5 PPC Mistakes That Destroy Ad Performance

Whether you run a storefront or an online business, getting started with PPC marketing can feel like walking into a casino blindfolded. Without the right setup, your budget can disappear before leads start coming in.

The good news? Once you get it right, it’s worth it. According to Google, the return on investment for every dollar spent on ads is $8. But only if your campaigns are set up and managed correctly.

If you’re in this situation, or if you haven’t started running ads yet because you’re afraid of making mistakes, we’ve got you covered. In this article, we’ll share five of the most common mistakes we’ve seen our clients make before working with us, and how to fix them. 

1. Bad Bidding Wastes Money & Leads

In marketing, your PPC marketing bidding strategy is the lever that can either maximize your return or drain your budget with nothing to show for it. We see two mistakes most often:

• Overbidding: You set your bids too high, chasing impressions but quickly burning through your budget—without enough conversions to justify the spend.
• Underbidding: You set your bids too low, saving on cost but missing valuable clicks from high-intent users who are ready to buy.

The core problem is usually treating every keyword the same. If you manually set one bid for all your keywords without factoring in search volume, competition, or user intent, you’ll overspend on low-value terms and miss the opportunity to win high-quality leads.

Manual bidding offers maximum control, but it puts you on the hook for constant adjustments and can lead to costly mistakes if you don’t monitor performance closely. Automated tools like Smart Bidding help, but only if they’re set up properly.

What does good bidding look like?

• You align your bids with your most valuable keywords and highest-intent audiences.
•  You adjust for market changes, competition, and your campaign goals.
•  You track performance data and let it inform every change.

Our advice:If this sounds overwhelming, that’s where a proven PPC management agency comes in. Experts can audit your PPC marketing strategy, recommend the right blend of manual and automated bidding, and optimize your spend for maximum ROI.

2. Making Too Many Changes at Once

When you’re managing a new campaign, it’s tempting to make multiple adjustments at once. Tweaking keywords, ad copy, bids, and targeting in hope of faster results can be a costly mistake in PPC management.

First, if performance improves, you won’t be able to pinpoint which specific adjustment caused the boost in clicks, impressions, or conversions. Second, Google Ads’ algorithm, which determines when and where to show your ads, can become “confused” when too many variables change at once, potentially hurting performance instead of helping it.

Our advice: once your campaign is launched, let it run for a reasonable period before making adjustments. Then, improve it gradually. For example, update your creatives first, and in a later phase, adjust your text assets or bidding strategy. 

By spacing out changes, you’ll clearly see the impact of each tweak, which is especially valuable when you’re still learning how Google Ads responds to optimizations.

If it all feels too intimidating, it is okay. In that case we suggest you contact with a PPC management agency that can do the heavy lifting while you focus on other core aspects of your business. 

3. Skipping A/B Testing

This mistake ties directly to the previous one. In PPC management, guessing is expensive.

One of the golden rules is to change only one variable at a time so you can accurately measure its impact on performance: 

To help advertisers control for outside influences, Google Ads offer built-in experiment tools, such as A/B testing. In these tests, one group of users sees your modified ad (Group A), while another group serves as the control (Group B). The only difference between them is the single variable you’re testing. 

Because both groups are shown ads simultaneously and to similar audiences, you can account for factors like seasonality, time of day, and location. 

Our advice: When experimenting make sure your groups are truly comparable, and run tests long enough to collect meaningful data. Ending an experiment too early or comparing mismatched groups will produce misleading results. If you’re unsure how to do this, partner with an experienced PPC management agency that can help you get the most out of this valuable tool.

4. Poor Conversion Tracking

No matter how much you spend on ads, your results are only as good as your tracking. Inaccurate or incomplete conversion data can send your PPC management strategy in the wrong direction and cost you both budget and opportunities.

Here’s what can go wrong: 

• Using the wrong attribution window so results are over- or under-credited
• Recording duplicate conversions due to tracking errors
• Failing to distinguish between high-value and low-value leads

For example, If your campaign tracks every web form as a conversion, but doesn’t distinguish between a “Request a Quote” (sales-ready) and a “Newsletter Signup” (low intent), your reports will be misleading.

Our advice: double-check your conversion tracking setup and ensure it aligns with your sales cycle. The more accurately you capture and interpret this data, the easier it will be to direct your budget toward what truly drives your business forward. 

5. Not Using First-Party Data

One of the biggest missed opportunities in PPC marketing is failing to use your own customer data.This includes customer email lists, purchase history, and other data you’ve collected. Feeding this into your ad platform allows for more precise targeting and better-informed optimization decisions.

When this data is missing, Google Ads must rely on broader audience signals and its own learning, which often means your ads may reach people who are unlikely to engage, while missing those with a proven interest in your offerings.

Our advice: Sync your CRM or newsletter tool directly with your PPC account. Most platforms offer built-in integrations. Doing so will give the platform the context it needs to find and prioritize the audiences that matter most. Just remember that user’s privacy is key to comply with Google Policy, and ignoring it can result in penalties. 

Get Expert PPC Management in Toronto & Across Canada

If your PPC campaigns are underperforming or costing more than they should, don’t try to troubleshoot alone. At MRKT360, we specialize in offering PPC management services for businesses across Toronto and Canada. Our team of PPC experts can quickly identify missed opportunities, fine-tune your targeting, and implement strategies that drive consistent, qualified traffic.

Whether you need a targeted audit, a full campaign rebuild, or ongoing PPC services, we’ll help you cut wasted budget, attract qualified leads, and achieve measurable growth

Ready for better performance?

Book your consultation with MRKT360’s PPC experts today and unlock your best ad results yet.

About MRKT360

MRKT360 is a results-driven digital marketing and solutions agency offering end-to-end services in performance marketing, AI strategy, SEO, GEO, paid media, and IT optimization.

With clients around the world, MRKT360 specializes in future-proofing brands through innovative solutions that align marketing and infrastructure.