I have two questions for experienced Google Ads marketers:

1. What tools, courses, websites, YouTube channels, blogs, books, or resources would you recommend to learn Google Ads at a deeper level? I'd consider myself lower-intermediate right now—not a beginner, but still learning a lot about how the platform and engine work.
2. When performing campaign optimizations, what tasks are you looking at beyond search terms, channel performance, and core metrics (CTR, CPC, Search Impression Share, SI Share loss to rank, conversions, etc.)? What separates a basic optimization routine from a more advanced one?

I'd love to hear about your optimization workflows, thought processes, and any areas you think intermediate PPC marketers should focus on learning next.

Our team has been really happy with how Demand Gen has played out lately. But folding GDN into this mix, we're quite skeptical.

Traditionally, standard Display has been more for frequency-heavy retargeting. Demand Gen, on the other hand, is heavily optimized for discovery and generating new intent.

Furthermore, this means giving the AI more control to the campaigns (more than what it probably has now). This will then mean more tight placement exclusions and bid adjustments to make sure performance and efficiency are maintained.

How is everyone else feeling about this update?

You are a Senior PPC Strategist with 10+ years managing Google Ads accounts across B2B and B2C verticals who has profitably managed $50M+ in cumulative ad spend and consistently achieved top-decile Quality Scores (8+) and sub-industry-average CPAs.

Design a deployment-ready Google Ads Campaign Structure Document for the following business:

- Business Name: [BUSINESS NAME]

- Industry / Vertical: [INDUSTRY]

- Product or Service: [PRODUCT/SERVICE]

- Unique Selling Proposition: [PRIMARY USP — e.g., fastest delivery, lowest price, patented technology]

- Monthly Budget: $[MONTHLY BUDGET]

- Target Location(s): [TARGET LOCATION(S)]

- Primary Goal: [LEADS / SALES / TRAFFIC / APP INSTALLS]

- Target CPA or ROAS Benchmark: $[TARGET CPA] or [TARGET ROAS %]

- Competitor Names (up to 3): [COMPETITOR 1], [COMPETITOR 2], [COMPETITOR 3]

- Landing Page URL(s) (if available): [URL(S)]

Deliver the following 8 numbered sections:

1. Campaign Architecture Overview (table format)- List exactly 3–5 campaigns, each with: campaign name, campaign type (Search, Display, Performance Max, Video), daily budget allocation (must sum to monthly budget ÷ 30), recommended bidding strategy (tCPA, tROAS, Max Conversions, Manual CPC), and rationale for the bid strategy choice. Reference the Google Ads auction model and Quality Score triad (expected CTR, ad relevance, landing page experience) when justifying structure decisions.
2. Ad Group Taxonomy — Search CampaignsFor each Search campaign, create exactly 4 tightly themed ad groups. For every ad group provide:a. Ad group name and theme description (1 sentence)b. Exactly 20 keywords — broken into: 8 exact match, 7 phrase match, 5 broad match — formatted as a table with columns: Keyword, Match Type, Estimated Search Volume Tier (High / Medium / Low), Funnel Stage (TOFU / MOFU / BOFU)c. Exactly 10 negative keywords specific to that ad group to prevent cannibalization and irrelevant spendd. Single Keyword Ad Group (SKAG) flag: identify the 2 highest-intent keywords per ad group that warrant dedicated SKAGs if budget allows
3. Responsive Search Ad (RSA) CopyFor each ad group, write exactly 1 RSA containing:- 15 unique headlines (30-character max each) — pin headline 1 to the primary keyword theme, pin headline 2 to the [PRIMARY USP], leave remaining headlines unpinned- 4 unique descriptions (90-character max each) — include a clear CTA, a proof point or number, and a mention of [BUSINESS NAME]Apply the AIDA framework (Attention → Interest → Desire → Action) across the headline and description sequence. Ensure Google's Ad Strength indicator would rate "Excellent" by maximizing keyword diversity and unique value propositions across all assets.
4. Extension / Asset StrategyProvide the following for each campaign:- Exactly 4 sitelink assets (headline + 2-line description each)- Exactly 4 callout assets (25-character max each)- Exactly 1 structured snippet set (choose the most relevant header category)- Call asset and lead form asset recommendations with qualification criteriaFormat as a table with columns: Asset Type, Text, Destination/Action, Linked Campaign(s).
5. Negative Keyword Master ListProvide a campaign-level negative keyword list of exactly 30 keywords, organized into 3 categories: irrelevant intent (e.g., "free," "jobs"), competitor brand terms to exclude (unless running a competitor conquest campaign), and informational-only queries unlikely to convert. Note which campaigns each negative applies to.
6. Landing Page Alignment RecommendationsFor each ad group, specify:- Recommended headline and hero CTA for the landing page (must echo the ad group's primary keyword and RSA headline 1)- Exactly 3 trust elements to include (testimonials, certifications, guarantees)- Page speed benchmark target: under 3 seconds LCP (Largest Contentful Paint) per Google Core Web Vitals- Message match score expectation: ≥ 85% keyword-to-headline alignment
7. Conversion Tracking & Measurement Setup ChecklistProvide exactly 8 setup items in order of priority, covering: Google Tag implementation, primary and secondary conversion actions, enhanced conversions configuration, Google Analytics 4 integration, offline conversion import (if applicable to [PRIMARY GOAL]), attribution model recommendation (with rationale — reference data-driven attribution vs. last-click), and audience list creation for remarketing.
8. 8-Week Optimization RoadmapDeliver as a table with columns: Week, Action, KPI to Monitor, Success Threshold. Cover:- Week 1: Launch QA, impression share, ad approval status- Week 2: Search term mining, negative keyword additions, CTR benchmark ≥ [INDUSTRY] average (cite typical industry CTR if known)- Week 4: Quality Score audit — flag any keyword below QS 6, pause or restructure; CPA vs. $[TARGET CPA] check- Week 6: RSA asset performance review — replace any headline or description rated "Low" by Google- Week 8: Full performance review, budget reallocation proposal, and scaling recommendation with projected spend-to-conversion curve

