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Straight-talking Google Ads advice. No fluff.

Practical guides for service businesses who want to get more from their ad spend.

More leads Wasted spend
5 mins read
Why broad match is the most expensive Google Ads mistake service businesses make
A resin installer paying for "how to lay a resin driveway." A fencing company appearing for the film Fences. A downsizing firm triggered by "swedish death cleaning." These businesses paid for every click. Here's why it keeps happening.
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Jan 2026
Better leads More leads
5 mins read
How to write search ads that actually convert.
Google gives you 15 headlines and asks you to let them mix and match freely. Don't. Here's how to structure an ad that attracts the right clicks, deters the wrong ones, and doesn't leave any of it to chance.
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Jun 2026
More leads Wasted spend
5 mins read
How Google got advertisers to trust all their default settings.
Your account looks healthy. Ad strength is good. Smart bidding is active. Everything is green. And somehow the leads still cost twice what they should. A look at whose interests Google's defaults actually serve.
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Jun 2026
Wasted spend
5 mins read
Smart bidding lets Google decide your bids. That should worry you more than it does.
Google sets your bids. Google, the company that makes more money every time you spend more. Here's what smart bidding actually does with that control — across three accounts, three industries, same pattern.
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Jun 2026
More leads Wasted spend
5 mins read
How to add negative keywords — the right way.
When you block a search term, Google's default is to block it in exact match. That sounds fine. It isn't. One extra word, one plural, one typo — and your ad shows again. Here's the fix.
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Jun 2026
More leads Better leads
3 mins read
What makes a good keyword for service businesses.
Every keyword could theoretically work — but some have a high conversion likelihood and some have a negligibly low one. The difference between "emergency plumber Sydney" and "plumber" isn't just specificity. It's intent.
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Jun 2026
More leads Wasted spend
5 mins read
How do I make my Google Ads more efficient?
Making Google Ads more efficient means paying only for clicks from people likely to become enquiries. Check five things, in this order: search terms, keywords, ad groups, ads, and conversion tracking.
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Oct 2026
Wasted spend
4 mins read
How do I make my cost per click (CPC) cheaper in Google Ads?
To pay less per click, improve your Quality Score. But before you try, check that cheaper clicks are really what you want — a relevant expensive click beats a cheap irrelevant one.
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Oct 2026
Better leads More leads
4 mins read
How do I increase my CTR (click-through rate) in Google Ads?
Don't chase a high CTR for its own sake. What you want is a high CTR from the right people — a high CTR from the wrong people just costs you money.
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Oct 2026
More leads Conversion tracking
5 mins read
How do I get more leads from Google Ads?
To get more leads, work through five things: set up tracking, add negative keywords, use exact match, write better ads, and check your landing page. Most accounts have at least two of these broken.
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Oct 2026
More leads
4 mins read
How do I predictably put more money into Google Ads and get leads back?
You can't, not reliably. Doubling your budget rarely doubles your leads. Here's what you can do instead to scale in a way that actually works.
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Oct 2026
Better leads
5 mins read
How do I know if someone knows what they're doing with Google Ads?
Choose someone who has results in a business like yours, explains things simply, gives you full access, and answers test questions the way an experienced manager would.
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Oct 2026
Better leads
4 mins read
Does ad strength matter in Google Ads? Pinned vs unpinned headlines
Mostly no. Ad strength is a rating Google gives your ad. Google says it doesn't directly affect where your ad ranks. Don't chase a good rating if it means a less relevant ad.
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Oct 2026
Wasted spend More leads
5 mins read
How do I reduce my client acquisition costs with Google Ads?
Stop paying for clicks that never become clients. Four things do most of the work: negative keywords, exact match, a call to action in headline 2, and proper conversion tracking.
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Oct 2026
Wasted spend More leads
4 mins read
Why is broad match a bad idea in Google Ads?
Broad match lets Google decide which searches trigger your ads — and Google's idea of "related" includes plenty of people who will never buy from you. Use exact match instead.
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Oct 2026
Better leads Wasted spend
4 mins read
How do I get more relevant clicks in Google Ads?
Make it obvious to the wrong people that your ad isn't for them, and obvious to the right people that it is. Specific keywords, direct ads, and negative keywords do most of the work.
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Oct 2026
Conversion tracking
4 mins read
What conversions should I track in Google Ads?
Track the actions that show someone is a real prospect — phone calls and form submissions. Give them the highest value so Google can learn what works.
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Oct 2026