The whole point of PPC (pay per click) advertising is to get people to your website and then get them to purchase or attend whatever you’re selling or promoting. Marketers make that promise to their clients every day. When done correctly, you can cut through the noise with a properly crafted strategy and get more attention for your event, service, or product. That’s when everything goes right.
The scary reality is that, in pursuit of their intended goal, a significant number of PPC projects fail when things go frighteningly wrong!
When Halloween rolls around every year, we think of ghosts and goblins, things that go bump in the night, the walking dead, witches, werewolves, and more. Equally chilling, however, are the following PPC mistakes. The mere thought of these make some marketers in today’s digital world sleep with their nightlight blazing.
Trick-Or-Treat Search Partners
You are running on a search partner’s network, whether you realize it or not, if you’re running search campaigns that are enabling all features! This includes YouTube, Google maps, AOL, and other non-Google search sites. This is not for display banner ads – it’s only for search text ads. Your campaign may gain extra exposure, but it may also increase your conversion costs and cost per click.
So, did you want a trick or a treat to be the result of your marketing efforts?
Dingdong Ditch Landing Page
Here is a crucial element: Where does the traffic from your PPC ads get sent?
When people see a service or add that interests them, they click on it. But what if, instead of being directed to your site, they are sent to the Twilight Zone? There is no specific call to action on the landing page! To the advertised service or product, there is no direct link!
Don’t let the leads so interested in what you’re offering search endlessly, wandering around like zombies. Offer a clear path to conversion by creating keyword-tailored landing pages.
And speaking of zombies…
Walking Dead Content
Copy should draw attention– not bore your readers to death. When you rely too heavily on keyword insertion, you can end up with unimaginative, brainless ad writing. Try inserting a call to action or using a crafty, catchy headline. It only takes a few extra minutes. Don’t be a fraidy cat! To entice visitors to your site, highlight specials or sales. Make your ads striking!
I See Dead Words
To drive traffic to your website, you set up the perfect campaign. You spent hour after hour doing it. Initially, the thrill of hitting Launch was exhilarating. You got to watch all your efforts pay off. But…
When was the last time you checked your account? Last month? Last week? Today? Did you forget about it after setting it? Is traffic no longer being generated because of old, dead keywords. Or, are conversion-less click costs being generated by your keywords?
These budget sucking keywords must be banished. On your ad spend, you need a positive return. At a price capable of accomplishing that, your terms must do their job of converting. Your mission: Take keywords with low quality scores, or those that aren’t converting, and kill them! Put a wooden stake through them – or a slash – and continue on your plight.
Dawn of the Dead Search
This is less about which search options are dead and more about which are currently alive, well, and thriving. By 47%, mobile search grew in 2014 – and continues to grow exponentially. Not using it to your full advantage is like grabbing the last Kit Kat from the bowl of Halloween candy – and then not eating it.
What – a – waste!
To make sure that mobile devices can display your ads, there are several things you can do. Here’s a quick list to check off:
- Call Extensions Catering to Mobile Device Searchers: Users can call you with one click, because your phone number will be included in ads, through “call extensions”. To make business calling even simpler for mobile phone users, just recently, Google released call-only adds.
- Mobile Bid Adjustments – Decreasing Or Increasing Your Bids: 75% of clicks are achieved by the top ad position. For mobile devices, check your average position by going to the Devices Tab in your Campaign Settings. To decrease or increase your bids as needed, use Bid Adjustments.
- Mobile Formatted Ads For People Who Search With Their Mobile Devices: For viewing on mobile devices, to get a preview of your ad, check the “Mobile Device Preference” box when creating a new ad. This would make sure that your ads are formatted for people searching on their mobile device.
You’ll be slowly and tortuously killing your campaign if you avoid mobile traffic!
Haunted Paid Search Accounts
In the digital realm, the monsters you see on TV have true counterparts. They aren’t just a work of fiction! They wait for the right time to strike, lurking in the shadows. Don’t face these scary beasts on your own if your paid search account resembles a horror story by Stephen King! There is somewhere you can turn.
Protect Yourself From PPC Frights and Chills
Don’t fall prey to the daunting PPC mistakes described above! Neither should you be afraid to utilize this valuable advertising tool. With the right marketing agency, one who uses proven PPC marketing to kickstart your business, you can boost your sales, decrease your costs, and use technology and data for all it’s worth. Avoid the pitfalls of deadly PPC fails with the leading PPC management agency – SmartSites.
