If you’re looking to improve the reach and conversions of your brand using Google Ads but aren’t sure where to start, you’re not alone.
We see many businesses dive in without fully understanding the nuances of the platform, which can result in wasted ad spend and disappointing results.
Below, our Google specialists have written a breakdown of 10 things not to do when it comes to ads.
Read to the end to get a bonus tip that most people don’t know about!
- Inaccurate or missing conversion tracking
One of the most frequent errors we see is poor or missing conversion tracking.
Without it, you won’t know if your ads are working as intended.
Conversion tracking allows you to measure the true return on ad spend (ROAS) and provides the data Google’s algorithms need to optimise your bids.
Without this, you’re essentially flying blind, making it hard to identify which campaigns are actually delivering value and which ones are just burning through your budget.
- Failing to refine audience targeting
Audience targeting is key to the success of any Google Ads campaign.
However, we often see businesses wasting budget by showing ads to the wrong people.
Google Ads offers powerful tools to define your audience, including custom audiences and remarketing.
By refining who sees your ads, you increase the likelihood of reaching those who are most likely to convert, rather than casting too wide a net and missing the mark.
- Subpar ad assets
You can have the best strategy in the world, but if your ad copy, images, and videos don’t resonate, it won’t matter.
Google rates ads on a scale from “poor” to “excellent,” and this can affect performance.
It’s worth remembering that poor ad quality can increase your cost per click and therefore your overall spend.
Make sure you’re spending time crafting high-quality ad assets that speak to your audience and deliver a clear message.
Poor-quality ads not only fail to convert but can also harm your brand’s reputation.
- Bidding on broad or non-converting keywords
Another big mistake is going too broad with your keywords.
However, this is a double-edged sword.
You don’t want to be too broad because that will pull in too many non-relevant clicks that waste your budget.
Equally, being too strict will cause you to miss out on valuable opportunities and potential leads from those who use slightly different search terms.
For example, if you use the keyword “tax accountants,” and were overly strict, you might miss out on users looking for “Income Tax accountants” (and vice versa) despite this being an overlapping group.
Those looking for “Income Tax accountants” are equally relevant to your goals, but they would get missed, nonetheless.
Don’t be afraid to cut out non-converting keywords, even if they’re bringing in traffic.
- Neglecting negative keywords
Negative keywords are just as important as the ones you bid on.
They help prevent your ads from showing for irrelevant searches.
Without a solid negative keyword strategy, you’ll waste money on clicks that won’t turn into leads or sales.
Regularly review your campaigns to update and refine your negative keyword list for better results.
- Overspending on branded terms
Brand terms often perform well because users searching for your brand are likely to convert.
However, overspending on these terms can eat into your budget unnecessarily.
While it’s important to protect your brand, be sure to set higher ROAS targets for branded campaigns and maintain a balance with non-branded terms to capture new audiences.
- Not A/B testing
When it comes to digital marketing, testing is crucial.
We generally recommend testing your ads before making significant changes to the campaign as well as smaller alterations.
Failing to A/B test different ad creatives, landing pages, and even keywords means you’re missing out on valuable insights.
Regular testing allows you to optimise your campaigns and identify the combinations that work best.
Always be testing to stay ahead of the competition.
- Underfunded campaigns
We often see businesses holding back on budget, even when a campaign is delivering good results.
If a campaign is bringing in a solid return on investment, it makes sense to scale it up.
Underfunding your campaigns can limit their potential, and you may miss out on valuable conversions.
Don’t be afraid to increase your budget when the data shows your ads are performing well.
- Poor landing page experience
A great ad will drive clicks, but if the landing page isn’t up to scratch, you’ll lose those potential customers quickly.
Slow load times, irrelevant content, or a confusing layout can all lead to poor performance.
Your landing page should be optimised for both speed and user experience, and it must align with the ad itself to ensure a smooth transition from click to conversion.
- Over-reliance on automation
Google Ads offers some fantastic, automated tools, but relying on them entirely is a mistake.
Smart campaigns and automated bidding strategies can be helpful, but they still require regular monitoring.
Don’t set and forget – keep an eye on your campaigns to ensure that automation is working in your favour and make adjustments as needed.
- Bonus mistake! Ignoring the lifetime value (LTV) of customers
Too often, businesses focus solely on short-term ROAS, forgetting about the lifetime value of their customers.
While a campaign might not seem profitable on the surface, it could be bringing in high-LTV clients who will generate more revenue over time.
Always look at the bigger picture to assess the true value of your campaigns.
Want to get into Google Ads for your business?
If you’re looking to get the most out of your Google Ads campaigns or start advertising on Google without falling foul of these common mistakes, it’s best to use an agency.
Google Ads are complicated and have various moving parts that can cause you problems later down the line.
Ultimately, the mistakes mentioned above can also be expensive in the long run too, especially if you fail to set your campaigns up properly or use cost-limiting techniques.
We have a lot of experience in developing effective ad campaigns for clients. Here’s what one had to say:
“With the help of JE Consulting, we started using PPC strategically to target potential clients actively seeking legal services…
“Realising that this method was working well, we decided to focus our entire monthly budget on targeting one particular area using popular [keywords]…
“This targeted approach resulted in a 600 per cent increase in ROI in the first month.”
If you are looking for a more structured and valuable campaign within Google Ads, our team has the ability to provide it.
Please reach out to our team – we’d be happy to help you with your Google Ads.
