The Secret to High-Performing Google Ads: Why Most Brands Get It Wrong
- Ali Puglianini
- Feb 6
- 4 min read
Introduction
Google Ads can be a game-changer for brands looking to drive traffic, generate leads, and boost sales. But we find that lots of brands don’t see the success they expect because they approach Google Ads with the wrong mindset, treating it as a set-and-forget tool rather than a dynamic, data-driven strategy.
In this guide, we’ll break down various mistakes brands make, the strategies that separate high-performing campaigns from wasted budgets, and how you can leverage Google Ads to drive real business growth.
The Biggest Mistakes Brands Make with Google Ads
1. Ignoring the Importance of Search Intent
Many brands focus too much on broad, high-volume keywords without considering what the user actually wants. A user searching for “best running shoes” has a very different intent than someone searching for “buy mens white Nike Free Run Flyknit online.” The first shows that the user is still researching, while the second shows that they are ready to purchase. Without aligning your keywords with user intent, your ad spend can be wasted on clicks that don’t convert.
How to fix it: Structure your campaigns around intent, awareness, consideration, and conversion. Use long-tail keywords that indicate buying intent and adjust bids accordingly.
2. Failing to Optimise Ad Copy
Your ad might be showing up, but is it compelling enough to earn the click? Many brands create generic, uninspiring ad copy that fails to stand out. Aligning your ad copy Titles and Descriptions to the what the user is searching for will help explain to them that your advert offers what they are looking for, increasing the chances of them clicking through to convert.
How to fix it: Use relevant, persuasive language that highlights various benefits, aligns with the keywords, and creates urgency. Example:
🚫 “Buy Running Shoes Online – Free Shipping”
✅ “White Nike Free Run – 20% Off Today Only | Free Express Shipping”
3. Sending Traffic to the Wrong Landing Pages
A common mistake is directing all traffic to a generic homepage or poorly optimised landing page. Users expect to land exactly where they need to take action, whether that’s a product page, lead form, or special offer. By driving the traffic to the most relevant page, you are helping the customer get to where they want to be without them having to take any actions, so always chose a highly relevant URL as your landing page for each of your campaigns.
How to fix it: Every ad should direct traffic to a URL that aligns with the advert and keywords, with the URL having clear CTAs and minimal distractions so the user can complete the conversion.
4. Neglecting Negative Keywords
Not using negative keywords leads to wasted ad spend by showing your ads to irrelevant searches. For example, if you’re selling premium watches, you don’t want your ad showing up for searches like “cheap watches” or “free watches" as this doesn't align with what your offering.
How to fix it: Regularly update your negative keywords to filter out low-quality traffic, applying these at Account, Campaign and Ad Group level to help control the traffic that each area of your PPC account allows.
5. Overlooking Audience Targeting
Google Ads isn’t just about keywords, it’s about reaching the right people at the right time. Many brands fail to use audience targeting options effectively, meaning that they are missing a trick when it comes to optimised PPC.
How to fix it: Use audience segmentation features like in-market audiences, remarketing lists, and customer match to target users based on behaviour, interests, and past interactions. You can even build out lists containing competitor URLs, helping you target users who have actively shown interest in your competitors.
Winning Strategies for High-Performing Google Ads
1. Use Smart Bidding & Automated Strategies
Google’s machine learning algorithms have become a cornerstone to PPC, offering highly effective bid optimisation for conversions. Instead of relying on manual CPC bidding, make the switch and experiment with strategies like Target ROAS (Return on Ad Spend) and Maximise Conversions to help push your performance further.
2. Constantly Test Everything
Never assume your first ad copy, landing page, or bidding strategy is the best. Even if they are working well, we would always still challenge this to see if we can push the performance even further. Come of our recommended areas to test include:
Campaign bid strategies
Ad headlines & descriptions
Landing page designs
CTA buttons
Audience segments
3. Optimise Your Site For Your Most Effective Device
When making any website changes, you might hear that you should always optimise 'mobile first', however, we would always recommend that you optimise the website to the device that generates the highest level of conversions first. If your ads and landing pages aren’t optimised to your best performing device, you’re losing potential customers.
How to fix it: Ensure fast-loading pages, click-friendly buttons, and optimised forms.
4. Analyse & Adapt with Data
Regular performance analysis is crucial as it can highlight what is working and what is not working as well, meaning you can strategically adapt your strategy. We would recommend that you consistently monitor the following across your account to push your strategy forwards and improve results:
Click-through rate (CTR)
Quality score
Conversion rates
Cost per acquisition (CPA)
Return on ad spend (ROAS)
Conclusion: Turning Google Ads into a Growth Engine
Remember, Google Ads isn’t just about getting clicks, it’s about making every click count by driving high quality traffic to your website. The companies that succeed are the ones that continuously test, optimise, and align their strategy with user intent. By avoiding common mistakes and focusing on data-driven improvements, your campaigns can become a powerful revenue driver instead of a money pit.
Looking to take your Google Ads performance to the next level? Let’s chat! At Lucky Penny, we help brands create high-performing, results-driven ad campaigns that make every click count.