How to Run Google Ads That Actually Bring In Leads (Not Just Clicks)

How to Run Google Ads That Actually Bring In Leads (Not Just Clicks)

Running Google Ads is easy. Running them profitably? That’s where most businesses get stuck.

If you’ve ever boosted a post, set up a Smart Campaign, or watched your ad spend climb without seeing results — this article is for you. At our agency, we’ve rebuilt dozens of underperforming accounts and helped businesses finally see a return from their ads. Here’s what actually works.

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1. Start With Your Offer, Not Your Keyword

Before we write a single ad or pick a keyword, we ask:
❓ “What are we offering — and why should someone click today?”

Most agencies focus on keywords first. We flip that. A good offer outperforms good targeting every time. That could be:

• A limited-time discount
• A quote in under 60 seconds
• A service page optimised for one specific job type

Once we’ve nailed the offer, we reverse-engineer the keywords and structure to match.

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2. Structure Your Campaign Around Your Products or Services

One of the biggest mistakes we see? Everything dumped into one campaign.
When you sell multiple services or product categories, you need dedicated campaigns or ad groups for each.

For example:

• Campaign 1: “Blocked Drains” keywords with ads that speak to urgency
• Campaign 2: “New Bathroom Plumbing” keywords with ads that speak to quality and trust

This makes your ads more relevant — and Google rewards you with lower cost-per-clicks.

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3. Don’t Just Send Traffic to Your Homepage

Clicking an ad and landing on a generic homepage is like asking for directions and getting a phone book.

Every ad should lead to a page that’s:

• Fast-loading and mobile-friendly
• Headline-matched to the search intent
• Laser-focused on one CTA (call now, book online, get a quote)

Landing pages are where most of your conversion wins happen.

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4. Track Everything or Waste Everything

Without tracking, you’re flying blind. We install:

• Google Analytics and enhanced conversion tracking
• Call tracking to measure phone leads
• Lead form tracking that maps which ad drove which enquiry

This lets us scale what’s working — and cut what’s not.

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5. Maintain, Test, and Refine Weekly

A Google Ads account is not a “set and forget” tool. Left alone, it’ll burn cash.

We review accounts weekly to:

• Remove underperforming keywords
• A/B test new headlines and descriptions
• Adjust bids based on what’s converting best
• Allocate more budget to proven performers

That’s how we improve results month after month.

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Final Thoughts

Google Ads can be the most profitable channel in your marketing toolkit — or your biggest source of wasted spend. The difference? Strategy, structure, and active management.

If your account isn’t performing, we’re happy to take a look and show you what’s missing.

→ [Book a Free Ads Audit]
→ [See Our Results for Trades & Shopify Stores]