Every marketer has been there—pumped to launch a PPC campaign, only to watch in horror as it crashes and burns. The good news? Each mistake is a golden lesson in disguise. Let’s take a lighthearted look at a few classic PPC mishaps and, of course, how to fix them!
1. The Case of the “Gone Viral” Negative Keyword
Imagine launching a campaign for a luxury perfume brand. The keywords are set, the budget is in place, and then… bam! The ads show up for “cheap knockoff perfumes.” Sales tank, and your boss isn’t exactly thrilled.
What Went Wrong: Neglecting to use negative keywords is like leaving the door open for all the wrong guests at your party.
The Fix: Run an audit of your keyword list and add negatives for anything off-brand (e.g., “cheap,” “knockoff,” etc.). It’s best to do this in the setup phase, but periodic reviews will save you from future horror stories!
2. Bidding Too High in “Neverland”
A small-town bakery launches a campaign with an aggressive bid strategy, hoping to attract local customers. A day later, they’re hit with sky-high bills and zero customers—because their ads reached far-off places like New York, Paris, and Tokyo.
What Went Wrong: Setting overly broad location targets can turn a local campaign into a budget drain.
The Fix: Use location targeting to pinpoint specific areas where you actually do business. Platforms like Google Ads let you narrow down to cities, zip codes, and even radiuses around a location. Regularly check reports to make sure your ads are landing in the right places.
3. Forgotten Ads of Last Year
Here’s a classic: A holiday PPC campaign designed to end in January accidentally keeps running well into spring. The result? Easter shoppers are seeing ads for winter boots, and you’re still paying for it.
What Went Wrong: Forgetting to set an end date or deactivate seasonal campaigns is a common PPC oversight.
The Fix: Schedule start and end dates in advance and set reminders to review active campaigns. Most platforms allow for “auto-pause” on certain dates, so you don’t have to worry about outdated ads still draining your budget.
4. The All-Too-General Ad Copy
A travel company launches a PPC ad with the headline “Book a Trip Today!” Sounds fine, right? Except it attracts all kinds of travelers—from budget backpackers to luxury seekers. The company ends up with tons of clicks but very few conversions.
What Went Wrong: Broad, generic ad copy fails to resonate with specific audience segments, leading to wasted ad spend.
The Fix: Tailor your ad copy to your target audience’s needs. For the travel company, this might mean separate ads for luxury travelers and budget tourists. Using language that speaks directly to each group’s interests will increase relevancy—and your conversion rates!
5. Landing Page Roulette
One of the worst PPC sins: a highly-specific ad that sends users to the homepage instead of a relevant landing page. A pet store runs a PPC ad for cat toys, but eager customers are redirected to a general page with dog beds, fish tanks, and everything but cat toys.
What Went Wrong: Poor landing page alignment confuses potential customers and leads to high bounce rates.
The Fix: Always direct users to the page most relevant to your ad’s content. If the ad is for cat toys, ensure it leads straight to that section. This consistency will keep users engaged and boost conversions.
Final Thoughts
PPC can be a minefield, but a little humor and a lot of preparation can save your campaigns. Every mistake is a learning opportunity that, when handled properly, can turn into a valuable lesson for future success. After all, even the best marketers have stories of campaigns gone wrong—embrace the journey, learn from your blunders, and your campaigns will be all the better for it!
Ready to turn PPC disasters into wins? Let Universally Found guide you to campaign success! Contact us today for a free consultation on optimizing your PPC strategy.