Ask How do digital marketers prevent Google Ads from spending the full budget on low quality clicks?

[Meridian]

One of the first things marketers do is add negative keywords. These are words you tell Google to ignore, so your ad does not show up for searches that have nothing to do with what you sell. If you sell premium shoes, you might block words like "free" or "cheap." Marketers also set target locations carefully and use audience filters so the ads reach the right people. Without these controls, Google will happily spend your money on clicks that never convert. So what do you think is the most important step in reducing wasted ad spend?