How to Improve Google Ads Performance: 12 Optimisations You Can Make This Week

 

You log into your Google Ads account, look at the numbers, and something feels off. Clicks go up, cost goes up, but sales stay flat. It feels like feeding a slot machine, not running a smart campaign.

We see this all the time with new clients, especially businesses in busy markets like Google Ads Calgary. The good news is that you do not need a complete rebuild to turn things around. You just need a set of focused improvements that you apply in a structured way.

This guide walks through twelve practical tweaks you can make this week to improve Google Ads performance. We keep it hands-on, clear, and tied to real Google Ads KPIs, so you know exactly what to track and what to change.

 

TL;DR / Key Takeaways

 

• Most underperforming Google Ads accounts aren’t broken by one big mistake; they leak budget through loose match types, missed negatives, weak Quality Scores, and mismatched landing pages.
• Fixing search terms, ad scheduling, and device bids first gives you the fastest wins with no extra spend.
• Conversion tracking and audience layering turn Smart Bidding from a guess into a real growth lever, but only once you have the data to support it.
• A short weekly and monthly review rhythm keeps your account improving instead of quietly decaying.

 

Quick Answer: Why Most Google Ads Accounts Underperform?

 

You improve Google Ads performance by tightening targeting, fixing wasted spend, and aligning your ads with your landing pages and business goals. That means better keywords, sharper ad copy, stronger offers, and clear tracking.

 

Optimisation #1: Review and Tighten Your Keyword Match Types

 

Match type controls how wide your net spreads. Broad match casts wide, phrase match narrows it, exact match keeps it tight. Many accounts run heavy broad match with no strong negative list, which causes wild swings in click-through rate and cost per conversion.

A simple structure that works:

• Exact match for your best, highest-intent keywords.
• Phrase match for related searches where intent still fits.
• Limited broad match only once you have strong negatives and solid conversion tracking in place.

For a local dentist, exact match on “emergency dentist Calgary” plus phrase match on “dentist near me Calgary” beats one broad term like “dentist” every time: fewer wasted clicks, more booked appointments.

 

Optimisation #2: Add Negative Keywords Weekly

 

Negative keywords aren’t a one-time cleanup; they’re a habit. New irrelevant search terms creep in every week as Google’s matching evolves.

Set a recurring 10-minute task: pull the search terms report, scan for anything off-target (“free logo templates,” “how to become a roofer,” “marketing jobs Calgary”), and add those phrases as negatives at the ad group or campaign level. Accounts that do this weekly consistently spend less on junk traffic and more on users ready to act.

 

Optimisation #3: Check Your Quality Score and Fix Low-Scoring Ads

 

Quality Score reflects expected click-through rate, ad relevance, and landing page experience, and it directly affects how much you pay per click. A low score means you’re paying a premium for the same position a competitor gets more cheaply.

Quick fix path:

1. Add the Quality Score columns (and its three components) to your Keywords view.
2. Flag anything scoring below 5/10.
3. Diagnose which component is weak, usually ad relevance or landing page experience.
4. Rewrite the ad to better mirror the keyword, or fix the page it points to.

A handful of low-scoring keywords can quietly inflate your average CPC across the whole campaign, so this is worth a monthly scan even when overall performance looks fine.

 

Optimisation #4: Improve Your Landing Page Alignment

 

Great ads can’t save a mismatched landing page. If the promise in the ad doesn’t show up immediately on the page, users bounce, and your Quality Score and conversion rate both take the hit.

Check three things:

• Message match — the page headline reflects the ad and search intent.
• Clear offer — visitors understand what you offer within three seconds.
• Single goal — one clear action, not a menu of twelve options.

If your ad promotes a “free marketing audit,” the landing page should be about that audit specifically, not a generic homepage. When ads and pages tell the same story, conversion rates rise without spending a dollar more on traffic.

 

Optimisation #5: Set Up Conversion Tracking Properly

 

If you’re only tracking page views or button clicks, Google treats every minor action as a win and optimizes toward the wrong behaviour entirely. Real optimisation requires tracking outcomes tied to revenue.

Track events that actually matter:

• Form submissions for quotes or bookings.
• Phone calls from call extensions or landing pages.
• Online purchases with revenue values imported.
• Qualified chat conversations.

For ecommerce, import transaction values so you can see which keywords drive revenue, not just volume. This is foundational: Smart Bidding, Target CPA, and every optimisation downstream depend on clean tracking here.

 

Optimisation #6: Use Ad Scheduling to Focus on Your Best Hours

 

Not all hours perform equally, yet many accounts run flat bids around the clock. Ad scheduling is one of the fastest, most underused ways to trim wasted spend.

Action steps:

• Pull the Time and Hour-of-day report for the last 30–90 days.
• Sort by conversions and cost per conversion.
• Lower bids or pause your worst-performing windows.
• Raise bids during hours with strong cost per lead and click-through rate.

Even a small schedule adjustment protects a meaningful chunk of budget over a month.

 

Optimisation #7: Review Search Term Reports for Wasted Spend

 

Search terms show what people actually typed; keywords show what you targeted. The gap between the two is where money disappears, and it’s worth a dedicated look beyond just pulling negatives (Optimisation #2).

