5 Ways You’re Losing Money in Google Ads (Without Even Knowing It!)

If you're running a car rental agency, you know that attracting customers through online ads is crucial to staying competitive. However, if you’re not familiar with the finer details of digital marketing—particularly Google Ads—it can be easy to overspend or miss opportunities. In fact, many car rental agencies are unknowingly wasting money on Google Ads, even though they think their campaigns are running smoothly.

In this blog, we’ll break down five common mistakes that could be causing you to lose money in Google Ads—and how you can fix them. Whether you're new to Google Ads or just want to improve your campaigns, this guide will help you make the most of your advertising budget.

1. Accidentally Opting into the Google Display Network

When you create a Google Ads campaign, you’ll notice there’s an option to opt into the Google Display Network (GDN). Unfortunately, Google checks this box by default, which means your ads could appear on irrelevant websites that aren’t actually helping you reach potential customers.

While the GDN may seem appealing, it’s typically not the best choice for a car rental business. The Display Network can lead to low-quality clicks that don’t convert into bookings, wasting your precious advertising budget. Unless you’re specifically running a campaign targeted at brand awareness, we highly recommend you uncheck this box and keep your campaign focused on the Google Search Network, which is more likely to bring in customers ready to rent a car.

Solution: Always check your campaign settings and make sure the Google Display Network is disabled unless you have a clear strategy for using it.

2. Not Checking Performance on the Search Partner Network

In addition to Google’s Search Network, your ads may also show up on the Search Partner Network, which includes various partner sites and search engines. While this can be beneficial for some industries, the Search Partner Network doesn’t always provide the best results for car rental businesses.

The issue is that you may not even know if your ads are being shown on these sites unless you dig into your campaign performance. If you don’t regularly check the performance of your Search Partner Network, you could be wasting money on clicks that aren’t converting into rentals.

Solution: Monitor the performance of the Search Partner Network by going to the “Segment” tab in your campaign reports. If you notice low conversion rates or high costs, you can easily disable this feature in your campaign settings.

3. Ignoring Device Performance

The majority of car rental searches now happen on mobile devices, but that doesn’t mean mobile ads always perform better than desktop ads. In fact, certain campaigns might see much better performance on desktop or tablet devices, depending on the audience and their search behavior.

When you’re running Google Ads campaigns, it’s essential to track how your ads perform on different devices—especially if your goal is to drive phone calls or bookings. If you find that mobile devices are not converting as well as desktops, you may be able to adjust your bidding strategy to target the devices that perform best.

Solution: Head to the “Devices” report in your Google Ads account to review the performance of each device type. If necessary, adjust your bids or even pause underperforming devices to optimize your campaign.

4. Bidding on Low-Volume, No-Conversion Keywords

Another hidden money pit in Google Ads comes from bidding on keywords that aren’t bringing in any conversions. These are often low-volume keywords that only get a few clicks here and there, but over time, these clicks add up and eat away at your budget without generating any real results.

As a car rental business, you want to focus on keywords that bring in high-intent traffic—like “car rental in [city]” or “luxury SUV rental.” If you’re bidding on generic or irrelevant keywords that don’t drive conversions, it’s time to cut them from your campaigns.

Solution: Regularly review your keyword performance and look at longer time periods, such as the last quarter or year. Identify any low-volume, non-converting keywords and pause or remove them from your campaigns to avoid wasting money.

5. Not Taking Advantage of Negative Keywords

One of the easiest ways to stop wasting money in Google Ads is by using negative keywords. Negative keywords prevent your ads from showing for irrelevant or low-quality searches that aren’t related to your car rental business.

For example, if you're offering luxury cars, you probably don’t want your ads to show up for searches like “free car rentals” or “cheap car rental alternatives.” Negative keywords help filter out these irrelevant queries, ensuring that your budget is spent on people who are more likely to convert into customers.

Solution: Regularly check your Search Terms report and identify any irrelevant queries that are driving clicks but no conversions. Add these terms as negative keywords to prevent them from showing up in future campaigns.

Conclusion: Don’t Waste Your Google Ads Budget!

As a car rental agency, every penny counts when it comes to advertising. By avoiding these five common Google Ads mistakes, you can ensure that your budget is being spent on high-quality clicks that lead to real conversions—whether that’s customers booking a car or calling your office.

If you’re unsure how to make these adjustments or want to learn more about optimizing your Google Ads campaigns, don’t hesitate to reach out for a consultation. We’re here to help you get the most out of your digital marketing efforts and drive more bookings for your car rental business.

By understanding and addressing these common pitfalls, you can ensure your Google Ads campaigns are working harder for you, not costing you more than necessary. Happy advertising!