PPC is among the best internet marketing tools to use. It is very effective in generating traffic and increasing conversion. PPC can also be used for a wide range of other purposes, including creating awareness and generating direct sales. It all depends on the goals you are trying to achieve and how you formulate your PPC campaign.
Unfortunately, there are still a few common mistakes even an experienced ad manager makes when using PPC to advertise products and services. In this article, we are going to take a look at those common PPC mistakes and how you can avoid them.
The 3 Most Common PPC Mistakes You Will Likely Make
Ignoring Mobile Traffic
Just as the internet shifts towards mobile devices (and mobile users), internet marketing does too. This includes PPC advertising. There are a lot of great advertising networks and PPC platforms that allow you to reach mobile users effectively. Ignoring mobile traffic is one of the costliest – and most common – mistakes to make when formulating a PPC campaign.
Instead of using desktop-centric ads for mobile devices, you should actually create a separate PPC campaign for mobile users. This means creating a different call to action and setting up mobile-preferred ads to reach more smartphone users. Small differences can have a huge impact.
For instance, switching from the word “click’ to “tap” in your call to action is enough to attract more taps by mobile users.
Bad Keyword Targeting
Keywords are the heart of every PPC campaigns. Selecting the right set of keywords is everything. It determines whether your PPC campaign is a success or a complete waste of money. There are actually several quite common mistakes related to keyword targeting.
The most common one is the use of broad keywords. Overly broad keywords mean you’re competing with thousands – if not millions – of other ads (and products) for the same untargeted market. There is no guarantee that your ads will be seen by the right, potential customers.
Another common mistake is the lack of negative keywords. In fact, recent research suggests that over 20% of AdWords accounts don’t really use negative keywords at all. You can actually use negative keywords to filter out unwanted placements. It is a great way to improve your conversion and return on investment when running a PPC campaign. Avoid committing this common PPC mistake and your marketing effort will skyrocket by going over the roof overnight.
Bad User Experience
Sometimes, the worst mistake in a PPC campaign doesn’t lie in the campaign itself. One of the worst and most common mistakes you can make when using paid media marketing is directing users to a bad landing page. Bad landing page experience will ruin everything. It hurts your conversion rate (and of course your bottom line) and it will render the entire marketing campaign nearly useless. Be sure to set up a landing page that works. More importantly, make sure users can find the information they need and make purchases as smoothly and easily as possible.
Avoid making these common PPC marketing mistakes and you will see a nice jump in ROI from your PPC campaigns. The same tips and principles can be applied to other parts of your internet marketing efforts too, so get started right away and start fixing them.
