Your Google Ads sucks, right? You may have come to this conclusion after so many weeks of using pay per click (PPC) advertising and have got nothing to show to yourselves.
It’s not that hard to see why Google Ads cannot perform up to the mark for small businesses or for the quite established businesses. The main reason is that you are doing it all wrong.
The truth is, there are several companies, small and large, across the world that might have been spending millions of dollars on the Google Ads platform on a monthly basis, but with no results! What will make this work?
If you see not a single conversion on your Google AdWords ads, this can happen due to a combination of various elements. There might be some probable quick fixes or growth hacks that can be implemented for bringing in higher results.
But that is not the ultimate solution! You need to have a permanent fix for this. Even with direct keyword targeting, custom audience options, and other additional features, it seems tough to drive in enough sales to your business.
Most of the small and medium scale businesses fail to contribute much of their time to their PPC campaigns and when your ads get disapproved, it feels annoying and can be much time-consuming. Hence, it will be wise to fix your live ad disapproval.
If paused ads are flagged as disapproved ads, the best way for business owners is to delete those disapproved ads from their account. In this way, you can get rid of all the heck of disapproval. You can also choose to write over the ads when they are disapproved,
In this article, you’ll get to know why people are not converting on your Google Ads. Learn the most effective ways to improve your AdWords conversion rates and be aware of the main reasons- why are you not getting any results after using Google Ads:
Mistake #1- No Proper Addressing of Searcher Intent
One of the key things about Google Ads is intent, right? Facebook, Twitter, etc. are not platforms for finding products and solutions most of the time. These platforms are for social interaction and entertainment reasons.
But Google Ads, people literally search for products and services on Google. So you have higher chances of capturing traffic from the funnel that might be miles away from converting. But you can do it even without building brand awareness or remarketing several times before they make purchasing decisions.
You also need to take a look at the keyword level intent. Google AdWords is more of an intent focused overall niche, but it doesn’t mean that every keyword can drive amazing sales. If users are not converting, you do not tend to match their individualized searcher intents.
Take a look at the search result for “best CRM tools” based on the keyword research:
What can you see in the first two ads?
Both the ads are big CRM companies. Both of them have solid headlines and good ad extensions. But you need to have a deeper look at the ad context for each one of them.
Both of these companies’ ads are promoting their own CRM tools with their unique features, USPs and value propositions. And yes, both of them are correct in their ways to promote their CRM tools.
But look at the keyword searched by me and think about my goals while I typed that keyword. And now look at the ads from the 2nd CRM company declaring itself to be the best. The keywords typed by the user have the intent to see ads having the “best CRM’. But the first ad does not show anything like that.
Users searching for the best CRM are already in the consideration stage of the buyer’s journey.
Now let’s look at the 3rd and 4th ranking ads for “best CRM” search:
I bet that these ads will get the majority of ad-based clicks and conversions even after being 3rd and 4th in the ranking list.
These ads match the user intent perfectly with lower positions that means they are paying less per click and bidding less too. Do not target keywords for the sake of targeting; first you need to analyze the keywords that you need to accomplish your goals.
Mistake #2: Your Ad Extensions Are Not Tailored to Your Ads
Ad extensions are one of the proven ways for improving your conversion rates and bring you higher CTRs (click through rate) from your Google Ads campaigns.
Even Google shows that the sitelink extensions can increase your Click through rates by about 15%. Call extensions can increase your conversions by 10%.
Hence ad extensions really work.
But remember, only incorporating ad extensions cannot guarantee instant boost in your results. You cannot just make additions of random ad extensions in the hope of increasing your conversions.
The extensions need to be related to your ads. This is important. They need to be significant. They need to add values thereby improving the user journey when they visit your ads.
For instance, if you are not targeting your local audiences, you tend to skip putting your business address. But this is a major mistake; it can cause a negative impact on your conversion numbers. Hence, you should make strategies regarding your placement of ad extensions and use them to enhance your ads.
In the below screenshot, you can see Get Response using ad extensions in a perfect way for enhancing their value propositions:
While advertising their landing page services, GetResponse takes advantage of the sitelink extensions for their various tools to provide their users quicker ways to find their specific interests from broad keyword searches.
With these sitelink extensions, user journey becomes smoother and the can directly land on the service page they wish with fewer clicks and being less frustrated.
Now let’s take a look at another example of sitelink extensions while searching for let’s say ‘trip advisor’
While purchasing, customers want to see a few key things and one important thing among these is ‘Reviews’.
