The latest articles on DEV Community by Jansirani Thanapal (@jansirani_thanapal_f13c8c). https://dev.to/jansirani_thanapal_f13c8c https://media2.dev.to/dynamic/image/width=90,height=90,fit=cover,gravity=auto,format=auto/https:%2F%2Fdev-to-uploads.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com%2Fuploads%2Fuser%2Fprofile_image%2F4127209%2F66c173ac-df23-47a7-bb05-bbfab0ff6de0.png https://dev.to/jansirani_thanapal_f13c8c en Jansirani Thanapal Wed, 16 Sep 2026 04:53:46 +0000 https://dev.to/jansirani_thanapal_f13c8c/how-to-find-wasted-spend-in-google-ads-campaigns-ads-control-engine-1902 https://dev.to/jansirani_thanapal_f13c8c/how-to-find-wasted-spend-in-google-ads-campaigns-ads-control-engine-1902 <p>One thing that can be easy to miss in Google Ads is where the budget is actually going.</p> <p>A campaign may get plenty of clicks, and you may even see a few conversions, but that doesn't always mean the traffic is bringing real business value.</p> <p>I find the Search Terms Report useful for spotting this. Instead of looking only at the campaign's overall numbers, you can check the actual searches that triggered your ads.</p> <p>A few things are worth looking at: </p> <ul> <li>Is the search actually related to what the business offers?</li> <li>How much has that search term already spent?</li> <li>Has it generated any conversions?</li> <li>What was the person's intent?</li> <li>Did the conversion turn into a useful lead?</li> <li>Are some searches spending repeatedly without producing anything useful?</li> </ul> <p>For example, getting a form submission looks positive at first. But when you look closer, the person may have been looking for a free resource, a job, or general information rather than becoming a potential customer.</p> <p>That's why I think conversion count alone isn't enough when you're trying to understand wasted ad spend.</p> <p>Once low-value search patterns become clear, negative keywords can help reduce similar traffic. The important part is making those decisions from actual search-term data rather than guessing.</p> <p>I also put together a more detailed guide on finding and controlling wasted spend in Google Ads: <a href="https://www.jeeviacademy.com/blog/find-wasted-spend-in-google-ads-campaign" rel="noopener noreferrer">Google Ads wasted spend guide<br> </a></p> <p><strong>How do you usually spot search terms that are costing money but not bringing useful results?</strong></p> googleads marketing ai data