15 Questions Answered for Google Ads Success
Google Ads can feel overwhelming, especially for beginners or small businesses trying to make the most of their ad spend. Many businesses have the same questions when starting out or trying to optimise their campaigns.
In this guide, we’ve gathered 15 of the most frequently asked questions about Google Ads and provided some answers, to try and help you out. Whether you’re just starting out or refining your campaigns, this blog will serve as your go to reference.
1. What’s the best Google Ads campaign type for a small business?
The most effective campaign type depends on the advertiser’s goals. For businesses seeking local leads, Search campaigns are typically the best choice, as they capture high-intent searches. For e-commerce companies, Performance Max campaigns often deliver the strongest results. When the objective is brand awareness, Display or YouTube campaigns can help reach a wider audience. It’s generally recommended to start with a single campaign type, measure performance, and expand from there.
I was working with a client in the electrical industry who told me he was now getting lots of leads through Google Search now. He had never run ads before, but we set up a highly targeted Search ad, so customers could easily find him by searching terms like ‘Electrician Crewe’ and ‘EV charging installation Crewe’.
2. How much budget should I spend on Google Ads?
There’s no one-size-fits-all budget. Instead, base it on your cost per click (CPC) in your industry and how many leads or sales you want and make sure that is relevant to what you are trying to get your customer to buy.
For example, I recently worked with a client who was trying to get long term, high value sales from a very small budget. It was never going to be successful. The client needed to increase their budget to compete in a competitive market.
I suggest thinking about the average CPC, so if the average CPC is £4 and you want 100 clicks per month, your budget should be at least £400. Use Google Keyword Planner to estimate costs.
3. What keywords should I target for my business?
There are various keywords that you can use, including broad match, phrase match and exact match keywords.
When working with clients, I always suggest starting with exact match keywords. For example, if you’re a plumber, you might target ‘emergency plumber [location] or ‘gas engineer [location]. Use Google Keyword Planner to refine your list.
4. What’s the difference between broad match, phrase match and exact match keywords?
Broad Match: Shows ads for related searches, even loosely connected. For example, if your keyword is ‘plumber services’, your ad could show for searches like ‘fix leaking pipe’ or ‘local plumber near me’. This match type gives the widest reach but can also waste spend if not monitored closely.
Phrase Match: Ads show when the query includes your phrase in the same order, but words can appear before or after. For example, ‘emergency plumber’ could trigger ads for ‘affordable emergency plumber near me’. This provides a balance between reach and relevance.
Exact Match: Ads only show when the exact keyword (or close variations) is searched. For example, ‘emergency plumber Manchester’ would only trigger ads for that exact intent. Although not as ‘exact’ as it used to be, this is the most targeted option, ensuring high relevance but with limited reach.
For more detail, check the official Google documentation on keyword match types.
5. How do I write Google Ads headlines that get clicks?
Effective headlines are short, clear, and highlight a benefit. Here are some things that I would recommend including:
– Numbers: Save 20% On [service] Today
– Urgency: Book Before Midnight For Free Delivery
– Trust Signals: Rated #1 in [Location] On Trustpilot
Always make sure you keep within the 30-character limit and test multiple variations.
6. How do I create a Google Ads strategy for my business?
A good strategy typically includes:
– Campaign goal (sales, leads, awareness)
– Targeted, thoroughly researched keywords
– Audience targeting
– Ad copy aligned to the customer journey
– Budget and bidding strategy
– Landing page optimised for conversions
– Mobile optimised website
– Landing page that is aligned to ad copy
Success comes from ongoing testing and optimisation.
7. What are the pros and cons of Performance Max vs Search Campaign?
When it comes to choosing between Performance Max and Search campaigns, both offer unique advantages depending on your goals.
Performance Max campaigns are designed to cover all of Google’s advertising inventory-Search, Display, YouTube and Gmail, making them a great option for broad reach and visibility. However, the trade-off is reduced control over targeting, as Google’s automation does most of the heavy lifting.
Search campaigns focus on high intent traffic. Due to the fact they’re keyword-based, they allow for precise targeting, ensuring your ads show up exactly where someone is actively searching for your product or service. The downside is their limited reach compared to Performance Max. In many cases, the best approach is a mix of both: Search for intent-driven leads and Performance Max for brand exposure and scaling.
8. How do I reduce cost-per-click (CPC) in Google Ads?
Lowering your CPC is all about improving your Quality Score. The better your ad relevance, the less you will pay for clicks. To achieve this, make sure your keywords closely align with your ad copy, and that your ads are highly relevant to the user’s search intent. Your landing pages should also be well optimised, fast-loading, and user-friendly. Google rewards a strong customer journey.
For example, if you provide a luxury trade service, you don’t want to attract users searching for ‘cheap’, ‘DIY’ or ‘jobs’. Adding these as negative keywords filters out unqualified clicks, helping you spend more efficiently on the traffic that truly matters.
