How to Avoid Common Pitfalls in Your Pay-Per-Click Campaigns?
Pay-per-click can either gain phenomenal results or no results at all. There are some companies which have grown their business with this type of marketing. On the other hand, there are many who have wasted millions without increasing traffic. They made certain mistakes and were not able to tap full potential of PPC. In this post, we will discuss those common pitfalls and how to avoid them in your PPC campaign.
1. Unnecessary Focus on CPL
You would probably think that CPL is the main metric to measure the success of your campaign. That’s why you have to keep an eye on it. However, this approach is not relevant in current online marketing. Instead of optimizing your PPC for clicks, you have to work on conversion rates. CPL should be used as an indicator, not as the measure of success. It does not guarantee profit.
The Solution
You have to connect your PPC data with your core goal. You should know which ad is creating the highest ROI, which keywords have the minimum cost-per-sale and which search terms are more productive. This type of tracking can be done with CRMs like Infusionsoft, Salesforce, Marketo, etc.
2. Excessive Use of Keywords
Online marketing researches have shown that only 12% keywords of any campaign produce all of its sales. However, the other 88% keywords are eating 61% of total PPC cost. Most companies spend on extra keywords to get more sales but it’s not worth it.
The Solution
First you have to avoid broad match approach. Then you have to identify which search terms and keywords are consuming your most of the budget. You can easily create such report by following these steps:
- Go to your AdWords account
- Click on Keywords tab
- Then click on Search Terms
- Create a filer ”Conversions <1”
This report will enable you to focus on high-performing keywords which will eventually lead to higher conversion rates.
3. Low Biddings
Most PPC mangers tend to gradually increase their biddings for saving money. But this approach is counter-productive as you will end up losing money on poor-performing keywords. You have to know which of your keywords are performing well in minimum time so you can invest in these.
The Solution
You have to start bidding high so you can acquire the pay-per-click data you need. However, it will only work if landing pages, ad copy and keywords convey a compelling message. This testing phase will establish viability of your campaign. Once you have determined that your campaign is effective, you can cut your cost and target profits.
4. No Call Tracking
Companies which are using lead generation campaigns; the most important source of sales is phone calls. However, despite of this importance, majority of these companies don’t track calls effectively. You will never know which channels are boosting sales and which campaign is profitable.
The Solution
There are number of ways to implement call tracking like using a forwarding number in ad copy and add a code in your site. Also you can use call tracking platforms such as Five9 or Call Tracking Metrics.
5. Ordinary Ad Copy
You may have noticed that all pay-per-click ads for a search term involve around a single theme. However, with this approach you are never going to be noticed by the audience. You have to stand out from your competitors otherwise your costs will not generate any revenue.
The Solution
For eliminating this pitfall, you have to target the solution your product or service is going to offer. Your ad copy should directly refer to that solution or utility. You will find many ways to focus on that pain point. Consumers like those companies who know their problems and ready to solve them.
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