When I review a Google Ads account, the same handful of changes come up again and again.

If your ads are running and you’d like more enquiries from the same budget, these are the 12 changes I’d look at first, each with the exact setting to change.

1. Start with Search, then add Performance Max with brand exclusions

Performance Max spreads a budget across Google’s channels from 1 campaign, and it does its best work once it has conversion history to learn from.

I start new accounts on Search campaigns, then add Performance Max once conversion tracking is proven and the account has history to feed it.

When you run it, open the campaign’s Settings, then Additional settings, then Brand exclusions, and add your own brand.

Google’s help page on brand exclusions says they apply to Performance Max’s Search, Shopping and YouTube search inventory, so that spend goes to people discovering your business.

My Google Ads management service follows this order for every new client.

2. Count real enquiries as your conversions

Google bids toward whatever you mark as a primary conversion, so the list under Goals, then Conversions shapes every bid in the account.

I count a form enquiry when the thank-you page loads after a successful submit, a call from an ad once it lasts 15 seconds, and a tap on the phone number, each set to count once per click.

Everything else, such as views of other pages or time on site, stays as a secondary action for reporting.

Before any budget goes live, I send a test enquiry and watch the conversion record.

3. Give every service its own landing page

Someone who searched “emergency plumber Glenelg” wants a page about emergency plumbing in their suburb, with the phone number in easy reach.

I build a landing page for each service I advertise, with the search term in the main heading, a phone number at the top, and trust signals like your ABN, your Google reviews and your years in business.

For Platinum Home Improvements, a roof restoration business, I built a new website and landing page from scratch and launched Google Ads, and they secured their first roof restoration 8 days later.

For help with local targeting, see my Adelaide Google Ads page.

4. Use exact and phrase match

Exact and phrase match keep your ads on searches you’ve chosen, such as “emergency plumber” and “blocked drain plumber”.

Broad match reaches further, into related searches Google chooses for you, so I build with exact match for the expensive terms and phrase match for the cheaper ones.

5. Build an account-level negative keyword list

An account-level negative list keeps every campaign on searches from people who could become customers.

Start with terms like “free”, “DIY”, “how to”, “jobs”, “careers”, “training” and “course”.

Then add new terms each week from the search terms report.

6. Read the search terms report each week

The search terms report shows exactly what people typed before they clicked your ad, and what each search cost.

Set aside 20 minutes a week, open Insights and reports, then Search terms, sort by cost and read the top 30.

Add the off-topic searches as negatives, and give your best converting searches their own exact match keyword in their own ad group.

7. Set location targeting to Presence

As of October 2026, Google’s location targeting help page lists Presence or interest as the default, describing it as reaching people “in, regularly in, or who’ve shown interest in your targeted locations”.

For a local service business I choose Presence, so your Adelaide ads reach people who are in Adelaide or there regularly.

You’ll find it under Settings, then Locations, then Location options, and Google’s exclusion setting already defaults to people in your excluded locations.

8. Group keywords into tight themes

Ads for “emergency plumber”, “blocked drain”, “hot water system repair” and “gas fitting quote” each need their own message.

Splitting by service lets each ad group carry a handful of close keywords with ads written for them.

For the main money keywords, I give each keyword its own ad group so the headline can repeat what the person typed.

9. Run 2 or more ads in each ad group

Running 2 or more responsive search ads in an ad group gives you a comparison, so you can see which message brings in more enquiries.

Test different angles, such as price, speed and trust, and give them at least 2 weeks of traffic before you choose a winner.

10. Pin a few headlines and let Google test the rest

As of October 2026, Google’s help page on Ad Strength says pinning “limits the system’s ability to test combinations”.

The same page says Ad Strength “isn’t used to calculate Ad Rank, Quality Score, or auction wins”, so I treat the rating as a guide to giving Google enough variety.

I keep pinning to 3 headlines in position 1 (the keyword, the keyword with the city, and the trade with the city) and leave the rest unpinned.

11. Add every asset that fits your business

Assets give your ad more detail, more space on the page and more ways for people to get in touch.

Sitelinks. As of October 2026, Google’s help page on sitelink assets recommends at least 6 with descriptions for high-volume ad groups and campaigns.
Callouts. Use them for things like your licence, warranties and payment options.
Structured snippets. List the services you offer.
Call asset. Link it to your business number.
Location asset. Link it to your Google Business Profile.
Price and image assets. Add them where they suit your business.

12. Set your budget from your own numbers

Your average job value, your close rate and the cost per enquiry you can afford tell you what a sensible monthly budget looks like.

The Google Ads calculator works backwards from those numbers to a target cost per conversion and a monthly budget.

For a deeper look at pricing and what to expect, read my Google Ads cost page.

How Google Ads and SEO fit together

Google Ads and SEO are different tools with different timelines, and they work well side by side.

I wrote a full breakdown in Google Ads vs SEO: which to run first, and the short version is Ads for enquiries now and SEO for traffic that keeps building.

Most of my clients start with 1 and add the other once it’s working.

What a well-run account looks like

A well-run Google Ads account for a local service business has:

Search campaigns themed by service, each with its own landing page
Bidding matched to its conversion history, starting on Maximise Clicks with a cost-per-click ceiling
An account-level negative keyword list built from your own search terms
Tight ad groups, with the main keywords in ad groups of their own
At least 2 responsive search ads in each ad group, with enough headlines for Google to test
Sitelinks, callouts, call assets and location assets in place
Location targeting set to Presence
Search partners and the Display Network switched off on Search campaigns
Search terms reviewed every week
A cost per conversion that sits close to your target

Get a free review of your account

Work through these 12 changes and note which ones apply to your account.

If you’d like a second opinion, send me your Customer ID for a free written account review, and I’ll list the changes I’d make in the order that pays back first.

You can also book a free 30-minute strategy call or call me directly on 0403 454 199.

My Google Ads management is $800+GST a month, month to month, with no setup fees, and you pay Google directly for your clicks.

12 Google Ads Changes That Make Your Budget Go Further in 2027