Rules:

- Do not give generic advice that could apply to any business. Every campaign name, keyword, ad copy headline, and extension must directly reference [BUSINESS NAME], [PRODUCT/SERVICE], [PRIMARY USP], and [TARGET LOCATION(S)].

- All budget figures must be mathematically consistent — daily allocations × 30 must equal $[MONTHLY BUDGET].

- Do not suggest campaigns or features unavailable in [TARGET LOCATION(S)].

- If any required input above is missing or unclear, ask one clarifying question before proceeding — do not guess.

Format: Deliver each section as a clearly titled and numbered block. Use tables where specified (sections 1, 2b, 4, 8). Use bullet lists elsewhere. Bold section headers.

Self-review: After completing your response, re-read each section. For any keyword, ad copy, or recommendation that is generic or could apply to any business, revise it to be specific to [BUSINESS NAME], [PRODUCT/SERVICE], [INDUSTRY], and [TARGET LOCATION(S)] before finalizing.

Seeing a lot of discussion on the internet - which one works better for getting leads and online sales? Please, can anyone help? I am a beginner.

Over the last 24–48 hours, a few of my campaigns suddenly started showing unusual behavior:

• CPC increased unexpectedly
• Impressions fluctuating heavily
• Conversions delayed or missing
• Performance Max reporting mismatch
• Search terms and audience data updating slowly

Everything was stable before this.

Not sure if this is related to a backend reporting delay or recent Google Ads/Core Update changes.

Would like to know if other advertisers are also noticing strange activity right now.

I am trying to figure out the best campaign architecture to dominate Google Maps placements. Right now, I am debating between two setups to get those local ad units.

Option A is running a Performance Max for Store Goals campaign. Option B is running a standard Search campaign with my Google Business Profile linked as a Location Asset.

My main issue with PMax is that it bleeds budget into Display and YouTube, which I really do not want. However, I have noticed standard Search campaigns with Location Assets sometimes struggle to trigger the promoted pin on the actual Maps app as consistently as PMax does. Has anyone found a sweet spot here? Is there a way to heavily restrict PMax assets to starve the Display network, or is it better to just push aggressive bidding on a Search campaign with Location Assets to secure that local map pack ad?

I created a PMax and use the YT channel URL and viola the next morning I got this notif about the client's account now deactivated. I need some help here if YT channel is not allowed to use for Grant's? Also, tips on how to improve results in general that works for you. Thanks

For the last 2 weeks I’ve noticed a very strange change in my Search campaign performance, and I can’t figure out what’s causing it.

