But you say you’re snow good at writing winter puns? Don’t flurry. We’ve collected a wintery mix of snow puns, food puns, cold-weather puns, and more. Beyond a seasonable doubt, these brrr-illiant puns will have your followers igloo’d to their screens.

Let’s get this snow on the road!

Contents

• Best winter puns
• Winter puns for marketing
• Snow puns
• Winter weather puns
• Cute winter puns
• Winter puns for sports
• Winter-pun-jokes
• Food winter puns
• AI winter puns
• Winter holiday puns
• Cozy winter puns

Best winter puns

Let’s put our best puns forward here. This cream of the comical crop is ready to dole out on any seasonal content that could use a little whimsy in your winter slogan.

• I’m feeling winterful.
• Oh, icy what you did there.
• Let’s coldly go where snowman has gone before.
• After Christmas, I’m another day colder and deeper in debt.
• It’s easy freezy!
• Once mitten, ice shy.
• Are you surfing the winternet?
• Don’t give me the cold shoulder. I’m just punning with you.
• I’m chillin’ with my snowmies!
• Don’t be snow dramatic!
• This sleet-uation has me feeling snow-verwhelmed.
• I call ‘em like icy ‘em.
• Strike a froze!
• You’re one in a melting!

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Winter puns for marketing

Winter marketing can be tough. There’s lots of competition for attention during the holidays, and then many people hibernate until spring. Give your email or social media snow-motions a little lift with these punderful plays on winter words.

• Check out these thaw-dropping discounts!
• The weather’s nasty outside, but we’ll keep going so there are no winteruptions to our service.
• Enjoy the wintertainment.
• We ship winternationally.
• How about a little winteractive game?
• Feeling frost-rated? Snowverhwlemed? We can help!
• Flurry up…it’s frost come, frost served. 
• Can’t find [product]? May we wintervene?
• Sorry for the delay; there was some winter-ference.
• Can we winter-est you in a great deal?
• We’ve slushed prices. It’s the best deal, brrr none!
• Don’t be ice-olated this winter. Come join us for a [class, meal, etc.]
• Our savings are snowballing (use for a progressive sale)
• Calling an emergency snowboard meeting.

Snow puns

There’s no business like snow business! And in winter, business is good. Don’t flake out and drift off. Bank these puns for your next winter-themed message.

• Snow isn’t warm. That’s flake news!
• We’re all dressed up with snow-where to go.
• Say it ain’t snow!
• Now you’re just snowing off.
• Every day I’m shoveling.
• Just go with the snow.
• Let’s get this snow on the road!
• You’re moving in snow-motion.
• Do you know what’s at flake here?
• We’re off to see the blizzard.
• You’re up to snow good.
• Takes one to snow one!
• All that dirty snow is an ice-sore.
• Flake it till you make it.

Free(ze) guide! How to Find Your Target Audience

Winter weather puns

Sure, the weather outside is frightful, but these puns are so delightful. When temperatures dip, and your audience gets cabin fever, help them chill out with a healthy shot of winter-weather punicillin.

• It’s brrrilliant outside!
• Shiver me limb-ers.
• It’s winter, weather you like it or not.
• Freeze the day.
• Home sleet home.
• He’s a chip off the cold block.
• Freeze things happen.
• Frost and foremost…
• Fear not; all is not frost!
• That guy loves icy weather. He’s a sleet freak!
• It’s a two-way sleet.
• You think you’re above the thaw?
• Is it raining out? Sleets me!
• It’s a winter parad-ice!
• Hail yeah, it’s winter!

Cute winter puns

Need to defrost a chilly audience? Try a few of these heart-warming winter puns. They’ll be s-mitten in no time.

• I’ve got a slush on you.
• I only have ice for you.
• It was mitten in the stars.
• Freeze are the good cold days.
• There’s snowone like you.
• If looks could chill.
• I’m s-mitten, do you g-love me?
• Love at frost sight!
• It’s snow ice to meet you.
• I thaw what you did there.
• You’re a sight for sore ice.
• You’re my snow-mate.

Winter puns for sports

Winter is the best ski-son for outdoor activity. So, if you want to sleigh your marketing and messaging this winter, start with a shovelful of these sporty sayings.

• Sleigh it ain’t so!
• We’re riding a b-icicle built for two.
• Easier sled than done.
• Ski’s the limit.
• It’s the skis-son for outdoor fun.
• Skiing is great exerc-ice.
• I can ski clearly now, the rain is gone.
• Ski you later!
• With great powder comes great respon-ski-bility.
• Ski faster! Don’t be a slope-poke.
• Skate expectations.

Joke winter puns

Snowmen might prefer cold, hard cash, but these winter joke puns are like money in the snow bank. Spend them wisely; they’re sure to accrue your followers’ winterest.

• What do snowmen eat for breakfast? Ice crispies.
• What’s their favorite dinner? An iceberg-er and freeze.
• Who’s their favorite singer? Brrr-itney Spears.
• How do mountains stay warm in winter? They wear snow caps.
• What happens when you scare a snowman? He lets out an ice-scream!
• What do snowmen sing to celebrate? Freeze a jolly cold fellow!
• Why did the snowman make his Instagram page private? To keep a snow profile.
• What do you get when you cross a snowman and a shark? Frostbite.
• How do you know when a snowman is mad? He has a meltdown.
• Why should you sit in the corner when it’s cold? Because it’s 90 degrees there.
• What did the tree say after a long winter? What a re-leaf!
• What do you call a snowman with a six-pack? An abdominal snowman.

Food winter puns

It’s winter thyme! You butter not forget to be pudding these toast-y food-themed puns in your winter messages.

• I like hot cocoa a choco-lot.
• Gather all of your winter-gredients.
• Thyme waits for snowman.
• It’s an all-you-can-sleet buffet.
• If you’re hungry in winter, try the brrr-ito!
• Winter winter, chilly dinner!
• Let’s taco ‘bout winter.
• Whisking you a wonderful season.
• You feta brie-lieve me, it’ll be a gouda winter.
• I cayenne-t believe how chile it is this winter.
• Chili today, hot tamale.

AI winter puns

Generative AI is cool, but is it winter-pun cool? We gave ChatGPT this prompt: “Write 12 winter-themed puns.” It didn’t do too bad, but it really likes exclamation points.

• Yule be sorry if you don’t laugh at this!
• Have an ice day!
• I’m snow excited to see you!
• You’re snow joke, you’re amazing!
• I’m feeling flakey, but that’s just how I roll in winter!
• Sleigh my name, sleigh my name!
• Snow place like home!
• You sleigh me with your winter spirit!
• Snow way I’m missing this party!
• Sleet dreams are made of this!
• I’m sleeting through life one snowflake at a time!
• You’re ice-tremely good at skating, no doubt about it!

Winter holiday puns

Christmas jokes aren’t be-wreath us. So, how about a stocking full of elf-ing fantastic ho-ho-holiday themed puns to round out our festive funnies? This mostly nice list of tree-mendous puns are all wrapped up and ready to light up your holiday promotions.

• Have an ice holiday and a happy new year.
• Let’s sleigh this holiday season.
• What the elf is snowing on?
• Hold me Claus-er tinsel Dancer.
• Icy yule be home for the holidays.
• I know it’s cold, but don’t Clause a scene!
• Don’t elf this up!
• Don’t let those jingle bills make you feel like St Nick-eless.
• I only eat candy canes in mint condition.
• In English, Santa’s helpers are subordinate Clauses.
• Fleece Navidad!

Cozy winter puns

Blankets, sweaters, fireplaces, and holding hot drinks..it doesn’t get much better than these toasty warm winter puns on a cold, dark evening.

