1. Lack of conversion tracking

If you don’t measure your results, how do you know if your Google Ads are working? Many tradespeople fail to track whether they get leads through Google Ads – and just as importantly, what kind of leads.

Why is tracking so important? Simply put, the sole purpose of Google Ads is for you to get more back than you give to Google, and this is the way to do it.

Solution:
Set up proper tracking in Google Ads and Google Analytics so you know exactly where your best leads are coming from – and where to spend your money!

2. Too many keywords – less is often better

A classic mistake is to bid on too many keywords in the hope of reaching as many customers as possible. The problem is that you often end up with irrelevant clicks that do not lead to customers.

Let’s take an example of a plumber we recently started working with. He had over 1440 active keywords in his Google Ads account, which is due to an expectation of being present everywhere. However, this is not the reality, as only 14 of his 1440 keywords resulted in inquiries.

Solution:

• Focus on keywords that have been shown to result in real inquiries.
• Use negative keywords to filter out irrelevant searches.
• Write down when you get inquiries and compare your own data with Google’s data.

3. Incorrect location definition – potential customers are overlooked

Many tradesmen limit their ads to a single city, but forget that people often search for tradesmen in other cities, even if they are physically located elsewhere.

Example: You are a carpenter, and your primary area is Slagelse and the surrounding area. You have therefore limited your ads to only be shown in Slagelse – it makes logical sense. But we are missing out on those who, for example, have gone on a weekend trip to Copenhagen and are now searching for “Carpenter Slagelse”. You will not be shown in this auction, even though this is a potential customer.

We experience that, depending on the location, you can miss up to 50% of your customers by having the location definition wrong.

Solution:

• Set up two campaigns: One that is location-specific in your local area, and one that is not location-specific, but location-specific by the search terms.

4. No ongoing optimization of campaigns

Google Ads is not a “set and forget” tool. If you do not continuously optimize your campaigns, they can quickly become ineffective and too expensive.

We often see tradesmen who pay 60-100 kroner for a click on Google – this is not to scare you, but 100 kroner for a single click. It should be a good click. It just isn’t always the case, and it happens if you don’t keep an eye on your setup – or your agency doesn’t.

Solution:

• Have a regular routine for reviewing your Google Ads account.
• Check your search terms, consider your bidding strategy, and review your ads.
• Consider and test new things – how often depends on your budget.
• Ongoing optimization can give you up to 25% better return on your investment.

5. Blind trust in your agency – do you have control over your results?

Many tradespeople leave Google Ads 100% to an agency without following up on the results. This can mean wasted budget and a lack of transparency.

We are experiencing two things in particular:

1. That you do not own your own Google Ads account or have administrator rights on it.
2. Missing reports on inquiries – how many, from which keywords, and why did they come?

Solution:

• Get admin rights to your own Google Ads account.
• Ask questions about your agency’s reporting and understand key KPIs.
• Make sure your investment pays off.

Conclusion

To ensure your Google Ads advertising delivers results, there are five key things to remember: