There are many advantages of Google Ads. They are scalable, flexible, measurable, and allow you to tap into a huge potential audience in a controlled environment. Google Ads can help raise awareness and visibility, drive traffic, and increase conversion rates. No wonder digital marketers around the world use Google Ads to grow their client’s businesses.

To get the most out of your Google Ads, you need to avoid these common mistakes many businesses make with Google Ads. If your business is trying to drive additional leads through Google Ads, be sure to partner with reputable digital marketing companies in Sonoma County with a history of success.

Failing to Customize Settings

Google Ads accounts have a number of default settings and formatting. To get the best value for your money, you need to customize settings for your specific needs. If, for instance, you want to target buyers in a particular geography, configure your campaign’s settings to ensure only the geographies you want are being targeted.

Beware of auto-applied ad settings. If you do not review, edit, or turn off ad adjustment recommendations by Google within 14 days of receiving them, Google will automatically apply these settings to your account and they could run counter to your strategy.

Not Conducting Audits Regularly

A Google Ads audit involves evaluating the effectiveness of the Google Ad account. A Google Ads audit can reveal issues hiding in plain sight. Many businesses perform just an initial audit after setting up their Google Ads account. This is not enough. Companies who partner with agencies who conduct continuous audits will always benefit the most from Google Ads.

Before conducting an audit, make a list of things you want to review. Review and document the status of each item. Note down your observations. Use them when creating a post-audit action plan.

If done correctly, a Google Ads audit can help identify new opportunities to expand, address areas of wasteful spending, and gain valuable audience insights.

Failing to Use Negative Keywords

15 percent of keywords that Google processes everyday are new. Some of these keywords are high-quality, while others won’t be a good match for your products or services. To exclude these keywords, use negative keywords.

Use online tools and Google’s suggestions to build a list of negative keywords. Negative keywords will help you save a ton of money and boost your ROI by targeting qualified leads. Negative keywords can also help increase your Google Ads quality score by ensuring only users with relevant searches see your ads.

Do not overuse negative keywords. Instead of copy-pasting your negative keywords across your entire campaign, customize them per ad group. Keep track of your keywords and their corresponding negative keywords.

Lack of Ad Extensions

Make optimizing ad extensions a priority. Ad extensions increase the click rate and include extra pieces of information in your ads. Use callout extensions and sitelink extensions. Use call extensions or message extensions to target mobile users more effectively. Use the extensions that convert better and pause the ones that don’t.

WSI Smart Marketing is a leading digital marketing company in Sonoma County. Whether you want to build a new digital marketing strategy from scratch or are planning to streamline an existing one, our team has got you covered. To discuss your requirement with us, call (707) 843-3714.