How to Avoid Costly Google Adwords Mistakes, Slash Your Average Cost Per Click, and Boost Your Conversion Rates and ROI to New Heights
Transcript
How to Avoid Costly Google Adwords Mistakes,Slash Your Average
Cost Per Click, and Boost Your Conversion Rates and ROI to New
Heights
A product or service that people want.The ability to reach your
market (i.e., generatetargeted traffic to your website).A sales
process (website) which cost-effectivelyconverts prospects into
leads and customers.This fits Dan Kennedys definition of message
tomarket match.If you have the first key, I can help you with
thelatter two keys... 2
Ive been doing business online, and helpingothers do so, since
early 1996.Ive developed multiple products and services,including
the book Internet Marketing Goldmine.Buyers include famous
marketers such as YanikSilver, Corey Rudl, Ken Evoy, Willie
Crawford, andothers.Yanik Silver invited me to give a presentation
onmultivariate testing at one of his UndergroundOnline Seminars.
3
Bill Glazer and Yanik Silver interviewed me for theirNo BS
Online Training Program. Yanik alsointerviewed me in an article
which was published inDan Kennedys No BS Marketing Letter.Yanik
Silver told me that one of the websiteconversion tips I gave him
increased his onlinesales by an estimated 10-15%.Top online
copywriter Michel Fortin said: "If youwant to learn tips, tweaks
and tricks that canliterally add up to $10,000 or more each month
intoyour bank account, then listen to Marty Foley." 4
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Avoid common frustrating and costly Adwordsmistakes.Maximize
your results from Google Adwords -while slashing your costs.Improve
website conversion rates, which can makeyou more money from all
your traffic, not just payper click. 6
For those who dont already know, pay per clickadvertising is a
form of online advertising wherethe advertiser only pays when a
prospect clicks ontheir ad, which links to the advertisers
website.Ad formats include text ads, image ads, video ads,mobile
device ads, even offline TV ads.Google once offered print ads but
discontinued it inJanuary 2009. 7
There are generally two types of pay per
clickadvertising:Search-targeted.Contextually-targeted. 8
Search-targeted pay per click is where paid adsare displayed on
search engine results pages,triggered by related keyword
searches.If youve ever done searches on Google, youvelikely seen up
to 8 text ads labeled "Sponsoredlinks" in the right hand column of
the searchresults, and often 1 to 3 sponsored ads with adifferent
colored background, above the organicsearch results. 9
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Contextually-targeted pay per click is where adsare displayed
on other websites, which aretriggered by the context, or topic, of
the web pagetheyre displayed on.Contextually-targeted Google ads
are part of theGoogle Adsense program. Google shares adrevenue with
publishers who run Adsense ads ontheir websites. 11
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Pay per click can be extremely targeted.It offers the ability
to reach laser-targetedprospects - at the precise moment theyre
activelysearching for your product or service.Theres much less
sales resistance when someoneis seeking what you offer, than when
you approachthem in unsolicited, cold call fashion.Much better to
be a welcome guest, rather than anannoying pest. 13
Pay per click is measurable and accountable.An old phrase says:
I know that half of myadvertising dollars are wasted I just dont
knowwhich half." This is true with many forms ofadvertising because
theyre not easily trackable.Knowing how to get the best return on
investmentfrom them is difficult at best.With pay per click
advertising you can knowexactly whats working (so you can expand on
it),and what isnt (so you can improve, reduce, oreliminate it).
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Pay per click is scientific advertising.This makes it ideal for
maximizing performancethrough A/B split and multivariate
testing.You can use pay per click to inexpensively andquickly test
product ideas, concepts, productnames and titles, domain names,
etc.Pay per click is a "pay for performance" model.You only have to
pay to reach prospects whoindicate a measure of interest, by
clicking your ad. 15
Pay per click (and analytics) can reveal exactlywhich keywords
actually convert to leads and salesfor you, which is crucial to
know if you want to getthe most from any search engine
optimization(SEO) efforts.Pay per click allows geographic
targeting.You can geographically target prospects bycountry, state,
region, city, within a number of milesfrom a street address or a
zip code, or acombination of these. 16
Pay per click can help improve other areas of
yourmarketing.Google offers free tools such as Google Analyticsand
Google Website Optimizer, which can not onlyhelp maximize Adwords
performance, but alsoimprove website conversion rates.Even if you
stop using Adwords you can continueto profit from better website
response rates. 17
Pay per click is fast.Equipped with one or more targeted
keywords anda simple text ad, your ads can start running
withinminutes of starting an Adwords account.This is faster than
waiting for your website toappear in organic search results, and
blazingly fastcompared to running ads in print publications.
