5 Reasons Your Google AdWords Are Not Generating Revenue and How To Fix Them

We have heard it many times: "Google AdWords does not work! We are not seeing any ROI."

In a perfect world, Google AdWords is a funnel you just turn on and everybody starts buying from you. Well it is not a perfect world and it is not that simple. We have seen  success with Google AdWords for some of our clients. We are typically brought in after Google AdWords is setup and we see the reasons they are not seeing ROI.

5 Reasons Your Google AdWords Are Not Generating Revenue and How To Fix Them

Reason #1- Google AdWords is not connected to Google Analytics.

This fundamental setup is often overlooked. Why is this important?

The data provided by Google Analytics is very informative about user experience which affects your quality score with Google AdWords. You need to know about the  visitor experience on the page. Setup a goal in Google Analytics to see if they filled out a form or another conversion metric. Did they start the conversion funnel and then quit part way through? Maybe the process is too complicated. Google analytics will provide you with this information.

If you are seeing a high Bounce Rate and visitors are NOT converting, this is indicative of a poor user experience. Either the page did not make sense after they clicked the ad           (Ad content did not match page content)  or the page was too hard to navigate.

You can't fix these problems if you don't know they exist. This is the value of connecting Google AdWords and Google Analytics.

Click Here to see how to connect Google Analytics and AdWords.

Reason #2- Google AdWords is connected to Google Analytics, but the data is not reviewed frequently.

Google Analytics provides you with data on how your keywords are performing.

You can also see how landing pages are performing.

You can drill down and look at specific landing pages that are not converting and make changes to improve the user experience.

Google AdWords will actually provide opportunities for improvement.

I don't know about you, but I like it when the work is done for me.  Google uses machine learning to make predictive guesses on what will improve your click through rates and these are provided to you as opportunities. Machine Learning is not always perfect, but that is much better than just guessing on what to do.

Reason #3- Ignoring the Quality Score in Google AdWords.

What exactly is a Quality Score?

Quality Score is an estimate of the quality of your ads, keywords, and landing pages. Higher quality ads can lead to lower prices and better ad positions.

• You can see your Quality Score (Quality Score is reported on a 1-10 scale and its components (expected click through rate, ad relevance, and landing page experience) in your keywords’ “Status” column.
• The more relevant your ads and landing pages are to the user, the more likely it is that you'll see higher Quality Scores.
• Quality Score is an aggregated estimate of your overall performance in ad auctions, and is not used at auction time to determine Ad Rank.
• Because we believe that better ads are a good thing for everyone, the AdWords system is set up to identify and reward quality ads. High-quality ads can give you a higher Ad Rank and lead to other potential benefits, including:
  • Lower costs-per-click
  • Better ad positions
  • Eligibility for ad extensions and other ad formats

• Source: Google

 Check out this article from Google for additional information on how to improve your quality score.

Reason #4- Running Ads When Nobody Sees Them.

If you are wanting visitors  to talk with staff to place a phone order, does it make any sense to run ads when the office is closed? Google AdWords will tell you when your ads are running and when people are clicking them. 

Look for trends! Adjust your ad schedule to match the best conversion rates. If your best conversion time is Friday at midnight then you should focus on Friday at midnight.                                             

You may even consider increasing your budget for prime conversion time.  Also look at your average position. Average Position of 1-3 is where you want to be.  If you see a position above 10, then it is time to reevaluate the ad strategy including content and keywords.

Reason #5- Not Using The Free Tools In Google AdWords.

There are 2 tools you need to use in Google AdWords: Ad Preview and Diagnosis  & Keyword Planner.

Look  for the 🔧 in the upper right corner in Google AdWords.

Click the wrench 🔧 and you will see this:

Click Keyword Planner. It is as simple as it sounds and instructions are provided.

You can gain useful information based on geographical targeting, language and date ranges.

Clicking Ad Preview & Diagnosis will show this:

Type in a keyword or phrase to see what Google is seeing. If you have an ad with those terms it will show you how it is performing. This will let you know how you and your competitors are competing for that term or phrase.

In this example I would not run a Google AdWords campaign as I am already on page 1 in Google search above my local competitors so I would look for another keyword or phrase. That being said, this is very useful tool to determine how you show in search and how ads would rank in in the Google network.

