23/10/24 2 Minute Read

2 minute read

5 common Google Ads mistakes and how to fix them

5-common-google-ads-mistakes 5-common-google-ads-mistakes

When it comes to Google Ads, it’s easy to feel like you’re constantly throwing money into the digital void without seeing the results you expect. Whether you’re a seasoned marketer or a business owner trying to get your head around the basics, managing your pay-per-click (PPC) ads can sometimes feel like a losing battle. From choosing the right keywords to allocating budgets, there are plenty of opportunities to get confused and steer off the path.
But don’t worry; most of the common mistakes businesses make are easily fixable once you know what to look out for. We’re search marketing specialists at 21Digital, and as of this month, we now have over 21 years of experience. We’ve been successfully managing Google Ads accounts on behalf of our clients for years, and in our expert opinion, here are the mistakes we see people making most often and how to avoid them.

wasting-money
wasting-money

1. Wasting money on unsuccessful products or keywords

It’s not uncommon for businesses to find themselves pouring money into ads for products that just aren’t moving or targeting keywords that fail to convert into sales. For instance, imagine you’re running a campaign for a new product, and despite your efforts, very few people are clicking on those ads, let alone making a purchase. Instead of continuing to invest in these ineffective ads, it’s much smarter to take a step back and focus on the campaigns that are actually performing well.
If you have another product that’s flying off the shelves, why not allocate more budget and resources to that? By cutting back on the underperforming ads, you can reallocate that budget to the winning campaigns so you can get better results without wasting precious funds. In the long run, this strategic approach can lead to more engagement and a higher return on your advertising investment!

poor-quality-ads
poor-quality-ads

2. Poor quality Ads

Creating effective ads isn’t just about getting them out in the world; it all means nothing if they don’t meet Google’s quality standards. Google uses a rating system for your ads, which impacts how much you pay and how often your ads show up. And you guessed it, the better the ad, the higher your chances.

For keywords, Google gives a Quality Score from 1 to 10. A higher score means your ad is more relevant and likely to attract clicks. To boost your score, make sure your ads are catchy and lead to a user-friendly landing page. If you don’t pay attention to this, you could end up spending more budget for fewer results.

For Shopping ads, Google looks at the quality of your product listings in its Merchant Center. High-quality images are crucial since these ads rely heavily on visuals. Make sure you use a mix of product images and lifestyle shots. What’s more, your product titles should fully use the available 150 characters to include important keywords.

You also need to categorise your products correctly. Using the right Google product category helps Google understand what you’re selling, making it more likely that your ads reach the right customers. Details like product type and highlights can further enhance your ads, giving customers more reasons to click.
In short, it’s worth taking the time to focus on the quality of your ads because it can lead to better performance and lower costs.

low-budgets
low-budgets

3. Low budgets for successful campaigns

If you have campaigns that are generating a good return on investment (ROI), it’s time to consider increasing their budgets! If a particular product is really resonating with your customers and driving sales, why not give it the resources it needs to grow even more? By increasing the budget for these campaigns, you could reach even more potential customers who are interested in what you have to offer. A little extra funding can go a long way in maximising your returns and ensuring your successful products get the attention they deserve!

innacurate-tracking
innacurate-tracking

4. Inaccurate Tracking

Tracking helps you understand what is and isn’t working in your ad campaigns, but if it’s not set up correctly, you’re essentially flying blind. If tracking isn’t fully implemented or is only set to capture a few actions (like phone calls), you’re missing out on a significant chunk of valuable data. And it’s this data that helps build the bigger picture that determines your next move.

Without tracking the whole picture that comes from form submissions, purchases, and other key actions, it’s hard to know which ads are driving results. You might spend a lot on ads that seem to perform, but without accurate data, you don’t really know what’s bringing in sales or leads.

If your ad leads someone to your website and they buy something, but that purchase isn’t being tracked, you have no way of knowing that the ad worked. As a result, you might make decisions based on incomplete data—like cutting the budget on an ad that’s actually performing well, or worse, spending more on one that isn’t.

Setting up proper tracking ensures you have a clear view of what’s happening so you can make informed decisions and get the best return on your ad spend.

overspending-on-brand-names
overspending-on-brand-names

5. Overspending on brand names

Ads for your brand name usually perform the best because people searching for your brand are already interested in your products or services. It’s like they’ve already made up their minds and are just looking to find you. As a result, these branded ads tend to convert better (meaning they lead to more sales or sign-ups) compared to non-branded ads.
However, it’s important to be strategic. While branded ads are effective, they should have higher return on ad spend (ROAS) targets because they’re easier to convert. If you treat branded and non-branded campaigns the same, you might be spending more than necessary on ads that don’t need as much budget to perform well.
By setting higher performance targets for your branded campaigns, you make sure that you’re getting the most out of your ad budget and not overspending on something that’s already working.

If you find these mistakes all too familiar and would rather focus on other areas of your business, that’s where we can help. Let us take the ever changing world of Google Ads off your hands, so you can concentrate on other elements of your business!

We’re a multi-award-winning agency here at 21Digital, specialising in lead generation and e-commerce. But that’s not all we do! We provide a range of digital marketing services, including web development, SEO, SEO, Google Ads, digital consultancy, social media marketing, and email marketing. Want to find out more about what we can do for you? Give us a call, and let’s talk!

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