Why Google is flying blind with your money
Look, I’m going to be straight with you. Most small businesses in Brisbane are absolutely hemorrhaging money on Google Ads right now.
They set up a campaign, pick a few keywords like 'plumber Northside' or 'lawyer near me', and then they cross their fingers. They hope Google’s robots are smart enough to find them a customer.
But here’s the reality: Google is a business. Their goal isn't to save you money; it's to sell clicks. If you don't tell Google exactly who your best customers are, it’s going to spend your budget on anyone with a thumb and a smartphone.
That’s where your 'first-party data' comes in.
Now, don't let the name bore you. All it means is the information you already own. Your list of past customers. Your email subscribers. The people who’ve actually spent money with you.
If you aren't feeding this info back into Google, you’re basically asking a blindfolded pilot to land a plane on a moving runway. It’s messy, it’s expensive, and it usually ends in a crash.
The big lie about 'smart' advertising
Every man and his dog will tell you that Google’s AI is 'smart'. They say you just need to set it and forget it.
That is rubbish.
Google’s AI is only as good as the data you give it. If you give it nothing, it guesses. And when it guesses, it makes mistakes. It shows your ads to people who are just 'tyre kicking' or looking for a freebie.
When you use your own customer data, you’re giving Google a cheat sheet. You’re saying, 'Hey, see these 500 people who bought from me last year? Find me more people exactly like them.'
Suddenly, your ads aren't just shouting into the void. They’re hunting for profit. This is how you stop burning cash and actually start seeing a return on every dollar you spend.
How this actually works in the real world
You’ve got a spreadsheet, right? Or a booking system? Or even just a messy pile of invoices.
That pile of info is a goldmine.
When we take that list—emails, phone numbers, addresses—and securely upload it to Google, something magic happens. Google matches those details to its own users. It doesn't tell us who is who (privacy laws and all that), but it creates a 'profile' of your perfect customer.
1. Stop paying for people who already know you
One of the biggest wastes of money I see is businesses paying for clicks from people who were going to call them anyway.
If someone is already your loyal customer, why are you paying $15 for them to click an ad just to find your phone number? It’s madness.
By using your own data, we can tell Google: 'If this person is on my list, don't show them this specific ad.' Or better yet, show them a different ad—maybe a 'refer a friend' discount instead of a 'new customer' offer.
You need to tell Google who to target so you aren't bidding against yourself for people you already own the relationship with.
2. The 'Lookalike' effect
This is the real game-changer. Once Google knows what your customers look like, it can find 'Similar Segments'.
It looks at the habits, interests, and searching patterns of your buyers. Then it goes out and finds thousands of other people in Brisbane who act exactly the same way but haven't heard of you yet.
This isn't just 'people interested in landscaping'. This is 'people who have the exact digital footprint of someone about to spend five grand on a new deck'.
Is your data actually ready?
I’ll be honest: most small business owners have terrible data.
It’s in three different systems. Some of it’s on a notepad. Some of it’s in an old Gmail account.
If you want this to work, you’ve got to get your house in order. You don't need a fancy 'data scientist'. You just need a clean list.
- Email addresses: This is the big one. Google loves emails. - Phone numbers: Great for matching mobile users. - First and last names: Helps with the matching process. - Physical addresses: Especially useful for local tradies.
If you’ve got a list of 1,000 people, Google can usually match about 50% to 70% of them. That’s more than enough to start seeing results.
The cost of doing nothing
Here is the cold, hard truth: Google is getting more expensive every single day.
Your competitors are starting to use these tactics. If they are using their customer data to find the best leads, and you’re just bidding on generic keywords, they are going to outbid you every time.
Why? Because they know their leads are more likely to buy. They can afford to pay more per click because their 'hit rate' is higher.
If you keep doing things the old way, you’ll find your cost per lead creeping up until your profit margins disappear. We’ve seen it happen to good businesses in Paddington, Newstead, and all over the city. They think the 'market is just getting tougher'. No, the market is getting smarter, and they’re being left behind.
What about privacy?
I get asked this a lot. 'Isn't it dodgy to give Google my customers' info?'
Look, Google already knows everything about everyone. But more importantly, the process is 'hashed'. That’s a fancy way of saying the data is turned into a code before it’s uploaded. Google doesn't see 'John Smith at 12 Smith St'. They see a string of random characters.
It’s safe, it’s legal, and it’s how the big boys have been playing for years. It’s time small businesses started using the same tools.
How long until you see more phone calls?
This isn't a 'flick a switch and get rich' thing.
Once we upload your data and tell Google how to use it, the system needs time to learn. Usually, you’ll start seeing the quality of your enquiries improve within 3 to 4 weeks.
You’ll notice fewer people calling to ask for things you don't do, and more people calling who are ready to book. That’s the goal. We want to get more phone calls from people who actually have money to spend.
My honest recommendation
If you’re spending more than $1,500 a month on Google Ads, you cannot afford to ignore this.
Stop letting your agency tell you that 'impressions' and 'clicks' are what matter. They don't. Bank deposits matter.
Here’s what I’d do if I were you:
1. Export your customer list. Get it into a CSV file (Excel). 2. Clean it up. Remove the duplicates and the people who haven't bought from you in 5 years. 3. Upload it to Google Ads. Set it as a 'Customer Match' list. 4. Update your campaigns. Use that list to either find new people or stop wasting money on old ones.
If that sounds like a headache, that’s what we’re here for. We do this every day for businesses that are sick of seeing their ad spend go down the toilet.
Don't let Google keep guessing with your hard-earned money. Use what you already know to win.
If you want to chat about how to actually get this working for your specific business, give us a shout at Local Marketing Group. You can find us here: https://lmgroup.au/contact.
No jargon, no fluff. Just a plan to make your ads actually work.