Google Ads · ServiceBOFU
Google Search Ads that stop paying for the wrong queries
The short answer
Search advertising is the only channel where the customer tells you exactly what they want before you pay. Which makes wasted spend here especially unforgiving: every rupee spent on an irrelevant query is money spent against information you already had.
PMG runs Search with weekly negative keyword work, strict separation of brand and non-brand, conversion actions valued by real business worth, and ad copy tested against the query rather than against a brand guideline.
What good search account structure looks like
- Brand separated from non-brand — always. Blending them creates a flattering account ROAS that conceals non-brand failure.
- Campaigns grouped by intent and margin, not by an internal org chart
- Tight ad groups where the ad genuinely matches the query
- Negative keyword lists maintained at account and campaign level, reviewed weekly
- Landing pages matched to intent — never everything to the homepage
- Conversion values that distinguish a newsletter signup from a ₹2 lakh order
The weekly discipline
- Search terms report. Promote converting terms to exact match; negate irrelevant ones. This is where most savings live.
- Check impression share lost to budget on your best campaigns — being capped on your most profitable keyword is an expensive oversight.
- Review auction insights for new competitors and bid pressure.
- Test ad copy — one variable, enough volume to read, then iterate.
- Audit landing page relevance where conversion rate is below account average.
- Reconcile conversions against the CRM or store.
Match types, in practice
Broad match with smart bidding works when you have strong conversion signal and disciplined negatives. Without both, it's an expensive discovery exercise. Phrase and exact give control and predictability at the cost of reach. Most healthy Indian accounts run a mix: exact for proven converters, phrase for controlled expansion, broad only where conversion volume genuinely supports it.
Mistakes that waste search budget
- Broad match plus automated bidding with no negative keyword programme
- Brand and generic keywords in the same campaign
- Optimising to "conversions" where every event counts equally
- Sending all traffic to the homepage
- Ignoring impression share lost to budget on high-converting campaigns
- Bidding on competitor terms without checking whether they ever convert
Which search campaigns should an account have?
| Campaign | Keywords | Goal | Budget priority |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Your brand and product names | Protect your name cheaply | Low cost, always on |
| Core generic | "[service] in [city]", "[product] price" | Main acquisition | Highest |
| Problem-led | "how to fix…", "best way to…" | Earlier-stage demand | Test and scale selectively |
| Competitor | Competitor names | Win comparison shoppers | Controlled; clear differentiation |
| Remarketing lists for search | Past visitors searching again | Close returning prospects | Bid adjustments |
Writing search ads that convert
- Headline repeats the searcher's words and the core benefit
- Price, starting price or offer where it helps qualify
- Proof — rating, years, certifications — only where true
- Location and availability for local services
- Sitelinks to the most useful pages (pricing, services, contact)
- Callout and structured-snippet assets to add detail
- Call and message assets where phone or WhatsApp enquiries matter
Smart bidding: when it works and when it doesn't
| Bid strategy | Works when | Risk |
|---|---|---|
| Maximise clicks | Brand-new accounts gathering data | Cheap, irrelevant traffic |
| Maximise conversions | Reliable conversion tracking, enough volume | Optimises toward easiest conversions |
| Target CPA | Stable conversion volume and a sensible target | Too-low targets throttle volume |
| Target ROAS | eCommerce with accurate values | Needs consistent revenue data |
| Maximise conversion value | Value-based goals with offline or CRM values | Needs quality data |
Smart bidding is only as good as the conversions it learns from — see enhanced conversions and offline conversions.
Search Ads by business type
| Business | Campaign focus | Key metric |
|---|---|---|
| Local services | Service plus location terms, calls | Cost per booking |
| eCommerce | Brand, category and product terms | ROAS and new customers |
| B2B | Problem and solution terms | Cost per opportunity |
| Education | Course and exam terms | Cost per qualified enquiry |
| Healthcare | Treatment and specialist terms | Cost per appointment |
A worked example
A law firm bid on broad legal terms and attracted students and job-seekers. We rebuilt campaigns around specific practice areas and intent words such as "lawyer for" and "consultation", added extensive negatives, and tracked calls and consultations booked. Spend fell and consultations rose.
