Google AdWords campaigns need constant monitoring to ensure a positive ROI for your marketing dollars. Here are a few early warning signs that you might need to make adjustments or rethink your campaign.
Negative Trends
If the top metrics have decreased over the last 3-5 days it’s time to review your campaign. These metrics could be Click through Rate (CTR), clicks or conversions. It’s best to wait at least 3 days before jumping into action. Once you make changes, wait another 3 days before determining if it has been successful.
Each metric will have a different potential change to boost the performance, but make sure to change one thing at a time. This way you can see the impact of each change for future campaigns.
CTR below Benchmarks
Click through Rate (CTR) is one of the top metrics to determine the success of your AdWords campaign. Google has recommendations for what a good CTR could be. These benchmarks include:
- Remarketing Campaign: Target 1%
- Search Campaign: Target 0.75% - 1%
If you are below these metrics then it is time to make some updates. Take a look at your ad copy. If the content is not relevant to the user they are less likely to click on the ad. Make sure the keywords and ad copy work together.
Budget Limit
If “Limited by Budget” appears on the campaign listing screen and you feel your budget is reasonable, it’s time to revisit your campaign structure. The reality is an unlimited budget is extremely rare. So if AdWords is recommending 2x or 3x budget increase, it’s a good indicator to revisit your keywords. A couple things you can ask yourself
- Are impressions high but CTR is low?
This means that the keyword is probably too broad. Try changing the match type or take a look at the planner tool again for more appropriate keywords. - Do you see low Impressions and a low CTR?
This keyword is probably not worth your time. If it’s rarely used then it is probably best to focus on your efforts that have more potential. - Do you see low Impressions and a high CTR?
It’s great to have a high CTR but with low impressions the potential for a conversion also decreases. It’s good to keep these keywords on the list but don’t let it be the focus of your campaign.
If you need help getting your AdWords campaign on the right track, make sure to contact Informatics.
