Google AdWords Mistakes

It’s entirely possible for a company – whether small, medium, or large – to operate their own Google AdWords campaign. This isn’t something you’ll hear from many Internet marketing companies, especially since we make our bread and butter by taking this sort of work off of your hands.

But, the reality is, as long as you have the time resources to learn all there is to learn (and there is a lot) about Google AdWords and how to monitor your performance, you can do it on your own. However, the path is fraught with pitfalls that could end up costing you more money than the business you bring in.

Tip #1: Develop an Ad That’s “Just Right”

Thankfully, Google AdWords doesn’t give you the option of having flashy banner to promote your company – and let’s hope it stays that way. Right now, all a customer sees is some hyperlinked text and a few words about your products or services. When you go about determining exactly what your ad will say, it’s absolutely critical to say the most with the least amount of words and keystrokes. If it’s taking you too many words to get your message out then you need to take a closer, more focused look at your exact customer message.

It’s important to be concise, but if you’re too brief you might just leave a viewer with a bit of confusion about exactly who you are and what you offer. Keep it brief, but leave no mystery about your company’s identity. Remember, you’re charged for every click-through, even if the customer immediately closes your website upon reaching it. Better to appeal to someone who’s really looking for your services than to trick someone with misleading ad copy.

Tip #2: Pick Your Keywords Carefully

One of the biggest mistakes you can make is to put little thought into the keywords you choose for your ad. These are the words that will determine when and where your ad appears after a certain Google search, and although you might think that having hundreds of keywords about various topics would help you, it’ll actually accomplish the opposite. The more relevant your keywords are, the higher your quality score will be. The higher your quality score, the less money you end up paying Google for every click on your ad.

By using keywords that are totally irrelevant to your services – or that give people the wrong impression about your company – accomplishes nothing. If you pique their curiosity, they may click on your ad but once they reach your website they’re very unlikely to actually do business with you. In this scenario, you end up paying through the nose for uninterested parties to click your ads and bring you absolutely zero interest.

Tip #3: Have a Dedicated Landing Page

Another common error made by new Google AdWords users is to direct interested parties to the main page of their website. However, if you’re a company that offers several different services, this can be confusing to the consumer who just wants to find out more information about the ad he or she just viewed. For example, if you’re running an ad on Google telling potential customers they can get 20 percent off auto body detail, create a dedicated landing page that will drive them to the section of your website that discusses this offer. Taking them to a general overview page of your business and forcing the customer to look around for the information they want is like holding the door open for someone who’s just entered so they can exit quickly.

In order to avoid some of these errors and get your Google AdWords campaign off to a flying start, consider contacting a third party company like Albuquerque Internet Marketing to run it for you. By doing so, you can assure that you’re getting the maximum bang for your buck, putting every penny of your advertising budget to positive use instead of throwing money down the drain in a costly trial-and-error learning period.