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PPC (Pay Per Click) advertising can be a very effective advertising tool, but it can also be a very expensive lesson when handled incorrectly. Pay Per Click campaigns should be properly implemented and tracked in order to generate the best results. Avoid these common pitfalls and mistakes...

1. Not Filtering Countries
Quite often, countries that produce the most clicks are not the countries that produce the most sales. Keep in mind that "clickfraud" tends to be very high in some countries, and filtering these countries will help keep costs down for the more effective clicks. Another alternative is to setup a separate campaign with a lower cost-per-click value for those countries with a lower ROI (Return On Investment) history.

2. Not Understanding Search Sites vrs Content Sites
You need to understand the difference between search networks and content networks. Assuming that the conversion rate will be the same in both types of networks is a big and costly mistake. In many cases, content sites will convert into sales at a much lower rate than the search networks. Set up separate campaigns to target search sites and content sites individually.

3. Not Monitoring Ad Status
Tracking is critical for determining what keywords are resulting in actual sales. What you track is just as important as the tracking itself. The overall number of click-throughs is indeed interesting, but it does not help determine which keywords and phrases are actually earning the most money.

4. Not Testing Different Ads
Testing is critical in determining the performance of an ad campaign. Rotate ads to show them evenly, and then determine which advertisements are the most effective in reaching potential customers that ultimately end up actually purchasing.

5. Not Using Specific Keyword Phrases
It is a mistake to use keywords that are too generic. They may generate a lot of traffic, but generic terms are seldom targeted enough to result in actual sales.

6. Not Establishing Separate Ad Groups
It is important to establish separate ad groups. This way, you can control landing pages and target specific groups of keywords with both the ad and the landing page.

7. Not Understanding Matching Options
Be sure that you completely understand all the matching options, so that you can target and filter out traffic that is unrelated to your website or product. Not understanding the matching options will often result in costly traffic that has no real interest in actually purchasing your products.

8. Not Setting Up Different Campaigns
It is important to setup and group campaigns in a way that makes sense. The planning will help with your overall management.

9. Not Using Negative Keywords
Use "negative" keywords and "long-tail" search phrases to capture very targeted traffic. If you do not use negative keywords you will be unable to filter out traffic that has no real interest in purchasing. This is also particularly helpful when you are dealing with keyword terms that have multiple meanings -- you can use negative keywords to minimize any confusion.

Managing a Pay Per Click ad campaign can be overwhelming. If you are struggling with your PPC campaign, and do not have the time or energy to bring yourself up to speed on the topic, you might want to consider working with a professional and respected company like Shareware Promotions to manage your Pay Per Click ad campaigns for you.

Related Articles:
Writing PPC Ads
Pay Per Click Terminology
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The Keyword Search
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