I audit a lot of Google Ads accounts. Like, a lot. And I'm going to be honest with you — most of them are a mess. Not because the people running them are bad at their jobs, but because there's so much bad advice out there that people end up making the same mistakes over and over again.
Here's the thing: Google Ads works. Really, really well. But only if you set it up right. And most businesses? They're leaving money on the table because of three totally fixable problems.
Let me walk you through the three mistakes I see in almost every account I audit — and exactly how to fix each one.
Mistake #1: Targeting too broad
This is the big one. I'll open an account and see campaigns targeting something like "marketing services" or "beauty treatments." Super broad. Super expensive. And converting at basically zero.
Here's why this kills you: when you target broad keywords, you're competing with everyone. Giant companies with massive budgets. National chains. You're paying top dollar to show up alongside brands spending 100x what you are. And the people clicking? They're usually early in their search — just browsing, not buying.
The fix:
Get specific. Instead of "beauty treatments," target "hydrafacial in [your city]." Instead of "marketing agency," go for "Google Ads management for med spas." Long-tail keywords cost less per click, convert at a higher rate, and attract people who actually know what they want. I'd rather have 50 clicks from people ready to book than 500 clicks from people who are "just looking."
Mistake #2: Sending traffic to your homepage
Oh, this one hurts my soul. You're spending money to get someone to click on your ad for "Botox in Dallas" and then you send them to... your homepage? Where they have to figure out what you do, scroll around, find the right service, maybe click through two more pages to actually book?
Forget it. They're gone. They hit the back button and clicked on your competitor who sent them straight to a Botox landing page with pricing, before-and-afters, and a big "Book Now" button.
The fix:
Every ad group needs its own landing page — or at the very least, a dedicated page for that specific service. The landing page should match the ad copy exactly. If your ad says "50% Off Your First Hydrafacial," the landing page headline better say the same thing. One page, one offer, one clear call to action. That's it. Don't make people think. Make it stupid easy to convert.
Mistake #3: Not using negative keywords
This is the silent budget killer. If you're running Google Ads without a negative keyword list, I can almost guarantee you're wasting 20-40% of your budget. That's not an exaggeration.
Without negative keywords, your ads show up for searches you never intended. I've seen med spa ads triggered by "botox side effects" and "botox gone wrong." I've seen a wedding photographer's ads showing up for "free wedding photos." These clicks cost you money and they will never, ever convert.
The fix:
Go into your Search Terms report right now — like, today — and look at what people are actually searching when they click your ads. You'll be horrified. Add irrelevant terms as negative keywords immediately. Common ones to start with: "free," "cheap," "DIY," "jobs," "salary," "how to," and "reviews." Then check this report weekly. I do it for every client, every single week. It's not glamorous, but it's one of the highest-impact things you can do.
The bottom line
These three fixes aren't complicated. They're not some secret growth hack. But I see businesses burning through thousands of dollars a month because nobody took the time to get the fundamentals right. Tighten your targeting, build dedicated landing pages, and clean up your negative keywords — and you'll see the difference in your very next billing cycle.