If you run a business and are looking to get more exposure, you’ve probably dabbled with Google Adwords or at least the idea of it. Utilizing Google AdWords to get the word out about your business can be extremely rewarding and definitely pay off, but only if you’re doing it right.
Time and time again, users throw away valuable dollars on unresponsive Google AdWords campaigns and wonder why they’re front doors aren’t flooding with new customers.
More clicks mean more leads, which in the end, equals more customers! So, let’s explore 3 of the most common mistakes users are making on Google AdWords.
1. Misusing Keyword Matches
Although it seems like this task is fairly straightforward when creating a campaign, many advertisers get confused and end up selecting the wrong Keyword match. Google AdWords allows you to choose from 3 different types of matches: Broad Match, Phrase Match, and Exact Match.
Broad Match: This means that your ad will appear in a search that has your keywords included in it, no matter what the order is.
Ex. Your keyword is “Green Apples”. Your ad may appear in searches that say “Green apples”, “Where can I buy apples that are green?”, “Difference between green and red apples”.
Phrase Match: This is similar to a Broad Match keyword, except that in Phrase Match, your keywords must show up in the same order that you have entered them in. Your ad will not appear when someone searches for the words switched around.
Ex. Your keyword is still “Green Apples”. Your ad may appear in searches that say “Buy green apples”, “nutritional facts about green apples”, and “large green apples”. However, your ad will not appear in searches that say “Apples that are green” or “Green and red apples”.
Exact Match: This is as straightforward as it comes. Your ad will only appear if someone searches the exact keyword that you have bid on.
Ex. Your keyword is [Green Apples]. Your ad will only appear when someone searches “Green Apples” and will not appear if someone searches “I like Green Apples”.
2. Overlooking Geo-targeting
This happens more often than not. Google AdWords allows you to choose specific cities, states, countries, and regions that you would like to place your ad, making it easy to target your ideal audience.
BUT, there is an advanced option that seems to get overlooked, called “Location Options (Advanced)”. Below are the options it gives you:
- People in, searching for, or who show interest in my targeted location (default)
- People in my targeted location
- People searching for my targeted location
By default, Google AdWords selects the first option which basically surpasses all of your targeted locations that you chose prior, and shows your ad to anyone that might be interested in your location. So, if you want your ad to ONLY show in your targeted locations, be sure to choose the “people in my targeted location” option.
3. Not Using ‘Negative Keywords’
If you’re using Google AdWords for your business, you should know about Negative Keywords. Just like you can choose and bid on what keywords you DO want your ad to show up on, you can also choose similar keywords that you DON’T want your ad to show up on.
Ex. Let’s say you own a custom presentation company. Some keywords that you would want to bid on would be custom presentations, powerpoint design, presentation company, and pitch deck design. You also might think of using the keywords custom decks, but wait.
Unfortunately, even though the keyword “custom decks” is relatable to your business and people do refer to presentations as decks – you would now also be competing with users who are searching for custom patio decks. Which is NOT relatable to your business.
So in this instance, adding custom decks to your Negative Keyword list is absolutely crucial.
Google AdWords is a great tool to gain traction for any business or website, as long as you are using it correctly. Steer clear of these 3 common mistakes and you should be off to a good start. Good luck! Contact us by leaving a comment or emailing us at hello@infuzemarketing.com if you have any questions.
Infuze 