Why Google Ads isn’t working for your business
As the world relies on the internet for virtually everything, Google Ads has undoubtedly become one of the most popular online platforms for generating interest in goods and services. It gives businesses tons of great ways to market themselves online and reach out to a larger audience.
How Do They Work?
Google offers advertisements that appear in their search results with the use of Google Ads. These Ads work on an auction system, whereby advertisers bid on specific keywords that are relevant to their business. They then have a chance to display their adverts to online users who search those keywords on Google.
There’s no denying that Google Ads has completely revolutionised the way business is promoted online. While the process sounds as simple as creating a campaign, adding some keywords, and having some punchy ads, various complexities of Google Ads can leave your campaigns with flaws, leading to a huge loss in precious advertising money. Chances are you aren’t using the tool correctly. Before you brush it off, here are some of the reasons this successful tool isn’t working for your business:
Focusing On the Short Tail Keywords
You’ll be required to decide what keywords your ad should display for. It may be tempting to go for the short tail keywords; after all, they produce more searches. Such high attention can, however, lead to a low conversion rate or high bounce rate. On the other hand, long tail keywords are more narrowly defined and more descriptive, which makes them less competitive and offers a better chance of converting your audience. An example of:
- Short tail keyword: Men’s shoes
- Long tail keyword: Nike running shoes for men
Failing To Monitor, Test and Adjust
There’s a lot that can happen to your Ads campaign while you’re not looking: a competitor could ramp them up, they might fall off the first page, plus, digital trends change every time. Letting your Ads run on autopilot will hinder you from getting the full benefit of Google Ads campaigns. You need to stay on top of everything and make the necessary changes to keep your Ad campaigns up-to-date. With that being said, avoid making changes too frequently or unnecessarily as it doesn’t give your campaigns enough time to get off the ground and achieve statistical significance.
Price
Your competitors may offer better products at lower prices, value propositions, and much more, in a bid to gain traction over you. Just because you are converting less than before doesn’t mean Google Ads isn’t for you. Be sure to keep an eye on your competitors and request/survey feedback from your followers to gain more insights into the industry.
Not Retargeting
The average conversion rate in Google Ads across all industries is between 0.05% and 5%. This only shows that there are many clicks that are lost. Let’s say, a potential customer searches for something and lands on your page but then decides not to purchase your product or service. It’s a click wasted, right? But with regular retargeting, you are constantly using one message, which has a much higher chance of converting that click to purchase. If you have a blog, you can also retarget your visitors with new future content.
Poor Ad Scheduling
The primary goal of using Google Ads is to reach as many people as possible. This can be hindered, killing your campaign performance if:
- Your schedule is too tight, meaning your ads are only shown for a short period of time
- Negative bid adjustments occur at the time your ads are scheduled to run
- Your ads are shown when your target market isn’t searching
No Negative Keywords
Google processes millions of keywords every day. Compiling a list of negative keywords helps to exclude searches that aren’t a good match for your product or service. After all, you are just wasting money if your ads are showing in irrelevant searches as users are less likely to buy from you.
Targeting the Wrong Audience
Having an audience is the first step to reaching out to potential customers. Google Ads requires you to have a certain number of followers before ads can run. This doesn’t mean you should target people who won’t even be beneficial to your business. For instance, if you are a local business serving a particular area, it doesn’t make sense to have your ads shown to people outside that area.
Poor Quality Website
People lead busy lives and don’t have time to search your site for what they need. Your potential customers already know exactly what they want from the minute they search on Google. If they click on your ad, they expect to go straight to the product or service without further navigation. If your ads lead to an index or home page, chances are they’ll leave and go to your competitor. This results in a wasted click, no sale, reduced quality score, and an increased bounce rate on your site. Ensure your ads connect your visitors to exactly what they need, and that your website is user-friendly.
Once you’ve done all the above, it’s best to give it time. First of all, Google will have to review your keywords and ad text before approving them, which can take up to five days. It also takes time to build an audience and for clicks to convert to earnings. I must say though; Google Ads is not ideal for every business. Maybe there just aren’t many people searching for your products or services online. If that’s the case, it would be best to try other marketing strategies.
Did you enjoy this post?
Sign up to our newsletter to receive the latest articles, direct to your inbox.
