When doing competitive analysis for my clients, I’m always surprised by someone who doesn’t properly understand the basics of paid search. Sometimes, these people irritate me; sometimes it makes me laugh; but more often than not, it makes me want to point out their mistakes.
So today, I’d like to point out the top five things you shouldn’t do in paid search, the five deadly sins. So, please forgive me if some of these words are too direct. I just hope that I can change their minds and do better paid search marketing.
Sin 1: Bidding on keywords that are too broad or too loose and linked to the business
Common sense tells us that you should only buy keywords that are relevant to your target audience and can be targeted. For example, if you are an outdoor landscaping company, if you bid on keywords such as "home improvement," you may generate a lot of irrelevant traffic.
Solution: When doing keyword research, filter your keywords: Is this what your business is good at? Does it accurately describe what you do? Once you launch your campaign, make sure you use it correctly at the right time. Analyze to see which keywords really bring high-quality traffic and conversions, and eliminate those keywords that are not effective.
Sin 2: Linking ads to your own website homepage
The most effective search campaigns serve users to the most relevant page on your site based on their search, which typically won't be the site's homepage. After entering the homepage, users need to click further to enter the page they want to browse, rather than immediately seeing the content they want to see.
Solution: For each keyword or ad group, choose the best matching page on your site to link to. If there is no existing page on the website that can be matched, then you first need to check whether there is a problem with the keyword filtering; if there is no problem with the check results, then you may want to consider creating a new page to meet this demand. If adding new pages to your existing website architecture is too challenging, then you might consider using a login page.
Sin Three: Using Generic Advertising Copy
If you don’t use personalized ad copy, then the two things mentioned before will not mean much. Even if you want to drive your target audience to a relevant landing page, if the ad doesn't "engage" viewers, no one will click to the landing page. If you want to maximize the relevance and click-through rate of your ads, you need to make sure that your ad copy is as closely linked to the keywords users enter as possible.
Solution: First, create multiple, focused ad groups that are closely related to your keywords. Then, customize each ad group to make sure the ads include relevant keywords (ideally in the title).
Sin 4: Using Search for Brand Building
Paid search is not a strategy to build brand awareness, but rather to elicit a direct response. Going back to the environmental beautification example we talked about earlier, the following is a “brand building” advertising example:
dallas design brothers
"Build your own private paradise"
Dallas Area Landscaping Company
There's nothing horribly wrong with this ad, but it's just less likely to get users to take action. This ad does not use an advertising plan to encourage users, but only tells users the company's name and marketing slogan.
Solution: Think about what underlying needs or motivations your target audience has. Then think about what action you want them to take. Your ad copy and calls to action should balance user needs and business goals. You also need to be clear about what you can provide and what users can do after they enter your website.
Following the above ideas, the above case advertisement can be changed to:
Greening services
Looking for outdoor landscaping design?
Check out our portfolio, or request a quote!
Sin 5: Always bidding for the number one spot on the search results page
Bidding for the #1 spot on a search results page isn’t a bad thing, but the goal of paid search marketing isn’t just to get that top spot. The top spot is also usually more expensive, but sometimes it doesn't convert as well as the third or fourth spot. If you bid for the first position on the search results page because you find that it brings in the highest quality, most interactive visitors, then it makes sense for you to do so. If you're doing it purely to beat your competition, then it's not the right thing to do.
Solution: Don’t let your ego (or your manager’s ego) determine where you want to buy a SERP position. Set conversion rate goals and do the right analytics to track which ad placements are actually generating the most conversions. You may find that certain keywords or ad groups actually perform better in lower search results page positions. This way you can also save some click costs.
So those are my top five things not to do in paid search. But I also want to hear what you think are the top five things not to do in paid search marketing. You are welcome to share it with us in the comments. Of course, don’t forget to break down your solution.
(Original article first published: June 6, 2011, compiled by: Zeng Cui)