• Blanket statement: we’re staying in tonight.
• You’ve got to be knitting me.
• Knit happens.
• Sweater late than never.
• Logging off for a cozy night in.
• Mug life.
• Bundle up! (And ask about our bundles.)
• These reviews are so hearth-warming.
• Wool you look at that!
• Tea-rrific night to stay in.

All-weather winter  and snow puns for the whole season

We’ve completed our stroll through this winter punderland, but the frozen fun is just getting started. Use these arctic adages to wake up your hibernating audience in emails, paid promotions, and social media posts. Get them laughing and they’ll warm up fast! (And when the winter fun is over, use these summer puns to keep the fun flowing)

Ready for more? Here’s a flurry of winter-sperational guides:

• Holiday Emails for Customers (Templates & Examples!)
• Cliché-Free Holiday Copywriting Ideas & Examples
• Influencer Marketing Tips & Ideas for Happy Holiday Campaigns
• Happy Holiday Promotions & Marketing Campaign Ideas (with Examples)
• Clever & Catchy Holiday Marketing Slogans to Make Campaigns Bright (+ Examples)
• Christmas Social Media Posts & Slogans for Merrier Marketing (+Free Templates)
• Christmas Puns Yule Love for Merry Marketing & Messages

The post These 130+ Winter Puns Are Snow Joke appeared first on WordStream.

And just like that, your thoughtfully crafted product page gets summarized to five sentences, and your purposeful positioning is flattened into a generic description that doesn’t motivate buyers to choose you.

AI’s summaries now sit between your content and your audience. It decides what parts of your page matter, discards what feels repetitive, merges you with competitors who sound pretty much the same, pushes structure over storytelling, and prioritizes clarity over personality.

This article is about fixing that. We’ll break down how AI summarizes your content, why most small business websites don’t hold up to it, and how to restructure your pages so your differentiation survives.

Contents

• How does AI summarize content?
• Why your content is failing under AI summaries
• The five principles of summary-resistant content
• The AI summary test

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How does AI summarize?

Generative AI systems summarize your content by:

• Pulling extractable claims
• Removing repetition
• Merging similar positioning
• Stripping narrative build-up
• Reassembling everything into a short, coherent answer

If you ask AI, “Explain how this company is different,” it doesn’t read your page the way a human does. It scans for:

• Definitions
• Numbers
• Comparisons
• Clear audience statements
• Structured sections

Then it compresses what it finds. Your origin story disappears, your tone becomes neutral, and the best case study you’re super proud of becomes nothing more than a bullet point.

AI compression says what your business does without explaining why it’s great.

In doing so, AI rewards structure. If your page is built on adjectives and vibe, AI reduces you to category-level language.

Stephanie Yoder, Director of Content at Rebrandly, puts it bluntly: “People who used to read three articles to understand a topic now get a synthesized answer in seconds. If your differentiation isn’t structurally obvious, it won’t survive that synthesis.”

Now you’re no longer competing just for ranking. You’re competing to survive interpretation.

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Why your content is failing under AI summaries

There are consistent patterns behind pages that collapse into generic summaries. None of them have anything to do with intelligence or effort. They’re simply devices that work well with humans but get flattened by AI.

1. It relies on adjectives instead of structure

Many business websites, especially in industries like HVAC and lawn care, are filled with language that sounds good in a sales conversation: high quality, reliable, family-owned, trusted, customer-focused. Those phrases help shape tone and signal friendliness. When someone reads your site end to end, they contribute to perception.

Under AI compression, however, they carry almost no weight because they aren’t measurable and don’t structurally separate you from competitors.

If 15 HVAC companies in the same city describe themselves as “trusted” and “reliable,” that language cannot function as a differentiator in a summarized answer.

Imagine a regional HVAC company being asked in an AI prompt: “What makes this HVAC company different?”

If the homepage leans heavily on phrases like:

• Reliable service
• Experienced technicians
• Customer satisfaction guaranteed

An AI summary will likely echo something like: “Provides heating and cooling repair and installation services.”

That description applies to almost every HVAC contractor in the market.

Now compare that to structural differentiation: “We guarantee same-day service for calls placed before 3 PM and provide upfront flat-rate pricing before any work begins.”

Look at what survives compression there:

• A defined service window
• A clear pricing model
• A process commitment

Those are mechanisms. They are operational details. They are much harder to flatten into generic category language.

Operational details, not generic descriptors, survive AI compression.

When AI compresses that page, it is far more likely to keep something structurally distinct like: “Offers same-day service with upfront flat-rate pricing.”

If your differentiation lives in adjectives, AI erases it. If it lives in how you operate, AI preserves it.

2. The core differentiator appears too late

AI systems disproportionately pull from:

• The first 150 to 200 words
• Section headers
• Lists
• Tables
• FAQ sections

If your strongest positioning is buried halfway down the page, it may never make the summary.

This is a common pattern in home service industries. A lawn care company might open its homepage with a paragraph about being locally owned, caring about the community, and loving beautiful lawns. Only later does it mention the specific program, guarantee, or specialization that actually makes it different.

AI reads the narrative, doesn’t see anything concrete it can quote, and simply states that the business maintains lawns.

Alternatively, if the high-priority services and differentiators are provided first and often, what survives compression more reliably are structural signals such as:

• A multi-step lawn treatment program
• Scheduled seasonal applications
• National service coverage
• Specific guarantees

Those details communicate scale, systemization, and scope immediately.

For local businesses, your first three sentences must clearly state who you serve, what makes your service model different, and any meaningful boundaries.

For example, let’s take a look at this opening: “We provide HVAC maintenance plans for homeowners in [City] with systems over five years old. Our technicians specialize in high-efficiency units and offer 24-hour emergency response for plan members. We do not service commercial buildings.”

It contains audience, differentiation, and boundaries. Even if AI compresses it, the core positioning survives.

Warm-up paragraphs about your founding story or general industry commentary assume a human reading path that compression does not follow. In a summarized environment, clarity at the top determines whether your differentiation makes it into the answer.

3. It lacks extractable comparison structure

AI favors structured comparison over storytelling. Humans will read narrative explanations, but AI prefers contrast.

When your content explains everything in paragraphs, AI compresses it into vague summaries. When your content compares clearly, AI preserves distinctions.

For example, imagine Basecamp Outdoor describing its products in broad prose about loving the outdoors and curating the best gear for serious adventurers.

An AI summary might condense that into “an outdoor equipment retailer.”

Now imagine the same site presenting a structured comparison between ultralight and traditional backpacking gear, outlining pack weight ranges, trip-length considerations, and skill-level differences.

Here’s how that might look when comparing ultralight vs traditional backpacking gear:

This structure contains defined thresholds and clear use cases. Even if the full table is not reproduced, the underlying distinctions are more likely to survive in summarized form because they represent concrete decision logic.

When your content is organized around decisions (when to choose one option over another, which conditions favor a certain approach, who a solution fits best), it becomes easier for AI to preserve the meaningful differences.

4. It avoids clear boundaries

Many businesses hesitate to define who they are not for because they do not want to narrow their audience. In practice, a lack of boundaries makes it easier for AI to flatten you into the broadest possible category.

If Turo were summarized as “a car rental company,” that misses the point.

The structural difference (peer-to-peer marketplace instead of traditional fleet ownership) is what survives compression. That business model distinction is clear, concrete, and operational. Even in short summaries, AI typically retains the idea of “peer-to-peer car sharing platform.”

