By a Google Ads Specialist Who Manages Campaigns Daily for UK SMEs
If you feel like Google Ads keeps getting more expensive, you’re not imagining it. Most UK businesses overspend simply because their campaigns are not set up efficiently — not because Google is “too costly”.
The good news?
There are five practical fixes that can reduce your ad spend by 20–30% within weeks, without lowering lead quality.
These are the same fixes we use when auditing new client accounts — and they work across plumbers, roofers, electricians, cleaning companies, local services, e-commerce, and even niche sectors.
Let’s get into it.
1. Cut Wasted Spend with Negative Keywords (Most Businesses Miss This)
This is the single biggest money leak.
When we audit accounts, we almost always find ads showing for irrelevant searches like:
- “cheap plumbing jobs”
- “DIY boiler repair”
- “free roofing courses”
- “window repair salary”
- “how to install a door myself”
None of these will ever turn into paying customers.
Adding negative keywords immediately stops this waste.
Real result:
One of our clients in Southampton cut £400/month in wasted clicks simply by blocking 18 irrelevant search terms. Lead quality went UP at the same time.
Action:
Add negatives weekly. This is an ongoing job, not a one-time setup.
2. Fix Location Targeting (Most UK Businesses Target the Entire Country by Accident)
This one hurts budgets badly.
Many local businesses accidentally target:
- All of the UK
- England
- A 50-mile radius
- Multiple counties
…when they only serve 5–10 miles around their town.
Every extra mile = wasted budget.
Real result:
A Luton-based trades business reduced CPC by 28% simply by tightening the radius to actual service areas.
Action:
Only target postcodes and towns you actually want leads from.
3. Stop Using Smart Campaigns (They Spend Fast, Learn Slow)
Most business owners start with Smart Campaigns because Google recommends them.
But Smart Campaigns:
- Hide data from you
- Waste money on broad clicks
- Mix branded and non-branded traffic
- Show ads at irrelevant times
- Give zero real control
If you’ve ever felt like “Google spent my entire budget but I don’t know what happened”, this is why.
Switching to Search Campaigns with control consistently lowers cost per lead.
Real result:
A local heating engineer in St Neots reduced CPL from £28 → £9 by ditching Smart Campaigns and using manual control.
4. Improve Your Landing Page (This Alone Increases Leads Without Increasing Spend)
Even perfect ads fail if the page doesn’t convert.
Most UK business websites:
- load slowly
- don’t have clear calls to action
- don’t show trust signals
- bury the phone number
- have generic content
Improving your landing page can reduce your cost per lead by 20–40%.
Quick Wins:
- Add a “Call Now” button at the top
- Add reviews and trust badges
- Show before/after images if relevant
- Use short, clear, benefit-led copy
- Remove anything that distracts from the main action (call, form submit, WhatsApp etc.)
A stronger landing page means more leads for the same spend — the easiest way to lower costs.
5. Track the Right Conversions (Most Businesses Don’t Realise Tracking Is Wrong)
If your tracking is off:
- Google optimises for the wrong actions
- you pay more per lead
- you make decisions based on incorrect data
We often find accounts tracking:
- page views
- time on site
- scrolls
- location clicks
- wrong form events
None of these = leads.
Google ends up chasing the cheapest click, not the best customer.
Fix:
Track only real conversions:
- form submissions
- phone calls
- email clicks
- WhatsApp messages
- quote requests
Once Google knows what a real lead looks like, costs naturally drop.
Why These Fixes Work
Google does not reward businesses who “set and forget”.
It rewards:
- relevance
- precision
- quality
- clarity
When your ads are tightly targeted, keywords are controlled, landing pages convert, and tracking works — Google gives you:
✔ cheaper clicks
✔ better placements
✔ stronger Quality Scores
✔ lower cost per lead
This is how you outperform bigger competitors even with a smaller budget.
Want Your Google Ads Costs Reduced Without Guessing?
Most UK businesses don’t need higher budgets — they need better optimisation.
If you’re spending:
- too much for too little
- getting low-quality leads
- unsure where money is going
- tired of rising CPCs
- not seeing clear reporting
…then an expert eye can turn things around fast.
We offer a complete Google Ads Audit for UK businesses:
- uncover wasted spend
- identify missing negative keywords
- fix tracking
- review landing pages
- check settings Google hides by default
- give you an action plan to reduce costs
Audit + full monthly management comes at affordable pricing designed for UK SMEs — not agency-inflated rates.
If you’d like your account reviewed (no pressure or long calls), just tell me:
“Review my Google Ads account.”
We’ll guide you through what we need and what you can expect.