How to Optimize Your Mobile AdWords Campaigns

Do you know what the Youth Word of the Year 2015 is? The answer is "Smombie." This coined term refers to a person who stares at their smartphone as if hypnotized, wandering around like a zombie. What "Smombie" has to do with online marketing will be explained below.

This youth word can also be applied to adults! Who hasn't collided with someone because of the distraction of their phone? Nowadays, we use our smartphones all day long. Whether at home, at work, or on the go—our smartphone is used for various purposes: making calls, sending messages, researching product information, comparing prices, navigating, etc.

For this reason, a mobile strategy is a MUST for every advertiser. We live in a multiscreen world. From a marketing perspective, it becomes increasingly important to target users on all devices with specific advertising at the key moments. Today, we are giving you tips on how to optimize your AdWords campaigns for mobile devices.

These are our tips for an optimized AdWords campaign on mobile devices

Focus on user-friendliness and speed

Your site must be mobile-friendly, load quickly, and at the same time, contain informative content with utility value. Use graphics on your landing page, but ensure they are optimally displayed on mobile. Caution: Some ad formats are not supported by all mobile devices. You should check and experiment with them.

Define a keyword set

Use the keyword planner to find suitable keywords for your campaign. Keywords for mobile devices tend to be more generic than for desktops.

Make bid adjustments

In AdWords, you have the option to differentiate your bid for mobile devices from your bid for desktops. Utilize this. Increase or decrease your ad bids as needed. If you do not want your ads to appear on mobile devices, you should lower your bid by 100%.

Use the Traffic Estimator to set your initial bid. Best practice: Use the following formula to calculate your mobile bid adjustment:

Mobile bid adjustment = (Mobile Conversion Rate / Desktop Conversion Rate) - 1

Aim for the average position on mobile devices

Consider that there's less space for your ads on mobile devices in your mobile-targeted AdWords campaigns. The competition for users on smartphones and tablets is also more intense. It is practically essential to reach the first position on mobile devices. The reason: Users scroll less or not at all on mobile. If you're not listed in the top positions, you're likely not noticed at all.

Create mobile-optimized landing pages

Creating mobile-optimized landing pages in the context of mobile-deployed AdWords campaigns makes sense. Pay attention to the following in the creation:

• The content of your landing page should be short, appealing, and clear.

• Use large characters and buttons ("finger-friendly buttons").

• Place the call-to-action prominently in the visible area.

• Provide your contact details (phone number, address). Your phone number should be linked so users can call you with a click.

• Reduce the number of actions needed and offer shorter forms.

Optimize your text ads

Content display on smartphones and tablets is different from laptops and desktops. Create mobile-specific text ads and check the "Mobile" box so Adwords prioritizes showing these ads on mobile devices. These text ads should be as short as possible. Get straight to the point!

Please note that your text ad appears differently on mobile devices than on tablets and desktops. For example, the second text line of your ad might be replaced by the most relevant ad extension. If this hasn't been done yet, create ad extensions.

Use Sitelinks

Create mobile-optimized sitelinks (shorter than for desktops and tablets) otherwise your sitelinks will be cut off. Sitelinks will help you achieve a better click-through rate. Remember, your ad with 6 sitelinks almost covers the entire screen of a smartphone.

Try to reach local customers

Use AdWords call extensions, to allow potential customers to contact you quickly. To get call conversions, use Google's forwarding number. If you'd like calls only from mobile devices, set the call extension as mobile-specific.

You also have the option to use the "Call-Only" ad format. In this case, the user has only the option to call. No link to your website will be displayed. Caution! This feature is not always relevant. It depends on your business model.

The location extension is also very important for mobile-optimized AdWords ads, as every third mobile search now has a location-related background. With this feature, users can quickly find your location!

What we can do for you

Thanks to our checklist, you can improve your mobile strategy and thus better reach your users. If you need support, feel free to contact us. Our AdWords experts are available to answer any questions about mobile AdWords.