AdWords is a tremendously effective tool. However, many users with the ‘Do-it Yourself’ mentality often come up against a brick wall if they do not understand HOW to use it. We’ve talked countlessly about proven tactics that generate more leads and revenue with AdWords. But it’s important to know what mistakes NOT to make as you embark on this journey, because there can be many twists and turns in this ever-changing landscape.
So what mistakes to avoid? Well, that’s a broad topic. But we have to start somewhere. And that somewhere is ‘acknowledging’ how much this tool is always changing. So it is important to stay updated on what those changes are. Sites like the AdWords blog, the AdWords Help Center, & AdWords Google+ can keep you updated, because staying out of the loop for even a short period of time has been proven to negatively affect results.
Now what other mistakes not to make?
- Bidding Too low- It’s a common mistake. But in doing so, there can be many negative imapcts to your web results. And really, you do a lot of injustice to the products and services you have to offer when you bid at a price that isn’t too low. Here’s the logic. When you attach a completely new keyword to your ad-campaign, there is no history that contributes to your Quality Score, which determines your ad-rank in the ad-auction process. So how do you build this score organically? Bid higher on your ads. Why? Because this gives you the chance to rank more highly in the ad-auction process. And a greater CTR (click through rate) eventually increases your Quality score, so you do not have to spend as much money over time
- Not Grouping of Keywords Correctly- The concept behind AdWords is to group similar keywords to related campaigns, which helps increase the chance web browsers find your ad. If you don’t group keywords specific enough to your ad-campaign type, then you risk the chance of your ad not being pulled up when people make these specific queries. Think about it. If you search in Google for car-rental shops, those ads with keywords most closely matched to your query will show up (as opposed to those ads with a long list of less specific keywords). So really, grouping keywords very specifically to the intended meaning behind the queries is really important to your AdWords success.
- Not Analyzing Your Data –Look at the results of your current AdWords campaigns, please. They are not lying to you. While you may feel intuitively about certain things, your results are the best indicators of how your campaigns are doing. As mentioned in our previous blogs, an important component in any ad-words campaigns is to evaluate the performance trends of your current ads. CTR, % served, total impressions served, CPC, & average position are metrics that can help you determine your ‘ad-campaign’ success. ‘Doing it Yourself’, however, requires that you are consistently evaluating these figures to identify relevant performance trends.
- Not Bidding on Your Own Brand- We’ve mentioned this previously and we really can’t stress enough how important this is to your AdWords success. Most companies assume that ‘bidding on your own brand’ is unnecessary, especially if they already rank high in organic search results, but as a business owner, you can lose clicks if you don’t. Other companies can use your brand for an ad-group and target your visitors, and since visitors searching your brand are the most likely to convert, you miss out on the opportunity to attract those visitors.
These are all great things to keep in mind. But wouldn’t it be worth the effort to invest in a tool that saves you the time and energy that ‘Do-it Yourself’ AdWords management requires, while helping you generate the results you want?
Thankfully, that very opportunity exists with our LXRGuide tool. It is an AdWords recommendation engine, which combines the experience of more than 1 million hours of managing paid search campaigns with machine-learning to provide accurate recommendations every week. So while the above tips are excellent to keep in mind for the ‘Do-it Yourself’ approach, our tool saves you the time and energy to avoid these common mistakes as the recipe for success is packaged in the tool. We give you the results you need, in a fast, efficient and simple manner. It is a boon especially for the small and medium businesses who don’t have the budget and time to help them negotiate their way in the complex world of Adwords. If you think this is something that will make your life easier, do request for a FREE demo below.