How to Optimize Search Ads

by Carol LewisAugust 20, 20247 minutes read

As the world's largest search engine, Google has a huge user base and precise search algorithms . Through Google promotion, foreign trade companies can formulate precise keyword strategies based on their own products and target markets to achieve precise delivery of advertising information.

So when optimizing Google search ads, avoiding common mistakes is crucial to improving advertising effectiveness and reducing advertising costs . Here are some key errors and strategies to avoid them . I hope it can provide you with strong help so that your company can achieve profitability and success efficiently!

Mistake 1: Over-setting keywords

In order to increase the exposure of their products, companies often set corresponding keywords for them so that target users can discover their products. However, if too many keywords are set for a single product, the ad group will be too large and difficult to manage and optimize. To avoid the above situation, companies can select keywords and group them reasonably.

1.Select keywords:

Use tools such as Google Keyword Planner to conduct thorough keyword research . Google Keyword Planner is a functional module under Google Ads, which is mainly used to help advertisers and marketers discover keywords related to search campaigns. With its help, companies can select keywords with high relevance and moderate search volume , and obtain key information such as search volume, competition level, and recommended bids for these keywords .

2.Reasonable grouping:

The work is not over after selecting keywords. You also need to group them according to the relevance and intent of the keywords . Generally, keywords can be divided into several categories such as informational, navigational, transactional and brand. Each ad group should contain keywords with a common theme. At the same time, we can also put keywords with similar meanings or similar search intent together, which will help optimize advertising and content layout.

Mistake 2: Ignoring negative keywords

Negative keywords are a special keyword setting that tells the Google Ads system not to show ads for certain search queries. These specific search queries are usually irrelevant to the advertiser's products or services, or are unlikely to bring effective clicks or conversions. If negative keywords are not set or updated in a timely manner, it may lead to poor advertising results, wasted costs, and reduced conversion rates . In the process of setting and updating negative keywords, there are some ideas such as review, creation, selection, update, and optimization.

1.Review search term reports regularly:

Understand which search queries triggered your ads and assess the relevance of those queries. Add them as negative keywords to prevent your ads from showing in the future.

2.Create negative keyword lists:

In your Google Ads account, you can create negative keyword lists and add irrelevant search queries to these lists.

3.Choose the appropriate negative keyword matching type:

Choose the appropriate matching type according to your needs. For example, if you want to more strictly control the display scope of your ads, you can choose exact match negative; if you want to more broadly exclude irrelevant search queries, you can choose broad match negative.

4.Regularly update and optimize negative keyword lists:

Negative keywords that are no longer applicable need to be removed regularly and new negative keywords added to maintain the relevance and effectiveness of your ads.

Mistake 3: The ad copy is not attractive

Lack of appeal in Google search ad copy is a common problem that can lead to low ad click-through rates, poor exposure, and decreased conversion rates . There are three ways to make your ad copy lively and interesting to attract users’attention.

1.Emphasize product advantages:

Identify how your product or service differs from your competitors and highlight these unique selling points in your ad copy.

2.Use call to action:

Include clear calls to action (CTA) in your copy, such as “Buy Now”, “Learn More”, etc. Keep it brief and avoid long and complex sentence structures. Make sure to convey the most important information within the limited word count .

3.Leverage emotional resonance:

Try to create an emotional connection with your target audience in your ad copy. Use emotional words, stories, or scenes to inspire them to resonate and interest.

Mistake 4: Poor landing page experience

If the landing page does not match the ad copy, or has a slow loading speed, complex design , or poor page design , it will affect the user experience , which may directly affect the conversion rate of the ad, user satisfaction, and the advertising effect of the advertiser . In order to make the landing page bring a better experience to the user, we can start from the content, design, loading speed, etc., and we can also screen out the version with the best advertising effect through A/B testing.

1.Ensure relevance:

The content of the landing page should be closely related to the ad copy and keywords.

2.Optimize loading speed:

Use professional website loading speed testing tools (such as GTmetrix) to detect and optimize the loading speed of landing pages. Reducing file size, optimizing images, and reducing the use of plug-ins are all effective optimization methods.

3.Simple design:

Use a simple and clear design style to highlight the main information and CTA buttons. Avoid using too many colors, fonts, and pictures to avoid distracting users.

4.Make sure the content is consistent with the ad copy :

When setting up your ad, make sure the ad copy is highly consistent with the content of the landing page. Users should be able to find the information they expect immediately after clicking on the ad.

5.Conduct A/B testing :

Use A/B testing to optimize different elements of the landing page, such as titles, images, CTA text, etc. Compare the conversion rates of different versions to find the best combination.

Mistake 5: Improper budget allocation

Uneven or insufficient budget allocation leads to poor advertising performance, low return on investment, and wasted resources . To ensure reasonable budget allocation, advertising goals and priorities should be clarified and budget adjustments should be implemented.

1.Clarify advertising goals and priorities:

Before allocating budget, clarify the goals and priorities of advertising campaigns. Based on business needs and marketing goals, prioritize budget allocation to the most important advertising campaigns.

2.Implement dynamic budget adjustment:

Establish a dynamic budget adjustment mechanism to adjust budget allocation in real time based on advertising performance and market feedback. Invest more budget in ads and keywords with good performance, and reduce or suspend inefficient advertising activities.

Mistake 6: Ignoring ad extensions

Additional information is often an important means to increase advertising appeal and conversion rate . If you do not make full use of additional information to enhance advertising effectiveness , it may lead to a decline in advertising effectiveness. Here are three methods and ideas for using additional information correctly.

1.Add additional information:

Such as location information, phone number, reviews, etc. to increase the appeal and credibility of your ad.

2.Optimize extension content:

Make sure the content of your extensions is accurate, concise, and engaging. Avoid using vague or misleading language that could damage the advertiser's credibility.

3.Comply with Google Ads policies:

When adding extensions, be sure to comply with Google Ads policies and regulations. Extensions that violate regulations may be rejected by Google or lead to suspension of the ad account.

In short, the competition among foreign trade companies in Google search advertising is becoming increasingly fierce. Many professional foreign trade promotion companies have also emerged in the market. With their rich experience, professional technology and high-quality services, they provide foreign trade companies with a full range of Google search advertising solutions. In the process of optimizing Google search advertising, companies should not only avoid these common mistakes, but also become increasingly rich and innovative, such as using artificial intelligence technology for precise delivery, optimizing advertising effects through data analysis, etc., in order to cope with market changes and changes in customer needs.