If you have read this far you have most likely combined religious terms and bodily functions into 3 letter acronym cuss words. 

We get it. 

Download this entire article as a PDF.

Bonus Tip!

Here is how you link Google AdWords and Google Analytics:

>Open the ADMIN tab in Google Analytics

 

The ADMIN tab is at the bottom of your Google Analytics page.

After you click the ADMIN tab you will see this:

Click Adwords Linking and link them.

PDCA: 4 Steps To Effective Marketing

I recently finished reading The 4 Disciplines of Execution.  One aspect of their approach that resonated with me were the numerous case studies that showed the effectiveness of the PDCA- plan-do-check-act- cycle. While they used the terms WIG (Wildly Important Goal), Lead Measures, Scoreboard and Cadence of Accountability the concept is a refresh of PDCA from Quality 101. Credit needs to be given to W. Edwards Deming and Walter Shewartfor developing and championing this model.

Effective marketing is no different than manufacturing or providing a service.

If you can't measure it, you can't manage it.

If you can't manage it, you can't improve it.

Plan

Every good plan starts with a SWOT analysis. Once you have identified your Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats, developing an effective marketing plan becomes much easier. Here is a FREE SWOT PowerPoint Template. If you need some more help on your content marketing strategy check out this article from HubSpot. A Content Audit will allow you to determine what existing content you can use as part of your plan and what new content needs to be developed. 

Download the Content Audit Workbook

Do

In order to measure something, you must DO something. It is likely that you have identified key events/trends in your particular industry in the planning phase. Most companies find they need to create specific content for specific events/trends. It is very likely that you use production scheduling tools in your manufacturing process so why not implement the same methodology for effective marketing. We like the Productivity Tools in HubSpot. They allow you to manage projects and develop a content calendar. You might want to read this article from HubSpot for a step by step methodology to implement your plan.

 

The PDCA cycle- Plan, Do, Check, Act- has no end. It is a continuous improvement cycle. You should always be evaluating your marketing for effectiveness.

Check

Did you meet your goal? Simple Question. Simple answer. Yes or No. 

We have found the use of SMART goals to be an effective tool in the PDCA. 

Specific- A clearly defined goal should be understandable in 1 sentence.

Measurable- Hard metrics and Hard KPI's will keep you on track e.g.We will improve X to Y.

Attainable- Remember the story of the tortoise and the hare. Setting attainable goals and consistently achieving them over time builds a solid foundation for future success. Unrealistic goals demoralize your team when they are not met.

Relevant- It is unlikely that having more  likes on Facebook will generate revenue. A more relevant goal may be visits to website from social media or form submissions.

Time-Bound- X to Y by Date. Keep it that simple.

You may want to download our FREE SMART Marketing Goal template.

 ACT

You missed your goal. That happens. Find out why. Make the necessary adjustments.

You met your goal. Great! Now capitalize on that  success and begin  Planning your next goal.

Check out these resources on PDCA.

http://asq.org/learn-about-quality/project-planning-tools/overview/pdca-cycle.html 

http://www.balancedscorecard.org/BSC-Basics/Articles-Videos/The-Deming-Cycle

You can also visit our Marketing For Manufacturers page to learn more about applying Quality Tools in Marketing.

5 Ways To Ruin A Business Relationship. Forever.

Early on in my career in sales I closed "THE" deal. I landed a substantial corporate account. It was a significant boost to my income and the company was growing rapidly. Things were going so well I was writing the specifications. If you have been in that world you know it does not get much better than that!

They had multiple local locations that I personally serviced and received commission. Perfect! They brought in a new manager at one location that had a long standing relationship with one of my competitors. We just did not gel, but I really didn't care because I had this corporate account locked up. We got into an argument one day and I was unprofessional in my response, but I didn't care because I had this account locked up. You know where this is going. I received a phone call from my locked up contact at corporate. I lost the account! Really, just because one person did not like me?

Wrong. I lost the account because I was arrogant and narcissistic in thinking that I was more important than I really was.  The problem wasn't this one person it was me. I had taken this relationship for granted. A great lesson to learn. Sometimes you need to get hit by a 2x4 and in the wallet to learn. I did apologize to that person. Not because I thought I would get the business back, it was the right thing to do. FYI- I never got that business back.

