Introduction of PPC Mistakes
Common PPC Mistakes: There are a lot of mistakes that small web marketers make in their PPC programs. The common mistakes are made during the creation of PPC ads and during the detection of click fraud, among others. If and when these mistakes are avoided, it can result in a comprehensive increase in revenue or substantial savings for small web marketers.
Given how commonly such mistakes are made and the ramifications of such mistakes, this piece has been put together to enlist the top 12 common PPC mistakes made by small web marketers. Let’s get started!
1. Fighting for The Number 1 Spot:
Aiming for the number 1 spot is a good thing but it is not always the best strategy especially if you have to pay a lot per click and the keyword is broad. Contrary to popular belief, the number three spot is one of the best ranks in paid search. It is because the number 1 rank is remembered the least when consumers are ready to buy products.
2. Bidding On Too Many Keywords:
Bidding on too many keywords is another common mistake that small web marketers make. This is because average PPC campaigns get all of their sales from just a fraction of their ads. Instead of targeting all of the top-performing keywords in an industry, the focus should be on targeting a few long-tail keywords that are relevant to your audience. This approach will ensure that you have more time and money to get the results that you desire.
3. Too Much Focus On Cost-Per-Lead:
Some small web marketers are guilty of focusing too much on cost-per-lead. It is because cost-per-lead is only an indicator of PPC success and not an absolute measurement of it. To simplify it, it means that one can achieve profitability with even low cost-per-head and it can the absolute reverse with higher than average cost-per-lead. One should be careful to make sure that he or she is not zeroing in on any one metric at the expense of others.
4. Losing Relevance On the Landing Page:
A lot of small web marketers lose their potential customers when such customers make it to the landing page. This is because the ad and the landing page aren’t in harmony with each other. Your landing page should have what is being promoted in your ad. If it doesn’t so happen, then you can be sure of having a very high bounce rate. People in today’s day and age have very fewer attention spans and even less patience so make sure you give them what they want up-front!
5. Being Boring:
A lot of small web marketers are guilty of being downright boring in their PPC campaigns. Their ads are heavily inspired by their competition and have no USP of their own. This is where most small web marketers fail and one way to fix this mistake is by being creative and relevant. It will need some soul searching and brainstorming on your end to identify your USP and then use it to create your ads. Make sure at all times that your ad is centered around the needs of your target audience.
6. Using Telephone Numbers:
Using telephone numbers in PPC ads is another common mistake made by small web marketers. This is because apart from being eye-catching it isn’t that effective. Your focus should be on using the space for a good message. There have been many tests and studies which prove that telephone numbers in PPC ads aren’t as effective as it made out to be.
7. Not Bidding for Their Name:
A lot of small web marketers don’t realize the importance of bidding for their names. They absolutely must do and if the competition is targeting their company name as a keyword then even taking legal action is an option. If and when you bid for such keywords, you will get more traffic and real estate space on search engine result pages.
This approach should be followed even if there are no competitors for the keyword in question. This can result in the possible growth of the company. If the small web marketer hired by you isn’t delivering the results and continues making the same mistakes, then you can hire a digital marketing agency for small businesses who has a better knowledge of PPC.
8. Avoiding Geo-Targeting:
Even if they are working for clients who sell products or offer services around the world, small web marketers shouldn’t avoid geo-targeting in any case. This is because people have an obvious preference for using the services of a local provider.
Hence you shouldn’t avoid geo-targeting and rather use its benefits for your business. If and when you do so, you are sure to get a higher click-through rate and a lower CPC. Many search engines, including and especially Google, allow avenues for the ads to be geo-targeted by state, and you should use it if you haven’t’ done so already.
9. Ignoring The Seasonal Copy:
A lot of small web marketers ignore the seasonal copy even when it is so effective. You shouldn’t ignore it and instead use its power for better results for your business. If and when you include a seasonal discount in your ad copy, it will increase your CTR and help you get more sales. Additionally, this will also make your ad stand out from the rest competing in the same space.
10. Not Using Keywords in Ad Copy:
There are a lot of small web marketers who miss the simple trick and don’t include keywords in their ad copy. You might think it’s obvious and imperative for everyone to be doing so, but you’ll be surprised at the number of small web marketers who don’t use keywords in their ad copy. If you haven’t been doing so, then it’s time to put keywords in your ad copy for which you are serving the ad. If and when you do so, your ads will be a lot more relevant and they will get a lot of visibility as they are going to be bold.
11. No Using Long-Tail Keywords:
A lot of small web marketers ignore long-tail keywords. Such keywords are more affordable since shorter keywords are more competitive and are dominated by the leaders of the industry. Thus, it makes sense more sense for small marketers to target long-tail keywords since they reflect stronger user intent to convert. People attracted to long-tail keywords are more likely to convert.
12. Not Regularly Monitoring and Improving Your Ads:
The last mistake on the list which small web marketers often make is not regularly monitoring and improving their Ads. Some small marketers set it up and then just forget about it till they continue to get sales daily or weekly. This bit of complacency is dangerous because even if your PPC campaigns are doing well, your competitors may be doing far better than you.
If you intend for your business to grow, you always need to be at the top of your game. The difference between successful and unsuccessful advertisers is that the former group of advertisers continuously monitor their ads and put in their best efforts to improve them. If and when you continuously monitor the performance of your campaigns, you’ll figure out which ad groups are losing money. Thus, it will be easy for you to figure out which ad groups to delete and which to improve.
Wrapping Up
When implemented efficiently, PPC ads can take your business to new heights. Some small marketers end up ruining their PPC campaigns by making simple mistakes that could have been easily avoided. These mistakes result in the loss of money and also results are not generated. However, after reading this article, you will be informed of the most common PPC advertising mistakes and how you can avoid them. You can act on the tips and suggestions on your own or hire a white label digital marketing agency for the same purpose.