Here is a list of why your PPC may be failing you, or at least not working the way it should be. There are many factors and reasons for this, so we will just cover what I think to be the top 10 here:
1. Not using Google Analytics…Google Analytics – or any analytics for that matter – will deliver to your front door, or at least your inbox, the statistics you need in order to see what is working with your keywords and what is not.
2. Not keeping your website updated…When your ad text is working and you get a click through, what could possibly be worse for a potential client than finding the website or landing page is outdated and underutilized? Keep your website changing and evolving to keep up with your growing clientele.
3. You haven’t realized negative keywords are your friend…not only do you need positive keywords to help generate traffic, you need negative keywords to help weed out the traffic you don’t want.
4. You are tracking your click-throughs but not conversion rates…you don’t only need to know that people are clicking on your ads, you need to know you are making sales once they do. Turn on that tracking!
5. Your regional marketing is too vague or too broad…make sure your regional marketing ads are specific enough to keep it in line, however not too specific as to filter everyone out. It’s a fine line, but balance is necessary.
6. Your account settings may not be set up appropriately…There are five different settings to check – ad serving, target audience, delivery method, search network, and budget options.
7. Focusing only on keyword bids and not enough on ad text…create a catchy headline and a direct call to action when writing ad text
8. Not enough keywords…you might try to make your keywords very specific, and therefore only use up to 5 different ones. The problem with that is that it narrows your search down too much. Again, it is a matter of balance – find the line between having 100 keywords and having 5 keywords
9. Dynamic Keyword Insertion…this allows you to have ads that appear differently for people depending on what their search terms were, this makes your ads appear more relevant to the user.
10. Read PPC industry blogs…keep tabs on changes and updates in order to keep your advertising working to it’s highest capabilities!