Google Ads for Small Business: What Actually Works (And What Doesn't)
Most small businesses set up Google Ads the way Google tells them to: Smart Campaigns, broad match, automated bidding, traffic to the homepage. Google’s defaults optimize for Google’s revenue — more clicks, more spend, more auction volume. Your CPA is Google’s externality.
This guide covers the system we use instead. Manual bids, exact match, aggressive negatives, purpose-built landing pages, and real tracking. Same customers, fraction of the cost. Each section below links to the full deep-dive, and this page is updated as we publish new material.
Bidding Strategies
Google wants you on Smart Bidding. It optimizes for their revenue, not yours. Manual CPC gives you the ceiling — we've seen accounts drop from $71/lead to $2.72 just by switching.
Google Ads Bidding Strategies: Why We Only Use Manual CPCKeyword Match Types
Broad match bleeds budget into irrelevant searches. Exact match means you only pay for the intent you chose. The industry says 'go broad with Smart Bidding.' We say stay exact, control every click.
Exact Match vs Broad Match vs Phrase Match: The Case for Staying ExactNegative Keywords
We build 200+ negatives per account and review search terms weekly. Most accounts have 40-70% of their spend going to clicks that will never convert. Negatives cut that to near zero.
The Google Ads Negative Keywords List That Saves 40% of Your BudgetLanding Pages
Never send ad traffic to your homepage. Every keyword group gets a purpose-built page where the headline matches the search and there's one clear action to take.
Why Your Homepage Is Killing Your Google Ads ConversionsConversion Tracking
Every campaign ships with tracking from day one. Not impressions and click-through rates — a clear line from ad spend to customer. If you can't see what converted, you're guessing.
Google Ads Conversion Tracking: What to Track and How to Prove Your Ads WorkCost & Budgets
The question isn't how much to spend — it's how much you're wasting. A $500/month budget with the right system outperforms $5,000/month on Smart Campaigns.
Platform Comparisons
Google Ads is the best intent-capture platform for most businesses. But it's not the only option, and it's not always the right first step.
Yelp Advertising: Cost, Benefits & Whether It's Worth It for Your BusinessTroubleshooting
If your ads aren't working, the fix is almost never 'raise your budget.' It's structural: wrong match types, missing negatives, bad landing pages, or no tracking.
Your Google Ads Are Wasting 40-70% of Your Budget. Here's Where.Not sure if your campaigns are set up right?
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