Running a successful PPC campaign is tough. Before you run an ad on Google Ads, Bing Ads, Paid Social, Amazon or YouTube, it’s important to have a clear goal in mind. What do you want to achieve with your campaign — website traffic, generate leads, or drive sales?
Many people who say that PPC doesn’t work are the ones who are making mistakes with their campaigns. They might be using the wrong keywords, setting their bids too high or too low, or not tracking their results.
Here are some of the most common PPC mistakes that eCommerce brands make:
Lack of Clear Strategy
Before you start any PPC campaign, it’s important to have a clear picture of your goal. What are your business goals, marketing goals and how can your PPC ads help contribute to other goals? Once you know your goal, you can tailor your campaign accordingly. Map the customer journey and work backwards to get maximum benefit.
- Goal achieved
- Landing page with clear CTA and offer
- Creative ad with compelling copy
- Right target keywords
- Target geography
- Customer needs and profile
Not Using Negative Keywords
Negative keywords are words or phrases that you don’t want your ads to show up for. For example, if you sell shoes, you might want to add the negative keyword “free” and “cheap” to your campaign. This will ensure your ad doesn’t show up for searches like “free shoes or cheap shoes”. This quick fix helps save your budget and also boosts your Quality Score and Ad Rank.
Incorrect Targeting
When you’re setting up your PPC campaigns, it’s important to target the right audience. This means targeting people who are likely to be interested in your products or services. You can do this by using demographics, interests, and “serving ads to those interested in my location”.
Not Optimising Your Landing Pages
Landing pages are crucial for converting clicks into customers. They should be clear, concise, and persuasive. If your landing pages are not effective, you will lose customers and waste money on ads. Make sure you have a clear CTA: Do you want them to sign up for your email list, download a free ebook, or make a purchase?
Make sure your landing pages are:
- Fast loading: People don’t have time to wait for slow pages.
- Clear and engaging: People should know what you're offering and why they should care.
- Optimised: Make sure your landing pages are relevant to the keywords you're bidding on.
- Have a strong CTA: Tell people what you want them to do, and make it easy for them to do it.
- Aligned with your ad copy: Your landing page should deliver on the promises made in your ad.
- Clear and concise language: Avoid jargon and technical terms.
- Strong visuals to capture attention: Personalize the landing page for your target audience.
- Easy to contact you: Add a calendar link or direct email to the point of contact.
A/B Testing
It's important to track the results of your PPC campaigns so you can see what's working and what's not. This will help you to optimize your campaigns and get the best possible results.
By avoiding these common PPC mistakes, eCommerce brands can improve their chances of success with PPC advertising.
If you’re not sure how to set up or manage your PPC campaigns, it’s a good idea to get help from a professional. PPC is constantly evolving, so it's important to stay up-to-date on the latest trends. Try different keywords, bidding strategies, and landing pages to see what works best for your business.
