Running Google Ads can feel like you’re throwing money into a black hole. You know you need to be doing it, but you're not seeing the results you want, and you just don't have the time to become an expert. It's frustrating when you're spending money and not getting a clear return.
The truth is, you're not alone. According to WordStream, many small businesses waste 25% or more of their paid search budget on campaigns that aren't working. In fact, if you're relying on Google's own support team to help you, you might be wasting even more.
But here's the good news:
Google Ads can be a fantastic tool for your business when it's set up and managed correctly. This guide breaks down seven simple, actionable steps you can take right now to stop wasted ad spend and start attracting more customers.
Quick Answers to Your Top Questions
Start with negative keywords. They block irrelevant searches that will never become customers, and weekly updates prevent budget leaks.
Focus on conversions, cost per conversion, and ROAS—not vanity numbers like clicks or impressions. These metrics show if your campaigns are profitable.
Use demographic, geographic, and remarketing filters to reach the audience most likely to convert. Adjust settings based on performance data.
Often, the problem is the landing page. Slow load times, unclear messaging, or mismatched content between ad and landing page can tank conversions.
Check keywords and search terms weekly, audit bids and budgets monthly, and do a strategy review quarterly. Track changes so you can optimize smarter over time.
Running ads without accurate conversion tracking—making decisions based on bad or incomplete data.
You can start yourself, but without experience, you’ll likely overspend. An expert can optimize campaigns, prevent wasted spend, and accelerate results.
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How to Optimize Your Google Ads
Think of Google Ads optimization like fine-tuning a car engine. You're making small adjustments to make sure it runs as efficiently as possible. This isn't a one-time thing; the online advertising world is always changing, and what worked last month might not work tomorrow.
A complete account check-up should happen at least once a month. In between, you can make smaller, daily or weekly tweaks to fix any immediate issues. This prevents you from throwing money at problems that could have been fixed sooner.
One quick tip:
Google Ads runs on data. If your website isn’t set up to track what people do (like filling out a form or calling you), you’re flying blind. Make sure your "digital plumbing" is in place to track these important actions (i.e. conversion actions). For a deeper dive on conversion tracking, read my post titled "Google Ads Conversion Tracking: Don't Run Ads Without It."
1
Use Negative Keywords to Stop Wasted Clicks
Every dollar counts in paid advertising. One of the quickest and most effective ways to save money is by aggressively using negative keywords to block irrelevant searches. This prevents your ads from showing up for queries that will never turn into customers. Your budget is then redirected toward high-quality clicks from people who are actively looking for your services. A disciplined approach to your negative keyword list can easily cut wasted ad spend by 20% to 30% or more.
Negative keywords are a simple yet powerful way to save money. They're words or phrases you tell Google you don't want your ads to show up for.
How it helps:
Action Steps:
How to Run a Search Terms Report
Step 1: In your Google Ads account, click on Campaigns in the main left navigation menu. Click the arrow pointing right next to the Campaigns button
Showing Keywords in A Search Campaign
Step 2. Once you're in the Keywords tab, select all the keywords or choose specific ones, and you will then see the Search Terms report.
This report shows you the exact queries people typed before they saw and clicked your ad.
Google Ads - Where to Find the Search Terms Report
Step 3. Review the list for terms that are clearly irrelevant to your business (e.g., searches for "jobs," "free advice," or competitors you don't care about).
Google Ads - Check for Search Terms That Do Not Apply
Step 4. Select those irrelevant terms, choose Add as negative keyword, and apply it as an Exact Match negative to stop your ads from appearing for that specific phrase immediately.
Understanding Keyword Match Types
Your keywords can be set to three different match types.
This setting tells Google how broadly or narrowly to display your ads, which is why matching it to your budget and goals is critical for cutting wasted ad spend.
- 1Broad Match (Most Flexible): This is the default and the least restrictive option. Search phrases that are broad matches are shown with no special characters around them. Broad match tells Google to include misspellings, synonyms, related concepts, and entirely different variations of a keyword. The cons of Broad match are that it can be highly wasteful in some cases. If you see many irrelevant phrases appearing in your Search Terms Report, you may want to avoid using broad match. The pros of broad match are that it can uncover search phrases you didn't think of so you can capture those clicks.
Google Ads - Showing Broad Match and Phrase Match Keywords
- 2Phrase Match (More Focused): Phrase match terms are created with quotes around the phrase. Your ad will show up for searches that contain the words in between the quotes, but it can include words before or after that phrase. For example, if your phrase match keyword is "sports massage therapist", your ad could show for "best rates for sports massage therapist in Temecula". It also includes close variants. The pros of Phrase match are that it is more restrictive than broad, but not as restrictive as Exact match, thus eliminating some inefficiencies but still showing your ad for wide variations.
Google Ads Phrase Match Keyword and Search Terms Report Results
- 3Exact Match (Most Restrictive): Exact match terms are created by surrounding the terms with brackets. This limits your ad to show only when someone searches for the precise term or a very close variation. This gives you the most control over keywords. The pros of Exact match are that it eliminates your ad from showing for variations of your search term that are not relevant, thus saving you money. The cons are that it's so restrictive that you may miss out on other valuable variations.
