PPC Mistakes That Trip Up Even Expert Marketers
▼ Summary
– Avoid launching campaigns on Fridays or before holidays to prevent unnoticed errors and weekend firefighting, even if pressured by clients.
– Always double-check critical settings like location targeting, preferably in the Google Ads interface, as bulk tools can introduce costly mistakes.
– Regularly review search term reports for all campaign types to catch irrelevant queries and manage keywords and negatives effectively.
– Be cautious with automation; manually verify settings like auto-applied assets, content exclusions, and campaign imports from Google to Microsoft Ads.
– Use a systematic approach with checklists and fresh eyes to catch errors, as trust in platforms is limited and manual verification remains essential.
Even the most seasoned PPC professionals can find their expertise humbled by simple oversights. Launching campaigns on a Friday remains a notorious pitfall, often driven by client pressure or internal excitement. The risk is significant: a minor error like a misplaced decimal in a budget can burn through spend unnoticed over the weekend, leaving you to manage a crisis instead of enjoying your days off. The consensus is clear, resist the urge. Delay launches until Monday to allow for a review with fresh eyes, and extend this caution to periods before holidays or vacations. Being the person who says “no” protects both your campaign’s health and your personal sanity.
A common yet costly error involves location targeting mishaps. One marketer shared a story where bulk-copying campaigns via Google Ads Editor failed to carry location settings forward. The result was thousands of impressions served to a European audience while the intended U.S. market slept. For critical settings like geography, it’s often safer to configure them directly within the main Google Ads interface where options like “United States only” are explicit and reduce ambiguity.
Neglecting the search term report is a trap that compromises campaign quality. This review is essential for all campaign types, including Performance Max and other AI-driven formats. Skipping it can make efforts appear focused on vanity clicks rather than qualified traffic. The real damage surfaces months later during difficult client conversations about wasted budget. A monthly review is a small time investment that can save substantial spend, helping to identify new keyword opportunities and necessary negative terms to maintain a balanced, efficient account.
The tension between Google Ads Editor and the web interface creates ongoing challenges. New features typically debut in the interface, leaving Editor temporarily outdated. Best practice involves using each tool for its strengths: spreadsheets and Editor for bulk building and uploading, but the visual interface for final, precise configuration of settings like location targeting or responsive ads. Editor excels for managing large franchise accounts with numerous similar campaigns, helping to spot inconsistencies at scale.
Automatically created assets default to an “on” position and are a persistent headache. Turning them off requires navigating multiple menu layers, and Google frequently introduces new automated asset types, like dynamic business logos, that are automatically enabled across all existing campaigns. For teams managing hundreds of accounts, this means manually opting out repeatedly. Setting quarterly calendar reminders to audit these settings is crucial as Google’s automation push continues.
Importing campaigns from Google Ads into Microsoft Ads seems convenient but is fraught with risk. Budgets calibrated for Google’s search volume are often excessive for Microsoft, bidding strategies may not translate correctly, and imports can default to recurring schedules. Furthermore, Microsoft Ads lacks a simple opt-out for its audience network, forcing advertisers to manually exclude poor placements as they appear. The advice is to use an import only as a starting framework, then build a dedicated strategy tailored to the Microsoft platform.
Placement blunders are alarmingly common. Forgetting to exclude mobile app placements in a B2B display campaign can funnel budget into completely irrelevant spaces like gaming apps. The setting is buried; excluding all apps requires manually entering a specific category code in the interface. Similarly, overlooking exclusions for children’s content on YouTube can lead to significant spend on channels totally unrelated to a brand’s audience. The solution is to create a master exclusion list covering apps, kids’ content, and unsuitable placements, and apply it universally to every campaign.
Beyond apps, comprehensive content exclusions are non-negotiable. Apply the strictest available settings at campaign launch, then review placement reports regularly. Consistency is key, as automation does not always respect manual rules, making ongoing verification the only true safeguard.
When evaluating performance, call tracking requires diligent quality checks. Many businesses struggle to connect call data to sales outcomes. Holding monthly reviews focused on call quality can reveal if the issue lies in the sales process rather than the marketing. A technical tip for platforms like CallRail is to separate first-time callers from repeat contacts in conversion tracking, labeling return calls as secondary conversions so automated bidding prioritizes new prospects.
Automation reliability is another concern. Scheduled ad assets or automated rules sometimes misfire, activating early, late, or not at all. For any time-sensitive launch or pause, perform a manual verification on the intended day, never rely solely on scheduled automation.
New campaign types like AI Max demand particularly close scrutiny, as all features default to active with limited bulk control options. While tools like Google Ads Editor may offer some workarounds for settings across ad groups, these campaigns still require manual oversight and exclusions to prevent budget waste.
Finally, account-level auto-apply settings are easy to miss but critically important, especially for automated campaigns. These controls are scattered across three different interface locations. Developing a standardized account audit checklist is essential for any new account or when launching automated campaign types.
Several enduring themes emerged from these shared experiences. A healthy skepticism toward platform automation is warranted, always verify. A fresh set of eyes will catch errors familiarity breeds. Proactive client communication prevents blame when performance dips. Manual checks remain indispensable. Well-curated exclusion lists prevent recurring problems. Use each platform tool for its intended purpose.
The overarching lesson is that mistakes are inevitable at every experience level. What separates novices from experts isn’t perfection, but the speed of catching errors, the depth of learning from them, and the strength of the systems built to prevent repetition. These platforms have a way of humbling everyone. The defense is perpetual vigilance, questioning automated defaults, and a steadfast rule: never launch on a Friday.
(Source: Search Engine Land)
