PPC is one of the most misused tools in SME marketing.
In episode six of Raising The Bar, Mel Strutt and Mon break down the fundamentals of paid search and call out the tactics that drain budgets without delivering real leads.
From understanding what counts as a conversion to why you shouldn’t be bidding on your own name, they cover everything business owners need to know to make Google Ads work for them. If you’re spending on PPC and don’t know exactly what you’re getting for it, this is required listening.
Takeaways:
- Branded search is often a waste. If you already rank number one for your business name, don’t pay to show up there too.
- Only pay for traffic that brings in new, high-intent leads. Focus on geographic or service-based key terms.
- Don’t Google your own ads. It confuses the algorithm and costs you money.
- Being number one all the time is inefficient. Smart bidding focuses on lead quality, not just position.
- MQLs matter. Ask your agency for real lead data like names, inquiries, and the channel they came through.
- Conversions should mean form fills or phone calls. Not page visits. Not clicks to your contact page.
- Exclude irrelevant clicks. That includes job seekers, cold callers, and existing clients trying to cancel appointments.
- PPC is not a set-and-forget strategy. It takes at least three months to refine and improve.
- Google’s advice will push you to spend more. Your agency should be focused on getting you more qualified leads for less.
- Track return by calculating the total cost of acquisition. Include ad spend and management fees, then compare that to actual revenue earned.