Google Ads - Exact Match Keyword and Search Terms and Keywords
2
Focus on Keywords that Attract Buyers
Not all keywords are created equal. To get the best results, you need to focus on keywords that show a person is ready to buy or become a client.
Here are the best types of keywords:
Action Steps:
Toby Danylchuk
Pro Tip
If you're unsure of a keyword's intent or fit for your campaign, do a simple Google search for that term and review the organic pages Google is ranking for that term - this will give you a good understanding of what Google believes that search phrase is about.
3
Ignore Metrics That Don't Matter
Clicks and impressions are easy to measure but often misleading. A high click-through rate (CTR) is great, but if those clicks aren't turning into business, you're not seeing a return on your investment. The real metrics that matter for profitability are:
- Conversions
- Cost per conversion
- Conversion rate (CVR)
- Return on Ad Spend (ROAS)
It’s easy to get distracted by numbers that look impressive but don't actually grow your business. Don't worry about "vanity metrics" like the number of clicks or impressions. They don't tell the full story.
Metrics You Should Focus On:
Why it matters: These metrics directly show you if you are making money from your ads. If you can't track them, you don't really know if your campaign is working.
4
Target Your Ideal Customers
Even the best ads fail if shown to the wrong audience. Effective targeting is about layering different filters to build a precise picture of your ideal customer. For instance, if you're a local service provider, you need to ensure your geographical targeting is pinpointed to your service area, while simultaneously using demographic filters to reach the right age group and income level. By combining these layers with ad scheduling and remarketing, you're able to reach your most likely buyers at the exact moment they are ready to convert.
A little bit of smart targeting can dramatically increase your return on investment. You want to make sure your ads are only shown to the people who are most likely to buy from you.
Action Steps:
Google Ads - Adjust Bids Based on Demographics
Google Ads - Adjust Bids Based on Location
Google Ads - YouTube and Website Visitors Audiences for Retargeting
5
Make Your Ads Stand Out
Google gives you tools to make your ads bigger and more informative. These are called Ad Assets (or extensions). Using them helps you grab more attention and get more clicks.
Examples of Ad Assets:
6
Fix Your Landing Pages
If clicks aren’t converting, the problem is usually the landing page. A well-designed landing page not only boosts your ROI but also improves your Quality Score, which reduces your Cost Per Click. The key is to create a seamless experience. Your landing page headline and content must directly match your ad's promise. It should also load instantly and have a simple, uncluttered design with a single, clear call to action. Without these elements, you’re simply paying for visitors to leave.
Your landing page is the webpage a person lands on after clicking your ad. It's the most important part of the sales funnel, and it can literally make or break your campaign. Google even rewards effective landing pages with lower ad costs through improved Quality Scores.
Why a great landing page is crucial:
Action Steps:
For a deeper dive into how landing page alignment impacts conversions and ad performance, check out my blog post on "The Power of Aligning Landing Pages with Google Ad Campaigns."
Landing Page Wirefram Design E xample
PPC-Landing-Page-Best Practices Conversions vs. Landing Page Load Time
7
Verify Your Data Is Accurate
The biggest mistake is running ads without proper conversion tracking. Without it, you’re essentially flying blind—you have no way of knowing which ads, keywords, or campaigns are actually generating leads and sales. Accurate tracking is the foundation of all optimizations. By setting up and consistently testing your tracking tags, you can confidently measure your success and make informed decisions about where to invest your budget. You can't fix what you can't measure.
This is our number one tip for a reason. All of your optimization decisions rely on accurate data. If your tracking is wrong or not set up, you're making decisions based on bad information.
How to Check:
Google Ads Conversion Tracking Summary
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Conclusion
Success with Google Ads requires ongoing attention. Don't fall for the "set it and forget it" trap, and don't blindly accept advice from Google's automated recommendations or support staff—their goal is to benefit Google, not you.
To keep your campaigns performing, check in on a regular schedule:
- Weekly: Scan keywords, search terms, and negative keywords. Spot wasted spend and block irrelevant traffic fast.
- Monthly: Audit bids, budgets, and campaign structure. Make sure your account is organized and your money is going where it counts.
- Quarterly: Step back and review overall strategy. Look at trends, ROI, and opportunities for bigger adjustments.
Pro Tip: Document what you change and what works. Tracking results over time makes optimization faster and smarter, so you stop guessing and start growing.
Ready to turn your digital marketing around?
Start implementing these tips today. If you'd like an expert to audit your campaigns or manage them for you, we can help you stop wasting money and start getting results.
You can start running Google Ads on your own, but there’s a learning curve. Without expertise, businesses often overspend or underperform.
An expert can:
- Identify negative keywords faster
- Optimize bids, campaigns, and ad copy
- Set up proper tracking and analytics
- Design a full-funnel strategy across Search, Display, and remarketing
Hiring an expert is an investment that prevents wasted spend and accelerates growth.
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