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. 

Ad Trial

Hi readers! I created an AdWord's ad for the homepage of the RGB exchange a few days ago and it was reviewed and approved by Google. The ad has been running for one day and received many impressions and a few clicks. I thought it would be interesting to share data that was gathered in only a day! When you enter your AdWords account, this is how the overview will appear:

As you can see, there were 282 impressions and 6 clicks that cost me 79 cents each, and $4.75 in total. Each line represents clicks and impressions. All ad groups are represented in this overview graph. So, in my case, there is only one ad group: Green Exchange and only one ad represented. 

These next graphs are also helpful. They display the keywords I chose for the ad and the clicks that were triggered by the keyword. As you can see, most of the keywords I  chose did not result in any clicks. This may mean I have to reevaluate my keywords as they may not be effective. Since the keyword "stock market" is very general, it is likely that those users are not interested in my website. Thus, although it garnered clicks, they may not prove fruitful. However, it has only been one day so nothing is certain yet. The chart titled " searches"  includes keywords real people are currently actively using that are related to my keywords. They are sort of like suggestions although they may not always be entirely applicable.

The bottom of the dashboard shows the devices people clicked my ad on. It seems it is almost all through mobile devices. This also reiterates why having mobile-friendly landing pages are extremely important. The graph next to this called "Day and Hour" shows the time clicks occurred. This data is helpful because by looking at trends you can adjust bids and targeting accordingly. 

Overall, as you can see, it is super beneficial to run trial ads even if they cost a bit of money. It is definitely worth it because you often learn the most from trial and error. And of course, practice makes perfect, and so I plan on continuing to improve and run similar ads. Although this was just a single day's data, it reflects what aggregate will otherwise look like.

Display Network

Have you ever seen ads on the side and upper panels of a website you were surfing? Do they sometimes reflect the website you were just for a while before? This marketing technique is apart of Google's Display Network that I will be elaborating on this week. The display network is essentially over a million apps, videos, websites, and blogs that display AdWords ads. Here are some larger companies that are part of the display network. If surfing on these sites, ads are sure to be seen.

  

Making an AdWords ad for its display network is not too different from the search engine advertising. You can use the same keywords used in a search network ad for the display network. So for example, you have a vegan food line and you notice your audience often searches for vegan recipes. Vegan recipes would be a good keyword to trigger your ad on the display network. In addition to keywords, you can choose topics that if related to a website or video, the ad will appear. For example, if you choose healthy recipes or fitness videos then your vegan food line ad will play before videos of this topic. The goal of display network campaigns is usually for brand exposure as well as clicks. Below is a common example of how the display network looks on host websites. This dynamic is a win-win situation because host websites get paid for letting AdWords ad appear, and the companies displaying the ads get an advertisement space.

Why Choose AdWords in the First Place?

Hello Everyone! Today,  I am going to take it back and discuss why investing in AdWords is a good idea. After doing some research, I came across this blog post, that really summarizes the benefits accurately. Adwords is important because they help small and large companies around the world gain exposure on the internet. This exposure is basically marketing to consumers surfing the web or looking to meet specific needs. In an age where the internet is the most formidable platform in the marketing industry, it is extremely important to understand search engines and how to market through them. Today, this is the easiest and most direct way to consumers. That being said, these are a few reasons why Google AdWords is specifically a great starting point:

1. AdWords is budget friendly. Smaller companies that are willing to spend less on advertising can do so, while larger companies can spend more and have more campaigns. In this way, AdWords is easily scalable to fit the needs of each company.

2. Adwords is highly trackable. Google tracks all the data from campaigns and this allows constant improvement in advertising. Traditional methods like commercials are less measurable and thus lead to difficult-to-understand results.
3. AdWords is faster and easier than search engine optimization, another search engine technique. This is because AdWords is easier to learn and results are near immediate. SEO works to garner search results organically, while SEM is more of paid advertisement. 

The image below summarises the benefits of AdWords or PPC, pay-per-click over other methods.

Getting Certified

The Adwords Certification is a great skill to list on a resume or LinkedIn page, as search engine marketing skills are increasingly in demand with employers.  The certification consists of passing two, 100 question, exams. The first being the Adwords Fundamentals and the second can be chosen from Search, Display, Video, Shopping, or Mobile Advertising. Passing the tests requires some dedication and time, but it is definitelyy worth it! 

The first step is to become partners with Google. Thereafter, on the side panel under "certifications", click Adwords. All six exams are located on this page and can be taken at any time. There are study guides for all the exams as well. However, personally, the greatest tool to passing these exams is to take the Adversting Online Course. These courses are new additions to Google's study kit. The lessons are fun, colorful, and interactive. They actually make studying extremely engaging. Each lesson is about 5-10 minutes long and involves review questions at the end to test what you have learned. To access these courses, first, choose the exam you are looking to take. Then under the "Study for this exam" heading and before the actual study guide is a bolded link, like so:

I've taken a screenshot of the lesson entitled, "Drive results with the Display Network". This lesson takes about 6 minutes to complete. Like other lessons, it involves a brief introduction, lesson, checkpoint, "make it stick" review questions and a recap at the end. This reiteration of the material helps me understand and retain the information.  Here is a portion of the lesson:

As you can see, Google has tried to make the course as interactive as possible. In total every course has under 20 of such lessons. There is also a practice test that can be taken to ensure readiness for the actual- full-length exam. 

From personal experience, I would recommend completing 3 of such lessons a day. The lessons that are harder to understand, should be supplemented by reading over the corresponding study guide. With this method, preparing for and then passing 2 of the AdWord certification exams will take 2 weeks. This is a great way to studying without pressure, time consumption, and cramming. 

I wish anyone who seeks to become certified, good luck! You can do it!