Stop! Don't Make These Mistakes That Bleed PPC Campaigns of Money

Pay per click advertising requires a careful balance: you need to get your ads in front of enough people, but, you need to keep click costs from devouring your budget. To get the most out of your pay-per-click campaign, you need to make every penny count. That means carefully crafting your campaigns and getting your ads in front of the right people. If you are making these PPC mistakes, you are flushing money down the drain on worthless clicks:

1. Competing on the wrong keywords.

Are you trying to compete on broad, high-priced keywords? Not only are you spending too much per click, you are throwing too large a net. Why bid on "plastic surgery" when your target audience is looking for "reconstructive surgery in Miami"? Go with more sophisticated longtail keyword campaigns. Not only will you find less competition, you will get better results. Want to learn more? 

2. Sending visitors to the wrong page.

If you are sending visitors to your home page or contact page, you are losing sales. These pages rarely have the targeted text needed to convert visitors. Instead, create a targeted landing page with enticing copy and a clear call to action. This page should be simple. Describe what you are offering, then provide a clear call to action and an easy way for your visitor to complete the desired action. By making it easy for them to buy, sign up for a service or subscribe to a newsletter, you make it far more likely that they will follow through.

3. Failing to study analytics.

If you set up your ads and just let them go, you risk wasting money on clicks that don't convert. Successful pay-per-click campaigns require that you constantly reassess which keywords, headlines, ad text and landing pages convert well and which ones do not perform. Remember, PPC analysis is not just about keywords. Over time, you can improve your success by focusing on the most qualified traffic and the campaigns most likely to convert to sales.

4. Not using negative keywords.

To catch only the most qualified leads, you need to cut out the ones who don't fit your client profile. For instance, if your law office specializes in family law, you will want to eliminate people looking for DUI or estate lawyers. Negative keywords allow you to control which searchers see your ads, leading to more qualified clicks.

Every cent that goes to a click that doesn't convert is one that you don't have when the right person is searching for services like yours. Manage your PPC campaigns carefully to make your advertising budget go farther and improve your results. Check out our Simple Keyword Lesson on match-type and negative keywords to make sure you're targeting who you want to.