The short answer
Most waste comes from a few leaks: irrelevant searches, too-wide locations, ads running when you can't answer, and clicks landing on the wrong page. Check the searches your ads appeared for every week and exclude the ones that never become customers.
What people searched before clicking your ad
- “bathroom tiles diy instructions”€52 · 0 enquiries€520 leads Do-it-yourself
- “plumber apprenticeship munich”€29 · 0 enquiries€290 leads Job seeker
- “bathroom renovation munich prices”€143 · 7 enquiries€1437 leads Keep
- “walk-in shower conversion grant”€98 · 6 enquiries€986 leads Keep
1. Paying for the wrong searches
The biggest leak. People searching for DIY tips, jobs, cheap products or free advice click ads but rarely become customers. Review your search terms report and exclude these patterns as negative keywords.
2. Advertising too far away
Check that your location setting targets people in your area, not just people interested in it. Clicks from outside your service area are a quiet, steady cost.
3. Ads running when nobody answers
If calls are your main enquiry, schedule ads for the hours you can respond. A missed call is a paid click lost.
4. Sending everyone to the homepage
Someone searching ‘walk-in shower conversion’ should land on a page about exactly that, with a clear way to call or ask for a quote.
5. One campaign for everything
Mixing emergency repairs and big projects in one campaign hides which one works. Separate campaigns per service make budget decisions obvious.
6. Not tracking enquiries
Without call and form tracking, you can't tell good searches from bad ones. Track enquiries first, then optimise.
7. Never looking again
Google Ads accounts drift. A short weekly check of searches, budget and enquiries prevents most waste. Orbit Grow turns that check into a weekly plan of about 20 minutes.
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How much budget is typically wasted?
It varies widely by account. Accounts that never review their search terms often pay for a noticeable share of irrelevant clicks. Your own search terms report is the only reliable answer.
What is a search terms report?
A list of the actual searches people typed before your ad appeared or was clicked. It's the best place to find waste.
Can Orbit Grow find waste automatically?
Orbit Grow reviews your searches and suggests which to stop paying for, with the reason. You approve with one tap.