Click Through Rate (CTR) is undoubtedly one of the most important metrics for any AdWords account and campaign.
In short, although it’s not a direct relation, the higher your CTR is, the less you’ll have to pay for ads.
Why CTR Matters
Let’s look at this from a purely business-centered point of view. If you are Google then you only want to be working with advertisers that bring the highest CTRs possible.
What CTR basically means in plain English is how relevant the ad is to the question that users are asking (through their search queries).
Google simply relies on being able to provide the most relevant ads possible. Otherwise, users would lose trust in the whole platform and stop using it altogether.
That is why Google rewards advertisers that know how to achieve high performance. But good CTRs don’t just appear on their own. In fact, you have to work hard to get them. And also, you should avoid making any of the common mistakes:
1. Focusing on the Wrong Keyword Type
Not all types of keywords work for advertising. In short, people on Google are in either of these three stages:
- interested in a topic without the intent to buy anything,
- searching for solutions to their current problem,
- reviewing specific solutions with the intent to try one of them.
Group no.1 usually holds no ROI in terms of AdWords whatsoever.
2. Not Testing Dynamic Keyword Insertion
Dynamic Keyword Insertion (DKI) is a great feature in AdWords that can help you make your ad more in-tune with what people are searching for.
In short, it allows you to dynamically insert the exact keywords people are using in their queries into your ad copy. It’s reported that DKI has a positive impact on CTRs for the majority of advertisers.
3. Not Using Ad Extensions
A very interesting feature in AdWords. It lets you display extra business information alongside your ads. Info such as phone numbers, additional webpage links, coupon codes.
You can use this opportunity to secure more real estate on the search engine results pages. The more presence you have there, the better the chance someone will click your listing.
4. Boring Ad Copy
This is probably the biggest mistake you can make. No matter how well you’re targeting your ad, the fact is that people simply won’t care if it doesn’t connect with them on an emotional level.
Emotion is what drives sales. And this goes for all markets and all campaigns.
Split test to find the best middle ground between providing just enough facts and using emotional triggers to influence your audience.