9. What bidding strategy should I use for my goals?
Selecting the best bidding strategy comes down to your campaign objective and how much historical data you have available. If your goal is lead generation and you’ve set up conversion tracking, Maximise Conversions is a strong choice. Google will automatically adjust bids to bring in the most leads within your budget. For example, a local landscaper could use this to encourage form submissions for free consultations.
If you run an e-commerce store with steady sales data, Target ROAS (Return on Ad Spend) is ideal. Let’s say an online clothing brand sets a target ROAS of 400% (spend £1, earn £4). Google will then prioritise traffic that’s most likely to achieve that return. Meanwhile, Maximise Clicks can be a useful strategy for building visibility and driving traffic, especially for brand awareness campaigns. A new restaurant, for instance, might use it to attract as many visitors as possible to their website before opening night.
For advertisers who want complete control, Manual CPC allows you to set your own bids on each keyword. This approach works well for niche businesses with limited budgets who want to carefully balance spend between high-value and generic terms. For example, a B2B company might bid more on ‘industrial safety software provider’ while keeping lower bids on broader phrases.
If you’re new to Google Ads, start simple with Maximise Conversions (with conversion tracking in place) or Maximise Clicks to build initial data. As your campaigns mature and you gather more insights, you can graduate to more advanced bidding strategies.
10. How do I structure ad groups for industry/service?
Ad groups should always be tightly focused and highly relevant. Each ad group should centre around one specific product or service category so that the keywords, ad copy, and landing page all work together seamlessly.
For example, instead of having everything in one campaign, an electrician might create separate ad groups for “house rewires,” “EV charging installation,” and “exterior lighting.” This structure makes your ads more relevant to searchers, improves Quality Score, and ultimately reduces wasted spend by ensuring the right message is shown to the right audience.
11. How do I analyse my Google Ads report and find improvements?
One of the biggest advantages of Google Ads is the wealth of data at your fingertips, but it only helps if you know how to interpret it.
– Click Through Rate (CTR): Low CTR means your ad copy isn’t resonating.
– Cost Per Click (CPC): High CPC may require better targeting or quality score.
– Conversion Rate: If clicks don’t convert, improve your landing page.
- Impression Share: If low, increase bids or budget.
12. What are common mistakes businesses make with Google Ads?
One of the biggest is relying too heavily on broad match keywords. For example, a local plumber might bid on the word ‘plumbing’ and end up showing ads for ‘plumbing jobs’ which would attract job seekers instead of customers who actually need repairs. This not only wastes money but also clutters campaigns with irrelevant clicks and skew data.
Another pitfall is not setting up conversion tracking. Imagine a landscaping company seeing hundreds of clicks on its ads but having no idea if those clicks turned into leads. Without that data, they could be overspending on ads that don’t actually bring in work.
Similarly, sending ad traffic to your homepage instead of a tailored landing page is a conversion killer. Take an electrician who runs ads for ‘emergency electrical repairs’ but sends people to their homepage full of general information and multiple services – the urgency is lost and potential customers could bounce off the website.
Not using negative keywords is another budget drain. A roofer targeting ‘roof repair’ might accidentally show up for ‘DIY roof repair kits’, which won’t ever bring in paying leads.
Finally, not testing different ad variations could potentially be leaving money on the table. A window company sticking with one generic ad like ‘Professional Window Installers’ misses the chance to test stronger versions such as ‘Energy Efficient Windows Installed in 7 Days’, which could attract far more clicks and lower costs.
13. How do I set up conversion tracking for Google Ads?
One of the most important steps in setting up Google Ads is enabling conversion tracking. Without tracking, you’ll never know which ads are working and which ones are wasting budget. You can set tracking up either by using Google Tag Manager or by installing the Google Ads conversion tracking code directly onto your site.
Once tracking is in place, you can track meaningful actions such as form submissions, phone calls or completed purchases, depending on your goals. Analysing this data, allows you to optimise campaigns, adjust bids, and scale the ads that actually bring results. Without conversion tracking, you are literally flying blind. For example, you might see clicks coming in, but you have no visibility on whether those clicks are turning in to real leads or sales.
14. What ad extensions should I use?
To make your ads more engaging, ad extensions are a must. Most businesses will benefit from using a combination of these features:
– Sitelinks: let you add direct links to key pages like your services or contact page, guiding customers straight to the information they need.
– Callouts: perfect for highlighting unique selling points such as ‘free estimates’, or ‘24/7 support’, helping you to stand out from competitors.
– Structured snippers: you can display your product or service categories, giving searchers a quick snapshot of what you offer.
– Call extensions: make it simple for customers to get in touch by adding your phone number directly into the ad.
15. How do I target local customers using Google Ads?
If you are trying to attract more local customers, start by setting up location targeting so your ads only show in the towns, cities or postcodes you actually cover. This prevents wasted spend on clicks from people outside your reach.
You should also use location-specific keywords such as ‘plumber in Manchester’ or ‘electrician in Stockport’ to ensure your ads appear for high-intent local searches.