Most wasted PPC spend comes from a small set of repeated mistakes, many of which are simple to fix once identified.
Using only broad match without negative keywords
A locksmith advertising on broad match terms without negative keywords may end up paying for clicks from people searching for locksmith training courses or unrelated jobs, not actual locksmith services.
Sending traffic to the homepage
An ad for a specific service that links to a generic homepage forces the visitor to search further for relevant information, increasing the chance they leave before converting.
No conversion tracking in place
Running campaigns without tracking which ads lead to actual calls or enquiries means budget decisions are made on assumptions rather than evidence.
Ignoring the search terms report
This report shows the actual queries that triggered your ads. Reviewing it periodically and adding irrelevant terms as negative keywords is one of the simplest ways to reduce wasted spend.
Running ads at all hours regardless of business capacity
A clinic that cannot answer phones outside working hours may still have ads running around the clock, generating missed calls that convert into frustration rather than enquiries.
Key takeaways
- Use negative keywords to filter out irrelevant searches
- Link ads to a specific, relevant landing page, not the homepage
- Set up conversion tracking before spending on a large scale
- Review the search terms report regularly to find wasted spend
- Schedule ads to align with when your business can actually respond