We've managed Google Ads since the platform launched in 2000. When we audit an account, we almost always find the same handful of leaks. None of them are complicated. All of them cost real money every day they're left alone.
1. No conversion tracking
If Google doesn't know which clicks turned into calls, forms or sales, it can't optimize for them. Smart bidding is only as smart as the data you give it. Set up conversion tracking for calls from ads, calls from your website, form submissions and, if possible, offline sales imported from your CRM.
2. Broad keywords with no negatives
Broad match lets Google show your ad for searches it considers related. Without a strong negative keyword list, a plumber can end up paying for "plumbing jobs," "plumber salary" and "how to fix a toilet yourself." Review the search terms report every week and add negatives for anything that will never become a customer.
3. Sending every click to the home page
A home page tries to talk to everyone. Someone who searched "emergency water heater replacement" wants a page about exactly that, with a phone number at the top and proof you can come today. Matching each ad group to a focused landing page often lowers cost per lead more than any bidding change.
4. Showing ads where and when you can't win
Check location settings. Many accounts target people "interested in" an area rather than people actually in it, which wastes spend on searchers far away. Then look at results by hour and day. If no one answers the phone after 6pm, don't pay for calls after 6pm, or send them to a form.
5. Set it and forget it
Ad accounts drift. Competitors change bids, Google changes features, costs creep up. An account that isn't reviewed weekly is almost always wasting money. That's why our AI agents watch accounts daily for wasted spend and anomalies, and a person decides what to change.
The bottom line
Most Google Ads accounts don't need a bigger budget. They need the leaks plugged. Fix tracking, tighten keywords, match landing pages to searches, focus on where and when you can win, and review it every week.
See where you stand
Our free Growth Snapshot grades your website, listings, reviews, social, tracking and AI search readiness in about a minute.