Originally Posted On: https://latitudepark.ai/google-ads-performance-dropping/

Why Your Google Ads Performance Is Dropping—And What to Do About It

Welcome to the part of the marketing rollercoaster where your CPC spikes, your conversions vanish, and your once-glorious ROAS now resembles a sad emoji. If you’ve been staring at your Google Ads dashboard like it’s a broken vending machine, you’re not alone. Performance drops are happening all over, and no, it’s not just you or Mercury in retrograde.

Here at Latitude Park, we’ve seen (and fixed) enough Google Ads campaigns to know exactly where things go wrong—and more importantly, how to turn them around. So buckle up. We’re diving into the real reasons your Google Ads might be tanking, and giving you the tools to fix them like a PPC pro.

1. Algorithm Changes: Blame the Robot Overlords

Google is constantly updating its ad delivery systems and machine learning algorithms. Sometimes the changes are subtle—like a shift in how your ads are matched to search terms. Other times they’re about as subtle as a slap: Google retires match types, launches Performance Max, or decides “we know better” about how to spend your budget.

Performance drop triggers from algorithm updates often include:

• Drastic changes in impression share
• Higher CPCs without a quality score change
• A dip in conversions with no creative or targeting changes

What to do about it:
Stay informed. Subscribe to Google’s release notes and industry updates. Better yet, get a partner (hi ) like Latitude Park who makes it their job to stay ahead of these changes. Also: test, monitor, adapt. Automated strategies like Target ROAS or Max Conversions need constant tuning.

2. Account Structure Chaos

If your account looks like a digital junk drawer—overlapping keywords, mismatched ad groups, random audiences—you’re setting your ads up to fail. Structure matters. A lot.

Poor structure results in:

• Irrelevant ad triggers
• Wasted spend
• Confusing campaign reporting

What to do about it:
Adopt a streamlined, goal-first structure. Group campaigns by intent and funnel stage. Make sure each ad group has tightly themed keywords and matching ads. And yes, kill the zombie campaigns from 2019 that no one has touched since the pre-mask era.

3. You’re Targeting the Wrong People (or Everyone)

Are you targeting everyone within a 200-mile radius who once Googled “coffee near me”? Broad targeting may look good for reach, but it’s where budgets go to die.

Common issues include:

• Overlapping audiences
• Weak geo-targeting
• Irrelevant in-market segments

What to do about it:
Refine your audience strategy. Use detailed demographics, affinity audiences, and customer match where applicable. Layer in exclusions—one of the most underused tools in Google Ads. Remember: more specific ? less reach. It often means better reach.

4. Conversion Tracking: Set It and Forget It? Nope.

We’ve seen it more times than we care to admit: someone set up conversion tracking in 2021 and never looked at it again. Spoiler alert: things break.

Problems might include:

• Tracking firing on page load (not on actual conversions)
• Double-counting
• Tracking low-value actions (like time on page or newsletter signups) as primary goals

What to do about it:
Audit your conversion actions regularly. Use Google Tag Manager or GA4 for deeper visibility. Prioritize high-intent actions (e.g., purchases, lead forms, calls) and make sure they’re accurately recorded. And yes—update those tags when your site design changes.

5. Ad Copy That Could Bore a Brick

Your ads should be solving problems, sparking interest, or making people laugh—or at least feel something. If your headlines read like a spreadsheet wrote them, users will scroll right by.

Symptoms:

• Low CTR (click-through rate)
• High impression share but low engagement
• Repetitive or generic ad language

What to do about it:
Write like a human. Even better, write like a human who actually wants someone to click. Use emotional triggers, social proof, and urgency. Test different angles: problem-solution, testimonials, benefits over features. And of course, test often—Google rewards relevance and engagement.

6. Lazy Landing Pages

Your ad convinced them to click. Great. But your landing page? It’s a design relic from 2010, takes forever to load, and has seven different CTAs competing for attention.

Landing page issues include:

• Poor mobile performance
• No clear headline or value prop
• Confusing navigation or slow speed

What to do about it:
Build landing pages with intent. Match the message of the ad (message scent), make the value clear above the fold, and give users one job—convert. Use fast-loading designs, trust signals (reviews, testimonials, guarantees), and always test variations with A/B testing platforms like Google Optimize or Unbounce.

7. Budget Misfires and Bidding Mistakes

Yes, your budget matters. But how Google spends it matters even more. Too many advertisers “set it and forget it,” assuming smart bidding will just… figure it out.

Common errors:

• Daily budgets too low to exit learning phase
• Bidding too aggressively on broad keywords
• Using Smart Bidding without enough data

What to do about it:
Know when to go manual and when to let machine learning do the work. Use shared budgets strategically. Monitor your bid strategies weekly and adjust based on seasonality, competition, and past performance trends. Don’t rely solely on Smart Bidding if your account volume is low—manual bidding might give you better control.

8. Industry Changes (a.k.a. It’s Not You, It’s the Market)

Sometimes, your performance drops because the market shifted—not because you did something wrong. Increased competition, rising CPCs in your vertical, or even macroeconomic trends can hit hard.

Keep an eye out for:

• Sudden surge in competitors
• Industry-wide CPC spikes
• Shifts in consumer search behavior

What to do about it:
Benchmark your data. Compare YoY (year-over-year) and MoM (month-over-month) stats to identify patterns. Use Auction Insights to see who’s bidding against you. Consider shifting spend to higher-performing platforms or diversifying with Performance Max or YouTube ads to balance brand awareness with conversion intent.

9. What to Do Next: A Recovery Plan

Let’s summarize your comeback blueprint. If your performance is dropping, don’t panic—optimize.

Here’s your action plan:

• Run a Full Account Audit
  Structure, targeting, keywords, and creative—check it all. Don’t assume anything’s working just because it did last quarter.
• Fix Tracking First
  No data = bad decisions. Audit every conversion path and tag setup.
• Rebuild Campaigns Where Needed
  Start fresh if your legacy campaigns are too bloated or broken to fix.
• Layer in Better Targeting
  Use audiences + exclusions to zero in on qualified clicks.
• Refresh Your Ads
  New copy, new creative, new angles. Test, test, test.
• Improve the Landing Page Experience
  Speed, clarity, and a singular CTA are non-negotiable.
• Evaluate Budget and Bidding
  Is your budget realistic? Is your bidding aligned with your goals?
• Stay Informed on Industry Trends
  Things move fast. Following changelogs, competitor shifts, and algorithm tweaks is part of the job now.

10. Final Thoughts from Latitude Park

If your Google Ads performance is down, it’s not the end of the world—or your campaign. It’s a signal. A sign that it’s time to adapt, optimize, and maybe bring in a fresh perspective.

That’s where Latitude Park comes in. We don’t just throw jargon at dashboards—we roll up our sleeves, dig through your data, and rebuild your campaigns with strategy, clarity, and yes, a little edge. Because in today’s ad landscape, it’s not enough to play by Google’s rules—you have to know when to bend them.

If your performance is dropping and your patience is wearing thin, let’s talk. We’ll help you make sense of the chaos and turn your ad budget into actual results (instead of just expensive visibility).

Ready to fix your Google Ads performance?
Let’s chat or check out how we help brands and franchises turn paid search into serious growth.