Most restaurants and hotels using Google Ads are spending more than they should — not because Google doesn’t work, but because they’re tracking the wrong things. Clicks are easy to buy. Results are harder to measure.
If you’ve ever looked at your ad dashboard and thought, “I’m getting traffic, but not bookings,” this one’s for you.
Let’s walk through how to stop wasting money — and actually turn Google Ads into a steady source of reservations, online orders, and real guests.
Here’s the truth most agencies won’t tell you: Google will happily sell you as many clicks as your budget can handle. But clicks don’t equal customers.
Too many local businesses look at “impressions,” “click-through rates,” and “average CPC” and assume they’re winning — when in reality, none of those metrics pay the bills.
You don’t want website visits; you want bookings, calls, and orders.
The difference comes down to one setting: conversion tracking.
When you use Google Analytics 4 to track what actually matters — phone calls, reservation forms, catering requests — you get visibility into which keywords and ads drive real action.
That visibility is how you stop wasting money on traffic that never converts.
If your campaign is targeting everyone searching “restaurants near me,” you’re competing against every chain, café, and bar in your area.
The result? High competition and low ROI.
Instead, get hyper-specific.
Use ad groups that mirror your actual offerings:
Even better, run location radius ads so only people within realistic visiting distance see them.
That one tweak alone can cut wasted spend by up to 40%.
Your ad should do one job: qualify the right people and filter out the wrong ones.
Generic copy like “Book a Table Now” gets curiosity clicks from people who will never convert.
Instead, make your copy specific and self-filtering:
Add ad extensions (Google calls them “assets”) for key pages: menus, amenities, directions, reviews.
It’s free real estate — and it makes your listing look more trustworthy before people even click.
A beautiful homepage doesn’t automatically make a good ad landing page.
If you’re sending ad traffic to a page that’s slow, cluttered, or missing a clear action button, you’re paying for visitors who bounce in seconds.
Instead:
Think of it as a digital host greeting your guests: friendly, helpful, and clear on what to do next.
More than 70% of restaurant and hotel searches happen on mobile, according to Think With Google.
If your site loads slowly or requires pinching and zooming to navigate, you’re losing conversions by the minute.
Run a quick test: open your own site on your phone, click one of your ads, and try to make a booking.
If it takes more than 10 seconds or two taps, that’s what your customers experience too.
A fast, ADA-compliant, mobile-friendly site doesn’t just improve SEO — it multiplies your ad efficiency.
Running the same ad year-round is like keeping a pumpkin latte on your menu in July. It doesn’t connect.
Instead, rotate seasonal campaigns:
Restaurant Business Online found seasonal messaging consistently boosts engagement by double digits.
Aligning ad creative with what’s happening right now builds relevance — and relevance drives results.
Here’s the simple truth: winning with Google Ads isn’t about spending more. It’s about spending smarter.
Start small.
You’ll learn what works, cut what doesn’t, and end up paying less for better results.
This kind of consistent testing mindset is what separates restaurants that experiment from restaurants that grow.
A healthy Google Ads account for a restaurant or hotel typically sees:
If you’re not even close, it’s time for a checkup.
Google Ads can be a goldmine — but only if you know where your dollars are going.
The platform rewards precision, not autopilot.
If you’ve been boosting posts, targeting broad keywords, or relying on “set it and forget it,” now’s the moment to reset.
Every click has a cost. Every booking has value. The key is closing that gap.
If you’re not sure how your Google Ads are performing, we’ll audit them for free.
We’ll review your targeting, conversion setup, and spend — then show you exactly what’s working and what’s not.