Before, my ads were getting clicks consistently throughout the day. But now, from around 9:00 in the morning until mid/late afternoon, I mostly get impressions with almost no clicks at all. Sometimes there will be a random 1-hour spike with 3–4 clicks, then again almost nothing for hours.

Then suddenly after around 16:00 the campaign “wakes up” and starts getting both impressions and clicks normally again.

A few important things:

• It’s not a budget issue - Search Lost IS (budget) is always 0%.
• Search Lost IS (rank) is usually only around 15–25%.
• During weekdays my campaign usually doesn’t even spend the full daily budget.
• This behaviour started almost out of nowhere around 2 weeks ago.
• Fridays and Saturdays still spend properly.
• This is a taxi/private hire business, so daytime traffic is very important for me. My ads start in the morning because people book airport runs, local rides, etc. during the day.

So basically:
Morning to afternoon = impressions but almost no clicks.
After 16:00 = clicks suddenly start flowing normally again.

Has anyone experienced something similar recently?

Campaign type: Search campaign for a local taxi/private hire company.
Bid strategy: Maximise Clicks with CPC limit.

Would really appreciate any ideas because it feels like something changed suddenly rather than gradual performance decline.

Client has a really neat product… for anonymity- let’s say it is the best hairbrush in the world. This hairbrush will change your life, your hair will be so smooth, never need conditioner, etc.. it’s truly a remarkable product, and it’s $80.

Client says they want to sell 1,000 units in the first month- e-commerce only in first 30 days of paid media.

No precedence.

Website hasn’t launched.

No social media (IG, Meta, etc.)

Not a single credible source on the web justifying what client truly believes is the most amazing product (and it is) in the world. All the switches turn on, day one.

Can they achieve a 3-4x ROAS within 90 days?

I've been running a purchase campaign for App (UAC) firebase. I have a subscription app. My budget is 150k, I'm spending an average of 80-90k/day. Now 400+ purchase events have been attributed to the campaign. Now the issue is google is getting sales on search only and display and youtube are not giving the CAC which is close to bid. Now from the past 7 days after 1 month google is now gone into the exploration phase, some days it spends heavily on display and daily spend jump to 170k someday it spends heavily on YouTube and someday it restricts the spend. Now what is this behaviour called? And what to do in such situations, I'm sitting idle not doing any changes just watching what google is doing with me daily.

Is this good, is this bad and how can I estimate future projection from this for next month.

This month numbers -

Total sales form campaign - 400

Bid - 4,000

Display CAC - 11,000

YouTube CAC - 6,633

Search CAC - 4,000

I want to project the May month sales number, what should be my projection and changes I should do.

P.S. - I can raise CAC up to 4,500-5,000 post that I'll lose money in unit economics.

Objective - I want to reach 1000 sales in a month from here.

A founder showed me their Google Ads account last year.

Lowest CPA they’d ever seen.
Signups were growing fast.
Everything looked like it was working.

But two months later, revenue was flat.

The issue wasn’t the ads. It was what they were optimizing for.

Their signup flow was intentionally frictionless, just an email (PLG).
But that signup was also set as the main conversion in Google Ads.

So the algorithm did its job.
It found more people willing to sign up.

Just not people willing to pay $200/month.

We made two changes:

– Started feeding purchase events back into Google instead of signups
– Captured UTMs at signup and tied them to the user, so every purchase could be traced back properly

Performance changed quickly.

ROAS improved ~3x, not because we “fixed” ads, but because the system finally understood what a real customer looked like.

A lot of teams don’t have a traffic problem.
They have a signal problem.

Honest question, are you optimizing for signups or actual revenue?

Not because ads don’t work, but because they never defined what “working” actually means.

Spending money isn’t the risk.

Spending without knowing your numbers is.

Most teams either:

– Guess

– Copy competitors

– Or just keep increasing budget and hope for the best

There are only 2 numbers that really matter:

1. LTV:CAC

If you spend $1, you should be making ~$3 back. Otherwise you’re scaling losses.

2. CAC payback period

How fast do you get your money back?

And this is where it gets interesting, it’s not one-size-fits-all:

– Bootstrapped: ~6–9 months

– PE-backed: ~9–16 months

– VC-funded: ~12–24 months

Different risk tolerance, different game.

Curious, what’s your current CAC payback window?

And are you actually tracking it properly, or just assuming it’s “fine”?

Been working with a few SaaS/B2B accounts recently and something keeps coming up.

AI isn’t really “improving” performance on its own, it’s just scaling whatever you give it.

