The Tiny Free Guide to Google AdWords

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Several clients have mentioned how they tried to use Google AdWords and lost a lot of money. Losing the money has turned at least a few off to using AdWords in the near future, and that removes one potential method for them attracting new clients. As a result of these conversations, I thought I’d put together a tiny guide to using Google AdWords. This will by no means teach you all you need to know about PPC (pay-per-click) marketing, but it will steer you away from some of the more common AdWords mistakes I’ve seen people make.

Here’s what NOT to do when putting together, and managing, your Google AdWords campaigns.

• Including one ad group containing thousands of keyphrases: Too often, people come to me and say they tried pay-per-click marketing and it was a disaster. When I review their campaign, I see they’ve made this mistake. Let’s say their niche is shoes. They create one ad group for “shoes” and stick keywords about prom shoes, hiking shoes, tennis shoes, baby shoes and so on into one ad group. These are different products and each product needs its own ad group, so you can write an ad targeted to the potential customer’s needs.
• Using a generic-sounding ad for every ad group: In my testing, a unique ad that uses the keyphrase usually performs better than one that doesn’t use the keyphrase.
• Thinking more keyphrases is better:Using a long list of keyphrases doesn’t always result in better returns. Most likely, you’ll find that a certain small number of keyphrases bring in the highest number of customers. These are the ones that do the heavy lifting of bringing in conversions.
• Neglecting to manage your account: A huge mistake I see people make is turning on AdWords and leaving it to sit for a few weeks. Suddenly, they’ve got an enormous bill and have no idea if they’ve made sales.
• Trying to do AdWords without training or experience: Google has made its system and user interface easy to understand and use. However, that system doesn’t teach anyone the strategy. Just like you would not drive a car without training, I don’t advise people to attempt Google AdWords without either training or hiring an expert.
• Not tracking conversions: Using pay-per-click may be the best way for your company to make money, or it may be the worst. Without tracking, you can never be sure.

I hope these techniques help you understand what not to in a Google AdWords campaign. Please post your comments, suggestions, thoughts in the comments.

Tagged as: google adwords, google adwords mistakes, guide to google adwords, how to use google adwords