In the world of digital marketing, Pay Per Click advertising should be at the heart of every successful campaign.

When done right, they build familiarity with the brand and a level of interest that leads to increased website traffic. Furthermore, it comes from audiences that are most likely to respond in a positive manner. Sadly, a large percentage of modern businesses fail to unlock the true potential of PPC. In most cases, it’s due to some very simple mistakes.

Here are 11 of the most common culprits, along with what can be done to rectify the damage.

#1. Ignoring The Growing Mobile Audience

Online interactions have changed massively over the past decade or so, and the shift towards mobile usage is the most crucial factor by far. Mobile searches now considerably outweigh desktop searches. Therefore, it’s imperative that PPC campaigns are tailored to suit those parameters.

Simply using the same desktop PPC ads will limit success rates due to the variance in touch points between the two mediums. To truly unleash the full potential of a modern campaign, testing the mobile ads separately is essential.

#2. Not Knowing Your Budget

Walking before you run is a fundamental principle of all business matters, not least when it comes to marketing. Given that PPC campaigns may include running several ads simultaneously, it’s very easy to run over budget. Unfortunately, this could lead to very real repercussions in other aspects of the venture.

Financial control is essential, which is why automated systems should be incorporated. As well as setting those limits on the Google Ads platform, you should use spreadsheets to stay on top of things. Otherwise, overspending could spell disaster for marketing and beyond.

#3. Reaching Unrelated Audiences

The purpose of those PPC adverts is to generate a response from your core demographic. However, many marketers make their campaigns too broad, which can lead to gaining clicks from the wrong audiences. This signals a huge waste.

All keywords should be relevant, but must also stick to your niche. You may specialize in products for a specific audience, which could be categorized by gender or various other factors. Failing to target your bids on those elements could result in a smaller impact on the key audience. This in addition to the wasted visibility mentioned above.

#4. Dismissing Your Target Market Needs

Audience specifications shouldn’t only influence the keywords used. It should additionally provide a guidance for the images and text used throughout those PPC ads. After all, different demographics respond to varying materials.

Making sure that the ads are created to match the areas you’re bidding for is crucial. Without that sense of direction, a lot of your ads will be overlooked. While the impacts aren’t as bad as they would be with CPC, they’ll still be very negative. Meanwhile, remember to add the keywords in the body, as they will appear bold for even greater attention.

#5. Aiming For The Top

In most aspects of business, being number one is the best solution. When it comes to PPC, however, ranking number one can lead to clicks from people that aren’t actually likely to buy. This ultimately means that you’ll be spending more money for fewer conversions.

It’s still important to rank well. However, bidding for somewhere between third spot and eight will make your budget work harder. The percentage of clicks may fall, but the probability of sales will soar. Ultimately, this has to be the target.

#6. Missing The Point

Gaining strong web visibility through PPC is great. However, far too many campaigns fail to successfully direct customers to the desired outcome. If your ads fall victim to this problem, it’s imperative that you solve this problem immediately.

Whether it’s ‘buy now’, ‘download here’, or ‘start a trial’ doesn’t matter. Those calls to action are pivotal. After all, an advert that increases awareness but doesn’t generate a reaction is virtually pointless. This is especially true in the digital arena as people will quickly forget you.

#7. Keeping Content & Search Connected

Google automatically runs both contents and search elements together. However, a user that comes to your campaign while reading an article is very different to one who searches to buy products that you provide.

Search activities should always be the priority. While there’s nothing wrong with adding content ones too, it’s vital that you do this separately. Aside from anything else, it makes it easier to monitor the success of the two very individual elements.

#8. Trying To Be Universal

Being too broad in terms of keywords and content is bad, but being too generic with the location can be even worse. If your business is focused on a local audience, those geographic elements must be central to your bids.

Even if the business looks to hit a wider audience, you should look to use multiple campaigns with each one directed to a specific location. Otherwise, your ads will pack a far less weighty punch. Besides, getting clicks from areas you can’t serve would be a massive waste.

#9. Overlooking Landing Pages

Many people assume that simply getting a click to the website signals a major success. However, this doesn’t count for much unless visitors stay on the site and respond to the CTA. Therefore, you must ensure that all landing pages add to the appeal.

Different campaigns can link to different pages on your website. Use this wisely to ensure that visitors become customers. Directing links to the home page or pages not related to specific products or services will reduce your success rates badly.

#10. Not Using Accelerated Delivery

Essentially, there are two ways for Google to deliver your ads. A standard automated method will split your budget so that your ads are showing all day, and may seem great at first glance. However, using the accelerated alternative is probably better.

Firstly, there may be peak times during the day that offer greater potential with your key audience. Secondly, seeing if budgets need increasing or bids need attention becomes far easier. This gives you greater control on your budget, which should ultimately bring greater success rates.

#11. Settling

Most businesses find that PPC advertising is more effective than many of the alternatives out there. As such, it can be very easy to rest on your laurels, assuming that those ads are doing just fine. In reality, appreciating that there is always room for improvement is essential.

Besides, the changing demands of web audiences dictate that your campaigns will need to evolve alongside them. Otherwise, even immediate success will lead to long-term ineffectiveness.

About the Author

Paul Granger is a content writer at WebsitePromoter.co.uk, a site that helps small businesses and website owners with affordable SEO services & Pay Per Click management solutions.