If you run a regional rental agency and your site just says “affordable car rentals,” compression reduces you to category-level language. If you clearly state “luxury-only short-term rentals in Miami with delivery to hotels,” that boundary survives.

5. It competes in broad categories

Broad prompts produce broad answers. When someone asks for the best bookkeeping software for small businesses, an AI system is likely to default to well-known software brands.

If someone asks “Best bookkeeping software for small businesses,” AI likely lists major software brands. But an option like Bench would disappear if it were framed generically.

A description like this would survive, though: “Bench pairs small businesses with dedicated human bookkeepers and monthly financial reports, instead of self-serve accounting software.”

Now:

• It’s differentiated from software
• The human model survives
• Category contrast survives

AI compression works in your favor when it can describe what you do to the niche you serve.

AI compression preserves contrast better than category similarity.

If you want to survive compression, stop competing at the broadest level. Define your niche clearly enough that AI can’t flatten you into the default list.

How to create AI summary-resistant content

Now let’s turn this into a practical framework.

1. Lead with positioning, not warm-up

Your opening must answer:

• Who is this for?
• What makes it different?
• What is it not?

No generic intros.

Our better option survives compression.

Real explanations of what you do, how you do it, and who you do it for beat generic statements in AI compression.

2. Replace adjectives with mechanisms

AI strips out adjectives, while mechanisms make it through to the humans you hope to sway.

Mechanisms help AI build the case for your business when someone has a specific need.

Mechanisms give AI something stable to extract. They also give buyers something real to evaluate.

3. Use named systems

Generic headings fade when AI compresses your copy. Named constructs persist and become the things that help persuade people to choose your business.

Named systems create memory anchors and improve extraction clarity.

4. Quantify whenever possible

AI extracts:

• Timeframes
• Ranges
• Limits
• Volumes

Specifics like a “two-day turnaround time” get picked up by AI when “fast repair” may not.

If you can measure it, write it.

5. Build sections that stand alone

Every section should survive being pulled out of context.

Ask: “If AI lifted only this section, would it still represent us accurately?”

If not, add:

• A scope statement
• A boundary
• A number
• A comparison

Make every section extraction-ready.

The AI summary test

A practical way to evaluate your pages is to simulate compression directly.

Paste your draft into a generative AI tool and ask for a five-sentence summary. Then read that summary critically. Does it still sound like your business? Does it reflect your niche and your operational differences? Or does it sound like a generic description of your category?

If the compressed version feels interchangeable with competitors, the issue is almost always structural. The differentiation is either too vague, too buried, or too similar to industry language.

Adjust the structure, clarify the mechanisms, and run the test again. The goal is not to manipulate the AI, but to make your positioning clear enough that it remains intact when condensed.

Your content can’t afford to be summarized generically

AI summaries are already shaping how buyers evaluate options. It influences early-stage understanding and frames the comparison before your website even enters the picture.

The businesses that maintain visibility in this environment are the ones that write with structural clarity. They are specific about who they serve. They define how they operate. They quantify what they can. They make their decision logic visible.

When your positioning is built on clear, extractable signals, it remains recognizable even after compression. When it relies primarily on tone and broad descriptors, it dissolves into the category.

In an AI-designed search environment, being visible increasingly depends on being representable in summary form. Writing with that reality in mind is about making sure your hard-earned reputation doesn’t get flattened into generic descriptions.

The post How to Optimize Your Site Content for Better AI Summaries appeared first on WordStream.

There are a variety of “default” options in Google Ads, buried deep within menus that you probably never check. They can shift control, change how your ads appear, or just make your life unnecessarily difficult.

If you’ve ever wondered how to get Google sales reps to stop emailing your client, or how to turn off automatically created assets once and for all, this article is for you!

In this guide, we’re covering six hidden settings every Google Ads practitioner should check right now to ensure your campaigns stay fully under your control and aligned with your business goals.

6 hidden Google Ads account settings to check:

1. Auto-apply Recommendations settings
2. Personalized recommendations settings
3. Notifications settings
4. Account-level automated assets settings
5. Content suitability settings
6. Billing threshold settings

1. Auto-apply Recommendations settings

You may know that Google’s built-in Recommendations are generally designed to get you to use more Google Ads features, like Performance Max, broad match keywords, or Smart Bidding. If you’re not careful, Google can implement these Recommendations without your explicit permission through a feature called Auto-apply recommendations, or AAR.

While Recommendations aren’t inherently good or bad—they’re just recommendations, which you can accept or dismiss—it is generally accepted that it’s a bad idea to let Google do whatever it wants to your Google Ads campaigns.

For example, I have seen a client’s perfectly crafted Exact Match keyword strategy completely upended when an auto-apply recommendation changed all of their keywords to Broad Match. I have seen another advertiser’s spend start skyrocketing when an auto-apply recommendation adjusted their bid strategy.

Don’t become a cautionary tale. You want auto-apply recommendations turned off.

To check your auto-apply settings, go to Admin > Account settings > Auto-apply and make sure it says “Auto-apply is turned off,” as in this screenshot.

If you still have some turned on, you can click the link to “Go to auto-apply settings” to turn them off.

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2. Personalized recommendations settings

There are two settings buried even deeper in your admin settings that may be helpful if you’d like to receive fewer “personalized” emails from Google. This will put you (and your client) at much lower risk of implementing something by accident.

First are the “Data sharing” settings. Turning this off means that you don’t give Google access to your Google Ads account data. Of course, somewhere in the backend Google still knows what’s going on in your account, but those automated Recommendation emails? They’ll become much more innocuous, since they can no longer contain your campaign names or your specific campaign data.

To turn off personalized recommendations, go to Admin > Preferences > Data sharing > Recommendations for your business and make sure it says “Off,” as in this screenshot.

If not, you’ll need to move that “Data sharing” toggle off.

3. Notifications settings

To make opting out of data sharing even more powerful, you can opt out of receiving “Google Ads expert guidance” (read: automated emails from Google sales representatives), “Customized help & Performance suggestions” (read: usually not actually helpful), and more in your notifications settings.

Go to Admin > Notifications > Notification settings to decide what you want to receive, or not receive. Depending on your access level, you may also be able to turn off these notifications for your client, which can be especially helpful so that new Google sales representatives aren’t telling them that “your account is not optimized” or “you don’t have enough keywords.”

This is also important because these emails from Google sometimes contain a “one-click apply” button, where simply clicking a button in an email can enable all kinds of changes in the account. Yes, I have seen this happen to multiple clients, too. Stay safe (and keep your inbox clean) by disabling any unnecessary notifications.

Learn how to make the most of AI in your ads! Get 9 Powerful Ways to Use AI in Google & Facebook Ads

4. Account-level automated assets settings

Assets (formerly known as extensions) are optional pieces of information that can appear with your Google Ads, like sitelinks, callouts, or images. While it’s a good idea to use a variety of assets, you may not want Google Ads to automatically create these for you.

For example, I’ve seen dynamic sitelinks created for a client’s Careers page, driving paid traffic to job applications rather than what they actually wanted: customers. In another client’s account, I saw automated locations pop up in Search ads; however, the client only wanted to use their paid ads investment to drive online sales. If you’re checking your asset report and notice sitelinks, callouts, or other assets created by “Google AI,” these settings may be the culprit.

As with most of the settings highlighted in this article, account-level automated assets aren’t inherently good or bad, but they should be monitored and controlled. I’ll generally leave the “Longer ad headlines” asset setting turned on, for example. But you’ll probably want to turn a lot of them off.

To check your account-level automated assets settings, take a deep breath, then navigate to Campaigns > Assets > Assets > More > Account-level automated assets > More > Advanced settings.

