Top 7 Roofing PPC Mistakes Killing Your ROI (And How to Fix Them)

Let’s get straight to the point: PPC can either be your roofing business’s most powerful growth engine or its biggest money pit. I’ve audited dozens of roofing PPC accounts, and I’ll tell you this – it’s not always the mysterious, complex issues that kill performance. More often than not, it’s the fundamentals that get overlooked or mismanaged.

Having just rescued another account from what I can only describe as an “emergency room trauma surgery” situation, I can tell you that these mistakes cost real businesses real money every single day. Let’s break down the seven most common – and costly – mistakes I see in roofing PPC accounts, and more importantly, how to fix them. No fluff, no theory, just practical solutions that work.

1. Letting Google Reps “Optimize” Your Account

Here’s a hard truth: Google’s representatives are not your friends. Just last month, we audited an account spending $30,000 monthly where Google reps had managed to waste $28,500 of it. How? Through a perfect storm of misguided “optimizations.”

The typical Google rep playbook goes something like this: enable broad match keywords, turn on auto-applied recommendations, and let the algorithm “do its thing.” What they don’t tell you is that “doing its thing” means spending your budget as quickly as possible, regardless of lead quality.

In one recent case, we discovered a client’s entire budget was being spent on users outside their service area – all because Google reps had enabled something called “presence or interest” targeting. The result? Countless calls from people who didn’t even live in the same country, let alone the same city.

The fix is straightforward: take back control. Turn off auto-applied recommendations, disable broad match keywords until you have proper negative keyword lists in place, and make sure your location targeting is set to “presence” only. Your cost per click might go up, but you’ll be paying for actual potential customers, not just cheap clicks.

2. Rushing Decisions Without Sufficient Data

In PPC, patience isn’t just a virtue – it’s a requirement for success. Too many account managers rush to pause keywords or change bid strategies before gathering enough data to make informed decisions.

Here’s a common scenario: A keyword hasn’t converted after 10 clicks, so you pause it. Sounds logical, right? Well, maybe not. If your average conversion rate is 10%, you’d expect one conversion every 10 clicks. Some keywords might take 15 or 20 clicks to convert, while others might convert twice in 10 clicks. That’s just how statistics work.

The solution is to let the data tell the story. Don’t make major changes without statistically significant data. For new campaigns, stick with manual bidding for the first 30-45 days. This gives you clean data to make decisions from, rather than letting automated systems make assumptions based on limited information.

3. Poor Negative Keyword Management

Think of negative keywords as your PPC account’s immune system. Without them, you’re exposed to all sorts of expensive, irrelevant clicks. Most businesses know they should use negative keywords, but few do it effectively.

Before launching any campaign, build out two critical lists: competitor terms and intent-based negatives. You don’t want to pay for clicks from people searching for your competitors, and you definitely don’t want to pay for clicks from people looking for DIY solutions or how-to videos.

The real magic happens when you analyze your search terms at both the campaign and ad group levels. Look for patterns of waste, not just individual terms. One poorly controlled keyword can easily waste thousands in budget on irrelevant searches.

4. Mismanaging Seasonal Transitions

This is a silent killer in roofing PPC accounts, especially during shoulder seasons. As search volumes naturally drop, many automated bidding strategies start to fail. Without enough conversion data, they enter what I call a “death spiral” – reducing bids to meet targets, getting less data as a result, and continuing the cycle.

The key is being proactive. Watch your conversion volumes weekly during seasonal transitions. If you see them starting to dip, consider expanding into related service lines or adjusting your target cost per acquisition before the algorithms struggle. Sometimes, you might need to temporarily revert to manual bidding to maintain control during these periods.

5. Overcomplicating Early Optimization

I see too many account managers chasing the latest features or automation tools before mastering the basics. Here’s my controversial advice: use zero external tools for your first year managing PPC. Learn to analyze data manually, develop your critical thinking skills, and understand what’s actually happening in your accounts.

This job is about problem-solving, not following someone else’s framework or letting AI make all your decisions. The fundamentals will serve you far better than any shiny new feature or tool.

6. Weak Landing Page Alignment

I recently audited an account where every single ad pointed to the homepage. The business offered five different services, but users searching for specific services were all sent to the same generic page. Not surprisingly, their conversion rates were abysmal.

Your landing pages need to match the intent behind the search. If someone searches for “[service] in [city],” they should land on a page specifically about that service in that location. This isn’t just about conversion rates – Google actually rewards this alignment with lower costs per click through higher quality scores.

7. Budget Planning Without Context

Setting PPC budgets without proper analysis is like trying to plan a road trip without knowing the distance or fuel costs. You need context to make informed decisions.

In the roofing industry, typical costs per click can range from $20 to $60 for quality traffic. If someone promises you leads for significantly less, they’re either cutting corners or sending you unqualified clicks. Understanding these benchmarks helps you set realistic budgets and expectations.

Instead of picking a budget number out of thin air, start with your target cost per lead and work backward. Factor in seasonal changes, competitive pressures, and your ability to handle increased lead flow. A good PPC budget isn’t static – it should flex with opportunity and capacity.

Check out our free Return on Ad Spend (ROAS) and Return on Investment (ROI) calculator to help you understand and plan your budget.

Ready to stop making costly PPC mistakes?

These seven mistakes might seem basic, but they’re responsible for countless failed PPC campaigns in the roofing industry. The good news? They’re all fixable with the right approach and expertise.

Start by auditing your own accounts for these issues. Be honest about what you find – remember, identifying the problem is the first step to solving it. And if you need help evaluating your account’s health or implementing these solutions, that’s exactly what we do.

Don’t let your PPC budget go to waste. Take action today to ensure your campaigns are built on a foundation of proven best practices rather than Google’s “optimization” recommendations.

Ready to stop making these costly mistakes? Let’s talk about how we can turn your PPC campaigns into a reliable growth engine for your business.