9 Advanced Google Ads Tweaks to Reduce Wasted Spend & Improve Conversions
Google Ads can quickly drain your budget if you're not careful. Many small businesses set up their campaigns and forget about them, leaving money on the table (or worse—wasting it).
If you already have Google Ads running, this guide will show you advanced technical optimizations to reduce wasted spend, improve conversions, and maximize ROI—without increasing your budget.
1️⃣ Fix Your Location Targeting to Avoid Paying for Irrelevant Clicks
📌 Problem: Google’s default setting allows ads to be shown to people who aren’t physically in your target area but have “shown interest.” This means you're paying for clicks from users outside your service area.
✅ Fix:
Go to "Settings > Locations > Targeting Options"
Select “Presence: People in or regularly in your included locations”
Avoid: “Presence or interest” (this wastes budget on people researching your area but not actually there).
🎯 Example: A New Zealand-based dentist may get clicks from international tourists looking for "dental clinics in Auckland", even though they only serve local residents.
💡 Pro Tip: If you want to expand later, you can test location-based bid adjustments instead of broad targeting.
2️⃣ Use the Search Terms Report to Identify Wasted Clicks
📌 Problem: Google Ads automatically matches your keywords to searches that may not be relevant, leading to low-quality traffic.
✅ Fix:
Go to Keywords > Search Terms Report
Find irrelevant terms & add them to your negative keyword list
Apply your negative keyword list to all campaigns
🚫 Common negative keywords to block: free, cheap, how to, DIY, jobs, career, wholesale
🎯 Example: If you're a paid marketing consultant, you don’t want clicks from “free marketing strategy templates”.
💡 Pro Tip: Regularly review this report (at least weekly) to refine targeting.
3️⃣ Be Cautious with Broad Match Keywords
📌 Problem: Broad match keywords can trigger completely unrelated searches, causing budget leakage.
✅ Fix:
Use phrase match ("your keyword") or exact match [your keyword] instead.
If using broad match, pair it with Smart Bidding & a strong negative keyword list.
🎯 Example: If you target broad match “accounting software,” Google might show your ad for:
❌ "free accounting templates"
❌ "how to become an accountant"
❌ "best payroll software"
💡 Pro Tip: Use broad match only when testing new keywords, and closely monitor search terms.
4️⃣ Apply the 80/20 Rule to Keyword Budgeting
📌 Problem: Many businesses try to cover too many keywords, wasting budget on low-converting terms.
✅ Fix:
Start broad → Narrow down over time.
After 2-4 weeks, allocate 80% of budget to top 20% of high-converting keywords.
Pause underperforming keywords to focus on what’s actually driving leads.
🎯 Example: If you find “emergency plumber near me” converts at 15%, but “best plumber Auckland” only converts at 2%, shift more budget to the high-converting keyword.
💡 Pro Tip: Track conversion rates, not just CTR. A high click-through rate doesn’t mean high ROI.
5️⃣ Conversion Tracking Is Essential—Not Optional
📌 Problem: If you're not tracking conversions, you have no way to measure success or optimize your campaigns.
✅ Fix:
Set up conversion tracking for: form submissions, calls, purchases, bookings.
Use Google Tag Manager for easy tracking setup.
Link Google Ads to Google Analytics for deeper insights.
🎯 Example: A company getting 100 clicks per day but no form fills might discover their landing page isn’t converting—not necessarily that their ads are bad.
💡 Pro Tip: Track actual revenue, not just clicks and conversions. A lead that converts into a $5,000 sale is more valuable than five leads worth $50 each.
6️⃣ Only Bid on Your Own Brand If Competitors Are Targeting It
📌 Problem: Many businesses bid on their brand name without needing to, wasting budget.
✅ Fix:
Check if competitors are bidding on your brand name.
If competitors are NOT bidding, don’t waste money on brand search ads—your organic result will rank first.
If competitors ARE bidding, run a low-cost branded campaign to protect your name.
🎯 Example: If "XYZ Plumbing" sees "FastFix Plumbing" running ads on their brand name, they should run a defensive campaign to maintain visibility.
💡 Pro Tip: Use sitelinks & call extensions to enhance your branded ad’s visibility.
7️⃣ Be Careful with Performance Max (PMax) Campaigns
📌 Problem: PMax campaigns show your ads across Search, Display, YouTube, Gmail, and Google’s partner network, leading to lower-quality placements.
✅ Fix:
Use PMax only if you track conversions closely.
Segment your results to see where your budget is actually going.
Stick to Search Ads for high-intent traffic.
🎯 Example: A law firm using PMax may find that their ads mostly show up on irrelevant mobile games & YouTube videos instead of Search results.
💡 Pro Tip: If you use PMax, exclude Display & YouTube placements unless they are performing well.
8️⃣ Optimize Your Ad Schedule to Focus on High-Converting Hours
📌 Problem: Running ads 24/7 can waste budget on times when customers aren’t likely to convert.
✅ Fix:
Go to Ad Schedule > Review Performance by Hour & Day.
Lower bids during low-converting hours (or pause ads completely).
Increase bids during peak hours for more aggressive targeting.
🎯 Example: A B2B consulting business might find that ads convert well from 8 AM - 5 PM but drop off at night. Pausing nighttime ads conserves budget for business hours.
💡 Pro Tip: If your business relies on phone calls, don’t run ads outside your operating hours.
9️⃣ Use Audience Targeting to Improve Lead Quality
📌 Problem: Many advertisers only rely on keyword targeting and ignore audience insights, missing opportunities to refine their campaigns.
✅ Fix:
Add all relevant audiences in "Observation" mode to collect performance data.
Use demographic exclusions (e.g., age groups, household income).
Exclude low-intent audiences (but don’t exclude "Unknown" as it contains a large portion of traffic).
🎯 Example: A luxury travel agency may exclude bottom 50% household income to avoid low-quality leads.
💡 Pro Tip: Monitor audience performance over time—if certain demographics aren’t converting, lower bids or exclude them.
🚀 Final Thoughts: How to Spend Smarter, Not More
Google Ads is powerful, but poor optimization leads to wasted budget. These advanced techniques will help you spend smarter and increase conversions without raising your ad spend.
✅ Fix location targeting & avoid irrelevant clicks.
✅ Regularly update your negative keyword list.
✅ Optimize ad scheduling for high-converting hours.
✅ Use audience targeting & demographic exclusions.
✅ Apply the 80/20 rule to keyword budget allocation.
Need help optimizing your Google Ads campaigns?
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