Why You’re Probably Overpaying for Google Ads
If you’re running a business in Brisbane—whether you’re a plumber in Coorparoo or a lawyer in the CBD—you don’t have time to sit in front of a computer screen watching Google Ads all day. You have jobs to quote, staff to manage, and customers to keep happy.
But here is the problem: Google is more than happy to spend your money 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, regardless of whether those clicks are actually turning into phone calls. Most small business owners I talk to feel like they’re “feeding the beast.” They set up an ad, hope for the best, and then feel a pit in their stomach when they check their credit card statement at the end of the month.
This is where Automation Rules come in. Think of them as a 24/7 security guard for your marketing budget. They are simple instructions you give Google that say: "If X happens, do Y so I don't lose money."
What Are Automation Rules (And Why Should You Care?)
In plain English, an automation rule is a “set and forget” instruction. You aren't changing the "algorithm" or doing anything fancy. You are simply telling the system to take action based on common sense.
For example, if an ad has spent $100 and hasn't resulted in a single phone call or enquiry, a rule can automatically pause it. You didn't have to log in. You didn't have to check a spreadsheet. Google just stopped the bleeding for you.
I’ve seen dozens of Brisbane businesses save thousands of dollars a year just by setting up three or four basic rules. It’s the difference between a profitable month and just breaking even.
Three Rules Every Business Owner Needs
Most people get overwhelmed by the options in Google Ads. Ignore 90% of them. If you only set up these three rules, you’ll be ahead of most of your competitors.
1. The "Stop the Bleeding" Rule
This is the most important one. It’s designed to catch ads that are burning cash without providing results.How it works: You tell Google to look at your ads every day. If an ad has spent more than your average cost to get a customer (let’s say $50) but has zero leads, the rule pauses it.
I recently spoke with a landscaper in Chermside who was spending $15 a click on a keyword that never, ever booked a job. He’d wasted $600 in a month because he was too busy to check the account. A simple rule would have caught that after the first $50.
2. The "Weekend Saver" Rule
If your business is closed on weekends and you don't want to pay for phone calls that nobody will answer, you can use rules to turn your ads off on Friday night and back on Monday morning.While you can do this with a schedule, automation rules allow you to be smarter. You can say: "On weekends, only show my ads if the cost per click is 50% cheaper." This allows you to still get cheap enquiries over the weekend without paying the "premium" weekday rates when you aren't there to pick up the phone.
3. The "Budget Protector"
Google has a sneaky habit of spending more than your daily budget if it thinks it can find you a customer. Sometimes it can spend double what you asked for. A budget rule acts as a hard ceiling. It says: "If I have spent $X today, shut everything down until tomorrow."The Trap: Don't Let the Data Lie to You
Before you start setting up rules, you need to make sure your tracking is actually working. If your website isn't correctly telling Google when someone calls you or fills out a form, your rules will be based on bad information.
I’ve seen businesses pause their best-performing ads because their data was lying to them—they thought they weren't getting leads, but the tracking was just broken. If Google thinks you have zero leads, it will pause everything. Make sure your "thank you" pages and phone buttons are actually being tracked before you automate anything.
How Much Does This Cost?
Here is the best part: Automation rules are free. Google doesn’t charge you to use them. In fact, most people don't use them because Google doesn't exactly make it obvious where they are—after all, if you use rules to spend less money, Google makes less profit.
It takes about 10 minutes to set up a basic rule. If you’re paying an agency to manage your ads and they haven't set these up, you should be asking why. It’s a basic level of protection that every account should have.
When Rules Become a Problem
I’m going to be blunt: Automation is great, but it’s not a substitute for a good strategy. If you have a tiny budget—say, $10 or $20 a day—you have to be very careful.
If your rules are too strict, you might accidentally turn off your ads before they’ve had a chance to work. Google needs a bit of room to breathe. This is especially true if you are trying smart bidding on a shoestring. If you pull the plug too early, the system never learns who your actual customers are.
My advice: Set your "Stop the Bleeding" limit to at least 2 or 3 times what you expect to pay for a lead. If you want leads for $30, don't kill an ad until it has spent $90 without a result. This gives the system enough data to prove it’s a dud while still protecting you from a total disaster.
What About "Smart" Campaigns?
You might have heard of PMax (Performance Max) or Smart Campaigns. These are basically one big automation rule run by Google. While they sound easy, they can be dangerous for small businesses because they hide where your money is going.
You can’t just dump your assets into a campaign and expect it to work perfectly without some guardrails. Even with Google's "smart" systems, you should still use manual rules to monitor the total spend and ensure you aren't overpaying for junk clicks.
How Long Until You See Results?
You will see the "result" of an automation rule the very first time it stops a bad ad from spending money. That is an immediate saving.
In terms of growing your business, rules allow you to move your budget from the "losers" to the "winners." Within 30 to 60 days, you’ll notice that your total cost per lead starts to drop because you aren't wasting 30% of your budget on keywords that don't work. That’s more money in your pocket or more money you can reinvest to get even more customers.
What Should You Do First?
If you are running your own ads right now, do this today:
1. Check your 'Conversions' column: Are you actually seeing leads in your Google Ads dashboard? If not, fix your tracking first. 2. Set a 'Zero Lead' Rule: Create a rule that emails you if any ad group spends more than $100 without a lead. You don't even have to let it pause the ad yet—just have it send you an alert so you can look at it. 3. Review your search terms: Look at what people are actually typing in. If you see junk, add those as negative keywords.
The Verdict
Most small business owners in Brisbane are terrified of Google Ads because it feels like a gambling machine. Automation rules turn it back into a business tool. They take the emotion and the guesswork out of it.
You don't need to be a tech genius. You just need to decide what a customer is worth to you and tell Google not to spend more than that.
If you’re too busy to dive into the settings yourself, or you’re worried you’ll click the wrong button and break something, we can help. At Local Marketing Group, we specialise in making sure Brisbane businesses get more phone calls without the technical headache.
Stop letting Google decide how much profit you make this month. Set some rules, protect your cash, and focus on running your business.
Want to stop wasting money on ads that don't work? Contact Local Marketing Group today and let’s get your ads sorted.