Nine Google Ads mistakes that quietly drain your budget
These nine issues appear in almost every account we inherit from a previous contractor. None are visible without looking — the money just leaves.
Campaign setup errors
Broad match without negatives. Google interprets 'broad' loosely, so 'buy a sofa' can serve on 'how to sew a sofa cover'. Without a negative list, broad match converts budget into random traffic.
Display network left enabled inside a search campaign. It is on by default and diverts spend into in-app banners that rarely convert. Always separate search and display.
Unrestricted geography. By default Google includes people merely 'interested in' your region, including users abroad. Local businesses should restrict to presence in the location.
Structure errors
One ad group for every keyword. The ad can never match the query, CTR stays low and clicks cost more. Splitting into themed groups takes a day and pays off for the life of the account.
Brand queries mixed into the main campaign, where their cheap clicks hide expensive unprofitable ones behind a comfortable average.
A single generic landing page for all groups, which loses to a specific page on every metric from bounce rate to cost per lead.
Management errors
Running Maximise Conversions without conversion tracking: the algorithm optimises toward an event that does not exist. Use manual bidding until conversion data exists.
Editing bids and copy daily, which restarts the learning phase each time and prevents a stable cost per lead.
Never opening the search terms report — the one place where reality is visible.