5. Content suitability settings

If you use campaign types beyond Search and Shopping, you’re going to want to check on your content suitability settings. This is how Google decides what kind of ad inventory is appropriate for your business on YouTube and the Google Display Network.

I recommend choosing “Moderate inventory,” which will exclude placements with “strong profanity, dramatized violence, and sexually suggestive themes.” Most businesses probably don’t want their ads showing up alongside potentially controversial or offensive content.

If your company is especially concerned about reputation or “brand safety,” choose “Limited inventory” instead. On the other hand, if you don’t care where your ads appear and you want to purely maximize reach or efficiency, choose “Maximum inventory” (this is the default).

You can find these settings in Google Ads by going to Tools > Content suitability > Inventory type.

But that’s not all! Unless you’re a “Maximum inventory” kind of advertiser, you’ll probably want to scroll down to the Advanced settings.

This section gives you more control over more specific types of content that you might like to exclude from your campaigns. For example, you can:

• Exclude sensitive content: For example, content that is about sensitive social issues, tragedy and conflict, or “sensational and shocking.” Think of this as going one step deeper than the Maximum / Moderate / Limited inventory control.
• Exclude content types: For example, live stream videos (who knows what could happen on a live stream?) or embedded YouTube videos (which can be embedded on any type of website).
• Exclude content labels: Just like the movies, Google labels its Display inventory, and you can exclude inventory rated “Teen” or “Mature” or even exclude all inventory that doesn’t yet have a rating.
• Exclude content themes: For example, content about potentially controversial topics like politics, religion, health, or fighting games.
• Exclude content keywords: This will exclude videos, channels, websites, and apps that “contain specific words in titles and descriptions,” but not necessarily the whole page or the whole video; do keep that limitation in mind.
• Exclude content placements: This includes placements across YouTube and the Google Display Network, so your ads won’t appear on certain websites, channels, apps, or videos.

While some of these exclusions (like placement exclusions) are available at the campaign level, applying them here will exclude them across your entire account. Note that some of these settings only apply to content on the Google Display Network, while others will also apply to Discover, Search Partners, or other placements; read all the fine print before using these exclusions.

One of my top tips before running a Video campaign is to exclude family-friendly content, so you don’t end up inadvertently getting all your views from Ms. Rachel, Bluey, and Sesame Street videos. Ms. Rachel makes me so happy… when she’s not in my placement report!

6. Billing threshold settings

If you’re getting charged $500 a day from Google Ads, every other day, and want to see less frequent charges, you need to update your billing threshold. Different accounts will have different thresholds, and as long as you have a good history as an advertiser, you can edit yours.

In Google Ads, go to Billing > Settings > How you pay > Edit threshold. In this example from one of my clients’ accounts, their current billing threshold is $1000, but they’re eligible to double the threshold to $2000. Given that they spend about $250/day on Google Ads, they may want to see Google Ads charges on their credit card every 8 days or so, rather than every 4 days or so.

Don’t “set and forget” these Google Ads settings

Set a reminder every six months or so to ensure you’re regularly reviewing these hidden settings and making adjustments as needed.

Google’s automated features and default options may or may not be the right choice for you—and the choices you make today may not be the right choices for your campaigns in the future. Maintain control over auto-applies, communications, assets, and placement suitability so that your Google Ads campaigns stay aligned with your objectives and goals.

And if you’d like some support getting more out of Google Ads (and social media, and email, etc.), reach out. We’ll show you how our digital marketing solutions can help.

The post 6 Hidden Settings to Check in Your Google Ads Account Right Now! appeared first on WordStream.

It’s a double whammy: you’re working harder and seeing less results.

In this article, I want to try to help you avoid that fate. Here are the most common mistakes I see folks making under the banner of “optimizations” that are actually shortchanging their results.

The biggest Google Ads optimization mistakes:

1. Chasing optimization score
2. Making drastic bid changes too often
3. Oversegmenting campaigns
4. Not leveraging Responsive Search Ads dynamic capabilities
5. Pausing efforts too soon for low performance
6. Tracking too many low-value conversions

1. Chasing optimization score

The first common optimization mistake really sucks. They even have it in the name! Optimization score.

Logic would follow that having a high optimization score would result in strong performance. And sometimes, it can. But it doesn’t always.

Chasing this metric is really just a fundamental misunderstanding of what optimization score is.

Here’s an example of an account I actively manage that has been delivering great results month after month:

Let’s break down this image a little to show why optimization score isn’t what we’re after:

• Orange: The optimization score is only 67% despite hitting all of our business goals. Not very often do you get a D on a test when you’re meeting all of the requirements.
• Green: Here are the actions and the expected increase in optimization score based on the suggestions in each category. These are the levers that will increase optimization score.
• Purple: This is the single suggestion Google has that will increase the optimization score the most: Turn on AI Max. But here’s the thing…AI Max was tested in this account, and it didn’t perform well.

The problem with optimization score is that it’s solely based on Google’s recommended best practices. Making the recommendations they suggest will improve your score, but they may or may not help your performance. For this reason, optimization score shouldn’t be your campaign goal. It can be something to regularly check and see if the suggestions make sense for you, but blindly accepting recommendations to make an arbitrary score go up isn’t going to help your accounts.

Want to know how your Google Ads campaigns are doing right now? Find out with a free, instant audit: Google Ads Performance Grader >>

2. Making drastic bid changes too often

One of the most powerful parts of Google Ads is the bidding system. Full stop. It’s just…really good.

But it’s still based on machine learning. It still needs to see and identify patterns of performance to succeed.

I have two rules of thumb for you to follow when it comes to bidding optimizations:

The two-week rule

For large changes in bidding, like testing a new bid strategy, give it 14 days. During that time frame, the algorithm is still in a learning phase. There may be some really terrible performance days, but you may also find some really strong days mixed in as well.

If you change bid strategies, give it at least 14 days before you make another adjustment to let the platform get its feet under it and see if it can hit the goals you’ve given it.

The 20% rule

This originated on the Meta Ads platform, but I find it works well for Google Ads as well.

For marginal changes within a bid strategy, only adjust things 20% at a time, then give the algorithm a chance to hit your new target for a few days before making another change.

Let’s say your current target ROAS is set at 200% and you want to change it to 300%. Your first change should be to 240% because 40% is 20% of 200. (Clear as mud, right?)

Once your campaign is performing at the 240% mark, then you can bump your target ROAS up another 48%. (48% is 20% of 240%.) Now you’re at 298%, so your last little change can be to 300% (or you could probably sneak it in in the round prior.)

The point is, don’t go from 200% to 300% in one jump. Break it up, establish your new baseline, then adjust again. Moving too far too quickly can starve the platform for information and cause it to lock up.

3. Oversegmenting campaigns

Back in the day, it used to be beneficial to heavily segment your campaigns because you, the manager, had to manually optimize the account. With everything in its designated space, it was easier to keep an eye on what was performing, what wasn’t, and pull the levers to see improvements.

But that’s no longer the case. With Google’s machine learning doing a much larger portion of the decision-making, it’s now less helpful to segment and more beneficial to keep data consolidated.

When performance is consolidated, even in a large account, that means there are more data points all within the same context for the algorithm to make decisions on. It might be easier for you to see and control bids with keywords in different ad groups, but the machines don’t need them to be segmented. It can see things just fine, not to mention other signals that we don’t even have access to.

Moving forward, when you’re trying to decide if you should create a new campaign or a new ad group to segment your account, I want you to think about the following questions:

• Does this require a different conversion action to optimize for?
• Do I need to control the budget for this effort compared to the rest of the account?
• Does this require different messaging from my other ads?
• Do I need to send users to a different landing page?

