1. No Negative Keywords
Without negative keywords, your ads show for irrelevant searches. Review search term reports weekly and add negatives aggressively.
2. Sending Traffic to Your Homepage
Generic pages don't convert PPC traffic. Every campaign needs a dedicated landing page with message-match and a clear CTA.
3. Not Tracking Conversions Properly
If you're not tracking calls, forms, and purchases, you're optimizing blind. Proper conversion tracking is the foundation of everything.
4. Too Many Keywords Per Ad Group
Tightly themed ad groups with 5-15 keywords allow better ad relevance and Quality Scores. Stop stuffing 50+ keywords into one group.
5. Ignoring Mobile
Over 60% of searches are mobile. If your landing pages aren't mobile-optimized, you're wasting the majority of your clicks.
6. Not Testing Ad Copy
Running only one ad per ad group means zero learning. Always test at least 2-3 ads simultaneously.
7. Wrong Match Types
Broad match without smart bidding bleeds budget. Use phrase and exact match for control, broad only with proper negative keyword coverage.
8. Ignoring Quality Score
Low Quality Scores mean higher CPCs and worse ad positions. Improve relevance between keywords, ads, and landing pages.
9. No Bid Adjustments
Adjust bids by device, location, time of day, and audience. One-size-fits-all bidding wastes money on underperforming segments.
10. Set It and Forget It
PPC requires continuous optimization. Campaigns that aren't actively managed deteriorate over time as competition and market conditions change.