Google Adwords - recently rebranded as Google Ads - is a fantastic opportunity to get your company in front of the right people using targeting.
However, it can also be a curse when it comes to blowing your budget, if you don't know what you're doing.
It's great to be proactive, but you also need to be careful of how you present your ads and the ways in which you're targeting groups of users.
Take note of these common errors when planning your next campaign - or amend your ongoing PPC campaign now...
1. Remember branded keywords and phrases
People that are actively choosing to look for you using your company name or other branded keywords are already into you! Don't let them scroll down to a competitor or check out a competitor's ad - be there.
Branded keywords tend to cost relatively less than non-branded keywords too - so what have you have got to lose?
2. Pay attention to "negative" keywords
Don't waste money on search terms that are irrelevant to your company and its offering. Regularly analyse the results of your searches - common negative keywords we rule out are ones relating to "vacancies", "jobs" and "work experience", as well as geographical searches far away from our target radius, i.e. "web agency surrey" is irrelevant to us.
Mark these terms negative so you don't waste your budget and disappoint those that are clicking on your ads, who may be expecting something you're not offering.
3. Target by audience demographics (and geographics)
Is your target user a male, aged 35-50? Tell Google Ads so it only shows your adverts to those very people. Similarly, if your HR agency only targets people in the North East then restrict your ads to only show to people searching from a North East location.
4. Think about timing
It's often worth bearing in mind the timing of your ad, during set up you can restrict your ads to only appear on certain days and certain times. For instance, most B2B organisations are likely to get their traffic during working hours, Monday - Friday, 9am - 5pm (or thereabouts), so why show your ads on a Saturday at 3pm?
Review other analytics and data you may have such as Facebook Insights and Google Analytics to improve how your budget is used.
5. Consider your retargeting options
Don't forget to monitor the visitors that land on your website and offer them another chance to come back using retargeting campaigns, whatever form they may take.