If you answered yes to any of these, then you likely need to segment. If you didn’t, then you might not need to. This isn’t an exhaustive list, but it should at least get you started to think about when you should and shouldn’t segment something in your campaign structure.

Is your Google Ads account set up for success? Download now: The Last Guide to Google Ads Account Structure You’ll Ever Need >>

4. Not leveraging Responsive Search Ads dynamic capabilities

Pinning assets in Responsive Search Ads can be a good way to ensure some of your preferred messaging always finds its way into your ad creatives. But when taken too far, it can lock down Google’s dynamic capabilities and can limit how often your ad serves.

While I understand that it might feel like you’re optimizing your ad copy for the keywords in your ad group by locking down creatives like the image above, it’s actually going to end up hurting you in the long run.

Most advertisers are going to benefit most from having a range of headlines and descriptions that highlight their business from different angles and let Google decide which is going to resonate best with the searcher.

Instead, we have found it’s best to control messaging by creating themes for the Responsive Search Ad as a unit, then let Google determine which combination of assets it wants to show within that theme. Then at the ad level, you can use labels to mark which messaging is in which copy and understand how each theme performs compared to each other.

This strategy retains your control over messaging and allows you to optimize for what’s working best at a high level, while letting Google handle the nitty-gritty details.

5. Pausing efforts too soon for low performance

We all want our newly launched campaigns, ad groups, keywords, ads, and other things to perform well. Of course we do. That’s why we launched them in the first place.

But not every effort is launched in its most optimized form. If it were, this job would be easy.

In many accounts, I see things get launched, run for a couple of days, then be turned off when performance isn’t immediately strong. No optimizations. No change in tactics. Just turn it off.

When you do that, you write off an area of marketing that could perform well if you just gave it a bit of time.

Here’s an example: We launched a new set of campaigns for a regional medical clinic. The first few weeks of search queries were full of specialty searches this clinic didn’t support, as well as the names of doctors and practices not associated with them. ROAS was very low to start, but we worked at it.

After four months of query cleanup, we’re now at a 90% clean query rate, and ROAS is positive for a first appointment. Not to mention being higher for the lifetime value of the patient based on an average of two visits per year and a 5-year average lifespan.

Some of you might think, “I don’t have four months to optimize. I need business now.” Or “I can’t afford to run at full budget for four months before I break a profit.”

And I hear those objections, but the point is, there’s no silver bullet to marketing. You have to test and iterate. Start with a small budget, make early, quick-win optimizations on things that aren’t aligned with your business, then gather more data and optimize again.

Turning things off doesn’t get you anywhere. Start small. Learn. Optimize. Then scale when you’re ready, able, and profitable.

Try these Google Ads experiments if you’re looking for options of what to test within your account.

6. Tracking too many low-value conversions

A common theme in digital advertising is more data = better performance. But that needs to be tweaked a little bit.

More good data = better performance.

When it comes to conversion tracking, you can set up just about anything in your account to be considered a conversion, but that doesn’t always mean it’s in your best interest.

Google’s bidding algorithm is really good at finding patterns and driving the conversion actions you tell it to. The challenge: if one conversion action is drastically easier to get than another, say a page view vs. a form fill, Google is going to end up driving pretty much only page views.

In the image above, you can see this account has seen this pattern twice now. In early 2025, Calls were shifted to be part of the conversion optimization goal, and since those only needed to last for 60 seconds compared to the custom quote call to action, Calls quickly took over the conversion performance.

Then, in May of 2026, conversion tracking was fixed for a previous action, and the criteria was softened a bit. After some initial data in May and June, that action took off in July and also dominated the conversions along with phone calls.

You can see we’re still getting conversions from the higher-value touchpoints, but they’re quite a bit lower in volume than they were before these other actions took over.

For conversion tracking, pay attention to how you set up your account and campaigns. Focus on the higher-value conversions where possible and only leverage lower-value ones where needed. And even then, adjust the associated value of that action to be lower than the others and leverage a bid strategy like Maximize Conversion Value or tROAS. You can read more about setting up conversion tracking for best returns here.

Don’t make these Google Ads optimization mistakes

While I don’t want to discourage anyone from optimizing their account, I do want to make sure that the actions you’re taking are having the desired impacts. Hopefully you’ve not been making any of the mistakes I outline above, but if you are, that’s okay! Now you can shift course and think about your optimizations differently.

Need help optimizing your account? Reach out to learn what we can do for you >>

The post 6 Common (But Killer) Google Ads Optimization Mistakes appeared first on WordStream.

But the reality is that many people won’t buy immediately after learning about your business. They may need time to research options, or they’re just planning for a future purchase.

After 15 years in business development, I can confidently say that sending a “just checking in” email will never work.

Effective lead follow-up requires a well-timed, personalized, value-focused approach using all the channels that reach your customers.

That’s what you’ll find here. It’s all the steps, examples, and tips you need to keep leads engaged and moving towards a conversion. We’ve also included several lead follow-up templates for the most common outreach situations.

Contents

• 7 steps to better lead follow-up
• Common lead follow-up mistakes and how to avoid them
• Lead follow-up templates you can copy (+examples)

7 steps to better lead follow-up

Converting leads isn’t a spectator sport. Here are seven steps you can take to turn more potential customers into buyers—and energetic evangelists—for your business:

1. Respond fast
2. Prioritize leads based on need
3. Personalize your lead follow-up
4. Use multiple follow-up channels
5. Offer value with every follow-up opportunity
6. Keep the conversation moving forward
7. Track your lead follow-up communications

Want to turn even more leads into customers? Get 14 Super-Fast Ways to Boost Conversions14 Super-Fast Ways to Boost Conversions14 Super-Fast Ways to Boost Conversions

Respond fast

The #1 way to follow up with leads better is to get faster.

Why? 56% of consumers expect a business to respond within one hour after they submit a form. Only 36% actually get it. And 79% switch to a competitor that responds faster.

Most people will head to the next business on the list if you don’t get back to them fast.

It doesn’t have to be a complete answer. Just an acknowledgment that you received their request and an explanation of the next step.

The challenge, of course, is how to get back to everyone quickly, especially when you’re busy making current customers happy.

Luckily, you don’t have to go it alone. There are tools available that can send a text, reply to an email, or even handle complex conversations on your behalf.

Dash by LocaliQ uses generative AI to answer complex questions via phone, text, and website chat so new leads don’t become missed opportunities.

Prioritize leads based on need

Not every lead needs you now. Some are window shopping for a future project, while others have their debit card out and ready. Your job is to figure out which leads are hot, which are cold, and what to do with each.

AI tools come in handy here, too. They can summarize incoming lead communications and flag those that need an immediate response.

AI tools like Dash help you triage incoming messages so you respond to the hottest leads first.

Once you’ve categorized a lead, you can decide what type of communication works best. A hot lead gets an immediate call back. A tire kicker gets an email with an explanation of your solution and a demo link so they can learn more.

Tailoring lead follow-up helps you capture immediate sales without scaring away future buyers. And speaking of personalized follow-up…

Personalize your lead follow-up

Personalizing lead follow-up means sending leads messages that are more relevant to them. They can include the lead’s name, a mention of a product or service they’ve asked about, and other specifics of their interaction with your business so far.

Your customers want this type of relevant communication. 64% of buyers say messages are too generic, and 80% are more likely to ignore brands that send irrelevant messages.

Here’s a before-and-after example of personalized follow-up:

The personalized option is more informative and memorable.

Apply this tactic to every type of communication, from email to text to voicemails.

