9 Worst Google Ads Mistakes you need to stop making now

Are your Google Ads campaigns not giving the expected results? Do you feel that you’re making some Google Ads mistakes but are not able to understand exactly where you’re going wrong? Worry no more since you have landed at the right place. Check out this blog to understand the top 9 Google Ads mistakes businesses usually make and how to avoid them.

Google Ads is one of the most popular PPC (pay-per-click) advertising tools businesses can leverage to drive website traffic and conversions, generate leads, and increase sales. It lets businesses reach their potential customers when they are searching for a product or service. When someone searches for a particular product or service on Google, the intent to understand its features, benefits, and reviews and purchase it, in the end, is greater than if the same product or service comes up randomly on someone’s feed while scrolling through social media.

However, many businesses fail to convert clicks or website visits into conversions or actual sales. They must find out the Google Ads mistakes they might be making, due to which their campaigns might not be doing well. Then, they must optimize their efforts strategically to ensure that their investment in SEM (search engine marketing) pays off. But before diving into that, first let us have a look at some of the interesting stats and facts about Google Ads, which make it one of the most widely used digital advertising platforms.

Google Ads: Key Stats and Facts

• The typical user encounters Google Ads between 50 – 70 times each month (Statista).
• On average, businesses generate $2 in revenue for every dollar they invest in Google Ads (Google Economic Impact Report).
• In 2023, 80.5% of Google’s total revenue came from advertising (Statista).
• In 2023, mobile ads contributed to 70% of Google’s overall ad revenue (eMarketer).
• By 2024, Google is expected to hold 29.4% of the global digital ad market share (eMarketer).
• Approximately 63% of individuals have clicked on a Google ad at least once (The Social Shepherd).
• The overall average cost per click (CPC) across industries is around $2.69 for search ads. (WordStream)
• The average click-through rate (CTR) for search ads is 3.17%, with some industries having higher rates based on ad relevance and targeting. (WordStream)

Understanding these stats and facts can help businesses set realistic goals for their ad campaigns and also provide fuel to optimize their campaigns to the fullest, given the vast window of opportunities it opens. Having said that, now it’s time to delve into the specific Google Ads mistakes responsible for the failure or mediocrity of your campaigns and how to tackle them.

Top 9 Google Ads Mistakes & how you need to stop making them now

1. Incorrect Targeting

First and foremost, Google Ads campaigns need precise targeting to ensure that your ads are reaching the correct target audience. If your ads aren’t showing results, one of the first things you need to investigate is your targeting strategy. Poor random targeting can lead to wasted ad spending and low conversion rates. For instance, if you’re selling luxury, high-end cars, then targeting a wide audience might not be the best thing to do. It could make your ad reach people who aren’t interested in high-end cars, instead looking out for budget cars for daily use. This could, in turn, result in low conversion rates.

How to Fix It:

• Audience segmentation: Use detailed audience segments to reach the most relevant users.

• Demographic targeting: Adjust your targeting based on age, gender, income, and other demographics relevant to your product/service.

• Interest and behaviour targeting: Use data on users’ interests and behaviours to refine your audience and improve conversion rates.

• Topic-based targeting: Utilize this concept by categorizing your product/service under the available topics and sub-topics to increase relevancy. For example, if you’re selling women’s traditional sarees, you can put it under Fashion -> clothing -> women’s clothing -> sarees -> traditional sarees. This helps in very detailed targeting in case your product/service demands the same.

2. Ineffective Ad Copy

One of the most critical Google Ads mistakes businesses make is ineffective ad copy. If your ad copy is irrelevant to your product/service or does not have something interesting regarding the product/service or your brand, then it will most likely not catch the user’s attention. A study by Unbounce found that using specific, action-oriented language in your ads can increase click-through rates (CTR) by up to 12%. This highlights the fact that the ad copy should be written in such a way that it makes the user curious, click the link, and find out more. Look at the image below to understand the structure of a good ad copy.

How to Fix It:

• Eye-catching headlines: Use attention-grabbing headlines highlighting your product’s benefits, unique selling points, offers (if any), etc.

• Clear CTAs: Ensure your call-to-action is to the point, visible, and directs users towards the desired action.

• Relevant messaging: Ensure that your ad copy aligns with the keywords and addresses the users’ pain points. In this way, they should be getting the solution to what they have searched for.

3. Incorrect Keyword Matching

Incorrect keyword selection also comes under the list of Google Ads mistakes businesses often make. This, in turn, can be a huge reason behind the low conversion rates of your campaigns. Using too many broad-match keywords can bring in irrelevant traffic, while too many exact-match keywords can limit your reach.

How to Fix It:

• Use a mix of match types: Use broad match, phrase match, and exact match keywords to balance reach and relevance.

• Negative keywords: Include a negative keyword list to exclude irrelevant searches. For example, if you’re selling sports shoes only, then sandals, floaters, boots, and flip-flops could be used as negative keywords to filter out traffic interested in these other types of shoes.

• Keyword research: Continuously refine your keyword list based on performance data and industry trends. Select keywords based on search volume, competition, bid range, etc. Use keyword research tools like Google’s own Keyword Planner, Semrush, Ahrefs, etc.

