PPC is great, so why isn’t it working? You’ve set up your Google Ads, hoping for a flood of traffic, but instead, there’s silence. Or even worse: your budget disappears, and you don’t have a single customer.

This doesn’t mean the tool doesn’t work. Most likely, a mistake has crept in somewhere. If you’re just starting with contextual advertising, this article will help you avoid the most common pitfalls and save you more than a few hryvnias.

1. Lack of a Clear Goal

An advertising campaign shouldn’t start with settings in the dashboard, but with an answer to the question: What do I want to achieve? Video views, purchases, newsletter subscriptions? “I want more customers” is too general. A clear goal helps you choose the right keywords, settings, and campaign types.

2. Irrelevant Landing Page After a Click

The ad promises one thing, but the user lands on something else. For example, they click on “Buy LED lamp” but end up on the homepage with dozens of products. This lowers conversions. Create separate landing pages for each query, or at least adapt the content to user expectations.

3. Too Broad a Reach

Wanting to reach “everyone everywhere” is a common mistake. If you don’t use negative keywords or choose general keywords like “online courses,” your ads will be shown to an irrelevant audience. Costs increase, and results drop.

4. Absence of Analytics

Without analytics, you’re like a pilot without instruments. You don’t know which ads are working, how much a lead costs, or where your budget is “leaking.” Set up at least basic conversions: form submissions, button clicks, purchases. This will allow you to make decisions based on facts.

5. Unoptimized Ads

Your ad copy is your first impression. If it’s generic, general, or boring, people won’t click. Use clear unique selling propositions (USPs), specifics, and numbers. And don’t forget to test variations; sometimes, one word changes everything.

6. Insufficient or Irrational Budget

$5 is too little to test effectiveness, and $500 without a strategy is an expensive lottery. Calculate the cost of your desired action and aim for a number of clicks that will allow you to get at least 10-20 conversions. This is the minimum for analysis.

7. You Launched and Forgot

The biggest mistake is not monitoring your campaign after launch. Google might show your ads to the wrong people. You’ll get clicks, but no leads. In the first few days, you should check the campaign daily, then weekly. Make adjustments, turn off ineffective elements, and strengthen what’s working.

It’s Not So Scary, Mistakes Are Part of the Process, But…

…they can and should be avoided. And if you’re reading this article, you’re already on the right track. Every budget can be spent in two ways: chaotically or with a plan. And even a few simple changes can cut costs in half.

Here’s a quick reminder of what to avoid:

• Don’t start without a clear goal.
• Don’t drive traffic “just anywhere.”
• Don’t ignore analytics and reports.
• Don’t abandon your campaign after launch.

Contextual advertising is a flexible and powerful tool. But it requires attention, logic, and a bit of experience. Don’t be afraid to test, correct, and learn. And if you feel you can’t handle it yourself, it’s better to turn to someone who can help save your money and your nerves. Because every click is your resource. And it’s better for it to work for you than to simply disappear.