Google ads fail for small businesses when:
Google ads fail when conversions are not tracked because you wouldn't know which keywords/ads are driving results. Bad landing pages lead to low conversion rates. Improper campaign structure limit optimization. Using broad keywords can waste your budget on unqualified leads. Not using negative keywords brings irrelevant traffic. Not optimizing campaigns leads to wasted spend and missed opportunities.
For Google Ads to work, small business owners should bid on keywords relevant to their industry. This ensures that their ads are shown to potential customers searching for their products/services. The advertiser should know how to choose the right keywords for their campaigns. They should focus on specific, long-tail keywords relevant to their niche. Advertisers should also use negative keywords to exclude irrelevant searches.
I used Google ads in the past. Although I got instant traffic from it, I realized it was just short-term. I explored other business models and found one that leverages organic traffic, and realized that it's more sustainable. This article explores the five ways Google ads fail for small businesses. I'll also explain how to make it work. Whether you're a small biz owner or an advertiser, this article will help you avoid common Google ad mistakes so you can focus on the ones that work.
1. Google Ads Fail When Conversions Are Not Tracked
Without conversion tracking, you are essentially flying blind. You can’t measure results and wouldn’t know which keywords are working. You do not know which campaigns are driving sales, leads, and sign-ups. For example, a local plumbing company might be running ads for emergency services, but without conversion tracking, they can't tell if their ads are getting calls from customers.
If you don't track conversions:
You'll waste money on underperforming ads and keywords
Automated bidding strategies like Target CPA or ROAS can't function effectively
You'll track the wrong events as conversions or count duplicate conversions
You'll miss opportunities for continuous improvement
You can't calculate the return on investment of your advertising efforts
2. Google Ads Fail When You're Using Bad or Improper Campaign Structure
A poorly structured Google campaign leads to wasted ad spend and suboptimal performance. This typically happens when campaigns are too broad. Campaigns have a bad structure if they cover multiple products. It also happens when ad groups have too many unrelated keywords.
For example, a small online clothing retailer might create a single campaign for all their products instead of separating them into logical categories like "Men's Shirts," "Women's Dresses," etc. This makes it difficult to create targeted ads and optimize bids effectively.
Qualities of Poorly Structured Google Ad Campaigns:
Fragmented ad groups that have too many unrelated keywords
Ads are not properly themed and have overlapping targeting goals
Misuse or ignore different keyword match types
Don't align business goals with specific objectives
Include ad groups that direct traffic to poorly optimized landing pages
This Reddit commenter said structure is important because it sets boundaries. Clear boundaries are necessary between different campaigns and ad groups.
He also emphasized that ad groups should be separated by theme and keyword value.
3. Using a Poorly Designed Landing Page
Even if your ads are getting clicks, a poorly designed landing page can kill conversions. Bad landing pages have slow loading speeds and confusing layouts. It lacks a clear call-to-action, and the content doesn’t match the ad.
Characteristics of a poorly designed landing page:
Pages that take more than 3 seconds
No clear CTAs
Too many elements, multiple navigation patterns, and overcrowded content
No reviews, awards, client logos, or media mentions
Not optimized for mobile
The perfect landing page, according to Wes McDowell, has an impactful top section. It should clearly state the transformative benefit of your offer and describe the product or service that provides this transformation. There should also be a logical anchor to the emotional headline. Use an image of a person experiencing the benefit of your offer. Visuals make the offer feel tangible and help users connect emotionally.
4. Using Overly Broad or Irrelevant Keywords
Targeting overly broad keywords can quickly deplete your budget without bringing in qualified leads. Irrelevant keywords won't bring in the right audience. SEMrush reports that irrelevant search terms can waste up to 76% of a company's PPC budget.
Overly broad keywords are general, non-specific terms that target a wide audience. It often lacks focus on a particular niche, intent, or demographic. Since they're broad, they attract a lot of competition. This makes it challenging to rank well in search engine results.
For example, a specialty coffee shop targeting the broad keyword "coffee" might get a lot of clicks from people looking for instant coffee or large chain cafes. This is wasting the budget on unqualified traffic.
