Google Ads is one of the most powerful advertising platforms in the world, but for new advertisers, it can also be confusing and costly. Many businesses lose money simply because they set up their campaigns incorrectly. Understanding the most common google ads mistakes beginners make can save you from wasted budget, low-quality traffic, and poor conversion rates.
This guide explains the biggest issues beginners face, how to avoid them, and how to improve campaign performance with smart strategies. Whether you’re a small business owner, marketer, or freelance advertiser, these insights will help you run more effective campaigns.
1. Not Using the Right Keyword Match Types
One of the most common google ads mistakes beginners make is targeting keywords with the wrong match type. Many new advertisers use Broad Match, which makes their ads show for loosely related search queries.
For example:
Keyword: “buy running shoes”
Google may show ads for:
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“running shoe repair”
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“free running shoes”
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“running exercises”
This results in wasted spend.
Best Practice
Use a balanced mix of:
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Phrase Match (most recommended for beginners)
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Exact Match (high-control, high-intent)
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Limited Broad Match (only when paired with smart bidding)
This ensures your ads appear for the right audience.
2. Ignoring Negative Keywords
Ignoring negative keywords is another critical google ads mistakes beginners make. Negative keywords prevent your ads from showing for irrelevant searches.
Example:
If you sell premium shoes, you may want to exclude:
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“cheap shoes”
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“free shoes”
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“DIY shoes”
Without negative keywords, Google will waste your budget on traffic that will never convert.
Best Practice
Add negative keywords weekly:
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irrelevant categories
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non-buying intent terms
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unrelated industries
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repeated “bad queries”
3. Using Only One Ad Group With Many Keywords
Many beginners put all their keywords into one ad group. This makes ads irrelevant because one ad cannot match multiple search intents.
Example:
Ad group contains keywords like:
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running shoes
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gym shoes
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basketball shoes
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sports shoes
But the ad headline only talks about “Running Shoes.”
Why this is a common mistake
Google gives low relevance scores → lower quality score → higher CPC.
Best Practice
Create SKAGs (Single Keyword Ad Groups) or tight themed groups:
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Running Shoes Ad Group
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Basketball Shoes Ad Group
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Gym Shoes Ad Group
Better relevance → higher CTR → lower cost.
4. Not Setting Up Conversion Tracking
One of the biggest google ads mistakes beginners make is running ads without conversion tracking. If Google doesn’t know what counts as success, it can’t optimize your campaign.
Many beginners rely only on:
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clicks
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impressions
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traffic
But clicks don’t equal sales.
Best Practice
Track:
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purchases
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form submissions
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calls
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add-to-carts
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checkout initiations
Install:
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Google Tag Manager
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Google Analytics 4
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Enhanced Conversions
5. Sending All Traffic to the Homepage
Beginners often send their ads to the homepage instead of a dedicated landing page. This is one of the most damaging google ads mistakes beginners make.
Homepage traffic usually leads to:
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low conversion rate
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high bounce rate
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confused visitors
Best Practice
Create pages specifically for:
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product categories
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single products
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service pages
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limited-time offers
A clear, targeted landing page boosts conversions dramatically.
6. Not Testing Multiple Ads
Another one of the google ads mistakes beginners make is running only one ad per ad group. Without testing, you never know what works best.
Best Practice
Run 3–5 ad variations per ad group:
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different headlines
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different value propositions
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different CTAs
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different tones
Google automatically prioritizes the best performers.
7. Not Using Ad Extensions
Ad extensions increase visibility, CTR, and overall ad performance. Beginners often skip adding them, which makes ads look incomplete.
Must-have extensions
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Sitelinks
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Call extensions
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Structured snippets
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Price extensions
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Promotion extensions
Ads with extensions get more attention and clicks.
8. Choosing the Wrong Bidding Strategy
Using bidding strategies incorrectly is a major google ads mistakes beginners make.
Examples:
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Using manual CPC without experience
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Choosing Max Clicks (leads to low-quality traffic)
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Using Target ROAS with no historical data
Best Practice
Start with:
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Maximize Conversions
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Maximize Conversion Value
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Target CPA (after data builds)
As your campaigns mature, test more advanced bidding.
9. Ignoring Audience Targeting
Google Ads is no longer just about keywords. Beginners often forget to utilize audiences such as:
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in-market audiences
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remarketing audiences
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custom segments
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affinity audiences
Best Practice
Layer audiences with keywords for better targeting and lower CPC.
10. Poor Budget Allocation & No Daily Monitoring
Some beginners set the same budget for all campaigns—even when some keywords or products matter more.
Other common mistakes:
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letting low-performing ads run for weeks
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not excluding poor-performing placements
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ignoring search terms reports
Best Practice
Allocate more budget to:
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high-converting campaigns
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high-intent keywords
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remarketing campaigns
Monitor campaigns daily to reduce wasted spend.
Final Thoughts
Google Ads can deliver outstanding results when set up correctly, but it can also drain your budget quickly if you make common beginner mistakes. Understanding these google ads mistakes beginners make is the first step toward becoming a skilled advertiser. Focus on the fundamentals, monitor data consistently, and optimize your campaigns regularly to achieve the best results.
When you avoid these google ads mistakes beginners make, you increase your chances of winning higher-quality traffic, lowering costs, and maximizing ROI.
