I run Google Ads for clients at kaminski.link. And I see the same mistakes. Over and over. A new client comes in, says "Google Ads doesn't work." I look at the account. And I know why.
Not because Google Ads is bad. Because someone configured it wrong. Or didn't configure it at all.
Mistake 1: No negative keywords
This is number one. The absolute classic. Client sells office furniture. Sets the keyword "desk." And pays for clicks from people searching "desk DIY," "desk for free," "IKEA desk assembly instructions."
One client from Poznan. Budget $1,200 per month. I checked the search terms report. 40% of clicks went to phrases that had nothing to do with their offer. $500 down the drain. Every month.
The solution is dead simple. On day one, add a negative keyword list. "Free," "how to make," "DIY," "reviews," "ranking." And once a week, check the search terms report and add new ones. 15 minutes of work. $500 in savings.
Mistake 2: One ad group for everything
I've seen an account with one ad group containing 87 keywords. From "wedding photographer Warsaw" to "newborn photo session price" to "product photography." One ad for all of it.
That's like having one poster advertising pizza, sushi, and kebab at the same time. Sure, they're all food. But someone looking for pizza won't click an ad about sushi.
The rule is simple: one group = one theme = 5-15 tightly related keywords. "Wedding photographer Warsaw," "photographer for wedding Warsaw," "wedding photography Warsaw" — that's one group. "Newborn session" is a separate group with a separate ad.
After splitting a client's campaign into 8 groups instead of one — CTR jumped from 2.1% to 5.8%. Cost per conversion dropped by 40%.
Mistake 3: No conversion tracking
This one's my favorite. Client spends $750/month on ads and has no idea how much comes back. No conversion tag. Doesn't measure contact forms. Doesn't track phone calls.
"But I can see I'm getting more clients." Sure. Or maybe it's just the season? Or someone recommended you on Facebook? Without conversion tracking, you don't know if Google Ads is making money or burning it. I wrote more about reading your data in my article on web analytics for beginners.
Minimum setup:
- Conversion tag on the "thank you" page after a form submission
- Click-to-call tracking
- Offline conversion import if you sell over the phone
Takes 30 minutes to set up. Changes everything. Because suddenly you can see which keyword generates sales and which just generates clicks.
Mistake 4: Too broad geographic targeting
A plumber in Krakow targeting the entire country. A restaurant in Gdansk advertising in cities 600km away. If you operate locally, local SEO can bring you traffic for free — without these mistakes. A lawyer in Wroclaw paying for clicks from the other side of Poland.
Sounds absurd? I see it every other week.
Google defaults to "People in, or who show interest in, your targeted locations." Meaning someone from a different city planning a vacation who searches "restaurant Gdansk" will see your ad. And click. And you'll pay. And they won't come.
Switch to "People in or regularly in your targeted locations." And limit reach to your actual service area. Plumber? 30km radius from base. Restaurant? City + 10km.
For one client, this single change cut cost per conversion by 35%. No other modifications.
Mistake 5: No ad testing
One ad per group. For 6 months. No changes. That's not a campaign — that's a monument.
Google needs variants to optimize. Minimum 3 ads per group. Different headlines, different descriptions, different CTAs. "Order now" vs "Check price" vs "Free quote." You don't know what works until you test.
And one more thing. Responsive Search Ads (RSA) aren't "throw in 15 headlines and forget about it." Add 15 headlines, but pin the ones that must appear. And every 2 weeks, check which combinations have the best CTR.
I've seen a campaign that after adding 3 ad variants and testing for a month raised CTR from 3% to 7%. Same budget, same keywords. Only change — better ads.
Google Ads isn't "set and forget." It's "set, check, improve, repeat." Every week without optimization is a week of burned money.
And if you're just starting with ads, consider Facebook Ads on a small budget too — especially for local businesses the results can be impressive. Before you spend another dollar on Google Ads — go through these 5 points. Check your account. I guarantee you'll find at least 2 of these mistakes. And I guarantee fixing them will save you more than the time this article cost you.