The ideal search volume for a keyword used in Google ad campaigns is between 100 and 1,000 monthly searches. This range is effective because:
5. "Setting and Forgetting" Campaigns Without Regular Monitoring
Many small businesses make the mistake of setting up campaigns and then neglecting them. Regular monitoring and optimization are crucial for maintaining and improving campaign performance over time. According to Google, advertisers who optimize their Google Ads accounts at least once every two weeks get 14% more conversions.
For example, a small B2B software company might set up a campaign for their new product launch but fail to regularly review and adjust their bids, ad copy, and keywords based on performance data. This could cause declining performance and wasted ad spend.
Importance of monitoring campaigns:
It lets you identify underperforming aspects of your campaigns and make data-driven optimizations
It lets you identify and fix budget leaks
It lets you measure return on investment (ROI)
It helps you spot sudden changes or anomalies in performance
It helps you lower costs and improve your ad position
It helps you identify changes in search volume, competition, and user behavior
Key metrics to monitor in ad campaigns
Click-Through Rate: Measures the percentage of people who click on your ad after seeing it.
Conversion Rate: Tracks the percentage of clicks that lead to a desired action.
Cost Per Click (CPC): Shows the average cost for each click.
Impressions: The number of times your ad is displayed.
Return on Ad Spend (ROAS): Measures the revenue generated per dollar spent on ads.
Cost Per Conversion (CPA): The amount spent to acquire a single conversion.
How To Make Google Ads Work For Small Businesses
Bean Heath believes Google ads can work for small businesses. Google Ads enables small businesses to compete with larger companies by allowing precise targeting, regardless of budget size. Google Ads provides detailed data on ad performance. This allows businesses to optimize their campaigns based on actual performance metrics. Even with a small budget, businesses can gather enough data to make informed decisions. They can use this to improve their campaign.
According to this Reddit commenter, Google ads work if managed right. It's a short-term fix before you establish credibility online.
This commenter argues that Google ads work in general. However, it's up to you to ensure you get traffic from it. New advertisers are prone to mis-configuring ads and campaigns. Without experience, they might waste budget on unqualified traffic.
Google Ads Expert Shares Strategies For Running Google Ads with Small Budget
Google Ads expert Aaron Young shares three strategies on how to run Google ads with a limited budget. He suggests setting a budget enough to gather data. This is crucial for Google’s algorithm to work effectively. According to Aaron, the bare minimum is to aim for at least ten clicks a day. Advertisers should target at least 200 impressions daily and set the maximum to 10,000 impressions monthly. He suggests starting with one service or product, ideally the most popular one. This approach avoids spreading the budget too thin across multiple services/products. It also increases the likelihood of a successful campaign. Aaron also suggests including a clear price in the ad headline. This eliminates those who cannot or will not pay your asking price.
How to Compete with Big Spenders in Google Ads as a Small Business?
Benefits of Google Ads to Small Businesses
Downside of Using Google Ads for Small Businesses
Google Ads Courses
Joey Babinaeu’s 30-Day Google Ads Challenge is an online program that teaches how to be profitable with Google Ads for CPA affiliate marketing. It is hosted by Powerhouse Affiliate. The program focuses on leveraging Google Ads for affiliate marketing, creating entry-point income pages for quick traffic, and CPA strategies. It targets beginners in affiliate marketing and online entrepreneurship.
Google Ads Masters is a comprehensive online workshop by Oliver Pestalozzi, a former Google digital strategist. The course teaches participants how to start, manage, and optimize Google Ad campaigns. Pestalozzi has a background in multi-million dollar paid ad campaigns for Google clients. It covers essential strategies for building keyword lists, creating effective ads, and selecting optimal bidding strategies.
I Make $50K Monthly Passive Income Without Paying For Ads
I make $50K monthly passive income without paying for ads through a business model called local lead generation. This biz generates organic traffic by building simple websites for local service providers. I tried paid traffic before but it's only short-term. Organic visitors are more likely to convert since they're actively looking for the products and services you offer. SEO efforts provide data on user behavior and preferences. This will help you understand your audiences better.
I turned to local lead generation to achieve sustainable and long-term free traffic. Organic traffic is free once your site is ranking on Google. This method is more cost-effective long-term instead of ongoing paid advertising expenses. I've been in this business for over a decade. I'm one of Dan Klein's original students. Now, I coach over 7,000 local lead gen students with him.