Here Are 5 Ways To Ruin A Business Relationship. Forever.

Narcissism

Thinking you are smarter than everyone else. I recently had a friend that wanted to learn more about Google Analytics on their website. I love it when someone wants to get engaged with data so I was happy to help. The first step was to get access to their account. You would never have imagined how they were treated by their web designer that had installed Google Analytics. To paraphrase, you aren't smart enough to understand it and so you shouldn't waste your time. Wow! Guess what happened? They fired their web designer. A simple request met with a demeaning answer ruined that business relationship.

Arrogance

Blaming others and not taking ownership of  mistakes. What if you performed an internet search on SEO. You find some really useful information about Google Search Console, Google Webmaster Tools and Bing Webmaster Tools. You now know that it is important that your website sitemap be submitted to Bing and Google.  You contact your SEO company to find out if this is part of their strategy. " We are experts and have been doing this for a long time." "Trust us, we know what we are doing". The fact is that your sitemap had not been submitted and you question this. Mr. Customer, if you had wanted that you should have told us that specifically. We are not mind readers. If it is not covered in the scope of work you  have no right to get upset with us for not doing it. Yes, that was an actual response. The customer was blamed and it was the customers fault. No mystery here... they were fired. Imagine how simple it would have been to say: Mr. Customer we are very sorry, but somehow we missed that. It is our fault and we will fix it. Moving forward we need to do a better job communicating with you.  Let's go ahead a schedule a set time to listen to you so we can do a better job.

Myopia

Thinking you are the only option.  Myopia is the medical term for being nearsighted. You are nearsighted if you have difficulty reading road signs and seeing distant objects clearly, but are able to see close-up tasks. You can't see the big picture. A business relationship is like any other relationship. You are not the only choice. Maybe they even settled.  You were the closest fit, but not a perfect fit. There will be bumps in the road. Disagreements will occur. As in any relationship you will get distracted by urgent things and forget about important things. Solve problems, don't create them. This may require you to bring in outside resources. Build a strong enough relationship that you don't feel threatened by using outside experts.

Talking More Than Listening

The sales cycle has changed. People don't want to be sold. They want to buy. There is a big difference! Most consumers research BEFORE they visit a store or ask for a quote. You need to understand who your ideal client is and what questions will provide you with that information. Simply talking about your product or service is boring and does not build a relationship. What specific problems do they have and what solutions can you provide to solve them? If you can't provide a solution find someone who can. This will strengthen the relationship long term. When problems arise, listen and ask questions. Find out why it is important to them.

Burning Bridges 

A graceful exit can leave the door open to have a relationship with your business in the future. Some decisions to go with another company have absolutely nothing to do with you. You have heard of that thing called "corporate." Even if the decision was about you and your performance, the grass is not always greener on the other side. Make it easy to exit and even easier to come back. The new vendor may not be able to fulfill all the promises they made so keep the relationship friendly and the door open.

Have you been in a business relationship where this has happened?

Share your experience in the comments section.

3 Steps to Implementing Kaizen in Marketing.

You have had a Kaizen event on the shop floor as part of your continuous improvement strategy. What if you could do the same with your marketing? If the you only got 3 new customers would it be worth the effort?

The principles of a Kaizen event are very straightforward:

• Pick a specific area for improvement.
• Identify opportunities for improvement.
• Prioritize actions.
• Set a timeline.
• Measure progress.

One thing that makes this approach successful is the implementation of small incremental changes.  You are not changing everything at once.  Plan.Do.Check.Act.

Download the Content Audit Workbook

A recent survey  showed 57% of businesses plan to redesign their website in the next 12 months. Anyone that has been involved in such an undertaking knows it is very expensive and time consuming. Most people settle for done versus perfect. I don't know about you, but for me this sounds like a good place to apply Kaizen.                                                                                              

Imagine the frustration you could avoid by continually improving your marketing using Kaizen events.

Marketing can really be broken down to 3 simple steps/principles:

• Right Message
• Right Audience
• Right Time

Knowing this we can use these 3 steps to implementing Kaizen in Marketing.