Use multiple follow-up channels

Customer communications are more complicated than ever. A single lead might engage with your business through its Instagram page, email, and website chat. And there’s the old standby of direct mail, which delivers surprisingly strong results (63% of consumers are inspired to act after receiving direct mail).

That doesn’t mean every lead should get a message on every channel. Base it on how they’ve contacted you and what they’ve requested. A phone call is very effective, but can also be intrusive if the lead didn’t ask to be called back.

That said, don’t miss an opportunity to follow up on a different channel. If someone opts in for emails and text messages, use one for things like time-sensitive promotions and the other for education and long-term engagement.

Offer value with every follow-up opportunity

Every follow-up touchpoint should lead with “what do they get” instead of “what do I get.”

Give a lead something useful, like a quick tip, a price range, or an open appointment slot, and they’ll have a reason to pay attention to each communication.

Sending a helpful blog post or guide is a good option. Here are a few more you can tailor to the follow-up channel and buyer:

• A list of quick tips to make whatever they’re buying work better.
• A price range or cost calculator for the product or service they’ve asked about.
• A limited-time promotion.
• An open appointment slot or new product drop.

We recently published a guide on how to use AI to build useful tools, like cost calculators, that would make valuable follow-up assets.

Put more leads into your follow-up pipeline. Download 14 Fast & Easy Ways to Get Free Leads (+Examples You Can Copy)

Keep the conversation moving forward

The goal of lead follow-up isn’t just to stay in touch. It’s to guide potential buyers toward making a purchase.

Remember our personalized follow-up example?

“Hi Marcus, you asked about fall cleanup for a half-acre lot. Most jobs that size run 300–450. Want us to stop by this week for a free quote?”

It included an offer to provide a free quote. That’s the energy you want to bring to every lead follow-up. Think about what the next logical step in the buyer’s journey is, and include some type of call to action that leads your lead to it.

Some options to consider:

• Subscribe to our newsletter
• Download this guide or use our free tool
• Compare us to the competition
• Get a free demo or quote

Track your lead follow-up communications

Hopefully your lead generation strategies are bringing lots of potential customers. If so, you’ll need a way to track your follow-up progress with them.

Lead tracking makes it possible to:

• Know where leads are on their path to purchase
• Personalize lead follow-up
• Assess which follow-up techniques and channels work best

If you only handle a few leads each month, a simple spreadsheet will do. Beyond that, lead tracking tools tell you where each lead is and which lead sources are doing the most work.

Dash shows your most valuable lead sources.

Read this guide to lead management for a rock-solid way to keep all your leads in view.

6 common lead follow-up mistakes and how to avoid them

The perfect lead follow-up strategy is unique to your business. It takes time to learn what works best. But you can speed up the learning curve by avoiding these common mistakes.

Not setting up a follow-up cadence

Random acts of marketing rarely deliver repeatable results. That’s certainly true for lead follow-up. It’s much better to go in with a follow-up cadence that gets adjusted as you learn more about how, and when, leads buy.

The target here is to land somewhere between annoying a lead with too many messages and missing opportunities with too few.

In general, you’ll start with more follow-ups right after key points in the buying process (right after someone reads a guide, gets a quote, etc.) and then space them out longer term.

Then, track things like email open rates, link click-through rates, and conversion rates (calls, quotes), plus direct feedback, to tweak the timing.

Not adding trust signals

On the opposite end of your lead follow-up messaging is a person figuring out if you, your business, and your solution are trustworthy. It’s a huge miss if you don’t help them decide that you are.

Now, in this case, showing is WAY better than telling. So to correct this common lead follow-up mistake, include all sorts of social proof in your messaging.

Include a link to video testimonials in your follow-up messages to solidify trust.

Some social proof ideas for your follow-up messaging include:

• Customer testimonials and quotes
• Reviews from Google, Yelp, Facebook, etc.
• Before and after photos
• Customer counts (Trusted by over 2,000 homeowners)
• Awards
• Media mentions (As seen in Home & Garden)
• Direct referrals (Your neighbor Sarah recommended us…)

Ignoring how a lead responds

Your leads will give you feedback with every message you send. Even no response is valuable intel. If you ignore those signals, you’ll keep repeating what isn’t working.

Create a follow-up strategy based on how leads react and adjust as you go:

• No reply to emails: Try a text or a quick call (assuming they’ve opted in). They may just prefer a different channel.
• Opened but didn’t click: Your subject line worked, but the message didn’t. Make the next step clearer or the offer more specific.
• Clicked your pricing page but didn’t book: Cost may be the hang-up. Follow up with financing options, a smaller starter package, or a review from a happy customer.
• Replied “not right now”: Ask when a better time would be and set a reminder to check back then.
• Went quiet after a quote: Send something useful, like a before-and-after photo of a similar job instead of another “just checking in.”

The cool thing is you’ll see patterns over time. Maybe most leads respond to texts or reply faster in the evening. Build those patterns into your process so every new lead gets a better follow-up than the last.

Lead follow-up templates you can copy (+examples)

Use these templates as a starting point. Swap in the bracketed details, keep each message short, and end with one clear next step. Each template includes a filled-in example and a quick note on why it works.

Lead follow-up template for a first response

Send this within five minutes of a new form fill or inquiry.

Hi [Name], this is [Your name] with [Business]. Thanks for reaching out about [their request]. We can [next step or availability]. Does [specific time] work for you?

Here’s an example using an HVAC service:

Hi Dana, this is Mike with Carolina Comfort Heating & Air. Thanks for reaching out about your furnace not kicking on. We have a tech nearby tomorrow morning. Want us to hold an 8–10 a.m. slot for you?

Send a quick follow-up after the first contact, even if you’re handing the lead off to a different team.

Why it works: It’s fast, it repeats what Dana asked about, and it offers a specific time. She can say yes in one word.

Lead follow-up template for missed calls

Send this right after a missed call (set this up to send automatically if you can).

Hi, this is [Business]. Sorry we missed your call! We’d love to help with [service, if known]. Reply here with a good time to talk, or book online at [link].

Here’s an example using a medical spa:

Hi, this is Glow Med Spa. Sorry we missed your call! If you’re interested in a consultation, we have openings this Thursday and Saturday. Reply with a day that works, or book online at [link].

Why it works: Someone who reaches voicemail will often call the next business on their list. A quick text keeps the conversation going and skips the phone tag.

Lead follow-up template for a second touch

Send this one to two days after your first message, if there’s no reply.

Subject: [Name], quick answer on [their question]

Hi [Name],

Following up on your question about [request]. [One useful piece of info: a price range, an answer, or a tip.]

I can [next step] this week. Just reply with a time that works.

[Signature]

Here’s an example using a CPA:

Subject: Jordan, quick answer on your LLC taxes

Hi Jordan,

Following up on your question about filing taxes for your new LLC. Many first-year business owners don’t realize they may need to make quarterly estimated payments. We can walk you through what applies to you.

I have 20-minute calls open Tuesday and Wednesday afternoon. Want me to send a calendar link?

Taylor

Why it works: It gives Jordan something useful instead of a “just checking in.” A new channel also gives your message a second chance to get seen.

Lead follow-up template after a quote

Send this one to two days after sending a quote or estimate.

Subject: Your [product or service] quote + a few options

Hi [Name],

Thanks again for [visiting or talking with us] about [product or service]. Your quote is attached.

A few things that might help you decide: [financing, trade-in, a review, or a guarantee].

Want to [next step] this week? Just reply with a day that works.

