In the field of digital marketing, Google Ads remains a highly valuable tool for companies seeking to enhance their visibility among active users. Campaigns on Google’s Search Network offer increased conversion opportunities, tanks to their access to qualified and engaged audiences. However, despite its power and extensive reach, navigating Google Ads Search Network can be challenging without a clear strategy and understanding of its features.
In this article, Ursa explores 5 mistakes to avoid on Google Ads Search Network. Whether you are a beginner or experienced, our advice will help you navigate through this ever-changing universe more effectively.
1. Target All of Your Keywords in Broad Match
Using broad match keywords in your Google Ads campaigns may seem like a good strategy to maximize the reach of your ads. However, this may cause some problems!
Broad match keywords trigger your ads for queries containing spelling errors, synonyms, or related searches. While this can increase impressions and clicks, it doesn’t always translate into conversions.
By exclusively targeting broad match keywords, you risk spending your budget on queries that may not accurately represent your offer or products. To optimize your budget, it is important to target your keywords more precisely. This ensures that users clicking on your ads are genuinely seeking what you offer.
Instead, opt for exact expression or exact keyword targeting to better control how your ad is displayed.
- Phrase match: Ads with phrase match keywords will appear for queries containing your exact expression (or a close variant) with additional keywords before or after. For example, if you target the phrase match keyword “roofing company”, your ad will also be displayed for queries such as “price roofing company” or “roofing company st-jean”.
- Exact match: Ads with exact keywords match will appear for queries that exactly match your keyword or a close variant with the same meaning. For example, if you target the exact keyword “roofing company”, your ad will appear for queries such as “roofing company” but not for queries such as “price company roofing” or “roofing company st-jean”, as these terms do not precisely match the intended meaning
2. Use Multilingual in Your Campaigns
Using multiple languages in a Google Ads campaign is not an optimal practice for delivering a clear message as an advertiser. The best approach to ensure that your ads resonate with the intended audience is to target a specific language for each campaign. Language is defined at the campaign level; therefore, consider creating separate campaigns for each language. For example, you might have a francophone campaign and an anglophone campaign if you want to promote a single service in two different languages.
Tailor your ad texts and keywords to the local preferences of each target market. What may work effectively in one language may not necessarily produce the same results in another.
By targeting only one language per campaign, you will present a fair and more coherent message to the targeted audience. This approach prevents displaying ads in English to someone searching in French, and vice versa.
Maximize the performance of your campaigns and make sure you present a clear message by adopting this strategy!
3. Not Using the Assets
Neglecting assets in Google Ads can result in smaller and less attractive ads compared to competitors, leading to fewer clicks and conversions.
- Sitelinks: Sitelinks allows you to highlight specific pages of your website, directing users to relevant URLs. You can add sitelinks at the account, campaign, or ad group level.
- Call extensions: Including phone numbers in your ads through call extensions significantly boosts click-through rates. When your call extensions appear, users can click or press a button to call you directly. Note that calls can be easily tracked by setting up follow-up measures to gauge the extension’s impact on the campaign.
- Callout assets: Highlight your benefits or value propositions with callout assets to achieve better results. These benefits should emphasize what differentiates you from competitors, such as a free quote, delivery included or an eco-responsible service).
- Company name and logo: Include your company name and logo in your ad assets at your account level. This will improve the visibility and recognition of your brand in the ads you serve.
Explore all available assets directly in the Google Ads documentation.
4. Neglecting Tracking Conversions
Conversion tracking is essential for measuring the ROI of your digital marketing campaigns on Google Ads. Failing to set up conversion tracking can make it challenging to understand which campaigns and keywords are driving results.
- Purchase tracking: If you have an online store, setting up your purchase tracking on Google Ads will allow you to track the actual impact of your campaigns.
- Form submission tracking: For service-based companies with online contact or submission forms, make sure to set up the tracking for these conversions.
- Call tracking: If you offer services and consider phone calls as a conversion, think about adding a call extension to your ads and implementing call conversion tracking on your website.
Without proper tracking, effectively allocating your budget, investing in high-converting channels, and adjusting your strategy based on real results become difficult, if not impossible.
5. Ignoring Campaign Optimization Practices
Optimization is a key factor in the success of your campaigns. Without regular monitoring, you may see campaigns underperforming without understanding the reason behind it.
- Negative keywords: Regularly review the search terms triggering your ads to identify irrelevant terms.Exclude search terms that are not relevant to your offer from your campaigns or ad group. This will prevent these keywords from triggering your ad.
- Keyword optimization: Monitor the performance of your keywords and adjust them accordingly. Pause low-performing keywords that do not align with your goals.
- Target refinement: Refine your targeting to reach the most relevant audience for your business. Use targeting options such as location, language, device, demographics, etc. Avoid targeting locations outside your service or product delivery area.
By carefully avoiding these 5 common mistakes in your digital marketing campaigns on Google Ads, you will increase their effectiveness and performance. By targeting keywords and languages more precisely and optimizing your campaigns regularly, you will put all the chances on your side for the success of your advertising campaigns on the Google Ads Search Network!