Ads · 5 min read
Why Your Dubai Google Ads Are Burning Budget: 9 Common Mistakes
We audit a lot of Google Ads accounts in this market. The same nine problems appear in the overwhelming majority, and together they typically waste a third to half of the budget.
1. Conversion tracking is broken or missing
Astonishingly common. Either it was never set up, it fires on page loads rather than actual enquiries, or it double-counts. Every optimisation decision downstream is then based on fiction. Fix this before touching anything else.
2. Broad match with no negative keyword list
Broad match is not inherently bad, but without an actively maintained negative list it will find creative ways to spend money on irrelevant searches. Check your search terms report weekly, not quarterly.
3. Brand and generic campaigns mixed together
Your brand terms convert cheaply and inflate the apparent performance of everything else. Separate them so you can see what non-brand acquisition genuinely costs.
4. One ad group, forty keywords
If a single ad has to serve forty different searches, it is relevant to none of them. Tight themes, relevant ads, better quality scores, lower costs.
5. Sending everything to the homepage
The homepage is designed to serve everyone, which means it converts nobody in particular. Specific searches deserve specific pages.
6. Ignoring location targeting settings
The default "people in or interested in your location" setting will show your ads to people worldwide who merely searched about Dubai. For most local businesses, change it to presence only.
7. No ad extensions
Sitelinks, callouts, call and location extensions increase click-through rate and are free. Many accounts have none.
8. Bidding on terms that cannot convert
"SEO jobs Dubai" is not a lead for an SEO agency. Informational and employment-intent queries drain budget quietly.
9. Set and forget
The most expensive mistake. Markets shift, competitors change bids, seasonality moves. An unmanaged account degrades steadily.
What a healthy account looks like
Conversion tracking verified. Weekly search-term pruning. Separate brand and non-brand. Tight ad groups. Dedicated landing pages. Presence-only targeting. Full extensions. Regular creative testing. A cost per lead you can state confidently.
Next step
Request a free ads audit and we will tell you what your account is actually wasting.