Why Your Google Ads Are Burning Budget (And How to Fix It Fast)

If you’ve ever looked at your Google Ads dashboard and thought, "That’s a lot of clicks for not a lot of leads…” You’re not alone.

Plenty of developers are spending thousands on digital ads, only to see… tumbleweeds.

The traffic is there. The budget is going. But the results? Meh.

Here’s the problem: your campaign isn’t broken—it’s just misaligned.

Google Will Gladly Spend Your Money (Even If It’s Not Working)

Google Ads is a powerful tool—when it’s set up with the right strategy. But without that? It’s just an expensive guessing game.

We’ve seen it all:

• Ads targeting the wrong location or buyer type

• Landing pages that confuse more than convert

• Boring ad copy that blends into the feed

• No tracking set up to see what’s actually working

  
  

The end result? High spend, low enquiry—and a developer wondering where it all went.

Not All Clicks Are Created Equal

Let’s be real: clicks mean nothing if they don’t convert. And the clicks you do get need to come from the right audience, at the right time, with the right intent.

Here’s where most campaigns miss the mark:

• Too broad: Targeting “real estate buyers” instead of narrowing by intent (e.g. off-the-plan apartments Brisbane inner-south).

• Too generic: Ads that don’t mention your unique value, location, or lifestyle offering.

• Too lazy: Sending traffic to your homepage, not a custom landing page.

  
  

Google rewards relevance. So if your ads aren’t matching buyer intent, Google will still spend your money—but your audience will bounce.

Here’s How to Fix It

1. Laser in on Buyer Intent Use keywords that reflect what your ideal buyer is actually searching. Think “off-the-plan apartments in West End” not just “property for sale.”

2. Build Campaign-Specific Landing Pages Don’t send traffic to your homepage. Create dedicated pages that match the ad content—with clear CTAs and zero distractions.

3. Improve Your Ad Copy Be specific. Mention suburb, style, pricing, timeline, and key features. Don’t just write “Luxury apartments now selling”—tell them why they matter.

4. Use Extensions & Localisation Ad extensions (like sitelinks, callouts, price points) give users more reasons to click—and show Google you’re serious.

5. Track Everything Use conversion tracking to monitor form fills, calls, downloads—so you can actually measure what’s working and what’s wasting money.

Bonus Tip: Retarget the Right Way

Most users won’t convert on their first visit. Set up retargeting campaigns that serve helpful, relevant content to previous site visitors.

It’s not just about stalking—it’s about staying visible and building trust.

Throwing more money at a campaign won’t fix bad strategy. But with the right structure, message, and tracking in place, Google Ads can become a lead engine, not a money pit.

If your campaign isn’t converting, it’s time to stop guessing—and start tightening up the system.

Because leads shouldn’t cost a fortune.They should pay one.