Larry Kim has recently been discussing research on the characteristics of successful AdWords campaigns, including those with high click-through rates and excellent Quality Scores. While looking for advertisers doing things well, we found many more making significant mistakes.

We’ve encountered it all, from misusing dynamic keyword insertion to terrible headlines and illogical ad text. Here are a few egregious errors I have no qualms about highlighting because someone should have addressed them by now. Are these campaigns being monitored?

Let’s examine the errors, the missteps, and the squandered chances. We’re not here to mock; instead, we’ll learn important PPC lessons from each of the poor advertisements below. You’ve learned from the best; now, let’s see what we can learn from the worst. Here’s a look at your PPC campaign when it’s gone wrong.

Any questions?

Don’t Use Dynamic Keyword Insertion Unless You’re Sure It Works

DKI is a great tool that helps you rank for various search terms by instructing Google to insert them directly into your ad. It can improve CTRs since searchers notice their query in your ad, strengthening the sense of intent matching.

However, if not utilized appropriately, it might backfire, like this:

Oops! You should check your AdWords dashboard frequently to ensure that no such advertisements exist. Even better, preview your ads to avoid strange syntax appearing in front of potential clients.

Even when set up properly, ensure that all interchangeable terms make sense in the ad content. You don’t want this to happen:

What exactly is a wall stickers nursery? Is this where sick newborn decals are cared for? Allow me to remind you:

It reminds me of when eBay offered to sell me newborns and perpetual motion machines.

Discouraging Clicks Is a Bad Ad Practice

What about this advertisement would make me want to click to learn more about their services?

So far, all they’ve said is that they dislike school dances and disapprove of prom.

You should address my hidden objections and persuade me to give you a chance in this area. This is better achieved by describing what you do rather than what you don’t. While qualifying your clicks with your ad copy might be beneficial, keep it positive and utilize the limited space to describe what you can provide potential clients.

Don’t Make Your Ads Confusing and Repetitive

The majority of this advertisement is wasted by stating the same thing three times. The URL appears in the headline and immediately below it, and the headline is the same as the business name, which is also the URL. And what exactly is it? This advertisement is giving me a headache.

Elisa Gabbert has long advocated for strong headlines, and generic headlines, along with wasted characters, are high on her list of “Don’ts.”

Misspellings and Typos Are Unforgivable

Here’s another advertiser who made the fundamental error of repeating their business name/URL to the point of absurdity, but let’s put that aside for a moment. We might even be able to overlook the missing period between “seafood” and “Best.” What is unforgivable, however, is that they neglected to capitalize the name of their city… and misspelled it.

This is serious business, gentlemen. You don’t want people assuming this individual is in charge of your company.

Image credit: College Humor

Make Sure Your Ads Target the Right Intent

I apologize, Mazda, but this advertisement is terrible because it makes no sense for me to see it when I’m looking for brakes for my Ford.

When was the last time you went shopping for a $35 pair of brake shoes and were persuaded to upgrade to a $21,000 automobile? It might have made sense - perhaps - if they had targeted “Ford Focus brakes,” but even that is a stretch in terms of gauging purchase intent. Even if you’re large enough to squander money, don’t do it this way. For this query, this terrible advertisement is receiving no clicks, therefore all it’s doing is lowering their relevance and possibly their QS.

Only Bid on Keywords for Products You Sell

This was inconvenient. I’m quite excited about Walmart’s ‘Big Brands Event,’ which I saw while looking for a Black & Decker snowblower. Which they do not offer.

Have you ever said something aloud and then thought to yourself, “Wow…did I actually just say that?” That’s how I feel about having to inform a retail and e-commerce behemoth like Walmart that they shouldn’t spend money promoting items they don’t sell.

This advertisement directs me to a power tool accessories product page with 55 items I wasn’t looking for. My purpose as a searcher was obvious; I was looking for a certain product. You should not be spending money on this type of user experience.

P.S. After some digging, I discovered that Walmart does, in fact, does sell snowblowers on their Outdoor Power Tools website. Why didn’t they send me there? (This is one of the landing page blunders that Meg Marrs discussed yesterday.)

Bad Ads Are Everywhere, So Be Vigilant

They’re ubiquitous. Search for practically anything, and you’ll come across terrible advertisements, whether due to negligence, carelessness, or simply a lack of knowledge. I’m unable to continue; they’re causing me a headache.

Simply ensure that your campaigns are free of these misspelled, sluggish, ridiculous, and wasteful advertisements!