Google Ads Mistakes To Avoid

Before we begin the article, we've got an awesome blog about why you need Google ads right here and we'd encourage you to take a look! It's especially important if you are in doubt as to whether to continue with you Google ads journey due to lack of success.

Just remember – you can't always be right 'first time', so if you're wrong make sure you learn from it. Mistakes give you valuable insight and keep you humble.

Conversion Testing

Starting off with a solid foundation is something we all need in every aspect of our life. Before you start trying to change all the elements of your ad, trying to get improved engagement – take a moment to check that you are set up for measuring and optimising conversions. If this isn't in place you'll b reducing your chances of getting that all important CRO.

So what is a conversion? In terms of SEO a conversion is based on the actions that people take on your platform. So, in the settings option you need to ensure that you have selected everything possible on your website, e.g. sale, form submission, newsletter sign-up, downloading an app. If you miss one of the key options you're not making the most of your ad. After all, the reason Google ads exists is to increase your sales and leads!

Keyword catastrophe!

As people who thrive on helping others succeed, this one really does make us want to shout from the roof tops! If you're taking the time to release an ad campaign, and you're paying for it... please carry out in-depth keyword research. If you need assistance with this side of things we would love to help you, take a look at what we can do for your business here.

Keywords are not something to guess at these days. Maybe 7 or so years ago you could get away with basic words and you'd still get your brand seen... not in 2021. You need to have training or an expert on your team who can keep up to date with Google, and really drill down into your website to make sure that at every point (photos, blogs etc) you are utilising the key words (ad words) correctly. Pear Digital offer this service, so if you're interested, give us a call!

Variety is the spice of life...

As a business manager you may look at advertising in a clear cut "will this work/won't this work" way. It's usual to draw on ads from the past and analyse what you think was most successful... however, what if we told you that it's an evolving platform? Google Ads are great because they are seen in a lot of places, this also means that you might not get it 'right' first time. It is always best to try a variety of styles, photos and videos and see what works best in which locations.

You will be using the same description and headline for your ad group, but finding that winning combination and then pairing it with the correct graphics does take time. The key is; don't be disheartened if an ad doesn't quite reach the desired target. Try again and get advice from people who know Google inside out.

If you don't add extensions, what do you expect?

The Google Ads of today have so many dimensions, you may accidentally over-look something that seems obvious to the outsider. Extensions. You have the opportunity to ad a customised 'extension' to your advert which allows traffic to be driven to a specific page on your website. Not only is this easier for the customer, making their journey with you hassle-free, it also allows you to potentially harness a higher conversion rate in the area that you desire.

As well as directing customers to dedicated pages on your site, you have another option which allows you to  present the person with an easy way to contact you. These are called 'call' extensions and mean that if the ad is viewed on a mobile device the person can simply click the ad, then click the phone number that appears and it will automatically start the process of calling the business. Industries such as vehicle rental,  beauty salons etc will find these very useful!

Love local, think global

Regional trends within Google Ads are very often ignored, or glossed over when it comes to discussing whether an ad campaign has been successful. At Pear Digital we're an advocate for supporting local businesses.  great way to do increase your CTR from an ad is to recognise where you're getting the most engagement. This could be as simple as realising that your nearest big city, say Birmingham, has had a large impact on your results, rather than looking at the UK as a whole.

You could have a mediocre ad campaign, and be scratching your head trying to work out what happened, yet when you look at the results you see Birmingham/mobile devices/Monday to Friday had an amazing uptake! This information should not just been grouped in with the final results, this is something you should analyse and maybe set a targetted campaign for this region rather than going national.

Whatever the campaign you choose to run, Pear Digital can help you get the best results for your budget. If you'd like to know more about our Google Ads services for Shopify click on the link, or scroll down to give us a call today!