Where search ads sit in your lead flow
Search ads are the first step. Someone searches, sees your ad, clicks, and lands on a page with a form. What happens after the click matters as much as the ad itself, so search work usually touches two other pieces.
- The page and form people land on. A mismatch between ad and page is one of the most common problems in small accounts. See landing pages and forms.
- The tracking and follow-up behind the form, so a click can be tied to a real request in your CRM. See lead tracking and follow-up.
Search ads management covers the account itself: keywords, negatives, ads, bids, budgets and conversion actions in Google Ads or Microsoft Advertising.
A typical week in a managed search account
Early in the week, the manager opens the search terms report and reads what people actually typed. Irrelevant matches become negative keywords. Good terms that are not yet keywords get added, usually as phrase or exact match.
Midweek is for checking. Is each campaign spending roughly what was planned? Did conversions record yesterday, and does the count line up with the form submissions you received? Has Google pushed any new recommendations that would change settings if accepted?
Later in the week, ad copy gets attention. Assets marked as low performing are swapped out, and a new headline or description may go into a test. Bid strategy targets move only when there is enough data to justify it.
Each change goes into a log you can read.
What to ask about tracking and reports
Tracking decides what the account learns from, so it deserves a few direct questions.
Ask which events will be counted as conversions and which will be recorded but left out of bidding. Ask how they will test that a form submission shows up in Google Ads, and how they will notice if it stops. If you use a CRM such as HubSpot or Salesforce, ask whether they plan to import offline conversions or use enhanced conversions for leads, and what they need from you to do it.
For reports, ask to see a sample. A useful one says what changed, why, and what is being watched next. Columns of figures with no notes are harder to act on. Also ask whether you can open the account's change history yourself.
Questions about search ads management
What are negative keywords?
Negative keywords stop your ads showing for searches you do not want, such as job searches, training courses or services you do not offer. They are added from the search terms report, which lists the real queries behind your clicks. Most managed accounts add to the negative list every week.
Should Google's automatic recommendations be switched on?
Many managers turn off auto-apply and look at each recommendation by hand. Some are useful, such as fixing a missing asset. Others widen targeting or raise budgets. Ask your provider how they handle them, and check the change history now and then to see what was applied.
Does sending the form commit me to anything?
No. Your request is passed to a service partner who does the work. They will ask about your accounts, services and budget, then agree scope and quote you directly. Nothing is agreed until you accept their terms. See how it works for the steps.
Send your request with a work email and a few notes about the campaigns you have in mind.
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Social ads management
Ongoing campaign upkeep: new creative, audience tests, budget pacing and lead form syncing to your CRM.
Landing pages and forms
Single-purpose pages for your ads, with a clear offer, a short form, consent text and conversion tracking set up together.
Follow-up setup
Alerts, tasks and simple follow-up sequences in your CRM, so new inquiries are answered by the right person.