The 5 Biggest Don’ts of Paid Search

Thanks to the endless source of information that we call “the internet”, it’s easy to find all the do’s and should do’s in every business field. It’s so easy to obtain this type of information, that it becomes easy to overlook the don’ts!

When it comes to Pay Per Click campaigns, the don’ts are so easy to overlook that even experienced marketing campaign managers tend to make some time-consuming and money-wasting mistakes from time to time. We’ve made a list of 5 commonly overlooked don’ts of PPC, and we’ve included suggestions that can help you avoid these types of situations.

1. Don’t Generalize

Avoid assuming that all PPC campaigns will be the same. There are so many variables to take into account when it comes to a successful PPC marketing campaign, that you start thinking of ways of oversimplifying the optimization process. Especially when you’re using an already existing account, it’s easy to start a line of bad decisions by assuming that you can apply things that have been successful in other campaigns.

Suggestions: View each new account as an unexplored territory. Research the account’s history and study its analytics before you start your optimization process.

2. Don’t Lose Focus

If you’re the account manager of several accounts, it is easy to skip the follow-up process of each of the change’s you’ve made. This simple mistake can leave you blindsided, and some ineffective changes can diminish your budget without having any positive impact on your campaign.

Suggestions: Create a habit of following-up on all the change’s you’ve made the very next morning. Make sure that you’re daily spending stays on track and that your budget is used accordingly.

3. Don’t Overlook Negatives

Incorporating negative keywords into a paid search campaign will allow you to avoid spending any money on keywords that are irrelevant or don’t have a positive impact on your campaign. Doing so will eliminate irrelevant search results that are generated when users use broad or unspecific keywords or phrases.

Suggestions: Include negative keywords whenever you start using a new account, or when you launch a new PPC campaign. Schedule a follow-up on the effectiveness of the chosen negative keywords, and make changes accordingly. Before deciding on which negative keywords to use, research alternate meanings of the actual keywords that you plan on using.

4. Don’t Skip Checking Your “To Do” List

In the organized chaos that a PPC campaign’s launch is, it’s easy to fast forward through some aspects. Rushing through getting a campaign to go live can make you make rookie mistakes, such as forgetting to turn on certain settings.

Suggestions: Write down a step-by-step “To Do” list, and update it as often as possible. At first it may look like an unnecessary hassle, but checking each thing as it gets completed will improve your efficiency. Include things such as budget details, necessary settings, bid strategy, and others.

5. Don’t Disregard the Budget

Managing accounts for several clients comes with a lot of responsibilities when it comes to budgeting. The budget diversity, from client to client, will make it hard for a PPC campaign manager to stay on top of what amount each account has available on a monthly or daily basis.

Suggestions: Create a monthly spread overview, and include the budget details and limitations of each of your clients’ accounts. By having a clear display of how much of the budget you’re supposed to be spending each day, it will be simple to see if you’re ahead or behind the targeted spending amount.