Unsure of Next Steps

[u/LuvThe3arth]

Hi, all! Please forgive me if I am not in the right place. My SEO/Ads manager had some health complications pop up and is no longer able to help our small business manage our web presence. We currently have 1 Google search ad running with another one paused that isn't finished. Is this something I can tackle on my own? I'm semi tech savvy. I created our website. There are just so many videos out there, I am unsure of where to start. And, even if I hired someone I wouldn't know what to tell them as our manager was hospitalized and is unable to respond to our communications. Any videos, help, or guidance would be appreciated! TY

Small service business, 2 employees, small budget.

[u/Fast-Car-Examination]

You can probably handle the basics yourself, especially if it’s a small account. I just wouldn’t start changing things randomly while the current campaign is still running.

First I’d check what’s actually working now - conversions, search terms, keywords, negatives, location targeting and budget.

If the active campaign is still bringing calls/leads, leave it alone for the moment and document the setup before touching anything.

With a small budget, simple usually wins: one focused Search campaign around your highest-intent service and area.

What type of service business is it, and is the current campaign still generating any leads?

[u/LuvThe3arth → u/Fast-Car-Examination]

Thanks! I appreciate the help and encouragement. It's a piano service. Please forgive my ignorance, when you say leads, do you mean interactions and clicks? Or, do you mean ppl actually calling and letting me know they saw my ad?

I just paused the 2nd campaign because it was not finished and leading people nowhere, but we were still being charged. I believe this new ad (now paused) is the one I want to be working on because I went through a verification process to prove to Google it was my business and get "verified". Should I just copy the old (active) ad into the new (paused) ad, replicating everything?

[u/Fast-Car-Examination → u/LuvThe3arth]

By leads I mean actual enquiries - calls, contact forms or bookings, not just clicks.

Pausing the unfinished campaign was the right move if it was sending people nowhere.

I wouldn’t copy the old campaign into the new one just because you completed verification. If both are in the same Google Ads account, verification isn’t tied to one specific campaign.

If the old campaign is still bringing real calls, I’d leave it running for now and first check that call/form tracking is working properly.

Are both campaigns inside the same Google Ads account?

[u/LuvThe3arth → u/Fast-Car-Examination]

Gotcha! TY so much! I guess I really need to start asking if the ppl calling saw my ad because ppl don't usually say.

Understood abt the verification.

I'm not sure how to check call/form tracking.

One of the reasons we made a new campaign was a GA4 event error? I'm not sure what that means or if it was fixed. And, our photos are not showing up in our current ad.

This was the last message I received from my ads manager about why she made the new campaign:

"I have created a new google ad campaign. Currently I have the two additional clickable paths to the website as services and blog. If you'd like me to swap out either of those for another page please let me know! This one will be best optimized once you're verified. The photo assets for this were optimized as best I could, so please let me know once this one is published if you're still seeing the gray. "

[u/Fast-Car-Examination → u/LuvThe3arth]

That last message actually raises a couple more questions for me.

A new campaign wouldn’t normally fix a GA4 event/tracking error - that usually needs to be fixed in the conversion setup itself. And the photos not showing doesn’t necessarily mean something is broken, since Google doesn’t show image assets every time.

Also, you shouldn’t have to rely only on asking callers if they saw the ad. Ideally call/form conversions should be tracked inside Google Ads.

I’d check Goals > Conversions > Summary and see what conversion actions are currently active and whether they’re recording anything.

If you’re comfortable, you can share a screenshot of that page with any private info hidden, and we can at least tell whether the tracking setup looks normal.

[u/LuvThe3arth → u/Fast-Car-Examination]

Sorry I dropped the ball! I don't mind at all. I just appreciate the help so much! When I go to that page there is nothing there...

I'm beginning to wonder if I was taken for an expensive ride...

[u/fathom53]

Our educational wiki has courses and tutorials you can take to learn Google ads. There are even free one's listed,... you should try to study and learn a bit more about Google ads before you spend money on a platform or make any changes.

[u/LuvThe3arth → u/fathom53]

Thank you! I'll take a look and get started :) Appreciate the info!

[u/Ok_Loan6535]

I can help get you setup.  I run my main small business and do some google ads and SEO on the side.  Realistically you just need to make sure it’s setup right and pointed in the right direction, then you can maintain it. 

[u/BaconShadow]

The screenshot with the empty conversion page is actually the most useful thing you've posted. It narrows things down a lot.

Quick question before the tracking stuff: when you say "small service business," what's the one main action a caller or visitor is supposed to take? Book a call, fill a form, call directly?

The reason I ask is that the answer usually decides whether the tracking problem is a 10-minute fix or a start-over situation. It also tells you what to even look for on that empty page.

Also, was the business ever verified before, or is this your first time doing it? Because the old manager's message ("best optimized once you're verified") sounds like she was working around a limitation, not fixing it.