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Although Google Adwords is auction based, higherbids do not
automatically mean higher adpositions. Instead, Adwords rewards
certain ads byshowing them in higher positions, and at a lowercost
per click.A powerful advantage of this is that you cant beblocked
from higher ad positions based solely onbid price.Another advantage
is that by using Adwords wiselyyou can get more targeted traffic at
lower cost thancompeting advertisers. 19
The main key to enjoying more Adwords traffic atlower cost is
relevance. What is relevance?When users do a keyword search, they
want toquickly find relevant information. In other
words,information directly related to what theyre lookingfor.Google
knows that providing users a satisfyingsearch experience is crucial
to user loyalty and tolong term success, so their Adwords
systemrewards relevant keywords, ads, and landingpages. 20
To encourage a more positive user experience,Google uses a
measurement called Quality Score.Its a measurement of how relevant
keywords, ads,and landing pages are to a users search.There are
different types of Quality Scores, suchas:Keyword Quality ScoresAd
Quality ScoresLanding Page Quality Scores 21
Quality Score has a crucial impact on cost perclick, ad
position, and on whether an ad is eveneligible to show during a
keyword auction. Thehigher the Quality Score, the higher the ad
positionand the lower cost per click.A Quality Score from 1 - 10 is
assigned to eachkeyword in your Adwords account, and iscalculated
based on multiple factors, such as:Keyword clickthrough rate
(CTR).Historical CTR of keywords and ads in an account.Relevance of
keywords to ads in an ad group.Landing page quality, and other
relevance factors. 22
Although the criteria for determining ad rank differsslightly
by ad type and traffic source (Googlesearch, Search Partners, and
Display Network),the basic ad rank formula is essentially the same:
Ad Rank = Bid Quality ScoreIn general, the lower the Quality Score,
the higherthe bid required to rank in a given position.
Itsobviously better to achieve higher ad positionsthrough better
Quality Score, than by biddinghigher. 23
I highly recommend that you do not start anAdwords account
before considering this section,and the next one: How to Avoid
Frustrating andCostly Adwords Mistakes.To simplify understanding of
the frustrating andcostly Adwords mistakes revealed in the
nextsection, following is an overview of the mainAdwords account
elements, and the account setupprocess. 24
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Broad Match: keyword termCan be more easily matched to
irrelevant termsthan other match types.Phrase Match: "keyword
term"Allows greater relevancy than broad match.Exact Match:
[keyword term]Ensures that your ad shows only when peoplesearch on
that keyword, and nothing else. 26
Broad match modifier is a feature which lets youcreate keywords
with greater reach than phraseand exact match, with more control
over relevancythan regular broad match.Three examples of keyword
terms using broadmatch modifier:+keyword +termkeyword +term+keyword
term 27
With modified broad match, each word precededby a plus sign
must appear in a query, exactly oras close variations, to trigger
your ads.Variations include misspellings, singular/pluralversions,
abbreviations, acronyms, and stemmings(like roof and roofing).
Synonyms are notconsidered close variations. 28
Unlike primary keyword match types, negativekeyword match types
are used to control whenyour ads are not shown, to weed out
untargeted(irrelevant) ad impressions and clicks.1) Negative Broad
Match: -keyword2) Negative Phrase Match: -"keyword"3) Negative
Phrase Match: -[keyword] 29
Suppose you sell blue widgets and researchreveals the following
related keyword terms:free blue widgetsblue widget songsdiscount
blue widgetscheap blue widgetsbuy blue widgetsblue widgets for sale
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The first two terms are clearly unrelated to yourmarket, so you
should use "free" and "songs" asnegative keywords:free blue
widgetsblue widget songsIf you only sell premium blue widgets and
dontwant your ads to show to people shopping aroundfor the lowest
priced widgets, you may choose touse "discount" and "cheap" as
negative keywords.discount blue widgetscheap blue widgets 31
Other keyword tools can be useful for keywordresearch, but the
Google Adwords Keyword Tool isbased on a lot of actual Google
search data. Itsfound under the Opportunites tab in your
Adwordsaccount, or search Google for Google AdwordsKeyword
Tool.Enter your landing page URL in the tool, so it cananalyze your
site and suggest targeted keywords.You can also add relevant
keywords at the sametime. To find other targeted keywords, also
enterthe landing page URLs of competing advertisersinto the tool.
