Pay Per Click (PPC) marketing is one of the most effective online marketing strategies available, allowing your business to place higher on search engine results pages and potentially boosting revenue in the process. However, running a successful PPC campaign is more complicated than it first appears, which is why many companies eventually turn to search consultants for their assistance.
Ultimately, PPC campaigns can be extremely successful, but one of the keys to success is avoiding common pitfalls. In fact, according to research from Moz, companies can increase their revenue by up to 70 percent simply by fixing basic mistakes. Some of the most regularly observed mistakes are explored below.
In today's world, more Google searches originate from a mobile phone than from a PC, so if you still haven't optimised your PPC campaign to include a strong mobile element, you really are missing out. Make sure you are running mobile-preferred ads and if your business takes calls, enable a call extension. Research from Google and Ipos shows that 70 percent of smartphone users have connected with a business by calling directly from a Google results page, and almost half admit they are likely to explore other brands if that option does not exist.
One of the most costly mistakes related to landing pages is simply having a poor quality page, which fails to produce or track conversions. According to Marketing Charts, most SMB landing pages have no conversion tracking installed, meaning the business has no way of telling if their landing page is even working. Moreover, many companies make the mistake of linking to their home page, even if it doesn't match the ad. Think about it from a customer's perspective and if it makes more sense to link directly to a product page, do it.
Negative searches can include words like "free" and "trial". Essentially, these are searches carried out by people who do not want to pay for your products or services, so these users shouldn't be targeted. Google AdWords allows you to add negative keywords to your PPC campaign, which then stops your ad from being displayed to people using these words in their search, meaning you do not pay for their visits. An experienced SEO marketing agency will ensure that the inclusion of well researched negative keyword lists are automatically added to relevant ad groups to ensure that your budget is not wasted on the wrong audiences. This tool is a must if you are managing your own pay per click campaigns.
Last but not least, too many PPC campaigns place too strong a focus on earning the #1 spot on paid campaigns. Ranking high is usually a positive, as it increases visibility, but the #1 spot often requires significant expenditure, especially when the keywords involved are broad. In many cases, the required expenditure is so great that it negates the additional income, producing a poor ROI. Research your chosen keywords and the investment needed and consider whether aiming for the #2 or #3 spot may ultimately be more beneficial to your business.
I am a digital marketing professional with over 25 years’ experience in the sector and a passion for the internet industry. I build and implement online marketing strategies and campaigns to achieve my clients’ goals across a wide variety of sectors. As a marketing leader, I use my expertise in search, content, social and lead generation strategies to consistently improve and shape commercial success that drive growth, engagement and business development.
