Making the initial investment in Google Ads is only just the beginning of your journey. And while there are a number of ways to tackle managing your campaign, to achieve the best results, you’ll want to be diligent, attentive, and avoid the urge to “set it and forget it.” Otherwise, you’ll risk underperforming, non-converting and minimally-optimized results. So, whether you’ve just begun your Google Ads journey or have been invested for a while, you’ll want to make sure you aren’t making these three top mistakes right now.
1. You never switched from “default.”
Many don’t realize this, but there are quite a few default Google Ads settings that can impact your performance as well as ad cost. These settings range from network targeting, campaign end dates, location, conversions, scheduling, keyword match, and more. While Google’s intent is to make managing your campaign more seamless, depending on your marketing goals, it may not be the best idea to leave these settings at bay. When first establishing or calibrating your campaign, you’ll want to make sure you understand each feature and associated setting so as not to shortchange your campaign’s success or wallet. If you’re in a major time crunch, you can start by double-checking your campaign using the settings listed above, and then expand your audit in the near future. All in all, the greater the focus on the inner workings of your campaign, the more power you’ll have to make your campaign work for you.
2. You’re not choosing the right match type.
We already know how important choosing the right keywords are for the success of your campaign; but, have you selected the right match type? Keyword match types assist in controlling which searches trigger your ad. You can use “broad match” to have your ad displayed to a wider audience or “exact match” to narrow in on specific target groups. From here, you can also move on to more advanced match type options, like “phrase match,” “exact match,” or “broad match modifier.” Selecting the right match type is important for controlling your bids and when your ad is actually triggered. You can gain more insight as to which match type to choose by examining your Search Terms Report. Here, you’ll be able to see how your ads performed for certain keywords when they were triggered by real-time searches. If you’re just starting, typically, broad match keywords have been known to be the least effective in producing conversions. But, once you begin to familiarize yourself more with match types and your campaign expands to include multiple ad segments, you can experiment with several at a time.
3. You’re not watching.
Just because your campaign has been set up and optimized does not mean you’re in the clear for the long haul. Remember, Google Ads isn’t a “set it and forget it” type of advertising medium. This is perhaps the top misconception that managers have when it comes to Google Ads. If your ads are not consistently monitored and managed over time, you’ll sacrifice costs, quality and conversions. Your ads should be monitored no less than weekly (though it could be daily, depending on your budget). You need to pay special attention to the clicks associated with certain keywords, conversions, impressions and cost, to start. Evaluating your performance often is key to maintaining a successful and well-optimized Google Ads campaign.
Rentbot can help.
No other platform offers the performance benefits of Google Ads; but, setting up your first Google Ads campaign may be a bit of an undertaking for some. At Rentbot, we help bridge that gap for you with our Google Ads services so that you can start advertising directly to high-quality leads with a trusted, Google-certified partner by your side. With no setup fees and no annual contract, you can get started immediately and test your campaigns as long as you’d like. And, the best part is that we’ll do all the work for you. Learn more about our Google Ads services and how we’ve helped properties like yours earn double-digit results.
About the Author
Jonsette Calloway joined the Rentbot team in 2015. With a background in public relations, advertising, and copywriting, she has helped a multitude of clients achieve their marketing and communications goals within various fields, but she particularly enjoys working with the apartment industry.