The owner of a manufacturing company called our agency looking for Google Ads help. One of their challenges was the amount of money they were spending. It seemed to the owner that he was spending a lot of money but not seeing any return.
Reducing your spend can be tricky as it involves many factors. However, three common factors that can lead to increased spend include: Not using the right keyword match; not staying on top of negative keywords; and handing over control to an outsider.
Not using the right keyword match
Understanding the differences between broad match, modified broad, and phrase match, and when to use which method (and why) takes time. Sometimes a modified broad works for one campaign but blows another campaign’s budget right out of the water.
Not staying on top of the negative keywords
If you’re using broad or modified broad match, you can end up with a lot of non-targeted search queries and costly clicks. To minimize both, you have to continually add to your negative keyword list. We do this for clients on a daily basis with new campaigns, and on a weekly basis for established campaigns.
Handing over control
If you manage your account yourself, it’s easy to set and forget it because you’re busy. Costs then spin out of control like a building’s gas meter on overdrive. Even worse than auto-pilot, however, is handing control of your account to your agency or consultant because “you know more than I do,” or “I don’t understand the technical aspects so you take care of it,” or “I’m really busy and don’t have time for a monthly call.”
Succeeding with Google Ads takes knowledge about how to properly use the platform combined with knowledge about your business. This is especially true for smaller manufacturers with very low spends (e.g. $1,500 a month). Every dollar, and every conversion, should count.
The clients who see real success are those who put in the time to help make decisions regarding messaging, keywords, product info, what the competition is doing, and other insights an agency or consultant can’t glean from reading a how-to blog post – or a Google rep who knows nothing about manufacturing and your business.