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Part of Adwords relevance means a good matchbetween keywords
and ads in the same ad group.So place only tightly themed keywords
in an adgroup, and include those keywords in the ads ofthe ad
group.Keywords will especially stand out in the headline,but also
using the keyword in other parts of the adcan work even
better.Benefits tend to work better than features; solvingcurrent
pain better than future gain. 35
Capitalizing the first letter of every main word,including the
display URL, tends to improve CTR.Tell users what you want them to
do, with clearcalls to action.Consider using negative qualifiers to
weed outclicks from less targeted searchers. Examples:Price, age
group, gender, location, words like"buy", etc. 36
Part of Googles success hinges on user-friendliness. Adwords
account setup is easy andstraightforward.You can go through the
process before payinganything, and can submit payment afterward
whenyoure ready to activate it.Get started at: google.com/adwords
and take thefollowing steps: 37
Create new Google account, or use existing one.Choose
currency.Choose language(s)Choose geographic location(s)Create
ad(s)Enter keywordsSet your budget and bids.Confirm your
settings.Enter billing info or save that step until later. 38
Unfortunately, most Adwords advertisers spendconsiderably more
for traffic and results thannecessary, by making frustrating and
costlymistakes.Newbies make them more often, but many long-time
advertisers also pay the penalty for makingthem month after month,
in higher costs anddiminished returns. Its best if I reveal how to
avoidthem before you ever start an Adwords account. 39
For best Adwords results, you need to be clear onyour strategy
or strategies (the goals you want toachieve through it). For
example, do you want togenerate leads? Leads for which product
orservice? Do you want to make direct sales? Salesof which product
or service?Begin with the end in mind. Once you know yourgoals, you
can develop tactics to reach them. Eachkeyword, ad, and landing
page should be focusedon achieving specific goals. 40
Some advertisers start an Adwords campaign andlet it run for
weeks or months without monitoring it.But regular account
optimization and monitoringare needed to insure good account
performanceand to stay alert to changes and trends, for good
orbad.With hundreds or thousands of keywords, accountmanagement can
be time and labor intensive but itdoesnt have to be. 41
The 80/20 Rule ("Paretos Principle") says that aminority of
elements produce the majority ofresults, and vice versa. With
Adwords the ratio ismore like 90/10, 95/5, or even higher.For
maximum leverage and efficiency, structureyour Adwords account to
give priority to the smallerpercentage of keywords which produce
the mostleads, sales, etc. 42
You can apply the 80/20 Rule to Adwords by usinga multi-tier
account structure.An approach I like is to place best keywords
inseparate Tier 1 campaigns, better keywords inseparate Tier 2
campaigns, and the majority in Tier3 campaigns.Focus more priority
on higher tier campaigns. Asany lower tier keywords rise in
performance, movethem up to higher tier campaigns and apply
the80/20 Rule to them. 43
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Adwords Editor is free downloadable software forWindows or Mac,
for managing Adwordscampaigns on your computer. With it you
candownload your account, make changes, andupload them to
Adwords.Although you must still login to the online
Adwordsinterface to perform a few tasks, for most tasks itsa great
time-saver compared to doing themthrough a web browser. 45
To download Adwords Editor, do a Google searchon "adwords
editor download".For video tutorials on Adwords Editor, do
aYouTube.com search on "adwords editor videotutorial". 46
3 main sources of Adwords traffic are: GoogleSearch, Search
Partners, and Display Network(formerly Content Network).All traffic
sources are on by default duringcampaign setup. Problem is,
different trafficsources vary in cost and performance.
Thistypically means advertisers overbid on DisplayNetwork traffic,
and to an extent on Search Partnertraffic, which generally costs
less than GoogleSearch traffic. 47
By at least separating Display Network traffic fromsearch
traffic by campaign, and also perhapsGoogle Search from Search
Partner traffic, yougain more control over bidding, ad budget,
etc.You can also better target ads to the different,specific
audiences, which can mean betterrelevance, higher Quality Scores,
higher ad rank,and lower CPC. 48
You can edit traffic sources by campaign, under:Campaign tab
Settings tab Networks anddevices 49
Most advertisers start out by dumping all theirkeywords into
one ad group. Since the keywordsare so diverse, ads which are
highly relevant toevery search can not be written. Clickthrough
rate(CTR), Quality Score, and CPC are negativelyimpacted.The
solution is simple: Create multiple ad groupsand use only closely
related keywords in each one. 50
Some suggest the other extreme: Just 1 keywordper ad group,
perhaps separated even further bykeyword match type.But with
hundreds or more keywords in anaccount, multiplied by 3-4 match
types, multipliedagain by 2-3 traffic sources, can mean
manycampaigns, and many ad groups with one keywordin them.The ideal
is to have highly relevant keywordsmatched to highly relevant ads,
but goingoverboard can dilute effectiveness and make theaccount
unnecessarily complex and time-consuming to manage. 51
Heres another instance where a multi-tier accountstructure is
useful. It helps you prioritize and focusyour time where it counts
most: On your bestkeywords.The higher the campaign tier, the more
it can beworth the time to place keywords into their ownseparate ad
groups. 52
Some advertisers believe that the more keywordsthey use, the
more successful theyll be with payper click. Its more likely that
the more targetedkeywords they use, the more successful theyll
be.Especially if just starting out with PPC, its a matterof testing
and tracking to discover what your bestkeywords really are.
