“We tried Google Ads and it didn’t work” usually means one thing: the budget went to clicks that were never going to become customers. The cause is rarely the idea of advertising on Google. It is the settings, several of which are switched on by default when you create a campaign.
Here are the eight we check first when a local business in Panchkula, Chandigarh or Mohali asks us to look at their account. Each one takes minutes to fix.
1. Location targeting includes people who aren’t nearby
Fix: change “Presence or interest” to “Presence”.
By default, Google shows your ads to people in your target area and to people who have shown interest in it, wherever they are (Google’s location options). For a clinic, shop or service business that only works in the Tricity, a click from someone in another state who once searched for Chandigarh is wasted money.
Find it under Campaign settings → Locations → Location options. Choose “Presence: people in or regularly in your targeted locations”. Keep “interest” only if you genuinely sell to people planning to come to your area, such as hotels or admissions.
2. Search partners and the Display Network are switched on
Fix: start with Google Search only.
New Search campaigns include Google search partners by default, and can include the Display Network, which shows image and text ads on websites and apps. Traffic there is usually cheaper but often much less likely to enquire, and it is harder to see where your money went.
Under Campaign settings → Networks, untick both to begin with. Once your Search results are stable and tracked, you can test partners separately and compare the cost per lead.
3. There is no conversion tracking
Fix: track every way a customer can contact you before you spend anything.
Without conversion tracking, Google reports clicks, not customers. You cannot tell which keywords bring enquiries, and automated bidding has nothing useful to aim for.
For a local business, a “conversion” usually means:
- an enquiry form sent (count it on the thank-you page, not on the button click)
- a tap on your phone number
- a tap on the WhatsApp button
- calls from the ad itself, if you use call assets
We track exactly these three website actions on our own site, as Google Analytics key events that can be imported into Google Ads.
4. Keywords are on broad match with no safety net
Fix: begin with phrase and exact match.
Broad match is the default for every keyword (Google’s match types). It lets Google show your ad for searches it considers related, which can be very loosely related. Broad match works best with plenty of conversion data and Smart Bidding, which a new local campaign doesn’t have yet.
Start with phrase match (“website design panchkula”) and exact match ([website designer chandigarh]) for the searches you know bring customers. Add broad match later, once tracking shows what a good lead looks like.
5. There are no negative keywords
Fix: block the searches you never want to pay for, and check the list weekly.
A negative keyword stops your ad showing for searches that contain it. For a web design company, “free”, “jobs”, “course”, “internship” and “template” are typical negatives, because the people searching for them aren’t buyers.
Note: negative keywords don’t automatically cover plurals and synonyms. Google handles misspellings, but you have to add “job” and “jobs”, or “course” and “courses”, separately (Google’s negative keyword guide).
To build the list, open Insights and reports → Search terms every week in the first month. It shows the actual searches that triggered your ads, and it is usually eye-opening.
6. Ads run when nobody can answer the phone
Fix: set an ad schedule that matches your opening hours.
If your ads encourage people to call, and they call at 11 pm, that click is wasted and the customer may try a competitor. Under Campaign settings → Ad schedule, run ads during your working hours, or keep form-only ads running at night and schedule call assets for when someone can pick up.
7. Every ad goes to the home page
Fix: send each ad group to the page that matches the search.
Someone searching for “eCommerce website development” should land on a page about eCommerce websites, not on a home page they have to navigate. A focused landing page with the service, prices or a price guide, proof of your work and one clear enquiry form usually converts noticeably better than a general page.
Check that the page loads quickly on a phone, because most local searches happen on mobile. Our website launch checklist covers the basics.
8. Recommendations are being applied automatically
Fix: review recommendations yourself.
Google Ads can apply some of its recommendations automatically, such as adding keywords, switching to broader match types or changing bidding. Some suggestions are useful; others increase spend without increasing enquiries. Check Recommendations → Auto-apply and switch off anything you haven’t consciously chosen.
A quick checklist
| Setting | Where | Start with |
|---|---|---|
| Location options | Campaign settings → Locations | Presence only |
| Networks | Campaign settings → Networks | Google Search only |
| Conversion tracking | Goals → Conversions | Forms, calls, WhatsApp |
| Match types | Keywords | Phrase and exact |
| Negative keywords | Keywords → Negative keywords | A starter list, reviewed weekly |
| Ad schedule | Campaign settings → Ad schedule | Your working hours |
| Final URLs | Ads | The matching service page |
| Auto-apply | Recommendations → Auto-apply | Off, unless chosen |
Running ads for a pharma company?
Pharma has extra rules: Google restricts ads that promote prescription medicines, so campaigns should promote the franchise or manufacturing opportunity instead. See our pharma lead generation service.
Want us to check your account?
We can review your current campaigns against this list and tell you where the budget is going. The ad budget stays in your own Google Ads account, paid directly to Google. See our Google Ads management service and plans.