Whilst the use of broad match keywords can be worthwhile in the right
hands, they can be lethal to the unseasoned amateur. Be warned… Using
nothing but broad match keywords will burn you.
Broad match keywords are a very basic match type, and if used, will
result in your ads appearing for a search query that is vaguely related
to the targeted keyword. For example, if you use broad match keywords
for the term ‘car insurance’ it is quite likely that your advert will
also appear for terms that include ‘caravan insurance’ or possibly even
‘holiday insurance.’ This will result in a strong flow of unwanted and
irrelevant traffic to your site.
Use an ‘Exact match’ when you only want your advert to show when
someone searches for the exact keyword you have defined, or ‘Phrase
Match’ when the advert is only triggered by a search which includes a
certain phrase you have defined. A ‘Modified Broad Match’ is a hybrid
match type which gives flexibility and control. In order to establish
what people are searching for before landing on your ad, look through
your search query reports, however you might not like what you see.
2. Add Negative Keywords
Unless using exact match keywords, your ads will appear for other
related search terms. In order to combat this, use negative keywords to
stop your ad from appearing in non-related or proven unprofitable
searches. For example, if you are a private dentist, and would like your
ads to appear within search queries for the term ‘dentist’, you may
want to use ‘NHS’ as a negative keyword, i.e. don’t show my advert when
the word NHS is included in the search.
3. Make Your Ads Relevant
When reviewing accounts, a common mistake that we often spot is an
advertisement that uses a range of irrelevant and generic keywords. It
is important to include as many relevant keywords as possible into your
ads. This will entice and capture the searcher’s attention, which will
then increase the click through rate and over time will improve quality
score, which in turn, reduces the cost per click.
4. Use Multiple Ad Variations
It is important to constantly trial and review different ads within
each of the ad groups. Subtle changes to your advertisements, such as
display URL extensions, can have a dramatic and positive effect.
Constantly trialling different ads will enable you to understand
which ads perform better than others and can make it possible to reduce
CPA (cost per acquisition – AKA how much it costs you to get a new
enquiry or sales).
5. Make Sure You Track Everything You Can
It is a necessity to setup conversion tracking and to link your AdWords account to your Analytics account.
Conversion tracking is one of the most important tools in your
arsenal, as it shows you which keywords and ads have converted. This
helps to optimise campaigns, ad groups, keywords and ads by finding out
which perform better.
Linking your account up to Google Analytics will enable you to see
other important metrics such as bounce rates and time spent on site. For
example, if you have a keyword that has not converted but has visitors
who have on average spent two minutes on your site, this illustrates
with some website tweaks there is potential to convert in the future.
6. Place Content Network Ads In Their Own Campaign
Display ads require a completely different advertising technique than
search so should be treated differently. Creating their own specific
campaigns and ad groups allowing for the management of budget, ads and
cost per click allows much finer control and testing. After making these
changes you will either see better results or make a decision that
display ads are not suitable for your Adwords strategy.
7. Position 1 Isn’t Always King
For the majority of people the number one position within Google is
the overall aim for their company. This however depends on a number of
factors such as the levels of traffic to your site, the quality of the
traffic and your overall budget. However, this is not always the case.
There is a strong argument that suggests ads listed at position one
will receive the majority of clicks as people will have to read it. In
many cases, this is not the most profitable place to be so we recommend
testing to see which ad position results in the best Return On
Investment for your site.
8. Landing Pages Hold The Key
This is so simple, yet so many people still get it very wrong.
Always make sure that you are sending traffic to the most suitable
landing page on your site. This will make the visitor journey easier and
will improve the number of conversions you receive. If you do not have
suitable landing pages, why not make them or review the chosen keywords
in your account.
Furthermore, you can go one-step further and use Google’s Website
Optimiser tool. This enables you to try some A/B split testing, which
shows the pages that will provide you with the best conversion rates.
Overall, this should be a never-ending cycle of constant improvement.
9. Ad Scheduling & Location Targeting
For most companies there are certain times within the day where more
conversions are made at the lowest cost. For example, a property site
may convert better during the ‘lunch breaks timeframe’ of 12pm until
2pm, or in the evenings after work, when people have more time to look
at the site.
There is the possibility to schedule your ads to show at different
times of the day or to change the maximum cost per click at different
times of the day to get the most from your budget.
It is also wise to consider the geographical locations that you would
like to target. It is possible to target the whole of the country or to
target specific areas, such as the North West or Midlands, if you have
issues surrounding delivery or logistics.
10. Use our PPC Management Services
We are the best at what we do, as some of our client results show.
We offer a FREE PPC Account Review which will allow us to give you an
insight into how we can revolutionise your paid search return on
investment.
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