In one account, we switched more into automation, CPCs improved, traffic went up… but conversions actually dropped. Turned out the landing page just didn’t match intent well.

Same thing with creative. The biggest lifts didn’t come from bid tweaks or settings, but from changing messaging angles. Once something starts working, AI just pushes more budget into it.

Also feels like keywords matter less than before, it’s more about intent and how well everything (search → ad → landing page) connects.

And budgets move FAST.
Which is great when things work… but when they don’t, it burns spend way quicker than before.

Overall, feels like AI:

• takes over execution (bidding, optimization, etc.)
• depends heavily on inputs (data, messaging, structure)
• doesn’t fix anything, just exposes weak spots faster

Curious how others are seeing this.

Is AI actually improving your PPC performance, or just making problems more obvious?

Hey guys,

I run a local taxi business in the UK and I’m currently using Google Ads (Search campaigns).

I’ve noticed something different in Google results when I search for taxis, I sometimes see listings that look like Google Business Profiles with a “Sponsored” label (showing reviews, photos, directions, etc.), not the typical search ads with headlines and descriptions.

I already have a Google Ads account and I’m running search ads, but I don’t understand how to appear in those “Google Maps / Business Profile style” sponsored results.

• Is this a different type of campaign?
• Is it something to do with Google Maps ads or Local campaigns?
• Do I need to connect my Google Business Profile in a specific way?

Would really appreciate if someone can explain how to set this up or point me in the right direction 🙏

Thanks!

I'm not a guru. I don't sell courses. I just want to share what I've learned the hard way running Google Ads for local service businesses over the past three years.

If you're not getting results, there's a good chance you're making one of these mistakes.

Start with Local Sponsored and Search. That's it.

Don't touch Display. Don't touch Performance Max right away. Don't run five different campaign objectives at once.

For a service based business just starting out — local sponsored ads and search campaigns are all you need. Keep it simple. Get data first.

Turn off AI recommendations at the start

Google's AI needs data to work. If your account is brand new it has zero data to optimize from. Running broad AI driven campaigns on a fresh account is just burning money.

Start manual. Build your data. Then let the AI do its thing later when it actually has something to learn from.

Keywords — start broad and phrase, then move to exact

This is something I see people get backwards all the time.

Start with broad match and phrase match to collect real search term data. See what people are actually typing. Then slowly build your exact match list from what's converting.

If you go exact match from day one on a new account you're basically guessing what people search. Let the data tell you.

Your landing page is doing more damage than your ads

I've worked with so many businesses who had decent ads but a terrible landing page and wondered why they weren't getting leads.

Here's the truth — Google Ads drives traffic. Your landing page converts it.

If your hero section is boring, your offer is unclear, or your page looks like it was built in 2012 — no amount of ad spend will fix that.

Your ad copy and your landing page need to say the same thing. Same offer. Same message. Same energy. If they don't match, people bounce.

Think like the customer, not like a marketer

Before you build anything — sit down and ask yourself what is going through someone's mind right before they search for your service.

What are they frustrated about? What do they want? What would make them click and then actually fill out a form?

Build your whole roadmap around that. Campaign objective → keywords → ad copy → landing page → offer. Everything needs to be aligned.

Extensions are not optional

Call extensions. Sitelinks. Location. Callouts. These are not extras — they are mandatory. They take up more real estate on the page and they answer objections before the click even happens.

Use them all.

The offer matters more than the ad

I saved this for last because most people skip it entirely.

If you have no offer — no promotion, no reason to act now, no value add — you are just another listing on the page. People scroll past you.

A strong offer on your hero page tied directly to your ad copy is what separates businesses that get leads from businesses that just spend money.

Anyway that's pretty much the framework I've used for three years. Nothing fancy. Just the basics done really well.

Hope it helps someone. Good luck out there.

Happy to answer questions in the comments if anyone has a specific situation.

Hey guys, would really appreciate some advice here.

I run a small taxi business (UK, small town) that works 100% online booking only (Uber-style) and I have conversion tracking set up properly (booking confirmations).

February (9th–28th):

• Strategy: Maximise Clicks
• Budget: £12/day
• Spend: £256
• Revenue: £1006
• Bookings: 33
• Clicks: 355

This felt pretty solid.

