Paid Ads · 28 January 2026 · 7 min read
Where Google Ads budgets leak — and how to stop it
Most accounts waste 30-60% of spend on the same seven problems. Here is how to find and fix each one, with the search terms and settings to check first.
Quick answer
Google Ads budgets leak most through broad match without negatives, Search Partners and Display expansion left on, untracked or duplicated conversions, single-keyword ad groups that were never built, mismatched landing pages, unfiltered location targeting, and bidding on brand terms competitors do not contest.
The seven leaks
| Leak | Typical waste | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Broad match, no negatives | 15-35% | Weekly search-term review, tiered negative lists |
| Search Partners / Display expansion | 5-20% | Turn off, measure, only re-enable if it proves out |
| Bad conversion tracking | Distorts all bids | One primary conversion, deduplicated, value-assigned |
| Loose location settings | 5-15% | Set 'presence' not 'presence or interest' |
| Landing page mismatch | 20-40% of clicks | One landing section per ad group promise |
| Brand bidding on uncontested terms | 3-10% | Test pausing, measure total brand capture |
| Ignoring device and hour data | 5-12% | Bid adjustments after 30 days of data |
A 45-minute audit routine
- 1Search terms, 30 daysSort by cost, add negatives for anything with spend and no conversions.
- 2Conversion actionsConfirm only one primary action counts toward bidding and no duplicates fire.
- 3Settings sweepCheck network, location and audience expansion settings on every campaign.
- 4Landing page matchClick your own ads and confirm the promise is answered above the fold.
- 5Budget reallocationMove spend to the ad groups producing qualified leads, not raw clicks.
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