5 Ways to Fail Your Google Pay-per-click Ads

Google's pay-per-click (PPC) advertising product, AdWords, is the fastest way to advertise online. In fact, it's one of the top advertising products currently available. While the program is simple, it does require some expertise to fully understand. Using AdWords without the right information can be a costly mistake.

1. Your Google ads will fail if you put all the related keywords in one list.

A main goal for anyone using AdWords is to reach significant searchers and gain more Web site traffic. One mistake that many advertisers make is developing a long list of combinations of keywords without actually developing a few useful keywords.

Successful Google ads do not necessarily require a lengthy keyword list. When you create an AdWords campaign, try to avoid going "keywords crazy." Using generic keywords can cause a campaign to fail. For example, someone searching for a "BMW 3 series" will not enter search terms such as "truck" or "car." He or she will use an exact term.

Specifically defining the target market of a campaign will increase the success of that campaign. Moreover, combining the right keyword strategy with the right landing page is a key to success.

2. Your Google ads will fail if you have only one AdGroup.

Some advertisers not only place all keywords in a single list but they also put all keywords in one AdGroup. This is a mistake because it prevents advertisers from creating an advert that is relevant to the keywords. Even if an advertiser uses the dynamic keywords insertion (DKI), the keywords that are shown in the ad will not be 100% relevant to a searchers query.

In one AdGroup, more than one advert can be running, but only one advert from a single AdGroup will be shown at a time. Even though keywords are similar and an advertiser places them into the same AdGroup, every keyword can be searched by different types of searchers.

If an ad does not satisfy searchers queries, they will not click on it. Therefore, it is vital to place the right keywords in the right AdGroup. An AdGroup should show the correct ad and should be extremely relevant to the keywords.

3. Your Google ads will fail if you don't include keywords in the ad text.

Some advertisers don't put the keywords in the ad text. This is a mistake because it reduces the quality score . Additionally, the advertiser will have to pay Google more money for clicks because the ad text is not relevant. This will also deter people from reading the ad because it won't display the highlighted keywords. Google automatically highlights the keywords that appear in search results.

Including keywords in the ad text will draw more attention to that advertisement. This is a clear advantage over ads that do not include keywords in the text.

While the addition of keywords to ad text is important, advertisers should be careful not to go overboard with this. It is important to only use one or two keywords in an advertisement because too many keywords can confuse searchers.

Finally, advertisers should try to include keywords in the display URL. For example, using an address such as "http://xxx.com/this-is-keyword" could be beneficial. The display keyword does not have to be a real path or destination on your Web site. Google automatically highlights the keywords that appear in the display URL.

4. Your Google ads will fail if you don't have a converting landing page.

An advertising campaign will not be a success if the wrong landing page is in place. Many advertisers make this mistake, directing searchers from AdWords to their homepages rather than to pages related to the searchers' queries.

Searchers should be directed to the correct landing page that is related to their search, not to a homepage. The landing page should be optimized for the correct keywords and searchers. Providing searchers with exactly what they want on a landing page will likely lead them to purchase the products that they are seeking. If a landing page speaks directly to a searcher's question, he or she will be more likely to spend money.

5. Your Google ads will fail if you're not correctly tracking your AdWords campaign.

How can an advertiser know which keywords are producing money? Correctly tracking a campaign can reveal this information. One way to do this is to learn to use Google analytics. Carefully using this tool can save advertisers money. It offers information regarding searcher behaviors after they click on an AdWords advertisement. Adjusting a campaign based on this type of information can lead to greater success.

There is no need to pay Google for wrong or ineffective keywords. Even if some words seem relevant to a campaign, research can reveal that they are not bringing in revenues and that they should be removed.

Tracking competitors is another way to improve an AdWords campaign. Paying attention to the competition can be an important aspect of understanding what works in AdWords. Understanding how to research competitors is vital for advertisers using AdWords.

A successful AdWords campaign is about research, information, and improving the campaign accordingly. Avoiding these simple mistakes will help advertisers develop thriving campaigns.