AdWords Mistakes

 Now that we know basics about how to use AdWords, it is equally important to know how to not use it. Misusing AdWords can be the reason why some campaigns are not successful. Here are some common mistakes that can hinder an AdWords campaign:

• Not using the same keywords in your actual ad. This may seem redundant, but it is sure to get clicks. As simple as it seems, people do like to see what they search in an ad.
• Not utilizing the experiments feature. This feature allows you to run possible scenarios to test out an ad before going live. Running experiments can test aspects like bids and landing pages. You can isolate variables and track changes to determine choices. Ultimately, it saves a ton of money by helping you make a better decision.
• Not using ad extensions (or having extensions that do not work). Ad extensions attract clicks from users and encourages action. Failure to use them could be a serious reason as to why clicks are low.
• Having no negative keywords. Negative keywords are super important because they help you attract the right target market. This way, you avoid paying for clicks from people who were never interested in the first place. Negative keywords help the quality and accuracy of the ad. 
• Lack of a good bidding strategy. It is especially important to understand bids and how they work in the industry your ads are in. Also, important to take into consideration the ROI when setting up high bids - as required in come competitive industries. 

Below are some other examples of mistakes to avoid:

Remarketing

Hello there! Have you ever visited a shopping site, and saw that site's ad on the banner of a Youtube video later that day? It can be a bit freaky as to how the internet knows and tracks what sites you visit. This technique is called remarketing and it is quite effective. Instead of advertising to people that may or not be interested in the content a company provides, it makes more sense to advertise to people that have shown previous interest. This way a company can more precisely capture their target market and spend advertising money on quality clicks. Here are some tips to improve remarketing campaigns:

• Always utilize dynamic remarketing, instead of static remarketing. Dynamic remarketing is known to provide more conversions over time. Dynamic remarketing is more personal because it provided personalized product information to the viewer and thus is more effective, even if these ads take longer to set up.
• Youtube. Youtube is a great platform for remarketing ads. Youtube has a wide audience so it is easy to find the appropriate target market. Also, Youtube ads are easy to set up and if clicked to skip, the impression is not to be paid for!
• Be sure to use Google Analytics to view remarketing lists. You can create remarketing lists with most metrics. For example, shoe shoppers that visited your site in the past 30 days. AdWords will automatically create identical lists like these that allow you to target different audiences. 
• Lastly, it is a good idea to use email lists to create remarketing lists. People that signed up for promotional emails are a great place to advertise to. This is because not only did they just visit the site, but they are also very interested in the products offered. You use Google URL Builder to set up this list.

Maximizing Conversions

Hello! Today, I wanted to share some tips on how to maximize conversions. Getting plenty of clicks is definitely step one but that does not necessarily translate to tangible business progress that conversions provide. Ultimately, it usually is more important to maximize on conversions even if that means less clicks. A successful conversions campaigns means your ad is hitting your target audience really well. At the end of the day, it comes down to quality over quantity. 

Firstly, using geotargeting is extremely beneficial. Using negative bids on areas that your target market is not located in will allow you to spend less on the wrong target and more on the right market. For example, if your ad is promoting a personal heating device, it may not make sense to promote the ad universally across the nation. Instead, it is wiser to avoid places in the south, where the temperatures are already warm and people are unlikely to buy the product. This way you can spend more on marketing the ad to people in the east coast or in the Midwest  where temperatures are colder an thus home to the ideal target market.

Next, it is also very crucial to make all ads optimized for mobile devices. Many people use their cellphones to surf the web. Mobile use is the most probable way people will see ads. Therefore, it is imperative to have a landing page and ad that is firstly mobile friendly. Look at historic data and see what platform your audience is using. It will likely be mobile and if it is create a new ad that is solely for mobile optimization. 

Another tip is to not use the home page as your landing page. The home page typically contains general information that is not specifically catered towards a certain target market, thus resulting in less conversions. Instead, try to match your landing page's material with the content on your add. This will boost your quality score by making the ad more relevant. For example, if you have a makeup brand and place an ad about lipsticks, it is wiser to make the landing page one on lip product sales verses the generic home page  that does not have immediate appeal (to the clicker of the ad on lips). 

Other ways to maximize conversions is to specify keywords and use negative keywords to avoid the wrong target market from viewing the ad. Also, putting the keyword in the landing page URL will help make the ad more relevant to your site. Lastly, focus on improving ad rank. This means work to increase bids and quality score so that your ad appears closer to the top of the page and before competitors.