• Right Message- Content Audit
• Right Audience- Buyer Persona
• Right Time- Content Mapping through the Buyers Journey

Content Mapping allows you to use Buyer Personas and Buyers Journey to create targeted content. Once you identified the Buyer Persona you match/create content for each step in their buying process. Check out this FREE resource from HubSpot to help you get started.

Once you have generated content and mapped it to match Buyer Personas and the Buyer Journey, the continuous improvement cycle can begin. A Content Audit allows you to identify gaps in your current marketing and as you identify new markets you can see what existing content can be modified to specifically address these new opportunities. We strongly recommend a set schedule for your content audits.

We are providing a Content Audit workbook to help you in this effort.

 Download the Content Audit Workbook

You might also be interested in our Marketing For Manufacturers page.

Why 51% of businesses do not have a Business Facebook Page

A recent poll conducted by Manta revealed that 51% of business owners did not have a business Facebook page . It also showed that 50% of those surveyed did not feel there was a positive ROI for time spent on Facebook.

Facebook has almost 2 billion monthly active users.

Twitter has 313 million active monthly users.

LinkedIn has around 500 million users.

Do you really believe there is not at least 1% on social media that might be interested in your product or service? Even at 1% those are BIG numbers!

A common thread I find when talking to business owners is that they just don't feel social media will work for their business because they are unique. If the conversation goes deep enough it usually settles on a common misunderstanding of how to market your business on social media.

Common mistakes businesses make with social media marketing:

• The ideal client has not been identified.
• The ideal audience for each social stream has not been identified.
• No effort to offer useful information in the buyer's journey.
• Using RSS feeds instead or original content.

When using traditional selling methods, most businesses clearly understand that everyone is NOT their ideal client. If you are selling commercial maintenance services you would not target homeowners with your marketing. Yet, it is common for businesses to take a shotgun approach to social media.

Facebook allows a business to focus on those demographics that are relevant to your product and service. This includes Gender, Age, Geography, Language and Interests. Did you know you can set your page audience in Facebook? Click here to learn how.

Blah,Blah,Blah....Buy my product. My product is on sale. Work for us. The list goes on. No real effort is made to provide any relevant content to guide visitors through the buyer's journey. A false assumption is made that everyone is ready to buy immediately. Once again the shotgun approach with no real appreciation of the buyer journey or experience. Social media can be an effective lead generation platform and not just a click and buy platform.

You do not have to hire a full time staff person to manage social media. Studies suggest that when you are building a following Quality/Relevance beats Quantity. Avoid using auto feeds that simply repost content. Research has shown that Quality beats Quantity. If you do not have the time or do not want to spend the time developing quality content then you can outsource your social media marketing.

Should a business outsource their Social Media Management?

I have seen ads that offer these services for $3/day. I can assure you no professional copywriter will develop unique content for your social media for that amount of money. ( It is very likely they will just auto post from RSS feeds). Multiply that number by a factor of ten and you can hire a professional marketing firm that will develop unique and engaging content for your audience. This approach is significantly less than hiring a part time employee and you can expense the cost on your taxes. If you are unhappy with the results you can fire the agency and not worry about paying unemployment!

Are you ready to not be part of the 51%?

Do You Have A Personal Meta Description?

OK. So what is a Meta Description?

A Meta Description are those "words" you see under the web page title when you search on the internet.

The purpose of a Meta Description is to provide a compelling message to your ideal client so they will click on your web page.

What is a personal Meta Description?

I attend many networking events and the thought came to me that in a large crowd you simply do not have time to present a 30 second elevator speech/commercial to everyone. Thus the idea of a personal Meta Description. One or Two sentences that would compel your ideal  client to want to learn more.

Here are some good examples:

Here is a good one from Andy Kelley who works for Receptions.

"I work with business and groups that like to meet and eat."

You know instantly if you or someone you know is looking at booking an event you need to talk to Andy. Who doesn't like to meet and eat?

Here is another good one from Janice Thomas who owns Talent Strategies.

"I help mid-sized companies solve their toughest people problems."

You either have that problem or know someone that does and you will get her information.

Short and to the point. Once someone asks for more information you can give your 30 second elevator speech/commercial.

Let me know if this is a good idea to maximize your networking or if you think I am just crazy in the comment section.