Studies suggest that about 87% of the users put their trust in online reviews and recommend others based on the reviews.
In the above screenshot, you can see that TripAdvisor has used review extensions in order to show their social proof and thereby increase conversions by building trust. Not too many extensions, but they work as this might help the user process.
You can see TripAdvisor has used only extensions customized to their individual ads and their goals instead of displaying their phone numbers and address in order to increase their conversions.
So you must include ad extensions to get a direct positive impact on your campaigns. Try to avoid using them just for the sake of it.
Mistake #3: Your Ad Groups Might Haunt You!
The next culprit for low Google Ads conversions is your ad groups. Specificity is the key to Google ads searches. This is where quality score comes from. Quality score ensures that users get the exact thing that they search for.
When someone searches for a long tail specific phrase such as “black iPhone 10 cover”, then it is evident that they want to see results precisely for black covers. They are not willing to see the whole page for covers. They will just want to see black phone covers.
Most of the ad groups are not properly structured for creation of specific ads. When you are beginning with Google Ads, Google will recommend you to add 10-20 keywords to each ad group. But this can result in ads that will fail to target every keyword for lack of specificity.
General ads can land you in much struggle and you might face problems to bring in sales. Your users have to roam about all through your website and search the various sections in order to find their original searched products or services. But this is not the right way to target your users who might get converted. You should provide them exactly what they are finding for. Lack of specificity might lead to decrease in quality score, low CTR and your cost per click might get higher.
Studies show that a simple one-point hike in quality score can bring a 15.99% decrease in your cost per conversion. The more fine-tuned ads you have in your ad groups, the better results you get. The best way to achieve this is through use of single keyword ad groups (SKAGs). SKAGs have a major role in the improvement of quality score and increase of CTR quite quickly.
Know what Single keyword ad groups are.
SKAGs are ad groups that target a single keyword instead of 8-10 keywords together.
When you have fixed your ad groups and SKAGs, you can then create ads that will directly revolve around keywords with corresponding landing page.
For example, “pay per click agency” can have a whole new landing page. – Not needed
Why There isn’t any explanation of above screenshot
Mistake #4: Message Lack on Your Landing Pages
Landing pages are also crucial for matching your ad group specificity. – This should be Ad Copies
Once you have nailed your ad groups, you can start to target customers with the more appropriate ads as well as with effective landing pages.
Landing pages contribute a lot to quality score. If your quality score is low, you will get less number of conversions and these conversions can cost you fortunes. Hence landing page is one of the reasons why your Google Ads fail to bring any conversion.
Your ad copies might be amazing along with efficient keyword targeting and brilliant SKAGs, but you still can’t drive in conversions if you have a terrible landing page.
Only directing users to your home page will not work towards increasing the conversion of visitors. You will need dedicated landing pages tapping into specific keywords.
You should go for Message Match.
Message Match can increase your conversions by 200%.
Simply creating a landing page and pushing in keywords matching your ads will not work. It is much more than that. You need to create an amazing user experience to the audience who click on your ads.
Let us look at a rich example of message Match.
Look at the ad from Oxedent:
And here’s the subsequent landing page for the ad:
The intent should be clear as well. The absence of relevant ad extensions can lead to confusion in the users as they will click on different links and find different ad copies and their expectations don’t meet. You will lack specificity if your ad groups are too general. Landing pages help you to drive as many numbers of conversions as possible.
Mistake #5: Improper Research
Research is not something you should do in Google Ads at the beginning. But while starting your Google Ads, research is a much crucial step.
Look at the below search terms:
- Pre-owned cars
- Used cars
One of them has lower cost but more number of searches on a monthly basis compared to the other but they both carry the same meanings. But potential customers see things in a different manner. When you are a bit serious about Google Ads, then you should also be serious about the keywords used by your clients. Only assuming things will not do.
Mistake #6: Too Less budget – Mismatch
We get several calls of clients who complain about not getting results and ask for suggestions with their $100 credit which they have got as a promotional offer. With only a $100, you can use the credit only for getting 10 clicks at the maximum or even less depending on the quality of keywords targeted. This is too less for you to see the average results for your Google Ads campaign.
-> These SCs are all about, Small budget gives you larger cost/conv. and vice versa.
Similar to a brick and mortar store, the ad campaign will also see the minimum results. In a store imagine the number of people who actually buy out of 10 visitors walking into a store. The same happens with your Google ads campaign. Your ads might bring them to your website but not every one of them would buy your product or service.
