Inside the Ring

3 Common PPC Problems (and How to Fix Them Fast)

March 29, 2025

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Your PPC campaign is live, your assets are in place, and you’ve allocated a solid budget — yet the results aren’t meeting expectations. Sound familiar? You’re not alone. Many campaigns underperform due to a few common (but fixable) issues. Let’s break down three of the biggest PPC pitfalls — and how to overcome them.

1. Poorly Structured Account

A strong PPC campaign starts with a well-organized account structure. Before launching anything, define the campaign’s core objective. Are you promoting a product or service? Who is your target audience? What action do you want them to take?

Build your ad groups around these answers. Each ad group should have a focused goal and contain ad copy that matches the keywords and the landing page it links to. This alignment improves Quality Scores, lowers cost-per-click, and increases your chance of conversion.

Recommended read: How to Structure Your PPC Campaign

2. Too Many Keywords

More keywords do not equal better performance. In fact, keyword overload can dilute your targeting and waste your budget. Instead, focus on:

• High-intent, relevant keywords
• Using the correct match types (broad, phrase, exact)
• Regularly reviewing your search terms report

This “quality over quantity” approach ensures your ads appear for searches that actually matter — helping you drive better results while avoiding wasted spend.

Helpful guide: Understanding Keyword Match Types – Google Ads Help

3. Location and Ad Schedule Settings

It’s surprisingly easy to overlook your campaign’s geographic and time-based settings — but they’re crucial. Let’s say you’re running ads for a local bakery that closes at 3 PM. Showing ads after hours? That’s wasted budget.

Here’s what to check:

• Location targeting: Make sure you’re only targeting areas where your business operates.
• Ad schedule: Align ad visibility with business hours or peak conversion times.

Small tweaks here can lead to big improvements in efficiency and ROI.

Also see: Google Ads Location Targeting Guide

The Bottom Line

PPC isn’t a “set it and forget it” channel — it thrives on thoughtful setup and ongoing optimization. By tightening up your account structure, honing in on relevant keywords, and adjusting location and ad scheduling, you’ll set your campaigns up for scalable success.

Need help identifying where your campaign is falling short? Reach out to the PunchDrunk Digital team — we’re here to help.

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