3 Common Mistakes to Avoid in Your Paid Search Campaigns

1. Targeting Competitor Names

A common strategy is to target keywords that include your competitors’ names. While this might seem like a good way to capture traffic, it can quickly become very expensive. For instance, if you’re a landscaping company and every one of your competitors includes “landscaping” in their name, your ads could appear each time someone searches for those competitors. This can lead to a high cost-per-click without necessarily converting those clicks into valuable leads.
Instead of targeting competitor names, focus on broader but relevant keywords related to your services. This strategy helps you attract users who are genuinely interested in what you offer, rather than those searching specifically for your competitors.

2. Bidding on Too-Broad Keywords

Another frequent mistake is bidding on overly broad keywords. For example, if you run a beachfront hotel in Miami and you bid on keywords like “beach,” “hotel,” or even “Miami Dolphins,” you might attract a large number of clicks that aren’t relevant to your business. People searching for “Miami Dolphins” aren’t necessarily looking for a hotel.
To avoid wasting your budget, start with more specific keywords like “beachfront hotels in Miami” or “hotels in Miami.” As you gather data and understand what works best, you can gradually experiment with broader terms, ensuring that your budget is spent more effectively.

1. Targeting Competitor Names

A common strategy is to target keywords that include your competitors’ names. While this might seem like a good way to capture traffic, it can quickly become very expensive. For instance, if you’re a landscaping company and every one of your competitors includes “landscaping” in their name, your ads could appear each time someone searches for those competitors. This can lead to a high cost-per-click without necessarily converting those clicks into valuable leads.
Instead of targeting competitor names, focus on broader but relevant keywords related to your services. This strategy helps you attract users who are genuinely interested in what you offer, rather than those searching specifically for your competitors.

2. Bidding on Too-Broad Keywords

Another frequent mistake is bidding on overly broad keywords. For example, if you run a beachfront hotel in Miami and you bid on keywords like “beach,” “hotel,” or even “Miami Dolphins,” you might attract a large number of clicks that aren’t relevant to your business. People searching for “Miami Dolphins” aren’t necessarily looking for a hotel.
To avoid wasting your budget, start with more specific keywords like “beachfront hotels in Miami” or “hotels in Miami.” As you gather data and understand what works best, you can gradually experiment with broader terms, ensuring that your budget is spent more effectively.

3. Neglecting Conversion Tracking

Without proper conversion tracking, you’re essentially throwing your ad budget into the wind. Not having Google Analytics set up means you’re missing out on valuable insights into how users interact with your site. Conversion tracking enables you to see which keywords and ads are driving actual results, such as sign-ups or purchases.

By setting up Google Analytics, you can track these metrics and feed the data back into Google Ads. This allows Google Ads to optimize your campaigns better, helping you scale efficiently and improve profitability.

Avoiding these common mistakes can make a significant difference in the performance of your paid search campaigns. By targeting the right keywords, focusing on relevancy, and implementing robust tracking, you’ll set yourself up for more successful and cost-effective advertising. If you need help optimizing your campaigns or setting up tracking, contact us and we can help!