Creative thinking. Measurable growth.
1. Review your search terms weekly
Open the search terms report and look at what people actually typed. Add irrelevant searches as negative keywords so you stop paying for them.
2. Build a negative keyword list
Start with obvious exclusions such as 'free', 'jobs', 'salary' and 'course', then add industry-specific terms you never want to show for.
3. Fix conversion tracking
If Google can't see which clicks become calls, forms or bookings, it can't optimise. Track genuine lead actions and review whether page views should be secondary rather than primary conversion goals.
4. Check your location settings
Set targeting to people located in your area, not people 'interested in' it. Review whether presence-based targeting matches the locations you actually serve.
5. Send traffic to a focused landing page
Test a page built for one service and one clear call to action against your current destination. Compare enquiry quality and cost per lead.
6. Schedule ads for when you can answer
If calls go unanswered at night, pause call-focused ads outside business hours or switch them to form leads.
