The 5 Biggest Google Ads Mistakes Small Businesses Make

Google Ads are one of the best ways to bring in leads and customers—fast. They put your business in front of people who are already searching for what you sell, which is marketing gold compared to, say, hoping someone scrolls past your Instagram ad at the right moment. 

Google dominates the search engine space. Period. 

63% of People Have Clicked on a Google Ad 

According to the Global Search Network, 63% of people have clicked on a Google ad. Considering one of the main goals of an ad is to get the viewer to click through to the 

website, this shows promise for anyone running ads on Google. It assures them that people are taking action on these types of ads, not just ones seen on social media platforms like Facebook. 

33% of Mobile Ad Spending Goes to Google 

These days, we’re doing more and more shopping via our mobile devices. It’s become such a quick and easy way to make a purchase at a moment’s notice. As mobile ad spending continues to increase each year, 33% of that is said to go to Google. And who wouldn’t want their business’s offerings to be included in that data? 

Google’s Ad Revenue in the U.S. Was $224.47 Billion in 2023 

In 2023, Google cashed in big time, making a whopping 237.86 billion U.S. dollars from ads. They do this through Google Ads, a platform where advertisers can show offtheir ads, products, and services across Google’s huge ad network, hitting up web users on properties, partner sites, and apps. It’s like Google’s way of saying, “Hey, check this out!” 

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But let’s be honest—a lot of small businesses try Google Ads, burn through their budget, and then swear it doesn’t work. The truth? It’s not Google Ads. It’s how you’re using them. 

If you’ve ever thought, “We tried Google Ads, and they just didn’t work for us,” you’re probably making one (or more) of these common mistakes. The good news? They’re 100% fixable—if you know what to look for. 

Mistake #1: Using Broad Match Keywords and Hoping for the Best 

Broad match keywords sound great in theory. You want as many people as possible to find your business, right? Wrong. 

Broad match is how you end up paying for clicks from people searching for things you don’t even sell. 

Example: You run a local bakery and bid on “cakes.” Your ad now appears for searches like: 

• “how to bake a cake” (cool, but not helpful) 

• “cake decorating classes” (also not what you do) 

• “wedding cake disaster fails” (yikes) 

You just paid for a bunch of clicks that won’t turn into customers. 

The Fix: Use phrase match and exact match keywords to get high-intent searches (the ones that actually lead to sales). 

Mistake #2: Not Using Negative Keywords (a.k.a. Letting Google Burn Your Budget) 

Negative keywords are your best friend, but too many businesses skip this step. 

Let’s say you run an upscale wedding photography business, and you bid on “wedding photographer.” Without negative keywords, your ad could show up for searches like: 

• “cheap wedding photographer” (your prices start at $5K) 

• “DIY wedding photography tips” (so…they don’t need to hire you?) 

• “how to become a wedding photographer” (not your target audience) 

The Fix: Set up negative keywords so you’re only paying for relevant searches. This alone can save you thousands in wasted ad spend. 

Mistake #3: Sending People to Your Homepage Instead of a Landing Page 

If you’re paying for clicks, you need a landing page built to convert those visitors into leads or customers. Sending ad traffic to your homepage is like inviting people to a party and making them guess which door leads to the food. 

A homepage is too generic. A great landing page: 

• Matches the offer in the ad (so people don’t get confused) 

• Has one clear call to action (Call, Buy, Sign Up—pick one) 

• Removes distractions (no social media links pulling them away) 

Example: You run a plumbing business, and your ad says “$99 Drain Cleaning.” 

• If you send people to your homepage, they now have to search for drain cleaning, click a few links, and maybe even call you. 

• If you send them to a dedicated drain cleaning landing page, they see the price, the offer, and a call-to-action to book right away. 

The Fix: Build a dedicated landing page that makes it stupid easy for people to take action. 

Mistake #4: Forgetting That Most People Are on Their Phones 

If your landing page isn’t mobile-friendly, you might as well be throwing money away. 

Example: You run a local salon and your ad is targeting “best haircuts near me.” 

• A potential customer clicks your ad on their phone… and your site takes forever to load. 

• They finally get to your page, but the text is tiny, the call-to-action button is impossible to find, and there’s a pop-up they can’t close. 

• They leave. You paid for that click. You got nothing. 

The Fix: Test your site on mobile. If it’s slow, cluttered, or hard to use, fix it before running another ad. 

Mistake #5: Not Tracking Conversions (So You Have No Idea What’s Actually Working) 

Would you keep paying for an ad if you didn’t know whether it was bringing in customers? Hopefully not. But a shocking number of businesses run Google Ads without tracking conversions—so they have zero clue if their ads are making them money. 

Clicking an ad isn’t the goal. You want people to: 

• Call your business 

• Fill out a form 

• Buy something 

• Schedule an appointment 

If you’re not tracking that, you’re flying blind. 

Example: You own an HVAC company and are running ads for “AC repair near me.” 

• You see that your ad got 500 clicks this month. 

• But… you have no idea how many of those clicks turned into actual service calls. 

• So you just keep spending money and hoping for the best. 

The Fix: Set up conversion tracking in Google Ads so you know which keywords and ads are driving real business. 

How to Actually Make Google Ads Work for Your Business 

Google Ads aren’t magic. But they do work—if you follow a few key rules. 

• Start Small and Test First – No need to blow your budget. Start with $10-$20/day, test different keywords and ad variations, and scale up what works. 

• Use Exact and Phrase Match Keywords – Avoid broad match unless you want to waste money. 

• Set Up Negative Keywords – This one move alone can save you thousands by preventing wasted clicks. 

• Create Killer Landing Pages – Your ad should lead to a page built specifically for conversions (not your homepage). 

• Track Everything – Set up conversion tracking so you know which ads bring in real leads and sales. 

TLDR: Google Ads Work—If You Do It Right 

Google Ads are one of the most powerful, scalable, and predictable ways to get more leads and customers. But it’s not a “set it and forget it” strategy—you need to optimize, test, and refine to see real results. 

If you’re tired of wasting money on ads that don’t convert, let’s talk. We help small businesses run Google Ads the smart way—so they actually work.