5 Google Ads mistakes costing local businesses thousands
5 min read
1. Running broad match without negatives
Broad match will happily spend your budget on irrelevant clicks. Add a strong negative keyword list from day one and review search terms weekly.
2. Sending traffic to the homepage
Every ad group should have a dedicated landing page focused on one service and one call to action.
3. No conversion tracking
If you can't measure phone calls and form fills, you can't optimize. Set up call tracking and conversion goals before spending a dollar.
4. Ignoring geography
Target the specific zip codes you serve. Exclude everywhere else.
5. Set-and-forget campaigns
Ads need weekly attention: new negatives, creative refreshes, bid adjustments. Otherwise cost per lead creeps up quietly.