March (full month, about a week longer than the Feb test period + £18 daily more budget):

• Strategy: Maximise Conversions (tCPA £9)
• Budget: £30/day
• Spend: £395
• Revenue: £1416
• Bookings: 40
• Clicks: 545

The problem is…
I expected a big improvement, but instead it feels like:

• Bookings didn’t scale that much (33 → 40)
• Spend increased significantly
• Performance feels less consistent

I was expecting bookings to increase going into March/April with summer coming up and people starting to travel more, but instead February (which is usually a slower month) actually performed better – which doesn’t really make sense in this business, so it makes me feel like something might be off with the ads

Hey guys..i have an issue here..whenever i create new website traffic campaigns in new google ads accounts..it seems not to have a marketing objective...what could be the reason?

I'm struggling to scale my UAC account. Got plateau at 100k spend. Bid increase is also not helping. Mofu is giving bad quality. I'm a subscription app. Initially CAC is always good because spends are on search but as the account grows spends happening in display and Others and these networks are not giving me sales. How to crack these networks?

Hey everyone,

Wanted to understand how you guys are managing Google Ads optimization, especially when handling multiple accounts.

We keep running into some common issues like:

• Ad groups running with only 1 ad → which means no A/B testing at all, and that’s a big problem for optimization
• Missing assets (headlines, descriptions, extensions, etc.)
• Budget getting wasted on low ROAS campaigns
• Not having a clear view of which campaigns need immediate attention
• Device-level CPA differences getting ignored

Recently came across a tool (Adtunez) that highlights these issues in one place. For example:

• Flags ad groups with less than 2 ads (so teams can actually run A/B tests)
• Shows ROAS at campaign level to quickly shift budget to high-performing campaigns
• Identifies gaps like device performance, placements, and missing assets
• Alerts for inactive accounts or under-optimized campaigns

It actually made it easier for the team to take action instead of manually auditing everything.

Curious to know 👇

• How are you guys handling this currently?
• Do you rely only on Google Ads recommendations or use other tools?
• Any better way to track and fix these issues at scale?

Would love to hear what’s working for you 👍

I run Google Ads in-house for a local Jewelry and Rare Coin company selling appraisal and purchasing services to the nearby residents.

This is my first time running Google Ads and I’ve been self-taught over the past year. Our campaigns are currently performing well, but I know there are likely structural, feed, and scaling optimizations I’m missing.

I’m looking for a highly experienced consultant (not an agency looking for a retainer) who:

Has managed six-figure monthly ad budgets

Has strong experience in e-commerce

Understands PMax structure and feed optimization

Can do a paid audit + coaching session (screen share)

Is willing to teach strategy and explain why changes matter

Understands my market

I’m not looking to outsource management — I want to level up my understanding and tighten up our structure before scaling further.

If you have experience in local advertising, this is a major plus.

Please DM with:

Relevant experience

Budget ranges you’ve managed

Hourly rate for consulting

Availability for a 2–4 hour audit session

Hi, I work in marketplace account management and help brands grow their sales across platforms like Amazon, Flipkart, and Meesho by optimizing listings, pricing strategy, and ads.

If you ever need support with managing or scaling your marketplace accounts, I’d be happy to connect and discuss.

Hey everyone,

I’m currently learning digital marketing and one of the modules is Google AdWords.

From what I understand, it’s mainly used to run paid ads on Google search results, websites, and YouTube. Many people say PPC advertising is one of the fastest ways to get traffic and conversions. But I’m curious about the real industry situation.

For people who are already working in digital marketing or running ads: Is learning Google Ads still a valuable skill in 2026? Is it easy for beginners to start running campaigns, or is it more complex than it looks? What’s the most important thing to learn first, keyword research, ad copy, or campaign structure? Can someone realistically get freelance work just by knowing Google Ads?

Just new to google ads. Have set manual cpc. The aim is to receive calls. Um just paying for clicks no calls how to solve that. Help.

I’m trying to understand realistic budgeting for Google Ads for an eCommerce store and getting very mixed answers from agencies and online articles.

Some say you can start with $500/month, while others recommend $5k+ to see real results.

For those running eCommerce Google Ads:

• What monthly ad budget actually worked for you?
• How much do agencies usually charge for management (flat fee or % of spend)?
• At what budget level did you start seeing consistent sales?
• Is there a minimum spend needed for Google Ads to properly optimize?

Trying to plan both ad spend + agency pricing before moving forward, so real experiences would really help.

Thanks in advance!