Why Most Google Ads Campaigns Fail in Brisbane
If you’ve ever tried running Google Ads for your business, you’ve probably felt that sinking feeling of watching your bank account drain while the phone stays silent. You might have heard about 'Performance Max' (or PMax)—Google’s latest tool that promises to use 'AI' to find you customers across YouTube, Gmail, and Search.
Google makes it sound easy: just give them some photos, a bit of text, and your credit card, and they’ll do the rest.
That is a lie.
I’ve seen dozens of Brisbane business owners—from electricians in Coorparoo to boutique shop owners in Paddington—throw thousands of dollars into a single PMax campaign that is set up completely wrong. The biggest mistake? Shoving every single thing you sell into one big bucket.
In the marketing world, they call these buckets 'Asset Groups'. To you, they should just be called 'Sales Folders'. If you don't organise these folders correctly, Google will spend your money on the easiest clicks, not the most profitable ones.
The Myth: "Google Knows Best, Just Put Everything Together"
Most people think that if they give Google more data by putting all their products together, the 'algorithm' will learn faster.
This is rubbish.
Imagine you run a landscaping business. You offer lawn mowing for $60 and full garden renovations for $10,000. If you put them in the same ad group, Google sees that people click on 'lawn mowing' ads all day long because they’re cheap and common. Google then spends your entire daily budget on $60 leads, leaving zero dollars for the $10,000 renovation jobs you actually want.
You need to separate your high-value services from your low-value ones. If you don't, you're just subsidising Google's profit margins while your best services get ignored. Before you spend another cent, you need a realistic budget guide to understand how much you should actually be putting behind these different categories.
How to Group Your Services to Actually Make Money
To get more phone calls and bookings, you need to think like your customer, not like a computer. Here is the 'Local Marketing Group' way to structure your ads for results.
1. Group by "Intent" (What do they want right now?)
Don't group things by what they are, group them by why people buy them.If you’re a plumber, don't just have an 'Asset Group' for 'Plumbing'. You should have: Emergency Services: (Burst pipes, blocked toilets). People here are stressed and want a phone call now. Maintenance: (Leaking taps, gas servicing). People here are price-shopping and looking for reliability. Renovations: (New bathrooms). People here want to see beautiful photos and take their time.
By separating these, you can give Google specific photos and headlines for each. For the emergency group, your ad should say "Arrive in 1 hour." For renovations, it should say "Award-winning designs." When you mix them, your ads become generic, and generic ads get ignored.
2. The "Hero Product" Strategy
Every business has one or two things that keep the lights on—the 'bread and butter'—and one or two things that are the big wins.I recently spoke with a cabinet maker in Geebung who was frustrated because his ads were showing 'small repairs' more than 'full kitchen installs'. We pulled the kitchen installs into their own group, gave them a dedicated budget, and used high-quality photos of finished kitchens.
Within three weeks, he stopped getting calls for $100 hinge repairs and started getting enquiries for $20,000 kitchens. This is the secret to cheaper leads—stop paying for the clicks you don't want.
What to Put Inside Your "Sales Folders"
Once you've decided on your groups (e.g., 'Emergency Plumbing' and 'Bathroom Renos'), you need to give Google the right 'assets'. This isn't about being fancy; it's about being clear.
Headlines: Stop being clever. Be direct. "Local Electrician in Ascot - Open 24/7" beats "Your Brightest Choice for Power" every single time. Tell them what you do, where you are, and why they should call you. Images: Don't use stock photos of people shaking hands. Use photos of your actual team, your branded ute, or a job you just finished in Brisbane. People buy from people they trust. Videos: You don't need a film crew. A 15-second clip of you standing in front of your shop explaining your 5-star service is enough. Google loves video, and it helps you get more calls by making your ad look bigger and more professional on a mobile phone.
The Cost of Getting This Wrong
If you just 'set and forget' a single PMax group, here is what will happen: 1. Wasted Spend: Google will show your ads to people looking for 'free advice' or 'DIY tips' because those clicks are cheap. 2. Bad Leads: You’ll spend your whole day answering the phone to people who can't afford you or want something you don't do. 3. Frustration: You’ll conclude that "Google Ads doesn't work for my business," while your competitor down the road is busy every Saturday.
How Long Does It Take to See Results?
This is the part most agencies won't tell you: Google Ads takes time to 'learn'. Even if you set up your groups perfectly today, it will take about 2 to 4 weeks for the system to figure out which Brisbane locals are most likely to click your 'Call Now' button.
You need to be patient, but you also need to be ruthless. If a group has spent $500 and hasn't generated a single phone call or email enquiry, something is wrong. Either your offer is bad, your photos are ugly, or your website is too hard to use on a phone.
Your Action Plan for This Week
You don't need to be a tech genius to fix this. Take 20 minutes this afternoon and do this:
1. List your 3 most profitable services. Not the ones you do most often, the ones that put the most money in the bank. 2. Check your Google Ads account. Do you have separate 'Asset Groups' for these? Or is everything just lumped together under 'Campaign 1'? 3. Fix the photos. If you see stock photos of American houses or people who don't look like your staff, delete them. Replace them with real photos from your phone. 4. Check your headlines. Do they tell people exactly what you do? If not, change them to be boring but clear.
Stop Letting Google Spend Your Money Recklessly
At Local Marketing Group, we see the same story over and over again. Small business owners are being told that 'AI' will handle everything. The truth is, AI is like a high-speed car—it’ll get you there fast, but if you point it at a wall, you’ll just crash faster.
Structuring your ads properly is how you point that car in the right direction. It’s how you ensure that every dollar you spend is an investment in a new customer, not a donation to Google’s bottom line.
If you're tired of guessing and want your Google Ads to actually start ringing your phone, we can help. We specialise in helping Brisbane businesses cut through the jargon and get real results.
Ready to stop wasting money and start getting more customers? Contact Local Marketing Group today and let’s get your ads working as hard as you do.