4. Unoptimized Landing Pages

Even if your Google Ads get you the clicks, a slow-loading and poor landing page experience can be disastrous as far as conversions are concerned. If there is a mismatch between your ad and the landing page contents, then conversions are not going to happen. If the colours, fonts, menus, and CTAs are not neatly done, users will not get the push to click or do something on the page. Instead, there is a high chance of leaving the page. A study by ConversionXL found that a 1-second delay in page load time can reduce conversions by 7%.

How to Fix It:

• Speed up your site: Use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights to identify and fix performance issues. Do not use too many images or videos, which can slow down your site.

• Clear and relevant content: Ensure your landing page content is directly related to your ad and is eye-catching to the visitor so that he/she gets eager to click further, know more, or make a purchase.

• Strong CTA: Use a clear, compelling call-to-action that guides visitors towards the desired action. Make proper use of colours and fonts to make the CTAs stand out from the rest of the page content.

5. Low Quality Score

If the keyword Quality score is too low, your keyword may not qualify for auctions, which will lead to your ads not being displayed or competing effectively. Irrelevant ad copy, low CTR, and a poor landing page interface may lead to a bad Quality score collectively. This can turn out to be one of the most fatal Google Ads mistakes, which can drain your budget very fast without getting you the results.

How to Fix It:

• Improve ad relevance: Make sure your ads closely match the search intent of your keywords. For example: if someone searches for your keyword, say “best bridalwear for women in Kolkata”, then your ad should also revolve around anything related to women’s bridalwear—sarees, lehengas, accessories, etc.

• Optimize landing pages: Create high-quality, relevant landing pages with clear CTAs and fast load times. Use catchy images and fonts.

• Enhance CTR: Test different ad copies and analyze the metrics of each copy to find the most engaging and effective versions.

6. Inadequate Ad Extensions

In PPC advertising, ad extensions (assets) are optional content pieces that help to utilize more ad space. Not using them can reduce your ad’s visibility, which can further lead to lower conversions.

How to Fix It:

• Use relevant extensions: Implement site links, callouts, structured snippets, call extensions, promotion extensions, price extensions, etc. to highlight more aspects of your product/service like USPs, features, benefits, prices, etc.
• Test different extensions: Monitor the performance of various extensions and optimize them based on engagement and conversions.

7. Insufficient Budget Allocation

One of the most common Google Ads mistakes businesses make is insufficient budget allocation. If your daily budget is too low or if the duration is very short, then it may hamper your ad’s visibility and frequency. Hence, it may not reach the required number of potential customers.

How to Fix It:

• Create realistic budgets: provide enough money as per your campaign objectives and industry standards.

• Track spending: Examine and modify your budget regularly in light of campaign results and return on investment.

• Bid adjustments: Increase the budget allotted to audiences and keywords that perform well by using bid adjustments.

8. Lack of A/B Testing

A/B testing helps you find out the best version of your ad for your PPC campaign. Not utilizing this feature is one of the worst Google Ads mistakes you can make. You simply miss out on the opportunities to optimize your ad headlines, descriptions, extensions, etc. based on their performance.

How to Fix It:

• Test ad copies: Experiment with several headlines, descriptions, calls to action, and extensions to determine which ones work best together.

• Variation in layouts, contents, and CTAs: Experiment on your landing pages to determine what works best for your target demographic.

• Constant improvement: Analyze test results regularly and apply the winning combinations.

9. Ignoring Mobile Optimization

More than 50% of web traffic comes from mobile devices. With the advent of smartphones and inexpensive data services, most searches are done on mobile devices nowadays. Therefore, if a landing page is not mobile-optimized, visitors are bound to move away from it. According to a Google survey, 61% of consumers are reluctant to visit a mobile website again after experiencing difficulty accessing it. Hence, ignoring a user-friendly mobile interface is one of the biggest Google Ads mistakes, which can burn a big hole in your ad budget.

How to Fix It:

• Mobile-responsive design: Ensure your ads and landing pages are mobile-friendly and provide a seamless experience. Focus on mobile previews while making the ad copy.

• Mobile-specific ads: Create mobile-specific ad campaigns with tailored messages and CTAs for mobile users.

• Fast load times: Optimize your mobile site for speed to prevent losing potential customers due to slow load times. Use a lighter version of the site (if possible) to ensure quick load times.

Conclusion

To wrap things up, Google Ads can be a game-changer for your business’ growth, provided you take good care of the optimizations in your campaigns. By ensuring that all the above-mentioned pointers are in place, you can improve your SEM performance and return on ad spend (RoAS). However, if you are still stuck somewhere while doing all of this on your own, do not worry further. ADictive is here to help you take your Google Ads journey to another level.

I can help you avoid these Google Ads mistakes and maximize ROI with targeted, data-driven campaigns. Drive more customers to your business with expert Google Ads management. Please feel free to book a free trial consultation call to discuss your business’ Google Ads requirements and chalk out a customized plan for the same. To remain updated about PPC advertising and digital marketing in general, kindly follow my social media handles: Instagram – ADictive, Facebook – ADictive.