5 Common Google Ads Mistakes to Avoid (and What to Do Instead)

Running a successful Google Ads campaign is part art, part science—but more often than not, the difference between good and great comes down to avoiding the most common mistakes that can drain your budget without delivering results. At Demand Basis, we’ve seen countless B2B companies make the same errors that tank performance before a single qualified lead comes through the door.

Whether you’re running ads in-house or through an agency, understanding what not to do is just as important as dialing in your targeting and creative. Below, we break down five Google Ads mistakes to avoid—especially if you’re in the B2B SaaS or enterprise tech space.

1. Including the Google Search Network (Big Mistake!)

When setting up a Search campaign in Google Ads, there's a little checkbox that many advertisers leave checked without thinking twice: "Include Google Search Partners."

It sounds harmless enough. But here’s the truth: including the Search Network often results in wasted spend on low-quality traffic.

Why this is a problem:

• Search Partner traffic typically converts at a much lower rate than standard Google.com search.
• You have little control or visibility into where your ads are showing.
• Many Search Partners aren’t aligned with B2B buying intent.

What to do instead:

Uncheck the Search Network box. Focus your budget on Google Search alone—this keeps your targeting tighter and improves the quality of your traffic.

2. Not Using the Ad Schedule (Set It and Forget It = Costly)

If you're in B2B, your target buyers likely aren't converting at midnight on a Saturday.

Yet many advertisers run their Google Ads campaigns 24/7 by default, thinking more impressions mean more opportunities. In reality, that approach can destroy your cost-efficiency.

Why this is a problem:

• Off-hours traffic rarely converts in B2B, where business buyers are active during business hours.
• Running ads when your sales team is offline delays follow-up and kills momentum.

What to do instead:

Use the Ad Schedule feature in Google Ads. For most B2B campaigns, run ads Monday through Friday, 8am to 6pm (adjust based on time zones). This ensures your budget goes toward higher-intent sessions.

Pro tip: Analyze your "Hour of Day" performance in Google Ads and refine from there.

3. Ignoring Demographic Targeting

Google Ads offers demographic targeting by age, gender, and parental status—but many B2B advertisers ignore these settings entirely.

Why this is a problem:

• Not all age groups are your buyers.
• If your product is intended for decision-makers (e.g., 30-60 year olds), showing ads to 18-24 year olds is budget waste.

What to do instead:

Refine your demographic settings based on your ICP (Ideal Customer Profile). For example:

• Exclude age ranges that are outside of your core buyer personas.
• Monitor demographic conversion rates and adjust bids accordingly.

If you’re selling a compliance tool to Finance VPs, your best audience isn’t likely 18-24-year-olds.

4. Overlooking Device Bidding (Mobile Doesn’t Always Win)

We love mobile devices, but the reality is mobile traffic doesn’t always perform well for B2B.

Why this is a problem:

• Mobile users are often on the go and less likely to fill out detailed lead forms.
• Mobile traffic often has lower session durations and higher bounce rates.

What to do instead:

Use device bid adjustments to reduce your mobile bids—especially if you’ve seen stronger conversions from desktop traffic.

For example:

• Start with a -30% mobile bid adjustment and optimize from there.
• Use Google Ads reporting to compare performance by device and double down on desktop.

5. Using Broad Match Keywords (Say Goodbye to Your Budget)

Broad Match might sound like a good way to cast a wide net, but in practice, it's a fast way to burn through your budget without seeing results.

Why this is a problem:

• Broad Match can trigger your ads for completely irrelevant queries.
• Google’s algorithm may match you to keywords that are loosely (or not at all) related to your offer.

What to do instead:

• Start with Exact Match keywords for high intent and precision.
• Layer in Phrase Match for moderate reach with context control.
  Build and regularly update a negative keyword list to exclude irrelevant searches.

Example:

• Instead of Broad Match on "sales software," use Exact Match for [B2B sales CRM] or Phrase Match for "sales CRM for SaaS."

Conclusion

Google Ads is one of the most powerful tools in your B2B marketing arsenal—but only if it's set up and optimized correctly. Avoiding these five common mistakes can significantly improve your click-through rate, lower your cost per lead, and help you reach the right buyers at the right time.

Want more actionable tips? Stay tuned for our next blog where we cover advanced targeting strategies, retargeting plays, and conversion tracking best practices.

Need help right away? Demand Basis can audit your account and help you turn your Google Ads into a revenue-driving machine.

FAQ: Common Google Ads Questions for B2B Marketers

1. What’s the difference between Search and Search Partners in Google Ads?
Search includes queries made directly on Google.com, while Search Partners include other sites that show Google ads. In B2B, Search Partners often lead to lower-quality traffic.

2. Can I run ads on weekends if I’m in B2B?
You can, but it’s not recommended unless your data shows strong performance. Most business buyers are inactive over weekends.

3. How do I know which age groups are converting?
Use the "Demographics" report in Google Ads to monitor conversion rates and cost per conversion across age ranges.

4. Should I completely avoid mobile traffic in B2B?
Not necessarily, but you should monitor it closely. If conversion rates are significantly lower, consider reducing your mobile bids.

5. What are the benefits of Exact Match vs. Broad Match?
Exact Match provides precision and higher intent. Broad Match may increase impressions, but it often brings in unqualified traffic that doesn’t convert