Most accounts we audit are leaking 20–40% of spend. These are the most common culprits and the fixes that pay back fastest.
Google Ads can be the most predictable lead source a business has, or a monthly bill with little to show for it. The difference usually comes down to a handful of settings and habits. Here are the seven leaks we find most often.
1. Broad match without guardrails
Broad match can work, but only with strong conversion data and a robust negative keyword list. Review your search terms report weekly and exclude irrelevant queries before they drain budget.
2. Sending every click to the homepage
A searcher looking for 'emergency AC repair' should land on a page about emergency AC repair with a phone number above the fold, not your homepage.
3. Tracking form fills instead of real leads
If spam and unqualified enquiries count as conversions, Google's bidding will find you more of them. Import qualified leads or sales from your CRM so the algorithm optimizes for revenue.
4. Ignoring location and schedule settings
Make sure you're targeting people in your area, not people merely interested in it, and consider reducing bids when no one is available to answer the phone.
5. Letting Performance Max run unsupervised
Automated campaigns need quality inputs: strong creative, audience signals, and brand exclusions. Without them, they often cannibalize branded searches you'd win anyway.
6. Weak ad copy
Use every headline slot. Include pricing cues, guarantees, reviews, and a clear call to action. Test at least two meaningfully different angles at a time.
7. Set-and-forget management
Markets, competitors, and costs change weekly. Accounts that are reviewed and refined every week consistently outperform those checked once a month.
Want to know how much of your budget is leaking? Our free audit includes a Google Ads account review with a prioritized list of fixes.
