3 Common Issues We See with Google PPC

In the world of digital advertising, Google Ads has established itself as a high-impact tool for businesses aiming for measurable ROI. Yet, despite the promise of a seamless "dollar in, dollar out" scenario, Google PPC campaigns often bring unexpected challenges. To shed light on these issues, our Senior Growth Strategist Christine Packner joins the conversation, discussing three common PPC hurdles our clients face, and how we tackle them.

3 Common Issues with PPC

1. Spam Submissions on Lead Forms

The first issue we frequently encounter with Google PPC campaigns is the rise in spam submissions. Clients often notice their lead forms filling up with junk data, wasting valuable ad spend and cluttering their lead management systems. But why is this happening, and what can be done about it?

There are a few causes behind this rise in spam. One contributing factor is Google’s AI-driven ad distribution system, which tries to maximize impressions and conversions based on your budget and targeting preferences. Occasionally, this can lead to your ads reaching audiences outside of your intended scope, including bots or users who aren’t genuinely interested. When these users or bots fill out forms, they generate spammy submissions, which adds noise to your data and costs you money.

Solution: First, implementing tools like reCAPTCHA and Honeypot fields is a quick way to reduce some spam submissions. However, since bots are evolving and becoming more sophisticated, these measures alone may not fully prevent spam. That’s where Google’s new tools, such as brand exclusions and restrictions, come in. They allow you to further refine audience targeting and instruct Google’s AI on where (and to whom) to serve your ads. In addition, incorporating offline conversion tracking into your Google Ads strategy helps your campaigns learn which leads are valuable. This helps weed out irrelevant clicks over time, keeping your ad spend focused on high-quality traffic.

2. The Dreaded “Learning Phase”

Ah, the learning phase—a stage every Google PPC advertiser loves to hate. When you launch a new campaign or make significant adjustments to an existing one, Google Ads initiates a learning phase, during which it gathers data to optimize ad performance. This process is essential but frustratingly time-consuming, especially for businesses eager to see results.

Depending on your account’s history and the volume of data it has accumulated, this learning phase can last anywhere from a few days to a couple of weeks. The more complex your targeting parameters or the newer your account, the longer it may take for the learning phase to complete. During this time, you might notice fluctuations in performance, and it can be challenging to explain to clients why they need to wait.

Solution: The key to managing the learning phase is open communication. We work closely with our clients to set realistic expectations around ad performance and explain that the learning phase is a necessary part of achieving long-term, stable results. Changes—especially major ones like budget adjustments or bid strategy changes—can reset the learning phase. Therefore, it’s best to make gradual adjustments and avoid frequent tweaks once a campaign is running smoothly. Additionally, having a robust tracking system in place can help us identify trends and optimize campaigns faster once they exit the learning phase, getting you the results you need sooner rather than later.

3. The Question: “Why Can’t I See My Own Ad?”