[Signature]

Here’s an example using a car dealership:

Subject: Your SUV quote + a few options

Hi Priya,

Thanks again for coming in Saturday to test drive the SUV. Your quote is attached.

A few things that might help: we have several financing options, and we can appraise your current car for trade-in in about 20 minutes.

Want to stop by this week to go over the numbers? Just reply with a day that works.

Marcus

Buyers often get multiple quotes. Add details to your quote lead follow-up that make it easy to keep track.

Why it works: It answers the questions that usually stall a purchase (how will I pay, what about my old car) before Priya has to ask.

Lead follow-up template for “not right now” leads

Send this when a lead says the timing isn’t right.

Hi [Name],

Totally understand. I’ll check back in [timeframe they mentioned]. In the meantime, here’s [helpful resource] that might help you plan.

Talk soon,
[Signature]

Here’s an example for a vacation planner:

Hi Chris,

Totally understand that summer feels far off. I’ll check back in January, before popular summer dates start filling up. In the meantime, here’s our quick guide to planning a family beach trip on a budget.

Talk soon,
Lauren

Why it works: It respects Chris’s timeline, gives him something useful now, and sets up the next follow-up so it doesn’t feel random.

Lead follow-up template for a final follow-up

Send this after three to five follow-ups with no reply.

Hi [Name], I haven’t heard back, so I’ll assume [service] isn’t a priority right now. If anything changes, just reply here and we’ll [benefit]. Thanks!

Here’s an example for a yoga studio:

Hi Sam, I haven’t heard back, so I’ll assume now isn’t the right time to start classes. If anything changes, just reply here, and we’ll set you up with a free first class. Hope to see you on the mat!

A simple “breakup” message with a link for future contact is all you need.

Why it works: It’s low pressure and gives Sam an easy out, which can prompt a reply. It also gives you a clean stopping point so leads don’t sit in limbo.

Learn how to follow up with leads for more conversions

A low conversion rate not only throttles your growth, but also wastes the money you’ve spent promoting your business. A solid lead follow-up process turns more leads into customers now and creates opportunities for future sales you don’t have to pay more to get.

Use the steps and ideas in this guide to keep leads engaged so you’re the obvious choice, whether they buy tomorrow or next year.

If you’d like to generate and convert even more leads, reach out. We’ll show you how we use proprietary technology and marketing expertise to help you promote smarter, reply faster, and gain insights from every interaction.

The post Lead Follow-Up: 7 Steps to Convert More Customers (+Templates) appeared first on WordStream.

A budget leak is any gap between marketing activity and business value. And even small ones can become expensive fast, especially when 52% of SMBs have monthly marketing budgets under $2,500. Every dollar needs to work, and every tactic needs to earn the right to spend.

Budget leaks can appear during planning, between an ad and its landing page, or after the first sale. Increasing the budget before fixing the underlying problem just increases the waste.

In this guide, I’ve identified nine of the most common and costly leaks and how to fix them so you don’t waste another dollar.

The 9 marketing leaks draining your budget:

1. You start spending before defining the win
2. You spread a small budget across too many channels
3. You target everyone and convince no one
4. You pay for clicks with no buying intent
5. Your ads make promises your website doesn’t keep
6. You pay for content, then leave it stranded
7. You confuse automation with management
8. You let a winning design age into wallpaper
9. You keep buying new customers instead of keeping the current ones

1. You start spending before defining the win

“Get more traffic” sounds like a solid goal until the traffic arrives and nobody knows if it helped. The same applies to “increase engagement” or “build awareness.” Those directions can’t tell a small team if a campaign deserves another $500.

Without a clearly defined, measurable outcome, the nicest metric wins the debrief meeting. A campaign with lots of clicks looks successful (even without any qualified leads). These weak tactics keep running because nobody agrees on a finish line.

Do this instead: Give each campaign one primary business outcome. Set a baseline, target, deadline, budget limit, and decision rule. SMART goals can turn “get more leads” into “generate 30 qualified calls below $50 per lead within 60 days.”

Connect that goal to a simple marketing plan covering costs and expected returns. A budget without a destination is like a taxi with the meter running.

Don’t miss your best chance at a sale. Download Marketing Gaps That Cost You Customers (& How to Fix Them)

2. You spread a small budget across too many channels

Search, social, email, video, podcasts: Every channel comes with a convincing reason to use it. Trying them all may look like diversification but usually leaves a small team fragmented instead.

Each channel gets too little money for reliable data and not nearly enough time and attention to improve. The team spends its week resizing creative, checking dashboards, and feeding calendars while nothing gains momentum.

Do this instead: Choose two or three channels based on where customers spend time and how they buy. Put most of the budget behind the channels showing real promise, then protect a smaller amount for experiments. Give each test enough time and money to teach you something.

Cross-Channel Maturity Assessment

Answer 7 questions about your current setup. We'll tell you whether you're actually running multi-channel, cross-channel, or omnichannel, and what to fix first.

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Use this Cross-Channel Maturity Assessment to see how well coordinated your marketing channels are.

This focus helps stretch a marketing budget without shutting down every new idea. Spread the money too thin, and every campaign ends up running on fumes.

3. You target everyone and convince no one

Broad targeting makes reach climb quickly. Unfortunately, a large audience can include plenty of people with no realistic path to becoming customers.

The waste continues in the messaging. An ad designed for everyone usually becomes too vague to matter to anyone. You pay for a larger audience while giving each person a weaker reason to care.

Do this instead: Build campaigns around your highest-value customers. Look at location, needs, buying triggers, lifetime value, and the language they use to describe the problem. Define exclusions as carefully as inclusions.

This ad specifically targets pet owners who work from home.

Audience targeting determines who sees the ad. A landscaping company that serves local homeowners wastes audience spend when its ads reach renters or people outside its service area. With the wrong targeting, you’ve just built a digital confetti cannon: impressive coverage, terrible aim.

4. You pay for clicks with no buying intent

Search intent reveals what someone wants in the moment. The same landscaping company can reach a perfectly matched local homeowner who is searching for “DIY lawn care tips” rather than looking to hire someone. That click carries very little commercial intent.

Broad match can uncover valuable searches when someone reviews the queries and adds the right guardrails. If nobody reviews the queries triggering your ads, irrelevant clicks can drain the account for months. After all, a custom bakery shouldn’t pay for people searching for free cake recipes.

Do this instead: Review the search terms report weekly while a campaign is new. Add irrelevant phrases as negative keywords, group valuable keywords by commercial intent, and make sure your match types balance reach with control.

Regular negative keyword research helps protect the budget from searches that won’t produce business. Every irrelevant click is a tiny invoice from someone who was never shopping.

Turn more visitors into loyal customers. Get 14 Super-Fast Ways to Boost Conversions >>

5. Your ads make promises your website doesn’t keep

You paid for the right click from the right person. Then you sent them to a slow homepage with seven navigation options, three calls to action, and no mention of the offer.

That disconnect wastes the intent you paid to create. The visitor now has to work out where they landed, if the offer applies, and what to do next. Most people won’t bother.

Do this instead: Use a dedicated page with one goal. Match its headline and offer to the ad, explain the value quickly, add proof, and remove distractions. Strong landing page copy answers practical questions and makes the next step predictable.

Social proof, a clear offer, and a stand-out CTA button will turn visitors into customers.

The page also needs to feel fast, responsive, and stable on every screen. Google’s Core Web Vitals measure loading performance, responsiveness, and visual stability. Check the page on mobile and desktop, then fix slow-loading content, laggy interactions, and elements that jump around while the page loads.

