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Mistakes when setting up paid search ads
Paid search isn’t “pour in keywords and wait for clients.” At setup you can lose clicks and money fast: no extensions, mixed surfaces, messy structure, a site that doesn’t open from the ad.
Below: common mistakes from setup audits (not a from-scratch strategy or a full KPI audit). Nearby — campaign management mistakes and the audit process. Interfaces change; hygiene still matters.
The ad and trust in the SERP
A bare ad without sitelinks, callouts, phone, or a clean display path loses visibility to neighbors even with a strong slot.
A favicon and a correct display URL boost brand recognition in the SERP; a broken icon or a meaningless subdomain path hurts CTR.
The landing in the ad must match the promise: don’t send “PVC windows” to a homepage with a dozen services.
Search vs networks and geo structure
Search doesn’t have the same images as networks; creative and copy differ. Copying “as on Search” one-to-one into Display/networks is a common setup mistake.
Regions with different performance are better as separate campaigns — or at least clearly segmented: otherwise optimization averages good and bad geo.
Industry group structure (brand, models, services, promos, competitors — where it fits) gives readable stats; one keyword dump makes it hard to see what works.
Landing, tags, and analytics
Clicks to nowhere: the page doesn’t open, 500/timeout, redirect loop. Check the final URL before budget.
UTMs and goals in Metrika/Analytics should be ready before launch — otherwise you can’t later tell “what worked.”
Without goals, bid optimization turns into an argument about clicks.
Setup checklist before scaling
Negatives and cross-negatives between groups — so you don’t compete with yourself. Ad schedule — by real capacity to handle leads, not “24/7 because we can.”
Remarketing on abandoned actions when you have an audience and decent creative; not instead of basic Search setup.
Use this checklist to control a contractor: if basics aren’t closed, it’s early to argue about “too little budget.”
Minimum before scale:
- extensions and relevant URLs
- Search and networks split
- geo and groups make sense
- landing opens on mobile
- goals and UTMs track
- negatives and schedule set
FAQ
How is this different from “10 management mistakes”?
That piece covers demand, budget, keywords, and ongoing optimization. Here — setup hygiene: extensions, structure, geo, landing, negatives.
Do you need contacts in the ad?
Where extensions are available (phone, sitelinks, address) — yes. They grow ad real estate and trust.
Search and Display/networks together?
Usually split them: different creatives, bids, and KPIs. Networks need banners/images; Search needs text and relevance.
Why split geo?
To see where CPA is better and not mix cities with different margins and logistics in one campaign without need.
Is a landing that “almost” loads fine?
No. A slow or crashing landing burns the click. Check the ad URL on mobile before launch.
Negatives once and done?
No. The list is living: watch search terms and clean regularly.
When should you call for an audit?
If the setup checklist is done and KPIs still miss — look at a full audit and management mistakes.
Budget scaling — while Search and networks still share one mess?
We’ll close extensions, geo, landing, and goals first so you don’t argue about “more keywords” on a broken setup.
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