Have you been utilising Google’s unique brand of advertising, only to find it’s much more expensive than you first thought? Xposure has compiled a list of the four most common mistakes, so that you can stop unnecessary spending and make your adverts as effective as possible.

Mistake 1

Only having one advert

You’re permitted to do as many ads as you want, so make sure that you take advantage of this! Having a few different variations of your advert can be really beneficial. Despite selling the same thing, different wording can attract a whole new audience, maybe even one with more disposable income!

It can also be a great way to test what kind of advert has the best engagement and response rate. Try one that focuses on percentage rates, for example ’50% off’, and another that focuses on actual prices, for example ‘£5 off!’, you may then find that one type is more popular than the other.

Rewording your advert can really open up your potential clickers, and as long as the advert is well written (and your offer is good) you can attract almost anyone!

Mistake 2

Your adverts take the audience to your home page

Like a Sat Nav that only takes you to within the general vicinity of where you need to be, letting your advert link to your home page, really isn’t that helpful! Even if the potential customers are in sort of the right place, it’s unlikely that your home page answers all the questions you posed in your advert.

You need to have a specific landing page that addresses the reader’s reasons for clicking, gives them further information, and of course, an area for them to share their details with you!

Make sure you have an attention-grabbing page, with a very clear call to action so that those who have taken the time to click on your ad, know what to do!

Mistake 3

Not using negative keywords

You may not even be aware that you can do this, but it really is a trick you shouldn’t miss out on. Simply put a ‘-’ in front of a word in your keywords, and this becomes a negative keyword. Make these words the ones that you wouldn’t want your advert to show up with, even though they are similar to what you are selling.

An example of negative keywords would be if you were an optician and selling glasses online, you should to add negative keywords, such as, pint, brandy, sherry etc. so that the wrong people don’t stumble upon your advert, and click unnecessarily, costing you money!

Negative keywords allow you to be really picky about where your adverts are shown, so that you only come up when the right words are typed in, by the right people.

Mistake 4

Using your company name as the headline

Unless you are ‘Apple’, ‘Coca Cola’, or ‘Topshop’ you shouldn’t expect your business name to act as a click-grabbing headline.

Your headline is an opportunity to sell your offer, use your best persuasive language and meet the needs of your audience; in short – make sure you use it well.

If your advert truly describes what you are selling in a unique and persuasive way, you will find that individuals clicking on it, will actually want your services and to take advantage of your offer.

So, go to your Adwords account now, make sure you aren’t making any of these mistakes, and begin saving money!