Steps:

1. Open Keywords → Search Terms.
2. Sort by cost or clicks to see where budget flows.
3. Look for patterns, not just one-off terms; repeated themes of mismatched intent often point to a match type or ad group structure problem.
4. Cross-reference converting search terms as new exact-match keyword candidates.

This report is also your best source of new keyword ideas and terms that already convert but aren’t formally targeted yet.

 

Optimisation #8: Test at Least 2 Ad Variations per Ad Group

 

Every ad group should be running a genuine test, not a single ad on autopilot. Two distinct variations, different hooks, different angles, let Google’s system and your own eyes tell you what resonates.

Example test:

• Variation A: “Same Day Service” (urgency angle)
• Variation B: “Save 20% This Week” (offer angle)

If you’re using Responsive Search Ads, feed each with at least ten distinct headlines and three unique descriptions covering different themes: price, speed, trust, guarantees, rather than small rewrites of the same idea. Give each test a clear window (around 30 days) before calling a winner.

 

Optimisation #9: Adjust Bids by Device (Mobile vs. Desktop)

 

Device performance is rarely equal, but most accounts leave bid adjustments at zero. A local service business might see mobile users convert at a much higher rate via call extensions, while desktop users research longer before filling out a form.

How to check:

1. Go to Devices under campaign segments.
2. Compare conversion rate and cost per conversion across mobile, desktop, and tablet.
3. Apply a positive bid adjustment where a device clearly outperforms, and a negative adjustment where it drains budget with little return.

This is a five-minute check that often uncovers an easy, immediate cost-per-conversion improvement.

 

Optimisation #10: Set Target CPA or ROAS Bidding Only When You Have Enough Data

 

Smart Bidding works well with good data and clear goals and poorly in a small, messy account with weak tracking.

When to use each:

• Maximize Conversions — once you have a steady conversion flow and want volume.
• Target CPA — once you know your ideal cost per lead and see at least 30–50 conversions a month.
• Target ROAS — for ecommerce, once revenue tracking is clean and you want a defined return.

We typically start new campaigns on manual or enhanced CPC while data builds, then move to Smart Bidding once tracking is solid, and Google Ads KPIs are stable. Flipping on Target CPA too early, before the algorithm has enough signal, usually makes performance worse, not better.

 

Optimisation #11: Use Audience Layers on Search Campaigns

 

Search campaigns aren’t just keyword-driven; audience layering lets you adjust bids based on who is searching, not just what they searched.

Practical layers to add (as “Observation,” not “Targeting,” so you don’t restrict reach):

• Remarketing lists — bid up for past site visitors already familiar with you.
• Customer match lists — bid up for existing customers searching for related services.
• In-market or affinity audiences relevant to your industry.

Layering audiences this way lets you pay more for the searchers most likely to convert, without narrowing your overall reach the way strict targeting would.

 

Optimisation #12: Review and Pause Underperforming Ad Groups Monthly

 

Weekly tweaks handle search terms and bids; monthly reviews should look at structure. Ad groups that looked fine at launch often drift when a keyword theme stops matching the ads, or conversion volume never materializes despite steady spend.

Monthly checklist:

• Rank ad groups by cost per conversion and conversion rate.
• Pause or restructure ad groups underperforming over a clear sample size (not just a bad week).
• Reallocate that budget toward ad groups already proving themselves.
• Check budget pacing so strong performers aren’t capped while weak ones keep spending.

Ten to twenty focused minutes a week, plus a deeper monthly pass, prevent a lot of waste over a year, especially in competitive markets like Calgary where click costs keep climbing.

 

When to Call In a Professional

 

These twelve optimisations will meaningfully improve most accounts on their own. But if you’re running $5,000+ a month, juggling multiple campaigns, or you’ve made these changes and still aren’t seeing the return you expect, it’s often a sign the account needs a structural review rather than another tweak.

That’s where we come in. At In Front Marketing, we manage Google Ads accounts with a focus on real business metrics: cost per lead, revenue per keyword, actual ROAS, not vanity clicks. If you want a second set of eyes on your account, we’re happy to take a look.

 

FAQs

 

 

What is the fastest way to improve Google Ads performance?

 

Start with wasted spend: clean up search terms, add negatives, tighten locations, and check ad scheduling. These changes remove junk traffic fast and free up budget for users who are actually ready to convert.

 

How do I know which Google Ads KPIs to track?

 

Start from your business goal. Service businesses should track cost per lead and lead quality; ecommerce businesses should track revenue, ROAS, and profit. Always tie your main KPI to profit, not vanity metrics like clicks or impressions.

 

How often should I optimize my Google Ads campaigns?

 

Weekly for small tweaks: search terms, bids, underperforming ads. Monthly for bigger shifts: structure, budgets, landing pages, and audience or bidding strategy changes.

 

Is Google Ads still worth it in competitive markets like Calgary?

 

Yes, when run with focus and a clear plan. In competitive cities, sharp targeting, tight structure, and constant testing matter more, not less. Businesses that treat Google Ads as a measured investment with clear goals still see strong returns, even as click costs rise.