Pay-Per-Click (PPC) advertising has become one of the most powerful ways for businesses in Dubai and across the UAE to generate leads, increase brand visibility, and win customers quickly. Yet, despite its potential, many companies waste thousands of dirhams every month due to avoidable mistakes.

At OMA, we regularly audit PPC campaigns for UAE businesses and see the same errors repeated. In this article, we’ll walk through the five most common PPC mistakes UAE businesses make, why they cost you money, and what you can do to avoid them.

Mistake 1: Targeting the Wrong Keywords

One of the most common PPC mistakes in the UAE is bidding on keywords that are too broad or irrelevant. For example, a Dubai-based interior design company may target “design” as a keyword, which triggers ads for everything from graphic design to clothing design. This wastes budget on people who were never potential customers in the first place.

How to Avoid It:

• Use exact match and phrase match keywords for high-intent searches (e.g., “interior design company Dubai”).
• Build a robust negative keyword list to filter out irrelevant traffic.
• Regularly review your search term reports inside Google Ads to see where your money is going.

👉 Need help with keyword research? Book a discovery call with our PPC team at OMA.

Mistake 2: Ignoring Mobile Users

With over 95% of UAE residents accessing the internet via mobile, failing to optimise PPC ads and landing pages for mobile devices is a huge error. Slow-loading sites or poorly formatted pages drive users away instantly.

How to Avoid It:

• Ensure your landing pages are mobile-first with fast load times (under 3 seconds).
• Use click-to-call extensions for mobile users — essential in service industries across Dubai.
• Test how your ads and forms appear on different devices before launching campaigns.

Mistake 3: Sending Traffic to the Homepage

We often see businesses spend heavily on PPC, only to send clicks to their generic homepage. This is one of the most costly PPC mistakes in Dubai. Homepages are rarely optimised for conversion and can confuse visitors, leading to poor ROI.

How to Avoid It:

• Create dedicated landing pages for each campaign with one clear goal (form submission, call, or purchase).
• Match ad copy to the landing page headline to maintain relevance and trust.
• Use persuasive design elements like testimonials, guarantees, and clear CTAs.

OMA builds conversion-focused landing pages tailored to PPC campaigns, ensuring your ad spend delivers results.

Mistake 4: Failing to Track Conversions Properly

Running PPC without tracking is like driving blind. Many UAE businesses only measure clicks, not actual leads or sales. Without conversion tracking, you can’t tell which keywords and ads are profitable.

How to Avoid It:

• Set up Google Analytics 4 (GA4) and link it to Google Ads.
• Track all meaningful actions: form submissions, WhatsApp clicks, discovery call bookings, and calls.
• Optimise bidding strategies based on real conversion data, not just traffic volume.

This is one of the first things we fix for clients when they partner with OMA. Without proper tracking, PPC is just guesswork.

Mistake 5: Not Testing or Optimising Ads

A “set and forget” approach to PPC almost always leads to wasted spend. We see businesses in Dubai running the same ads for months without testing different headlines, calls-to-action, or landing page formats.

How to Avoid It:

• Run A/B tests on ad copy, extensions, and landing page layouts.
• Use responsive search ads to let Google optimise headline combinations.
• Review campaign performance weekly, not quarterly.

Conclusion: Turn PPC Mistakes into Growth Opportunities

PPC can be one of the fastest ways to scale your business in the UAE, but only if it’s managed strategically. By avoiding these common mistakes — poor keyword targeting, ignoring mobile, using generic homepages, failing to track conversions, and neglecting testing — you can significantly improve your return on ad spend.

At OMA, we specialise in helping Dubai businesses get more from their ad budget. Whether you’re spending AED 5,000 or AED 50,000 a month, our PPC experts ensure your campaigns are data-driven and conversion-focused.

👉 Book a free discovery call today and find out how much more your PPC campaigns could deliver.