Google Ads can absolutely grow your business, but let’s be real, most campaigns flop even after you dump a ton of cash into them.
You work hard for your money, so watching it vanish on useless ads is just infuriating.
The difference between ads that actually make money and ones that bleed you dry comes down to seven big mistakes.
These screw-ups aren’t small—they’re costing Aussie businesses thousands every single month.
1) Ignoring negative keyword lists
Loads of Google Ads campaigns waste cash because people just ignore negative keywords.
You’re basically paying for clicks from folks who couldn’t care less about your stuff.
Honestly, that’s just lazy. Your budget disappears on useless searches while the smart guys who actually update their negative keywords get all the good traffic.
Setting up negative keywords isn’t something you do once and forget. You gotta keep checking your search terms report and cut out the junk that triggers your ads.
It could be similar products, freebie hunters, or DIY searchers—none of them are buying from you.
And if you keep ignoring negative keywords, Google’s algorithm starts thinking the wrong crowd is your target audience. That just makes things worse.
2) Setting unrealistic daily budgets
If you pick a random daily budget for your Google Ads, you’re asking for trouble.
So many businesses just guess a number without even looking at what clicks actually cost in their industry.
Set your budget too low, and you won’t get enough clicks to learn anything. Your campaign just sits in limbo, doing nothing.
Go too high without tracking, and you’re basically tossing cash into Sydney Harbour. If you don’t track conversions, how would you even know if those pricey clicks are worth it?
Start by checking what clicks usually cost in your industry. Then work backwards from your target cost per lead or sale.
Adjust your budget based on real results, not just what you feel like spending that day.
3) Using broad match without modifiers
Broad match keywords are a nightmare if you don’t use them right.
Pick broad match without any modifiers, and Google will show your ads for all sorts of random searches that have nothing to do with what you sell.
Your budget disappears on useless clicks faster than a slab goes at a weekend barbie. I’ve seen businesses blow thousands in a week just by being careless here.
The fix is simple: use broad match modifiers or just switch to phrase and exact match. Add a plus sign before each word so Google knows those words need to be in the search.
Don’t be a mug with your ad spend. Learn your match types or just keep handing your cash to Google for nothing.
4) Neglecting mobile optimisation
Most people are on their phones, but advertisers still act like everyone’s on a desktop.
If your Google Ads aren’t set up for mobile, you’re just burning money.
Your customers are scrolling on their phones, not sitting at a desk. If your landing page is slow or clunky on mobile, you’re basically inviting them to leave before they even see your offer.
Mobile users don’t wait around. If your page doesn’t load fast or looks weird, they’re gone—and your ad spend is wasted.
Shorten your headlines for mobile. Long ones get chopped off and your message turns into gibberish.
Check your mobile speed often. Google reckons over half of mobile users bail if your site takes more than three seconds to load.
5) Poor ad copywriting
Your ad copy is everything. If it doesn’t grab attention, you might as well throw your budget in the bin.
Don’t use boring, generic lines that sound like everyone else. People scroll right past that stuff.
Your copy should hit your audience’s pain points. Are you actually talking about what keeps them up at night, or just listing boring features?
CTAs matter way more than you think. Weak ones like “Learn More” or “Click Here” are killing your conversions. Try something like “Start Saving Today” or “Get Your Free Quote” instead.
Test different ads. If you’re not comparing headlines, descriptions, and CTAs, you’re just guessing what works and probably wasting money.
6) Failing to split test campaigns
If you’re not split testing your ads, you’re just tossing money away.
Most advertisers set up their ads and never touch them again, then wonder why nothing’s working.
Split testing, or A/B testing, lets you see which ads actually perform better. Try different headlines, descriptions, images, or landing pages.
If you skip this, you’re just guessing. It’s like trying to hit a dartboard with your eyes closed. Sure, maybe you’ll get lucky, but probably not.
The best advertisers never stop testing. Even tiny tweaks can make a huge difference over time.
