Google Ads Conversions Not What You’d Hoped? Here’s 10 Ways to Fix It

Your client has finally decided to take a plunge into Google Ads. You are both excited about the campaign. You pull the trigger with baited breath… only to be disappointed by conversions that are less than stellar.

Why? What did you do wrong? How can you increase Google Ads conversions?

There are many reasons your Google Ads may not be converting. It could be anything from your marketing strategy to your creative to technical missteps.

Here’s how to fix some of the common problems with subpar Google Ads conversions.

1. Understand Your Audience

To sell to your client’s customers in any media, you need to understand them. If your Google Ads aren’t converting, be sure you are targeting them to your client’s ideal audience. Understand their challenges and how your client’s products and services can help them meet those challenges. Digital marketing is driven by data analysis today. Always be tweaking your client’s customer profiles and your advertising.

2. Tweak Your Location Targeting

One of the great things about Google Ads is that it’s so easy to target your client’s audience’s locations. If your client has a local business, of course you will choose that area to show their ads. But it’s not quite that simple. You also can choose how people are connected to that location.

• Presence or interest: People who are in the location on a regular basis or who search on the location
• Presence: People who are actually in that location regularly
• Search interest: People who search on that location

If you don’t choose, Google will default to Presence or Interest. If your client is a dentist, you will probably want to choose the Presence option rather than the default, because a dentist is more likely to get business from nearby residents rather than those vacationing in the area or flying in for business.

3. Check Your Copy

If your ad isn’t pulling, check both your headline and your ad copy. Your headline should grab attention and address a problem or a solution. Try to create a sense of urgency. If your headline isn’t compelling, your body copy will never see the light of day.

Once your headline draws them in, your body copy should increase their interest. It should be short, easy to read and strong. Make sure your ad contains relevant keywords. Use Google’s Keyword Planner or similar tools to research strong keywords for your ad.

Don’t let people guess what to do once your ad interests them. Tell them with a clear call to action. You won’t get good Google Ads conversions without one.

4. Test, Analyze and Tweak

To optimize your ad, test every element. Test headlines, ad copy, images, videos and calls to action to see what magic combination increases conversions.

5. Don’t Skimp on Videos and Images

Your creative has a huge impact on how well your ads convert. Videos and images grab attention, create a vibe and inspire emotion.

Your images should accurately convey your client’s message and be consistent with the brand. It’s worthwhile spending a bit on the right image or video.

6. Check Your Budget

Are you sure you allocated enough budget to be effective? Of course, you want to get click at the lowest cost possible. But you still need to bid high enough to win Google Ad auctions. If you bid high but don’t have enough budget, your ad will no longer be shown. Google ads can be a very good deal with great ROI, but if you want good Google Ads conversions, you can’t run your campaign on pennies.

7. Wait a Bit

Google advertising can give you relatively fast results, but it still needs some time to reach top conversions. The longer your ad runs, the more data is collected and patterns emerge.

This additional data enables the ad platform to serve your ad better and optimize it. The more often your ad is served, the faster data is collected and optimization happens.

8. Review Your Expectations

Be sure to review what level of conversions are normal for your client’s industry. Conversions vary drastically according to the type of business

9. Don’t Forget Your Landing Pages

Once you get people to click through on your ad, in most cases you still need to get them to take action when they get to your client’s website. Your landing page is just as important as your ad.

Be sure your landing page:

• Is relevant to your ad. There is nothing worse than an ad sending you to a landing page that has little to do with the ad. Nobody wants to search around for information. The landing page needs to match the ad’s call to action and appeal to your audience.
• Has a compelling headline, body copy and call to action that leads your audience where you want them to go.
• Is well designed with a look and feel that matches the ad.
• Uses a form (if any) that is easy to use and does not present too many hurdles to the audience.

10. Build a Strong Brand Identity

If you create a strong brand identity for your client, all your ad campaigns will be much more effective.  People are much more likely to read and act on ads from brands they recognize and respect. See our recent blog posts Brand Equity Part 1: Why Is Brand Equity Critical to Ultimate Business Success? and Brand Equity Part 2: Seven Ways to Build Brand Equity.

Want to Increase Your Google Ads Conversions?

If you would like to increase your Google Ads conversions, you don’t have to do it alone. Contact Umbrella here or call us at (866) 760-2638 for a free consultation about white label Google Ads services.