So you can understand the importance of a solid moderate budget for the fine tuning of your Google ads campaign and it will definitely work. The budget depends on your target location, number of leads or sales you require and the total sales amount you want in return for your ads.
You can easily see the difference in the results for the above two cases. In the first case, results were poor due to the extremely low budget whereas in the second case, we got impressive results as there was enough budget.
Mistake #7: Improper Reviewing & Optimization of Your Ad Campaign
‘Set it and forget’ it is not a Google Ads thing! You should keep a constant eye on your campaigns otherwise you will end up spending lots even for the low performing ads and poor keywords will drain out all your revenue and you start getting low conversions that will in turn hamper your business opportunities.
For example, you are now paying $5 for each click on your ad. With the optimization of your ad, landing page improvement of quality score, you see that you have to pay $3 for each click. This $2 difference might not seem much important to you but think on a big picture- you can save a lot!
This magic can happen even without the optimization of conversion rate and weeding out of the negative keywords. These two aspects are equally important. Without ad optimization and elimination of bad keywords on a constant basis, you cannot have an optimal run of your ad campaigns.
Mistake #8: No Ad Scheduling
Ad scheduling should be set at the campaign level of your Google ads account that will tell Google the day of the week and the hour of the day to show your ads.
If you do not set a specific ad schedule in your account, Google will, by default, show your ads on all days and will run for 24 hours of the day. If this is the case, your entire budget can get drained out. But this is not the only reason for you not being able to garner impressions.
You must check the ad schedule to assure that the schedule is not too much constricted as this might result in targeting at wrong timings when your target audience does not tend to search. Also, you should check for negative bid adjustments on certain times of the day.
While checking the ad schedule of a particular campaign, click on the campaign you choose, click on the tab ‘Settings’ > ‘Ad Schedule’:
The portions marked in dark blue indicate the hours in which the ads are eligible for display. The ads will not be shown in the hours marked in light blue.
If your ad schedule is too constricted, and set to one hour every day, the time is not enough to allow your target market for search. When no searches are made during this hour, your ads will never get the chance to be shown to your audience. You should go for an ad schedule for encompassing more number of hours and days.
Mistake #9: Your Brand Is Not Suitable for Google Ads
It’s true that Google Ads is not for every business. There are a few products and services that are not worth the time and effort with Google Ads. Industries that are ultra-competitive or having low-profit margins are not suitable for Google Ads. The other industries that violate the Google Ads Terms of Use are the adult industry, weapons, tobacco and the gambling industry in certain countries and these are not suitable for Google Ads.
Conclusion:
Google Ads might be a difficult platform for the new users and therefore mistakes are bound to happen. Hence you need to have enough time to test your ad campaigns and create a potent source of leads thereby driving revenue to your business.
If you fail to get good results through Google Ads, it is evident that you have made a combination of the above mistakes.
However, Google Ads is a playing field for advertisers so even if you arrive late; you are not a disadvantage, unlike SEO.
But keep in mind that Google AdWords is never a “set it and forget it” thing. You need to do constant testing and continuous monitoring and optimization to get the most out of your dollars spent for campaigns.
With devoting more time on the research and refining of your ads, landing page, constant testing, and optimization, you can find that your Google Ads will become less a headache. It will give you results and a greater return on investment (ROI) you desire.
Avoid getting quick fixes or new hacks; try to revamp the crucial sections of your Google Ads campaign.
Start with keyword intent.
Clean up the ad groups and get more specific results as well as increased quality scores.
Make sure your landing pages are specific to each ad groups for maximizing impact of your ads.
Remember to include message match to meet your user expectations.
Use ad extensions to boost your click through rate as well as increase your conversions. But do not push them for the sake of using. Use them strategically for each ad group and align them with campaign goals.
Quick hacks work but they are not much sustainable. So try focusing on the basics to create a sound experience for your audience right from the search funnel to the conversion.
Once you have made ways all through the above list and rectified your mistakes, you can easily find out the reasons why your Google Ads have not done well so far and why they are performing well regarding generating clicks, impressions and most importantly bringing conversions.
We hope this guide was a smooth rider for you, but if you feel a bit like a roller coaster, we will be more than happy to keep an extra set of eyes on your Google Ads campaigns. We can get your campaigns in a tip-top condition through our efficient Google Ads Management services.