The title of this blog reminds me of the “do” and “don’t” lists we often received in school—helping us understand what actions to take and what to avoid. Since everyone processes information differently, approaching topics from both angles can enhance comprehension. For this blog, we’re focusing on the “don’t” side, specifically why you should never click on your own paid ads.
Clicking on your own ads can lead to several issues:
- Wasted Budget: When you click on your own ads, you’re spending money on clicks that don’t translate into genuine interest or potential sales. Since you’re not a prospective customer, your clicks won’t yield meaningful results, leading to unnecessary budget depletion.
- Misleading Analytics: Your click data will be distorted, making it challenging to assess your ads’ true performance. To make informed decisions for future campaigns, you need accurate impressions and clicks. If you’re part of the click traffic, the data will not reflect reality.
- Quality Score Impact: In platforms like Google Ads, excessive self-clicking can lower your click-through rate (CTR), which negatively affects your quality score and drives up costs. A higher quality score indicates that your ad and landing page are relevant to users, so you want this data to be as accurate as possible.
- Skewed Targeting: Clicking on your own ads can confuse targeting algorithms, leading to less effective audience recommendations. One of the major advantages of search advertising is its targeting functionality. If your clicks are mistaken for genuine interest, the algorithm will misinterpret your audience’s behavior, skewing your campaign data.
So, how can you evaluate your ads’ effectiveness without clicking on them? Here are a few ways:
- Analytics Platforms: Utilize tools like Google Analytics to monitor website traffic. You can track how many users arrive from your ads and analyze their behavior on your site.
- Conversion Tracking: Set up conversion tracking to measure specific actions like purchases, sign-ups, or downloads. This will help you determine whether your ads are driving valuable outcomes.
- Click-Through Rate (CTR): Keep an eye on your CTR. A higher rate indicates that your ads are engaging and relevant to your audience.
- Cost Per Acquisition (CPA): Calculate your CPA to find out how much you’re spending to acquire each customer. A lower CPA signifies effective ad performance.
- Impressions and Reach: Check the number of times your ads are shown (impressions) and how many unique users see them (reach) to gauge your brand’s visibility.
- Surveys and Feedback: Consider customer surveys or feedback forms to ask how clients learned about your business.
By concentrating on these metrics, you can evaluate the effectiveness of your ads without needing to click on them yourself.
With this “don’t” list in mind, don’t hesitate to reach out to an expert if you feel overwhelmed. The best professionals have years of experience and know how to engage your audience effectively. I’m fortunate to work with such a talented team, and we’d love to assist you—feel free to reach out anytime!
-Sarah Elchuk is a member of the Revenue Growth Team at Directwest
