A tricky situation in Google Ads is called the “Uncontested Paid Search Problem.” Basically, it means businesses are shelling out money for clicks, even when no one else is bidding on those same keywords.
It can add up and feel like a waste, especially when it turns out that users might click on the organic listing instead of the paid ad.
Here are a couple of things to keep in mind:
– Frequency: If you’re using branded keywords, there’s about a 20-30% chance they’re uncontested. For non-branded ones, it’s closer to 5-10%.
– Cost Impact: Those clicks can spike your costs without offering any real benefits.
So, what can we do about this?
1. Monitor Competition: It’s super helpful to track who’s bidding on your keywords. This way, you can see when you might be throwing money away.
2. Optimize Your Strategy: If your organic rankings are high, pause those ad campaigns for those keywords. That could save you some serious cash.
3. Use Negative Keywords: Adding negative keywords can prevent your ads from appearing for irrelevant searches, which means your budget will work harder for you.
By tackling this issue head-on, you can stretch your advertising budget further!
What do you think?