10 common mistakes when trying to set up Google Ads

Mistakes in affiliate marketing are common, especially for beginners who are just starting their journey. But experienced affiliates are not immune from them either.

In this article, we want to talk about running ads on Google Ads and go through the most common mistakes that are made due to inexperience, negligence, or inattention. We hope that this checklist will help not to drain the budget.

Mistake #1: Incorrect goals or campaign type selected

This point should be taken seriously because you will get poor results if the goal is wrong. Below are the types of campaigns and what they should be used for:

Search network. Everything here is as logical as possible – advertising will be shown to the user next to the search results, and the main thing is to correctly register the keywords. If everything is done correctly, then a user who, for example, is looking for a weight loss product will see your ad.

Google Display Network (GDN). It will help to reach a wider audience and is suitable for advertising a new product.

Shopping. This type of campaign is suitable for advertising online stores.

Video. Select this option if you plan to advertise a video

Smart. Here the system itself decides on the account where and to whom it is worth showing your ad. In addition, the system will determine the cost per click and the type of your ad. This option is suitable if you need to launch ads quickly, and conversion tracking is pre-configured on the site.

Mistake #2: Not Using Negative Keywords

In order not to waste your budget, you should remember about negative keywords because their absence entails inappropriate transitions and, as a result, a waste of money. The rule is elementary, but even professionals fall for this bait. After all, the list of negative keywords needs to be constantly expanded by analyzing search query reports, and not everyone and not always wants to do this.

In the public domain, you can find various services that will help you work with negative keywords. For example, this tool will help you decline words.

Mistake #3: Not using remarketing

Remarketing is a very cool thing that should not be forgotten. This option will help you re-engage with a user who has visited your site. The client is not always ready to make a conversion because he can compare prices and options or is just not in the mood to take any action. If remarketing is not configured, you are unlikely to “see” these users again, which is a huge audience percentage.

Mistake #4: Geotargeting is not set up

This issue occurs if you’ve launched a campaign but haven’t specified your audience’s geography. In this case, there may be many clicks on ads, but few conversions. It can be especially “painful” for those companies whose services or products are very localized. After all, you will drain the budget for a non-target audience.

Mistake #5: Missing Tests

Let’s say you run an ad and everything seems to work well. What if it could have been even better? Tests will help answer this question – add a different description or title or even change the approach. Tests will help determine what works and which option should not be used.

Mistake #6: Creating just one ad per ad group

Another mistake is when you use only one ad for a group. Everyone is different, and what works for 5 people may not work for 10 others. In order to get feedback from more visitors, write at least 2-3 options for each group.

Mistake #7: Conversion Tracking Not Set Up

If you’re not tracking the performance of your ad campaigns, then what’s the point? Relying on intuition, in this case, is not the best solution because there is a risk of losing money. Of course, you can “fall into the sky” and get a good result, but it will only work once. If you don’t know what keywords users use to leave applications, then how to understand what to use in the future?

Mistake #8: Poor Image Creatives

Image quality in creatives is the key to success. The image should be clear, high-quality, and necessarily thematic. You should also not be zealous with the text in the picture. Too many letters will tire the user and will not bring the desired result.

If the picture is incorrect, it may not pass moderation; even if missed, it will be of little use. CTR will be low, bids will rise, and the budget will be wasted.

Mistake #9: Not adding extensions

The user does not receive helpful information if the campaign is running and extensions are not added. It can be a price, phone number, or link to an offer. All this data attracts users’ attention and makes your offer stand out among hundreds of others. The less information you provide, the less informative your offer is and the lower the CTR your ads get.

Mistake #10: Logical and Grammar Errors in Ad Texts

Errors in texts can be spelling or logical. Usually, Google tries not to skip ads that contain spelling errors. With logical ones, it’s a little more complicated. In any case, carefully check the texts because the presence of errors not only looks strange but also reduces the effectiveness of the advertising campaign.

And a couple more mistakes that are better to avoid:

Lack of control. Running an ad and leaving the ad unattended is not the best solution. Do not rely on intuition or chance; constant checking and analysis of the effectiveness of ads are important if you plan to earn and not just play affiliate marketer.

Lack of UTM tags. UTM tags are a great way to understand what is going on with your ad and how effective it is, to analyze which links drive traffic and where it comes from. Another plus of tags is that you don’t have to do everything from scratch when you launch the next ad. You will already have analytics based on which you can launch.