Remember: if your mosttargeted keywords dont convert for you,
itsunlikely that less targeted keywords will. 53
Although exact and phrase match terms tend toconvert better, a
common mistake is to only usebroad match keywords. On the other
hand, usingonly exact and phrase match can severely reduceyour
traffic.For maximum traffic, consider using all primarymatch types.
To compensate for the difference inmatch type performance, you can
adjust your bidshigher or lower by match type. 54
Many advertisers use little or no negativekeywords, resulting
in a lot of irrelevant clicks andconsiderable ad budget waste.The
proper use of negative keywords (on acampaign or ad group level)
can dramatically slashad costs and increase relevancy, without
hurtingconversion rates. 55
Keyword research is an ongoing process, andthere are two goals
behind it. One goal is findingnew, potentially profitable keywords,
and the otheris finding new negative keywords for filtering
outuntargeted ad clicks.When you see clicks on broad and phrase
matchterms in your Adwords account stats, keep in mindthat the
actual search queries which have triggeredthose ad clicks may not
precisely match yourkeywords. 56
Knowing the actual search queries used can revealnew negative
keywords. You can discover actualsearch queries in multiple
ways:"Keywords" tab "See search terms" button.Adwords Search Query
Performance report:"Reporting" tab "Reports".Google Analytics also
does not currently showactual search queries by default, but custom
filterscan be set up to reveal them.Server log files, etc. 57
Your ads are the first thing your potential prospectsand
customers see, so theyre obviously animportant part of Adwords
success.For tips on writing effective Adwords ads, see theprevious
section, Overview: Adwords Account andSetup. 58
Although small ad changes can have a largeimpact on CTR, CPC,
conversion rates and ROI,many advertisers are losing money by not
testingmultiple ads to discover better performing ones.The good
news is, Google has a built in featurewhich makes testing multiple
ads quick and easy. 59
A/B split testing alone, where you simply test onead version
against another, is a proven way toboost results. But theres a
faster and better way,called multivariate testing. With it you can
testmany different combinations of ad variables at thesame time.I
offer a free tool which lets you test an equivalentof 81 different
combinations of variables, with just 9test ads. Ill tell you how to
access it later. 60
When testing Adwords ads, most advertisersoptimize for
clickthrough rate (CTR), or conversionrate. But a more accurate way
to determine adprofitability is to optimize by profit per
impression.You dont need to know any special formulas or doany
number crunching. A free online tool forcalculating profit per
impression is atSuperSplitTester.Com 61
Although higher ad positions on search enginestend to generate
more traffic, theyre not alwaysthe best positions, for various
reasons:All else equal, higher positions cost more.Youre more
likely to to get into bidding wars in toppositions.Higher positions
often get more clicks frombrowsers and tire-kickers. 62
Rather than be in doubt about the best performingad positions
for each keyword, you can find out inat least two ways:In Adwords,
the Placement / Keyword report showsaverage position. A better
option which compareskeyword performance by position, is in
GoogleAnalytics: Traffic Sources AdWords Keywords Keyword
PositionsGoogle has a position preference feature that letsyou
specify a range of positions you want your adto show in, for each
keyword. Enable it on thecampaign level under the settings tab, and
specifydesired ranges by keyword, on the keyword level. 63
Advertisers often send visitors to the home page,which is
usually not the best option. If yourepromoting a specific product
or service locatedother than on the home page, dont force users
tosearch for it; send them to the specific landingpage best matched
to the keyword and ad.Remember that relevance is crucial, and the
fewerthe steps (clicks) in the sales process, generallythe better.
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Have you ever read a web page and were lefthanging at the end,
wondering what the next stepwas, or which of multiple steps to take
next? Thatwas likely because the next step was weak,unclear, or
non-existent.Websites focused on glitzy design, without focuson
clear, user-friendly actions, suffer from lowerconversion rates.
