't see this as often as the other common AdWords mistakes, but it does pop up from
time to time.
Make sure you take the time to track conversions.
You should have conversion tracking setup before you launch your campaign.
// So they're the 9 biggest AdWords mistakes that you need to avoid.
And the great thing with AdWords is that once you start optimizing your campaigns you'll
quickly see the improvement.
Even spending one day a month checking and improving your campaigns using these tips
can have an impact.
Remember that the key to success with AdWords is to consider the relationship between these
three critical elements - the keyword you are targeting, the ad that you are displaying
and the landing page you are sending people to.
The better the relationship, the better the performance of your campaigns.
So what's stopping you?
Load up your account, if you haven't already and put a big tick next to each of these common
pitfalls and rock your account!
You can (and will) succeed at getting the clicks and conversions you're aiming for!
Do you have any tips you'd like to add?
Let me know in the comments below!
And if you found this video helpful, then please like it, so I know to make more videos
like this.
See you next time!