03 Jun 15 Expensive Google Ads Mistakes I’ve Found During Real PPC Audits

One of the most common things I hear from business owners is:

“Our Google Ads are running, but we’re not sure if they’re actually working.”

Sometimes they’re right to be concerned.

Over the years, I’ve audited Google Ads accounts managed by business owners, in-house teams, agencies and freelancers. While every account is different, there are some recurring issues that crop up time and time again.

Some of these problems are small inefficiencies. Others can quietly waste hundreds or even thousands of pounds before anyone notices.

The good news? Most of them are relatively easy to fix once they’ve been identified.

Here are 15 expensive mistakes I regularly uncover during PPC audits.

1. The Wrong Google Business Profile Is Connected

This sounds unbelievable, but I’ve seen businesses paying for local advertising while their Google Ads account was connected to the wrong Google Business Profile.

That means location assets, calls, directions and local visibility can end up pointing users towards an entirely different business.

If you’re paying for clicks, they should be helping your business, not somebody else’s.

2. Poor Campaign Naming Conventions

If your campaigns are called things like:

• Search Campaign 1
• Search Campaign New
• Brand Campaign Copy
• Search Campaign Final Final

Nobody knows what’s targeting what.

Clear naming conventions make it easier to understand targeting, locations, budgets, objectives and performance. Without them, optimisation becomes slower, reporting becomes harder, and mistakes become much more likely.

3. Historic Staff, Agencies or Freelancers Still Have Access

I’ve audited accounts where people who left years ago still had administrator access.

This isn’t just untidy. It’s a security risk.

Every Google Ads account should have regular access reviews to ensure only the people who genuinely need access can make changes.

4. Consent Mode Isn’t Set Up Properly

Consent Mode has become increasingly important for accurate measurement.

When it’s configured incorrectly, conversion data becomes unreliable and automated bidding starts making decisions based on incomplete information.

The result is often poorer optimisation and less confidence in reporting.

5. The Wrong Bidding Strategy

Google offers a range of automated bidding strategies, but they aren’t all suitable for every account.

I’ve seen businesses using Target CPA without enough conversion data, Maximise Clicks when leads were the priority and Maximise Conversions when conversion tracking wasn’t even working correctly.

The wrong bidding strategy can quickly become an expensive experiment.

6. No Negative Keywords

This remains one of the most common issues I find.

Without a proper negative keyword strategy, Google can show ads for searches that are irrelevant to your business.

Over time, those wasted clicks add up.

A well-maintained negative keyword list helps protect budgets and improve lead quality.

7. Multiple Domains Sharing One Tag Setup

I’ve seen multiple websites feeding data into the same Google tag or conversion setup.

When that happens, reporting becomes unreliable, and attribution becomes difficult to trust.

If you’re making business decisions based on data, that data needs to be accurate.

8. Excessive IP Blocking

Blocking competitors can make sense.

Blocking hundreds or thousands of IP addresses often doesn’t.

In many cases, I’ve found businesses restricting legitimate traffic while creating a false sense of control over click fraud.

9. Ads Sending Users to 404 Pages

This one hurts.

Businesses are actively paying Google to send visitors to pages that don’t exist.

Not only does this waste budget, but it also damages trust and destroys conversion opportunities.

10. Ads Landing on Redirected Pages

I’ve also found campaigns sending traffic through multiple redirects before reaching the final page.

Whether it’s a 301 redirect or an outdated HTTP version of a page, every unnecessary step introduces friction.

In 2026, there are very few reasons why ad traffic shouldn’t land directly on a secure HTTPS page.

11. Conversion Tracking Counting Page Views

One of the most damaging issues I find.

A thank-you page view might be a conversion.

A standard page view almost certainly isn’t.

When page visits are being counted as leads, the account can appear highly successful while generating very little actual business value.

12. Broad Match Keywords Without Negatives

Broad match can work extremely well when managed correctly.

Broad match without negative keywords is often a recipe for wasted spend.

The wider the targeting, the more important negative keyword management becomes.

13. Search Partners Enabled Without Review

Search Partners can sometimes deliver strong results.

They can also generate lower-quality traffic depending on the industry.

I’ve seen accounts leave Search Partners enabled for years without ever reviewing performance.

If you aren’t measuring it, you can’t know whether it’s helping or hurting.

14. Display Network Enabled on Search Campaigns

This used to catch people out regularly.

Search campaigns and Display traffic behave very differently.

Combining them often muddies reporting and can result in spend being diverted into lower-intent placements.

It’s always worth checking exactly where your budget is going.

15. Brand and Non-Brand Keywords Mixed Together

When brand and non-brand keywords sit in the same campaign, performance data becomes difficult to interpret.

Branded searches are typically cheaper, convert better and inflate overall results.

Separating them provides a much clearer picture of how your campaigns are genuinely performing.

Bonus: Performance Max With No Direction

Performance Max can be an excellent campaign type.

However, I’ve audited accounts where Performance Max had no audience signals, weak creative assets and little strategic input.

In those situations, businesses are effectively handing over the budget and hoping Google figures it out.

Sometimes it does.

Sometimes it doesn’t.

Why PPC Audits Matter

The reality is that most Google Ads accounts aren’t broken.

They’re simply leaking budget through dozens of small inefficiencies.

One issue might not cost much on its own. Five or six issues combined can have a significant impact on performance.

A PPC audit isn’t about criticising previous management. It’s about identifying opportunities, fixing waste and ensuring your advertising budget is working as hard as possible.

If you’ve never had an independent review of your Google Ads account, there may be opportunities hiding in plain sight. Whether you’re managing campaigns yourself or working with an agency, a PPC audit can often uncover wasted spend, tracking issues and missed opportunities. If you’re looking for a PPC consultant in Cornwall, get in touch to discuss a Google Ads audit and see whether your budget is working as hard as it should.