Look, I’ll be straight with you. Most Google Ads accounts we look at are absolute bin fires.
I’m not saying that to be a jerk. I’m saying it because I hate seeing hard-working Brisbane business owners hand over their profit to Google for nothing in return.
Google is a massive company. They’ve built a system that is designed to make it very easy for you to spend money, but quite difficult for you to actually see a return unless you know exactly which buttons to press.
If you’re running ads right now and you aren’t sure if they’re actually making you money—or if you feel like you’re paying for clicks but the phone isn't ringing—this is for you.
We’ve audited hundreds of accounts. Whether it’s a plumber in Chermside or a law firm in the CBD, the mistakes are almost always the same.
Here are the 10 things we check first. If you fix these, you’ll stop the bleeding and actually start seeing some real results.
1. Are you tracking actual money, or just 'activity'?
This is the biggest one. If you don't get this right, nothing else matters.
Most people think they’re tracking results because they see numbers in their Google Ads dashboard. But what are those numbers actually telling you?
Often, we see accounts where "conversions" are set up for things like "Time on site" or "Visited the Contact Us page."
That’s rubbish. You can’t pay your mortgage with a "page visit."
We only care about two things: 1. Did they call you? 2. Did they fill out a form to ask for a quote or buy something?
If your tracking isn't set up to show you exactly which keyword led to a phone call, you’re flying blind. You’re guessing. And guessing in Google Ads is the fastest way to go broke.
2. The 'Search Terms' Horror Show
There is a massive difference between what you think you’re bidding on and what people are actually typing into Google.
Google has this thing called "Broad Match." They tell you it’s great because it "reaches more people."
Translation: It lets Google show your ad for things that have almost nothing to do with your business.
If you’re a "Family Lawyer," Google might decide that someone searching for "free legal advice" or "law school rankings" is close enough. It’s not. You’re paying for that click, and that person was never going to hire you.
We go straight to the "Search Terms" report. This shows us exactly what people typed before they clicked your ad. If we see a bunch of junk, we start stealing your competitors' customers by tightening up those keywords so you only show up for people ready to buy.
3. Location, Location, Location
I saw an account recently for a local mechanic in North Lakes. Their ads were showing in Melbourne.
Why? Because Google has a default setting called "Presence or Interest."
This means if someone in Melbourne is looking for a mechanic for their mum who lives in Brisbane, your ad might show up. Or, more likely, it’s just Google being "helpful" and expanding your reach.
If you only serve Brisbane, you should only be paying for clicks from people physically standing in Brisbane. It sounds simple, but you’d be amazed how much money is wasted on clicks from the other side of the country.
4. The 'Performance Max' Black Box
Google has a new-ish type of campaign called Performance Max (PMax). They love it. They push every small business to use it.
And look, it can work. But for most small businesses, it’s a giant black box that eats your budget and hides where the money went. It puts your ads on YouTube, Gmail, and random websites across the internet.
If you aren't careful, PMax will spend your whole budget showing ads to people who were already going to buy from you anyway, just so it can claim the credit. It’s a bit of a mess.
We spend a lot of time fixing Performance Max to make sure it’s actually finding new customers, not just taking credit for old ones.
5. Your Website Works on Phones (No, Really?)
Everyone says their site is "mobile-friendly." But have you actually tried to use it while standing in the sun, holding a coffee, with one hand?
Most people clicking your ads are on a phone. If they click your ad, wait 5 seconds for the site to load, and then have to zoom in to find your phone number, they’re gone.
And you just paid $15 for that click.
We check if your phone number is "click-to-call." We check if the form is easy to fill out with thumbs. If your website is a pain to use on a phone, you’re flushing money down the toilet.
6. Negative Keywords: Your Secret Weapon
Marketing is just as much about who you don't want to talk to as who you do.
Negative keywords are a list of words that tell Google: "Do NOT show my ad if the search includes this word."
Common ones are "jobs," "free," "cheap," "course," or "DIY."
If you’re a high-end builder, you don't want to pay for a click from someone searching for "cheap deck DIY tips."
An account without a massive list of negative keywords is an account that is bleeding cash. We usually find that about 30% of a client's spend is going to these junk searches before we step in.
"Most business owners think they need more clicks to grow, but usually, they just need to stop paying for the 40% of clicks that were never going to buy anyway."
— Daniel Cooper, Growth Marketing Lead
7. The 'Brand' Trap
Are you bidding on your own business name?
Some agencies will tell you this is vital. And sometimes it is—if your competitors are trying to steal your traffic.
But often, agencies do this just to make their reports look better. Of course people searching for your exact name are going to click and buy! It makes the "return on investment" look amazing.
But if you’re already the #1 result on Google for your own name (which you should be), you might be paying for clicks you would have gotten for free anyway.
We look at whether this is actually making you more money or just moving "free" customers into the "paid" column to make the numbers look pretty.
8. Where are you sending them?
If someone searches for "Emergency Hot Water Repair," and you send them to your homepage, you’ve failed.
Your homepage probably talks about your history, your team, and all the different services you offer. The person with water spraying all over their garage doesn't care about your history. They want to know if you can fix their hot water now.
We check if your ads are sending people to a specific page that matches exactly what they searched for. The more relevant the page, the more likely they are to call. It’s not rocket science, but it’s rarely done right.
9. Using What You Already Have
Did you know you can upload your existing customer list to Google?
Not to spam them, but to tell Google: "Find me more people who look like these people."
It’s one of the most powerful tools in the box. You can also use that list to make sure your ads don't show to people who are already your customers, saving you money on useless clicks.
We love to use your customer list to sharpen the targeting. It’s like giving Google a map instead of letting it wander around in the dark.
10. The 'Set and Forget' Myth
Google Ads is not a slow cooker. You can’t just set it and forget it.
Google changes things. Your competitors change things. The way people search changes.
If your account hasn't been touched in three months, it’s decaying. We look at the change history. If the only person making changes is a Google bot, you’re in trouble.
Real results come from a human looking at the data, seeing what’s working, and cutting out the rubbish.
So, what now?
Look, I know this is a lot. You’ve got a business to run. You shouldn't have to be an expert in Google’s confusing dashboard.
But you should know if your money is being spent wisely.
If you’re spending more than $2,000 a month on Google Ads and you aren't 100% sure it’s working, you need an audit. Not a fake one generated by a computer, but a real look by someone who knows how to make businesses grow.
We do this every day for businesses right here in Brisbane. We don't use jargon, and we don't hide behind fancy reports. We just focus on getting your phone to ring.
If you want us to take a look at your account and tell you honestly where the waste is, get in touch with us at Local Marketing Group.
Let’s stop giving Google your hard-earned profit for nothing.