// EXPERT PROFILE //

FOCUSING ON THE WRONG METRICS CAN LEAD BUSINESSES ASTRAY IN THEIR DIGITAL MARKETING EFFORTS .

factor – but paying for them is against Google guidelines .

If you suspect / know competitors are doing this , then you may be tempted to follow suit , especially if you see them skyrocketing in the search engine results pages ( SERPs ). It may work for a short time , but they ’ re putting themselves at risk of penalties . In severe cases , Google may completely remove a site from its search index , making it impossible for users to find . Imagine how detrimental this would be , considering how many people search online ? your advertising ’ s effectiveness . The numbers may be good on paper , but they don ’ t necessarily mean you ’ re making money .

Instead , companies should dig deeper by focusing on actual conversions , conversion value and metrics outside Google Ads , including nCAC ( net Customer Acquisition Cost ) – how much you ’ re spending to get each new customer and MER ( Marketing Efficiency Radio ) – the total revenue generated divided by total marketing spend . �

6 . Focusing on the wrong metrics

Focusing on the wrong metrics can lead businesses astray in their digital marketing efforts . In PPC , for example , it ’ s true that clicks , impressions and click through rates are important – but they don ’ t tell the full story of

36 Intelligent SME . tech