Tools we use
- Google Ads and Ads Editor
- Search-term and auction-insight reports
- Call tracking and offline conversions
- Landing-page testing tools
Before you launch Search
- Keyword themes mapped to landing pages
- Negative keyword lists
- Conversion tracking and call tracking
- Brand and non-brand separated
How a Google Search Ads engagement with PMG runs
- Audit (week 0–1). Accounts, analytics, tracking, website, CRM flow and competitors reviewed, with a written list of what's broken, what's wasted and the three moves we'd make first.
- Plan (week 1–2). Break-even ROAS or a target cost per lead, a measurement plan and a 90-day roadmap for Google Search Ads, with owners and dates.
- Launch (week 2–4). Clean structures, verified conversion signals, the first creative sprint and landing-page fixes.
- Optimise (months 2–3). A weekly test cadence, with budget following the cheapest incremental results rather than platform-reported ones.
- Scale (month 3 onwards). New channels, geographies and retention loops, added only when the economics hold.
Every week you get a one-page scorecard, a change log, the test board and a 30-minute call with your strategist. See how we work and pricing for details.
Why teams choose PMG for Google Search Ads
- Measurement first. Unit economics and clean tracking come before any increase in spend.
- You own everything. Ad accounts, data and creative stay in your name; ad spend goes straight to the platforms.
- Senior hands on the account. The strategist you speak to is the person running it.
- Weekly transparency. Scorecard, change log and test board — every week.
- Short minimum terms. We keep clients with results, not contracts.
- India and international. One Mumbai team running campaigns across Indian cities and overseas markets, Mon–Sat, 7am–9pm IST.
Where we run Google Search Ads
We manage Google Search Ads for businesses across India — including Mumbai, Delhi NCR, Bengaluru, Pune, Hyderabad, Chennai, Kolkata and Ahmedabad — and for companies in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Singapore and Germany. Campaigns are planned market by market, with language, currency, platform mix and privacy rules matched to each. See all Indian locations and international markets.
Free growth audit
Get a written audit for Google Search Ads.
No sales call required. Tell us where to look; a strategist replies within working hours and sends the written audit within 72 hours.
- Tracking check
- Pixels, Conversions API, GA4 events and offline conversions — what is firing, what is double-counted, what is missing.
- Wasted spend
- Search terms, placements, audiences and overlap that cost money without producing qualified leads or sales.
- Conversion path
- Landing page speed, message match, form friction and follow-up time — where interested people drop off.
- 90-day priorities
- The three changes we would make first, with the metric each one should move.
Frequently asked questions
How much do Google Search ads cost in India?
CPCs range from a few rupees to several hundred depending on category. Legal, insurance, education and B2B software sit at the expensive end. Judge on cost per acquisition against your affordable CAC.
Should we bid on our own brand name?
Usually yes, if competitors are bidding on it. It's cheap, converts well, and the alternative is letting a competitor buy the customer who searched for you. Just report it separately.
How long does it take to see results?
Search produces a readable signal faster than any other channel — typically one to three weeks.
What is a negative keyword?
A term that stops your ad showing for searches containing it — for example "free", "jobs" or "course" for a service business. Negative lists are built from real search-term data every week.
How many keywords should an ad group have?
Enough to share one intent and one landing page — often a handful. Tightly themed ad groups make ads and pages more relevant.
Can Google Search ads work for B2B?
Yes. Buyers search for solutions, suppliers and comparisons. Combine search with offline conversion imports so bidding favours qualified pipeline.
How many keywords should a search campaign have?
Enough to cover the intent in tight themes — with broad match and smart bidding, fewer, well-organised ad groups often work better than thousands of keywords.
How often do you review search terms?
At least weekly, adding negatives and new keywords.
How many ads per ad group?
A responsive search ad with strong assets, plus testing variations, is usually enough.
Should we use dynamic search ads?
They can find new queries on sites with good content, with careful negatives.
Is there a long contract?
No. Minimum terms are short, because we would rather keep clients with results than with contracts.
What do you need from us to start?
Access to ad accounts and analytics, your margins and order values (or deal values), brand assets, and a decision-maker available for a weekly 30-minute call.
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