Quick answer
The most common PPC mistakes are broad keywords, wrong location settings, sending traffic to the homepage, missing negative keywords, poor conversion tracking, ignoring mobile, weak ad copy and set-and-forget management. Fixing them often lowers cost per lead.
Key takeaways
- Broad keywords and missing negatives waste the most money.
- Location settings often show ads to people outside your service area.
- Generic landing pages lower conversion rates and raise costs.
- Without proper conversion tracking, you can't tell what's working.
Which mistakes waste the most money?
- Broad keywords: terms like "plumbing" attract students and job seekers. Target high-intent searches.
- Wrong location settings: choose presence targeting and a real service area.
- Homepage traffic: send people to a page about the specific service.
- No negative keywords: exclude "free", "jobs" and "DIY".
What about tracking and mobile?
Track form submissions, calls, bookings and purchases as conversions. Without this, bidding cannot optimise and you cannot see what works.
Many local searches happen on phones, so use fast pages, call extensions and tappable numbers.
How can ad copy and management improve?
- Mention what makes you different and include specific benefits.
- Use sitelinks, callouts and call assets.
- Adjust bids, test ads and pause poor keywords regularly.
- Never leave a campaign alone for months.
What is a quick audit checklist?
| Check | What good looks like |
|---|---|
| Search terms report | Mostly relevant, negatives added |
| Location settings | Presence targeting, correct area |
| Conversion tracking | Calls, forms and bookings tracked |
| Landing pages | Specific, fast, mobile-friendly |
| Ad assets | Sitelinks, callouts and calls in place |
What does a well-run account look like?
- Campaigns organised by service with tight ad groups.
- Search terms reviewed and negatives added.
- Several ad variations being tested.
- Budgets shifted toward keywords that bring customers.
- Monthly reports on cost per lead.
Should you use PPC or SEO?
PPC brings quick results and SEO builds long-term visibility, so many businesses use both. Our PPC management team can audit your account and show where budget is leaking.
Bottom line
Most wasted ad spend comes from broad keywords, loose location settings and weak landing pages. Fix those and set up proper conversion tracking first.
