This is going to be a short and simple post, but I can guarantee you'll have better PPC performance if you implement them. What does better PPC performance mean?
If you have a 3rd party already working on your campaigns, I'm assuming they've taken care of basic best practices such as campaign structure, creating tight ad groups, and split testing ad copy. That being said, here are some cardinal sins I see in dealer marketing all the time:
1. Sending visitors to irrelevant landing pages (specifically inventory pages).
BAD AD and Landing Page Combo:
Dodge Caravan Toronto
Huge Selection New & Used Dodges.
Come for a Test Drive. Scarborough.
www.craighindchrylser.ca
LP: Craig Hind Chrysler (Scarborough,ON) (A ReachLocal hosted home page).
GOOD Ad and Landing Page Combo:
2009 Grand Caravan $18995
View Photos/Specs, Book a TestDrive
Your Local Authorized Dodge Dealer.
ParkwayChrysler.com/Dodge
URL:http://inventory.parkwaychrysler.com/english/Used-inventory/listing/All-Types/All-Years/Dodge/GRAND CARAVAN/
2. Not Employing Negative Keywords
Bad Example: I search 1979 dodge challenger Toronto and I find all of these dealer ads coming up. They should be employing model years into their negative keywords.
TechSmith | Screencast.com, online video sharing, 2010-08-16_1122
Bad Example 2: I search "2008 dodge challenger aftermarket parts" and I see a Toronto dealer come up. I'm pretty sure they only carry Dodge approved parts.
TechSmith | Screencast.com, online video sharing, 2010-08-16_1126
3. Not Tracking Keyword Driven Conversions
You review your total search engine marketing spend and then look at total SEM driven internet leads. You then calculate your average cost per lead based on the total spend divided by the number of phone calls. What you're missing out on are the keywords that are actually generating leads versus one's that you are spending money on, but aren't converting.
3. Not Geo-Targeting Properly
Make sure your ads are only showing to audiences that are actually going to be willing to drive to your dealership or have a good chance of doing business with you.
4. Not Using Adwords Site Links
Most dealers aren't using this newly launched feature yet, but we've confirmed with our clients that it has boosted click through rates and offer redemptions. Refer to this post to understand how you can add specific links to your paid ad to include specials and call to actions.
5. Including Phone #'s in your Ad Text
While including phone #'s in your ad text may get you calls in the short term at no cost (since the customer doesn't need to click), your Adwords campaign will suffer greatly because of huge drops in Quality Score. Essentially, if a lot of people see your ad (accruing impressions) but very few click it, then the CTR (click thru rate) drops dramatically and Google slaps your campaign for having poor Quality Score. Ignore this at your own peril, because lower quality scores = more cost per click. Additionally, if you have a quality score of 1/10 on any of your keywords, your campaign will stop displaying ads all together.
- Better conversions
- Lower Cost Per Click's
- Higher Quality Scores
- Less Wasted Clicks
If you have a 3rd party already working on your campaigns, I'm assuming they've taken care of basic best practices such as campaign structure, creating tight ad groups, and split testing ad copy. That being said, here are some cardinal sins I see in dealer marketing all the time:
1. Sending visitors to irrelevant landing pages (specifically inventory pages).
BAD AD and Landing Page Combo:
Dodge Caravan Toronto
Huge Selection New & Used Dodges.
Come for a Test Drive. Scarborough.
www.craighindchrylser.ca
LP: Craig Hind Chrysler (Scarborough,ON) (A ReachLocal hosted home page).
GOOD Ad and Landing Page Combo:
2009 Grand Caravan $18995
View Photos/Specs, Book a TestDrive
Your Local Authorized Dodge Dealer.
ParkwayChrysler.com/Dodge
URL:http://inventory.parkwaychrysler.com/english/Used-inventory/listing/All-Types/All-Years/Dodge/GRAND CARAVAN/
2. Not Employing Negative Keywords
Bad Example: I search 1979 dodge challenger Toronto and I find all of these dealer ads coming up. They should be employing model years into their negative keywords.
TechSmith | Screencast.com, online video sharing, 2010-08-16_1122
Bad Example 2: I search "2008 dodge challenger aftermarket parts" and I see a Toronto dealer come up. I'm pretty sure they only carry Dodge approved parts.
TechSmith | Screencast.com, online video sharing, 2010-08-16_1126
3. Not Tracking Keyword Driven Conversions
You review your total search engine marketing spend and then look at total SEM driven internet leads. You then calculate your average cost per lead based on the total spend divided by the number of phone calls. What you're missing out on are the keywords that are actually generating leads versus one's that you are spending money on, but aren't converting.
3. Not Geo-Targeting Properly
Make sure your ads are only showing to audiences that are actually going to be willing to drive to your dealership or have a good chance of doing business with you.
4. Not Using Adwords Site Links
Most dealers aren't using this newly launched feature yet, but we've confirmed with our clients that it has boosted click through rates and offer redemptions. Refer to this post to understand how you can add specific links to your paid ad to include specials and call to actions.
5. Including Phone #'s in your Ad Text
While including phone #'s in your ad text may get you calls in the short term at no cost (since the customer doesn't need to click), your Adwords campaign will suffer greatly because of huge drops in Quality Score. Essentially, if a lot of people see your ad (accruing impressions) but very few click it, then the CTR (click thru rate) drops dramatically and Google slaps your campaign for having poor Quality Score. Ignore this at your own peril, because lower quality scores = more cost per click. Additionally, if you have a quality score of 1/10 on any of your keywords, your campaign will stop displaying ads all together.
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