Google Ads is a powerhouse when it comes to getting your business in front of the right audience. Whether you’re an accountant, an electrician, or any small business owner, it can help you attract new customers quickly. But—and this is a big one—if you’re not using it correctly, you could end up throwing money down the drain.
In this post, I’ll break down some of the most common Google Ads mistakes I see businesses make and, more importantly, how you can fix them. If you’re guilty of any of these, don’t worry—you’re definitely not alone!
Mistake 1: Not Defining Clear Goals
Before you even think about launching a campaign, ask yourself: What am I trying to achieve? Too many businesses jump into Google Ads without a clear goal, and that’s a big mistake. Are you trying to increase website traffic, generate leads, or boost sales? Without a specific goal, your campaign is bound to fall flat.
How to Fix It: Set a clear, measurable goal for each campaign. If you’re running ads to get more leads, make sure your landing page and call-to-action reflect that. For example, if you’re an accountant, your goal might be to get potential clients to fill out a form for a free consultation. Align your ads, keywords, and landing pages around that goal.
Mistake 2: Using Broad Match Keywords Too Often
Keywords are the heart of any Google Ads campaign. But one of the biggest mistakes I see is using broad match keywords without understanding the risks. Broad match means Google can trigger your ad for searches that are related to your keyword—but sometimes, those searches are too broad.
For instance, if you’re bidding on the keyword “accounting services” and using broad match, your ad might show up for searches like “free accounting software” or “DIY bookkeeping tips.” Those aren’t exactly people looking to hire an accountant, right?
How to Fix It: Switch to phrase match or exact match keywords for more control. With phrase match, your ad will only show up when someone searches for the exact phrase or close variations. Exact match, as the name suggests, only triggers your ad when the search is an exact match to your keyword.
Also, don’t forget to use negative keywords to block irrelevant searches. If you don’t offer free consultations or DIY tips, make sure you add those as negatives.
Mistake 3: Ignoring Ad Extensions
Ad extensions are one of the simplest ways to make your ad stand out, but so many businesses skip them! Whether it’s call extensions, location extensions, or sitelink extensions, these little extras can increase the size of your ad, making it more noticeable and giving potential customers more reasons to click.
How to Fix It: Use all the ad extensions that are relevant to your business. If you’re an electrician, for example, a call extension allows users to call you directly from the ad. A location extension can help people find your office if you’re targeting local clients.
Ad extensions also don’t cost extra, so there’s really no reason not to take advantage of them.
Mistake 4: Sending Traffic to Your Homepage
This is a classic. You’ve crafted the perfect ad, chosen the right keywords, and now you’re driving traffic… straight to your homepage. But here’s the thing: your homepage isn’t designed to convert ad traffic. It’s too general, and people will leave if they don’t immediately find what they’re looking for.
How to Fix It: Create dedicated landing pages for each campaign. Your landing page should be directly related to the ad and have a clear call-to-action. For instance, if your ad promises “Affordable bookkeeping services for small businesses,” make sure the landing page highlights exactly that. The goal is to make it easy for users to take the next step—whether that’s filling out a form, calling your office, or making a purchase.
Mistake 5: Not Tracking Conversions
This is a big one. If you’re not tracking your conversions, how will you know if your campaign is working? Whether it’s leads, sales, or sign-ups, you need to know if your ads are bringing in actual results.
How to Fix It: Set up conversion tracking in Google Ads. It’s not difficult and gives you invaluable insight into how your ads are performing. You can track phone calls, form submissions, purchases—whatever actions matter most for your business.
If you’re an accountant looking to generate leads, set up conversion tracking to see how many people fill out your consultation form after clicking on your ad. This helps you identify which keywords and ads are driving the best results, so you can focus your budget on what works.
Mistake 6: Neglecting Mobile Users
Here’s a stat for you: more than half of Google’s ad clicks come from mobile devices. Yet many businesses fail to optimise their ads and landing pages for mobile users. If your site isn’t mobile-friendly, you could be losing out on a huge chunk of potential customers.
How to Fix It: First, make sure your landing pages are mobile-friendly. They should load quickly and be easy to navigate on smaller screens. If someone has to pinch and zoom just to find your contact form, they’re probably going to bounce.
Second, create mobile-specific ads. Google allows you to create ads specifically for mobile users, so take advantage of that. Use shorter, more concise text and include mobile-friendly features like call extensions.
Mistake 7: Not Testing and Optimising
Finally, one of the most common mistakes is setting up your Google Ads campaign and then leaving it on autopilot. The digital landscape is constantly changing, and your ads need to adapt. If you’re not regularly testing and optimising, you’re missing out on valuable opportunities to improve performance.
How to Fix It: Run A/B tests on your ads. Test different headlines, descriptions, calls-to-action, and landing pages. See what works and what doesn’t, and then make adjustments. Even small changes, like tweaking the wording of your headline or swapping out an image, can lead to better results.
Also, regularly review your search terms report. This shows you the actual search queries that triggered your ads. You might find some hidden gems you hadn’t thought of—or spot irrelevant searches that are wasting your budget.
Conclusion
Google Ads can be an incredibly powerful tool for driving traffic and generating leads, but only if you use it correctly. By avoiding these common mistakes—and implementing the fixes I’ve outlined—you can stretch your marketing budget further and see better results.
So, take the time to define clear goals, refine your keyword strategy, and optimise your landing pages. And remember, testing and tracking are your best friends in this game. The more you monitor and adjust, the more your ads will deliver.
If you’re ready to take your Google Ads game to the next level, give these tips a try. You’ll thank yourself when those high-quality leads start rolling in.