Make it clear to visitors whateach next step is, with motivating
and obvious callsto action that stand out on the page. Avoid
orminimize other options. 65
No matter how good your conversion rates, theresalways room for
improvement. A powerful way toboost conversions is by testing and
tracking.Split testing has long been the best method knownby direct
marketers for improving advertising &marketing response.Little
did they know that there was an ingeniousmethod of testing multiple
combinations ofvariables in a single test, known as
multivariatetesting. 66
I pre-launched a multivariate testing tool I wasdeveloping with
a programming partner, at YanikSilvers Underground Seminar.
Afterward Googleannounced something I had no earlier clue about:The
release of a powerful new multivariate testingtool, called Website
Optimizer, for free.Rather than compete with one of the
largestcompanies in the world offering a similar productfor free, I
decided if you cant beat em, join em.I recommend that you use
Website Optimizer toimprove website response rates. 67
1) Again, apply the 80/20 Rule: Test variableswhich tend to
have greater impact, such as:Pre-headsHeadlinesOpening sentences
& paragraphsSubheadsCredibility buildersBullet points 68
TestimonialsOffersPricesGuaranteesBonusesReason to act
nowP.S.Point of action assurancesCalls to action 69
2) Heres a bullet point testing trick I like to use:From a list
of bullet points, select half for testing.For each selected bullet,
simply test with andwithout each one on the page.Such tests can
reveal which bullets have strongerappeal and which dont. You can
then expand onstronger appeals in future tests,
perhapsincorporating them into headlines, etc., to improveresponse
further. 70
3) Try to test widely differing variables (instead ofthose with
subtle differences) with the goal offinding those which
considerably outperformothers. 71
Google Analytics can provide valuable insight intowhere
visitors come from, what they do, wherethey leave from, etc;
insight useful for improvingsites and making more money, but many
fly blindby failing to use it.Consider some specific insights you
can gain withGoogle Analytics: 72
Track and discover which search engines, referringwebsites,
Adwords campaigns, ad groups, ads,keywords, emails, landing pages,
etc., work bestand which dont.Discover where the biggest response
improvementopportunities, with the least effort, exist on
yoursite.Adwords can track certain visitor actions asconversions;
Google Analytics the gives flexibilityto track even more things,
including "micro-actions"leading up to conversions. 73
Unless acted on, Google Analytics data is just that.So what are
some of the more valuable, actionableinsights you can use?1)
Monitor bounce rates by landing page, ad, trafficsource, keyword,
etc. Bounce rate measures thepercentage of single-page visits, or
visits wherepeople leave a site from the landing page. Thelower the
better. 74
2) Setup conversion goals. Conversion goalsmeasure actions you
want website visitors to take.Examples: Submitting opt-in or
contact forms,placing orders. You can also measure micro-actions
leading to main goals: Clicking order linksor add to cart buttons,
visiting checkout pages,spending a certain amount of time on page,
etc.3) Monitor keyword performance and determineactual search
queries. Find new traffic generatingand negative keywords. Remove,
reduce, or refinelower performers, and improve and expand onhigher
performers (80/20 Rule). 75
Unfortunately we dont have time to cover manyother powerful
features of Google Adwords, butnow that Ive shown you many costly
mistakes toavoid, youre better equipped to enjoy much betterAdwords
success as a result.But thats not all, folks... 76
Keenan Glass "twisted my arm" to come up with aspecial
fast-action bonus for those who sign up asmembers of the
Glazer-Kennedy Insiders Circle,and for current members.So I decided
to make a copy of this slidepresentation (in PDF format) available
as thebonus. See Keenan Glass or Jeff Wagner fordetails on how to
get a copy. 77
I earlier promised you access to a free multivariateAdwords ad
testing tool, which makes testing manyad variables faster and
easier.You can access it, and also get a chance to sign upfor my
free Adwords Maximizer email course,through the following link:
AdwordsMaximizer.com/gkichouston 78
Adwords Account Startup PackageAccount Setup (optimal structure
& settings)Keyword Research (traffic-generating &
negatives)Ad Writing & TestingInstall Conversion Tracking
(through webmaster)Install Google Analytics (through
webmaster)Website CritiqueStrategy Session (30 min. phone
consultation)A $447.00 Value: Just $297 79
Adwords Account Optimization PackageAccount Audit &
RestructureKeyword Research (traffic-generating & negatives)Ad
Writing & TestingInstall Conversion Tracking (through
webmaster)Install Google Analytics (through webmaster)Website
CritiqueStrategy Session (30 min. phone consultation)A $447.00
Value: Just $297 80
If you want ongoing Adwords optimization &management, or
Google Analytics or WebsiteOptimizer testing help or consulting, we
currentlyoffer this on an hourly or recurring monthly basis.Limited
to 5 clients. As a family-friendly companywe decline clients in
markets for potentially harmfulproducts, gambling, adult, Al-Qaeda,
etc. 81