Attract the right customers without wasting your advertising budget
Google Ads campaigns can be a powerful asset in attracting qualified leads and increasing sales. However, many businesses face obstacles that limit their performance and reduce their return on investment.
Common mistakes, especially for beginners, are often costly for SMEs that don't have the time or resources to analyze every aspect of their campaigns. In this article, we'll explain the most common mistakes and how July Marketing avoid them to guarantee optimal results for its customers.
1. Create Google Ads campaigns with end dates by mistake
What is the end date in Google Ads?
In Google Ads, you can set an end date for a campaign, which is useful for one-time promotions. However, an end date set by mistake can interrupt a profitable campaign without an alert, leading to a loss of clicks and conversions. According to a study by Wordstream, campaigns with poorly configured end dates can see a 30% drop in performance over the following months.
Common error
Many advertisers set an end date without realizing it, which can cause their campaign to stop just when it's generating profitable conversions.
Example : A local business activates a campaign without realizing that it will end in two weeks. Unbeknownst to them, their ads stop appearing and they miss the opportunity to reach new customers during a key period for their sales.
Solution from our Google Ads experts
To avoid this type of error, July Marketing continuously monitors budgets and broadcast parameters. If an end date is required, we integrate automated reminders and alerts to ensure continuity and avoid campaign interruptions.
2. Not understanding keyword match types in Google Ads
Understanding match types in Google Ads
Match types define the degree of similarity between a user's search and the keyword to trigger an ad. Options include:
- Broad match : Large, it captures even very distant variants.
- Phrase match : Includes searches that contain an exact phrase.
- Exact match : Restrict distribution to searches that are identical to the chosen keyword.
Common error
Advertisers often choose the broad match type without understanding its implications. This option sometimes shows ads for irrelevant searches, resulting in unnecessary and expensive clicks. A study by HubSpot indicates that the inappropriate use of Broad Match can increase advertising costs by 25% while decreasing the return on investment.
Example : A retail business that sells sportswear uses the broad match for “running shoes,” but sees its ad displayed for “auto racing stores,” resulting in off-target clicks and a wasted budget.
Solution from our Google Ads experts
Our team adjusts match types to ensure a good balance between visibility and relevance. We use the phrase match for more specific terms and exclude irrelevant keywords. This approach reduces costs and increases the return on investment by capturing a qualified audience.
3. Overlooking the importance of ad extensions in Google Ads
What are ad extensions?
Extensions add additional information, such as phone number or links to other pages on the site, to Google Ads ads. They increase visibility and can lead to up to a 10% increase in clicks, according to Google.
Common error
Ignoring or misconfiguring extensions decreases the competitiveness of an ad, as it becomes less informative and less engaging.
Example : A hair salon does not include location extensions or phone numbers, making its ad less visible than that of its competitors, which decreases its attractiveness for local customers.
Solution from our Google Ads experts
We set up all relevant extensions to maximize the effectiveness of ads. For example, for a customer in the healthcare sector, the addition of a direct call extension increased the number of incoming contacts by 15%, which generated an immediate positive impact on sales.
4. Choose keywords that are too generic or competitive
Definition: Generic keywords vs. specific keywords
Generic keywords, like “restaurant,” are often more competitive and have high costs per click. Specific keywords, like “Italian restaurant in Laval,” capture a better qualified audience, reducing costs and improving relevance.
Common error
Targeting generic keywords leads to strong competition and high costs per click, reducing campaign performance.
Example : A real estate agency uses the keyword “house”, but its budget is quickly exhausted due to the competitiveness of this term. The result: few conversions and a high acquisition cost.
Solution from our Google Ads experts
We prefer long-tail keywords adapted to each client to capture a better qualified audience. Thanks to our strategy, a customer in the hotel sector saw their click rate increase by 20% by moving from generic keywords to specific keywords.
5. Ignore location and language settings
Definition of geographic and linguistic targeting
Google Ads targeting makes it possible to restrict the distribution of ads to certain geographic areas or languages, guaranteeing increased relevance for the target audience.
Common error
Businesses often overlook location and language settings, showing ads in irrelevant areas and wasting their budget.
Example : A renovation company based in Sainte-Thérèse accidentally broadcasts its ads nationally, resulting in clicks from unserved regions.
Solution from our Google Ads experts
We optimize campaigns for the local market, targeting relevant regions such as Montreal's North Shore and the Laurentians. This allows us to focus the advertising budget on the prospects that are most likely to convert.
6. Not optimizing landing pages
What is an optimized landing page?
A landing page is the web page that a user lands on after clicking on an ad. It should meet the expectations created by the ad and encourage a specific action, such as a purchase or registration.
Common error
Campaigns often link to generic or irrelevant pages, causing high bounce rates and reducing the effectiveness of ads.
Example : A shoe store announces an exclusive sale on winter boots, but the clicks take visitors back to the home page. Visitors leave quickly, not finding the advertised products.
Solution from our Google Ads experts
We create landing pages that align with advertising messages. By optimizing pages for conversions, an e-commerce customer saw their conversion rate increase by 30% in one month.
7. Confusing Quality Score and Ad Strength and their respective impact on ROI
Definition: Quality Score vs. Ad Strength
The Quality Score assesses the relevance of the keywords, the ad and the landing page, influencing the cost per click. THEAd Strength measures the quality of the ad according to its diversity and relevance. Understanding these scores correctly helps maximize ad performance.
Common error
Some advertisers focus their efforts on Ad Strength at the expense of Quality Score (or vice versa), while good performance requires optimization of both aspects.
Example : A company focuses only on the Ad Strength score by varying its titles, but neglects to optimize its landing page, which reduces its Quality Score and increases the cost per click.
Solution from our Google Ads experts
We optimize both indicators in parallel, which allowed a client to reduce advertising costs by 20% in three months while increasing the visibility of their ads.
Google Ads FAQ
What is the Quality Score and how can it be improved?
The Quality Score is a Google score that assesses the relevance of your ads, keywords, and landing pages. To improve it, make sure your ads are directly linked to keywords and that your landing pages are optimized for conversions
What is the difference between Ad Strength and Quality Score?
Ad Strength focuses on ad structure and diversity, while Quality Score measures the relevance of your keywords and the quality of your landing page.
What types of keywords should I use in my campaigns?
Use specific (long-tail) keywords to reduce competition and target a more qualified audience.
How to avoid wasting the budget on irrelevant clicks?
Select specific match types and use negative keywords to avoid unnecessary searches.
Why use ad extensions?
Ad extensions make your ads more informative, increasing the likelihood of clicks and, often, conversions.
Conclusion
By avoiding these mistakes and understanding the fundamentals of Google Ads, businesses can increase their return on investment. The support from Juillet Marketing helps to avoid these pitfalls and to maximize the impact of each advertising dollar. Contact us to turn your Google Ads campaigns into growth drivers.
About July Marketing
July Marketing is a digital marketing agency specialized in Google Ads advertising, web design, and natural referencing (SEO), offering its services to businesses on the North Shore of Montreal, the Laurentians, and Sainte-Thérèse. Composed of a Google Ads certified team and with several years of experience in digital campaign management, Juillet Marketing helps SMEs maximize their return on investment by avoiding common mistakes and optimizing each stage of their campaigns.
