You’re Running Google Ads — But Are You Wasting Money?

September 11, 2025 Tech

Running Google Ads is one of the fastest ways to drive traffic to your website, get in front of potential customers, and boost your business visibility. But here’s the tough truth: just because you’re spending money on ads doesn’t mean you’re making money from them.

In fact, many businesses — even those with decent budgets — end up wasting thousands of dollars every year on poorly optimized campaigns, irrelevant keywords, and confusing landing pages. So the real question isn’t “Are you running Google Ads?” It’s: Are you running them well?

Let’s dive into the most common ways businesses waste money on Google Ads — and how you can avoid making the same mistakes.

1. You’re Targeting the Wrong Keywords

One of the biggest money drains in Google Ads comes from bidding on keywords that don’t actually convert.

Maybe you’re using broad match keywords like “marketing” or “real estate” — which attract a wide range of clicks, but most of those users may not be looking for what you offer. Or perhaps you’re targeting high-competition keywords that cost $10 per click without having a funnel that justifies that spend.

Fix it:

  • Do detailed keyword research using tools like Google Keyword Planner, SEMrush, or Ubersuggest.
  • Use phrase match or exact match keywords instead of broad match to narrow your audience.
  • Regularly review your Search Terms Report to see what people are actually typing in, and add irrelevant terms to your Negative Keyword List.

2. Your Ads Are Getting Clicks — But No Conversions

Clicks mean nothing if they don’t lead to results.

If your ad is getting traffic but users aren’t taking action (like making a purchase, filling a form, or calling you), you’re essentially paying Google for curiosity — not business.

Why does this happen?

  • Your landing page doesn’t match the ad message.
  • Your call-to-action isn’t clear.
  • The page loads slowly or isn’t mobile-friendly.

Fix it:

  • Ensure your landing page aligns perfectly with the ad — the headline, offer, and call-to-action should feel like a seamless continuation.
  • Test different CTA buttons (“Get a Quote”, “Claim Your Offer”, “Book a Call”) to see what works best.
  • Improve page speed, mobile usability, and form design to encourage users to stay and convert.

3. You Set It and Forget It

Google Ads is not a crockpot. You can’t just “set it and forget it.”

If you’re not reviewing your campaigns regularly, you’re missing out on key insights and wasting budget on underperforming ads.

Fix it:

  • Monitor your campaigns weekly.
  • Pause ads that aren’t performing after enough data has come in (generally after 1,000+ impressions).
  • Continuously A/B test headlines, descriptions, and landing pages to improve your conversion rate.

4. You’re Not Tracking Conversions Properly

If you don’t have conversion tracking set up correctly, you’re basically driving blind.

Google may show you metrics like impressions and clicks — but that doesn’t tell you if someone actually bought, called, or signed up.

Fix it:

  • Set up Google Ads Conversion Tracking and/or connect your Google Ads account to Google Analytics 4 (GA4).
  • Define what a “conversion” means for your business — it could be a purchase, a phone call, a newsletter signup, or a form submission.
  • Use tracking tools like Google Tag Manager to make sure you’re capturing the right actions.

5. Your Budget Is Spread Too Thin

Trying to do too much with a small budget can backfire.

You might be running five different campaigns, 20 keywords each, and several ad variations — with only $10 or $20 per day. The result? Google doesn’t get enough data to learn and optimize. And you don’t get enough results to measure what’s working.

Fix it:

  • Focus on your highest-impact product or service.
  • Allocate a decent daily budget to a single, well-structured campaign.
  • Once that campaign is profitable, gradually expand your efforts.

6. You’re Letting Google Make Too Many Decisions

Yes, Google’s AI is powerful — but if you’re handing it the keys to the car without understanding where it’s going, you’re at risk.

Features like Auto Bidding, Responsive Search Ads, and Performance Max Campaigns are tempting, but they can eat through your budget fast if not monitored properly.

Fix it:

  • Start with manual bidding or enhanced CPC so you stay in control.
  • Use Google’s smart features after you’ve gathered enough conversion data.
  • Always review performance manually — don’t rely only on automated suggestions.

Google Ads can be an incredible tool when done right — but it’s also one of the easiest platforms to waste money on if you don’t know what you’re doing.

The key is to approach it strategically. Understand your audience, track your results, test continuously, and only scale what works. When done properly, every dollar spent on Google Ads should return more than a dollar in value. But if you’re not watching closely, you might just be funding Google’s growth — not your own.

So ask yourself again: Are you running Google Ads — or are you wasting money?

📧 hello@bigbluegoat.com
 📍 Detroit-based. Strategy-led. Conversion-focused.

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