On episode 334 of PPC Live The Podcast, I speak to Sophie Fell Head of Paid Media at Liberty Marketing Group about a real PPC mistake involving location targeting. The conversation focuses on how small oversights can have big consequences—and how to recover from them professionally.
The PPC F-Up: worldwide location targeting
Sophie accidentally launched a campaign with worldwide location targeting enabled instead of restricting it to the client’s service area. In just a couple of days, the campaign generated around 1,500 leads that looked impressive on paper but were unusable because they came from outside the target locations.
When great results are a warning sign
The unusually strong performance initially looked like a win, but it became a red flag. When Sophie reviewed the campaign more closely, she discovered the location setting issue. This highlights an important PPC lesson: results that look too good should always be investigated, not celebrated blindly.
Handling the client conversation
The client spotted the issue around the same time Sophie did, while she was already preparing to flag it. The situation was handled with honesty—acknowledging the mistake, explaining what happened, and fixing it immediately. Transparency helped preserve trust, even though the client was understandably unhappy.
Why the mistake happened
This wasn’t a lack of knowledge—it came down to moving too quickly and relying on assumed checks rather than confirmed ones. Like many experienced practitioners, Sophie thought the setting had already been reviewed. The experience reinforced how dangerous platform defaults can be.
The long-term outcome
Once corrected, the campaign went on to perform exceptionally well. The client hit their targets six weeks early and exceeded revenue expectations by £3.5 million. The initial mistake didn’t define the outcome—how it was handled did.
What Sophie does differently now
Sophie now checks campaign settings multiple times, both before and after launch. She reviews settings whenever performance spikes or dips and never reports results without rechecking fundamentals. The key change is recognising that post-launch reviews often reveal what pre-launch checks miss.
Advice for when you’ve made a PPC mistake
Sophie’s guidance is simple: pause, investigate, and be honest. Check metrics and settings immediately, take responsibility, explain what went wrong, and clearly outline how you’ll prevent it from happening again. Mistakes become serious problems only when they’re mishandled.
Common PPC mistakes still seen today
Sophie regularly audits accounts that haven’t been updated for years, rely heavily on brand campaigns, or misuse automation like Performance Max. She also sees poor alignment between keywords, ads, and landing pages—fundamentals that still matter, even in AI-driven campaigns.
Why talking about mistakes matters
Many PPC professionals assume industry leaders no longer make mistakes. Sophie challenges that idea. Everyone is still learning, regardless of experience level. Sharing failures helps juniors feel safer, encourages better leadership, and keeps the industry moving forward.
Creating a healthy PPC team culture
A strong team culture allows for testing, learning, and accountability without fear. Sophie emphasises clear testing frameworks, capped budgets, and open conversations. Teams that claim to be mistake-free rarely innovate.
Final takeaway: Always check your settings
Platforms change, defaults evolve, and assumptions fail. Whether performance is soaring or struggling, always verify that campaigns are doing what you think they’re doing. You can’t over-check your settings—but you can definitely under-check them.
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