Pay-per-click advertising - known as PPC - is a common form of digital marketing which allows businesses to run advertising campaigns on platforms such as Google Ads. PPC can be an accessible and cost-effective advertising method, as businesses accrue costs only when their adverts are actually clicked. 

Anyone can set up a PPC campaign, but not everyone can set them up right. There are a lot of moving parts involved in creating a successful set of PPC ads, and even if you think you’ve ticked all the boxes, you may find you’re not seeing the results you want.

Building effective PPC campaigns does involve an element of trial and error - there’s only one sure-fire way to learn about your specific audience and figure out what works and what doesn’t. You have to try it!

There are, however, some things which are commonly overlooked and can instantly improve the performance of your PPC ad campaigns. In this blog, we’ll be taking a look at some of these mistakes - and more importantly, sharing how to fix them!

Before we get started, if you’re not familiar with this form of digital marketing, take a look at our other blog on how PPC works!

What does success look like in PPC campaigns?

We’ve mentioned success a few times already, and it’s important to understand what this could look like for you. PPC is versatile, and can be used to improve a range of KPIs (key performance indicators) in virtually any business. This means that success will look different for everyone who uses PPC, and it depends on what you want to get from it. 

PPC can be used to increase website traffic, increase sales, generate leads or promote brand awareness. How you measure these factors is also up to you - you may choose to focus on the number of conversions, the number of clicks, how long people spend on your website, the amount of traffic you get on specific pages, or your revenue. 

What PPC success looks like for you might change over time based on your business’ needs: this means you’ll also need to change how you set up your campaigns, and what your ads look like.

Reasons why your PPC might not be working: 

You’re sending visitors to your homepage

We see many businesses making the mistake of directing PPC traffic to their website’s homepage - this is easily done, as your main page may feel like the most obvious, all-encompassing choice, which allows users to then visit pages which fit their specific needs. 

However, this is exactly why you shouldn’t direct traffic to your homepage in PPC campaigns. Homepages generally see higher bounce rates than other pages, as consumers don’t immediately see the information which is relevant to them. When they’re forced to search for it, it can cause an immediate disconnect which diminishes their interest in your brand and can even lose them as a potential customer. 

Say you create a search on Google for a ‘white gaming keyboard’. If a sponsored link shows up at the top of your SERP (search engine results page) for Amazon, it will generally include some of the keywords you used in your search. If you were to then click on this relevant-looking link only to be brought to Amazon’s homepage, you’d probably be hitting that backspace as soon as the page loads.

This means that a more effective approach involves guiding users to a dedicated landing page tailored to their search. In the example above, this could lead you to a specific product, a page, or a list of search results. By linking traffic directly to one of these pages, Amazon instantly increases the likelihood of you making a purchase.

Utilising Google’s Ad Quality Scores is a valuable strategy here. These scores assess how well a page aligns with a keyword, and this can help you decide which adverts should link to which landing pages. If there isn't already a dedicated landing page for a particular search term, it’s a good idea to create one.

You have a low quality score

Google Ad Quality Scores aren’t just used to make these internal decisions. In fact, a low score can lead to a lower level of visibility, and higher costs per click - directly impacting the overall success of your PPC campaign.

The Quality Score evaluates the relevance and quality of your advertisements on a scale of 1 to 10. To enhance this score, it's essential to create ads that align with user intent, target relevant keywords, and ensure a positive user experience on the associated landing pages. Regular monitoring and optimization based on user engagement data contribute to maintaining and improving the effectiveness of your ad campaigns. Note that Google's algorithms and features may undergo changes, so staying informed about the latest updates is advisable for advertisers.

You haven’t added any negative keywords

Negative keywords function as a category of keywords that stop your advertisement from being activated by specific words or phrases which aren’t actually relevant. This allows you to refine the searches in which your ad appears, ensuring that the received traffic consists of relevant users who are more likely to convert.

Compiling comprehensive lists of negative keywords for your ad groups before launching them is an important step in creating successful PPC campaigns. You can learn a lot from previous campaigns by analysing the search terms which have prompted clicks on your ads. Any terms which garnered a considerable number of clicks without actually resulting in many conversions are prime candidates here, as whilst they help create a lower CPC (cost-per-click), they aren’t lowering your cost-per-conversion. It’s all about finding the keywords which don’t align with your businesses’ KPIs, and adding them to your list of negative keywords.

You’re missing extensions

PPC ad extensions are additional features that you can incorporate into your ads to provide users with more information, and enhance engagement.

Common types of ad extensions include Sitelink Extensions, which add extra links to specific pages, Callout Extensions for short selling points, and Structured Snippet Extensions that offer detailed information in a list format. Location Extensions display physical addresses for businesses, while Call Extensions include phone numbers for direct contact. 

Price Extensions showcase specific products and their prices, and App Extensions provide links for app downloads. Promotion Extensions highlight special deals or discounts, contributing to increased visibility and relevance of ads. These extensions play a crucial role in improving click-through rates and overall campaign effectiveness on platforms like Google Ads and Microsoft Advertising.

Unfortunately, many individuals fail to take full advantage of these extensions, either not utilising them at all or not maximising their potential. Neglecting this extension opportunity could mean missing out on a valuable chance to boost your business and campaign.

Are You Looking To Improve The Performance Of Your PPC Campaigns?

At UNBXD, we have an exceptional track record of planning, launching and running successful PPC campaigns for a variety of businesses across different industries. We work as strategic partners with our clients to outline clear objectives and maximise your ROI.

Ready to get started or looking for more information? View our full list of digital marketing services, request a quote or contact us.