Setting up a PPC campaign may be one of the best decisions you ever make in regards to advertising your small business. While there are many benefits of doing so, one mistake is all it takes to cost you a lot of time and money.

To ensure that you are on the right track at all times, it’s important to know what you should be doing as well as the mistakes that could cost you dearly.

Here are 10 PPC mistakes that have harmed many before you. Avoiding these would be in your best interest:

•    Fighting for the top spot. While it makes sense that you would want to reach the #1 spot, this isn’t as important as most people believe.
•    Overlooking the importance of geo-targeting. Even if you have a product or service that suits a large audience, targeting by state (or deeper) can work in your favor.
•    Neglecting to tweak your landing page. Even if you’re happy with the current results, a simple change could boost your conversion rate and put you in a better place.
•    Doing the “same old, same old.” This is your opportunity to stand out from the crowd. Don’t run a similar ad to other advertisers. Be unique!
•    Forgetting to set a budget. On the downside, this can cost you a lot of money. On the plus side, it’s not a mistake that you typically make more than once.

Other common mistakes include:

•    Forgetting to turn off a campaign that isn’t working.
•    Neglecting to track your results.
•    Paying more attention to click through rate than conversion rate.
•    Forgetting to use keywords in your ads.
•    Avoiding brand name keywords.

Have you made one or more of these mistakes in the past? If so, you shouldn’t go down the same path in the future. Instead, take the approach that you will avoid these mistakes at all costs.