Don’t get lazy. Set up proper split tests, track the results, and use what works. Your bank account will appreciate it.
7) Not tracking conversions accurately
Not tracking conversions? You’re basically just lighting your cash on fire.
If you don’t know which ads are working, how can you tell what’s actually making you money?
Plenty of businesses set up conversion tracking wrong or skip it altogether. That means you’re totally clueless about your ROI.
Without good tracking, you could be killing off ads that actually bring in sales and keeping ones that just look pretty but do nothing.
Google’s tracking tools need to be set up right and checked regularly. Too many people set it and forget it, then wonder why the data’s all wrong after a website update.
And don’t forget value tracking. Knowing how many sales is good, but knowing how much money each campaign brings in is way better.
Hidden Costs Of Mismanaged Campaigns
Badly run Google Ads campaigns quietly bleed your marketing budget dry. Most people don’t even notice until they’ve already lost a chunk of cash.
How Poor Targeting Eats Your Budget
Poor audience targeting is like tossing your budget into a black hole.
If you don’t pick who should see your ads, Google shows them to everyone—including people who couldn’t care less about your offer. That just jacks up your cost per lead.
Your ads might get clicks, but if they’re from the wrong crowd, you’ll never get sales. Every useless click costs real money.
The average Google Ads click is $1-$2 for most industries, but it can be $50 or more in crazy competitive areas like legal or insurance.
If 70% of your traffic is the wrong people, that’s 70% of your budget wasted. Imagine burning $3,500 out of a $5,000 monthly campaign on the wrong audience. Ouch.
Wasted Spend On Irrelevant Keywords
Irrelevant keywords are budget vampires, honestly. If you use broad match keywords and ignore negative keywords, your ads show up for all sorts of junk searches.
Say you sell “custom wooden tables” but don’t block terms like “coffee table books” or “table tennis equipment.” Now you’re paying for clicks from people searching for totally different stuff.
Warning signs of keyword waste:
- Loads of impressions but barely any clicks
- Lots of clicks but almost no conversions
- Search term reports full of stuff that has nothing to do with your business
Negative keywords aren’t just nice to have—they’re a must. Without them, you could burn 25-40% of your daily budget on useless searches. That’s thousands a month straight to Google, not your bottom line.
Why Most Marketers Misunderstand Google Ads
Google Ads is probably the most misunderstood marketing platform out there. Marketers toss away thousands just because they buy into the wrong ideas about how it works.
Believing The Platform’s Hype
Let’s not kid ourselves—Google wants you to spend more, not less.
Their sales reps and automated suggestions aren’t about helping you win. They’re about making Google more money.
When Google tells you to add more keywords or bump your bids, it’s usually good for them, not you. Their “optimisation score” is mostly about spending more, not getting smarter.
Loads of marketers fall for the “set it and forget it” myth. Google’s automation is fine, but only if you keep an eye on it.
The default settings are set up to burn through your budget fast. Google almost never tells you to narrow your audience or cut out dud keywords.
Trusting Google’s “best practices” without questioning them? That’s like asking a car dealer if you need the fancy extras. You already know the answer.
Ignoring Real Data Over Vanity Metrics
You’re obsessing over the wrong numbers, mate. Clicks and impressions won’t pay your bills if they don’t turn into real sales.
Too many marketers celebrate high traffic while their conversion rates stay terrible. What good are 10,000 visitors if none become customers?
Your boss doesn’t care about impressions. They care about profit, plain and simple.
Google’s dashboards love to show off numbers that make you feel successful, even if your business isn’t actually winning. This isn’t by accident.
The platform pushes vanity metrics because they want you to keep spending. Conversions matter way more than clicks, and I’d take one qualified lead over a hundred useless ones any day.
Revenue attribution is where most marketers fall flat on their face. Without proper tracking, you can’t tell which keywords bring in sales versus which ones just burn your budget.
This disconnect wastes money every single day across Australia. It’s honestly wild how common it is.
