11 PPC errors uncovered in recent B2B audits

As algorithms take over ad platforms, truly expert marketers are being scrutinized — and rightly so.

Managing ad accounts looks very different today than it did even a few years ago. Platforms have shifted heavily toward automation, with products like Meta’s Advantage+ and Google’s Performance Max leveling parts of the playing field and changing what skilled account management actually looks like.

I’ve conducted many B2B account audits recently, both for companies with in-house teams and for businesses transitioning from other agencies. One thing keeps standing out: operators who truly understand these systems are still surprisingly rare.

Even with all the technology available today — and more on the way — many smart B2B marketers are still making expensive mistakes. Here are some of the most common ones I’ve encountered lately on LinkedIn and Google.

Mistakes advertisers are still making on LinkedIn

LinkedIn has become a crucial platform for reaching B2B audiences, yet advertisers keep making mistakes like these.

1. Using no audience targeting

Yes, I’m still encountering this rookie mistake. The impact is always what you’d expect: Ads are being shown to entry-level folks, college students, interns, and completely irrelevant companies instead of your target customer.

2. Letting audience targeting run without adjusting over time

LinkedIn’s professional targeting is unique, but it’s not airtight. For instance, it’s common to see sales professionals and titles sneak into campaigns with “growth” included in the targeting. 

Account managers who aren’t paying attention will continue to spend money to show ads to irrelevant audiences.

3. Using all automated default settings

I see this error from time to time, so it’s definitely not a one-off “oops.” 

LinkedIn is no different than other platforms. If you leave options like audience expansion turned on, your ads will show on cheaper, lower-quality inventory. Any desired actions will take the path of least resistance (usually the least qualified).

4. Setting and forgetting creative without rotating in new themes

Any experienced LinkedIn advertiser knows LinkedIn’s ad structure makes creative testing difficult, so you need to be proactive about refreshing creative.

Replacing tiny elements won’t move the needle, either, so failing to produce and use a bank of theme variations is a miss.

Dig deeper: 5 B2B LinkedIn Ads tests to run in 2026

Mistakes advertisers still making on Google

Now we’re getting to the most common issues I’ve seen lately. Here are some of the mistakes our audits have uncovered in Google Ads accounts.

5. Running conversion-focused bid strategies without conversion data

I’ve audited accounts running ads with conversion-focused bid strategies, yet they have zero conversion data integration (or even any conversion actions specified). This mistake leads the algorithm to prioritize the absolute easiest actions and the cheapest audiences.

6. Leaving Display and Search Partners turned on

This oversight diverts budget from high-intent search inventory into reliably cheaper, lower-performing placements.

7. Forgetting to use sitelinks

By forgetting to use sitelinks, you inevitably cede a ton of real estate and limit ways to appeal to users. 

8. Letting spend run on non-converting keywords 

If you’ve zoned out and are continuing to spend money on keywords that aren’t converting for months on end without making any adjustments to the ads themselves, you’re flushing money down the toilet.

9. Running all campaigns in broad match only 

Similarly, you’re wasting money if you’re running all of your campaigns in broad match only, with no phrase or exact match to be found.

10. Letting PMax for B2B run with no guardrails beyond remarketing lists

PMax for B2B has gotten a little more viable over the past year, thanks to a slew of moderately useful new functions. 

However, if you’re not even doing the basics of enhanced conversions and OCT, I would turn those campaigns off ASAP or hand them over to marketers who can use PMax to improve lead quality. 

Otherwise, this mistake means you’re setting yourself up to spend on junk leads. 

11. Not testing AI Max 

Google is rapidly changing how ads are matched, served, and optimized. If you don’t test these systems early, you risk falling behind competitors who are giving Google more automation signals and learning data.

Success with AI-driven campaign types depends on proper measurement, quality inputs, and ongoing oversight. Those responsibilities haven’t gone away as automation has increased.

Dig deeper: Top 10 Google Ads mistakes to avoid in 2026

Automation still needs expert oversight

An important layer across channels that often gets overlooked is what happens after someone provides their information. Having a strong follow-up sequence for leads is critical to campaign success, as is passing back the right data to properly tie performance to ad spend. 

Omitting this crucial step does more than cloud the true potential ROAS of the campaigns. It also means you’re getting less down-funnel data that could be fed back into the platforms to teach the algorithms to work harder on your behalf.

Even experienced marketers are making these mistakes. They tend to be good at what used to be critical, such as SKAGs and exhaustive negative keyword management, but they’re not adapting to use the controls still available to them in a more automated landscape.

These mistakes aren’t just one-off “oopsies” that cost brands money before they’re caught and corrected. To me, they’re flashing red lights signifying that the account isn’t in good hands, especially if you’ve got more than one of these scenarios in play, or if one has persisted over time.

Yes, account management involves much more automation than it did in the past. But these platforms still need quality inputs, proper measurement, and ongoing oversight to perform at their best.

Keep that in mind before you decide that paring back to a B-level resource and AI can help save you money in the fixed-cost column.