6. You pay for content, then leave it stranded

Good content costs money before anyone reads a word. Interviews, research, strategy, writing, editing, design, and expert review all take time, effort, and expertise. So businesses hire an experienced writer, publish the piece, and move straight to the next brief.

The writer did their job, but the distribution plan never existed. Great articles then get written off (pun intended) after one lonely launch post. And when performance disappoints, the writing takes the blame for an audience problem.

Do this instead: Plan distribution before commissioning the piece. Put the audience, channels, owner, schedule, and success metric in the brief. Turn one article into an email, social posts, sales talking points, a short video, and internal links from high-traffic pages.

Repurpose the initial content to gain traction across multiple social media channels, email, and more.

Resurface evergreen content when its topic becomes timely. Update proven pieces before replacing them. These content distribution strategies can help each asset travel further. Paying for great content without distribution is like hiring a brilliant chef, plating the meal, and leaving it under the heat lamp. The work is finished, but nobody gets to enjoy it.

7. You confuse automation with management

Advertising platforms automate bids, placements, targeting, and budgets. They can’t understand priorities you never configured, notice that sales hates the leads, or account for changing cash flow.

If a campaign is optimized for cheap form fills, the platform will find you cheap form fills. It won’t care that half of them contain fake phone numbers. Broken tracking, irrelevant searches, and budget drift continue spending when nobody checks.

Do this instead: Run a short weekly performance check and a deeper monthly review. Inspect spend, conversions, search terms, locations, devices, creative, and lead quality. A recurring Google Ads audit can show you structural problems that daily dashboards miss.

Keep a simple change log so you can connect performance shifts to actual decisions. Automation is useful, but Jurassic Park remains a solid reminder that the control room still needs a responsible adult.

8. You let a winning design age into wallpaper

Even a strong ad loses power after the same audience sees it day in and day out. The image becomes familiar, the hook stops interrupting attention, and yesterday’s winner blends into the background.

Panicked optimization creates another leak. Some teams change the headline, visual, audience, bid, and page at once. Performance moves, but nobody knows why. And the next campaign starts with the same guesswork.

Do this instead: Build each experiment around a clear hypothesis. Test one meaningful variable like the hook, offer, image, or CTA. Choose the winning metric before launch, and give the test enough time and budget to produce useful data.

Your best ads, emails, and posts come from the results of A/B testing.

Disciplined A/B testing turns creative spending into reusable knowledge. Record what worked, what failed, and what you learned. A smarter creative process turns one winning ad into better decisions for every campaign that follows.

9. You keep buying new customers instead of keeping the current ones

Acquisition gets attention because new customers are easy to count. Previous buyers receive a receipt, a generic newsletter (here are some not-generic newsletter ideas), and the marketing equivalent of being left on read.

That creates an expensive loop: continually paying to acquire strangers while people who already know and trust the business drift away. That missed opportunity is hard to ignore when a 5% increase in customer retention can raise profits by 25% to 95%.

Do this instead: Reserve some budget for the relationship after the first sale. Use email nurture, post-purchase education, remarketing, reviews, referrals, and loyalty offers to create another reason to engage. Track repeat purchase rate and customer lifetime value alongside acquisition cost.

Practical customer retention strategies help the original acquisition spend keep producing value. Marketing that only funds first dates gets expensive fast.

Start with the leak costing you the most

For a small team, the important question here is, “Where is the money escaping, and which repair will matter most?”

Review the last 30 days of campaigns and content investments, noting the business result each one was meant to create, how much it cost, where prospects stopped moving forward, and when someone last reviewed or distributed it. Use that snapshot to identify the simplest credible fix for each leak.

Rank the leaks by money at risk, confidence in the diagnosis, and ease of repair. Plug the biggest hole first, and you’ll find that the budget you already have can suddenly do a whole lot more for less, leaving your strongest marketing more room to grow.

And if you’d like help making sure each marketing dollar is optimized for business growth, reach out. We’ll show you how our marketing solutions keep customers coming efficiently.

The post 9 Overlooked Marketing Budget Leaks (+How to Plug Them) appeared first on WordStream.

That’s a promising start for any new marketing channel.

But advertising on ChatGPT, and AI search in general, has nuances that make it better suited to certain businesses and industries.

In this guide, I’ll break down the basics of the new ad options, explore their pros and cons, and share insights from experienced marketers to help you decide if ChatGPT ads are worth your investment now.

Contents

• Are ChatGPT ads worth it?
• What are ChatGPT ads?
• How ChatGPT ads work
• What are the pros and cons of investing in ChatGPT ads?
• How much do ChatGPT ads cost?
• Who should consider ChatGPT ads?
• ChatGPT ads FAQs

Are your Google Ads delivering the best possible results? Find out with the Free Google Ads Grader

Are ChatGPT ads worth it?

ChatGPT ads can be worth it for businesses willing and able to experiment. To narrow it down further, ask these questions to see if they’re a smart play for your business now:

• Are my customers using AI search to research the problems my products or services solve?
• Can ads there reach and convert customers cost-effectively for my business?
• Do I have the time or budget to experiment with another marketing channel?

“There is an advantage to getting in early because advertisers can start learning what messaging works in this environment,” said Katia Hausman, VP of Product for LocaliQ. “But I wouldn’t test it just to say you are there. It makes the most sense when your customers are already using AI as part of how they research, compare options, and make decisions.”

As you’ll see, some businesses and industries are a natural fit for ChatGPT ads, while others are better off spending elsewhere. Let’s dig into the details to see which group you’re in.

What are ChatGPT ads?

ChatGPT ads are paid placements that appear during conversations in the app. They’re based on the context of the current conversation and—when a user has personalization enabled—previous ChatGPT experiences.

For example, when you ask ChatGPT to give you a project list for a new fence, it may show an ad for ready-made fence sections.

Source

How ChatGPT ads work

ChatGPT ads work on a bidding system like other paid digital placements, but their ability to understand conversational context makes them unique.

Here’s how these ads work from both the users’ and advertisers’ perspective to help you decide if they fit your marketing goals.

Placement

ChatGPT ads show up below the conversation you’re having on the platform. As you’ll see, there are a few versions, but they’re all clearly separated from the organic answer and labeled as an ad.

ChatGPT ads appear below and are separated from organic answers. 

Visibility

ChatGPT ads only appear for users on the Free and ChatGPT Go tiers. People paying for Plus, Pro, Business, or Enterprise subscriptions do not see ads on the platform.

Users also have some control. They can dismiss individual ads, turn off personalization, and clear their data history to change which ads they see.

Ad formats

There have been as many as six variations of ChatGPT ads documented.

The standard format includes a headline with a favicon (logo), a brief description, and a visual creative.

OpenAI is already expanding the ad types available. They’ve recently added a scrollable carousel allowing you to display several products side-by-side.

Source

Expect the options and variations to change quickly in the early stages of ChatGPT ads as both OpenAI and users learn what works best.

Targeting

ChatGPT ads use something called context hints instead of keywords to target ads. Context hints are one- or two-sentence descriptions you give OpenAI’s Ads Manager to tell it when and where your ad will be relevant.

This is one of the biggest differences between ChatGPT ads and traditional search ads. Search ad platforms rely on literal keyword overlap. ChatGPT uses semantic embeddings to understand the underlying meaning of your context hint.

For example, you might bid on the term “emergency plumber” in Google Ads. In ChatGPT ads, you’d give it a context hint like, “Homeowner dealing with a burst pipe, flooding, or water leak who needs a plumber fast, often outside business hours.”

OpenAI then matches ads with the context hints you gave it to the user’s current conversation, past chats, and past interactions with ads. Advertisers never see those details, though.

Safeguards and privacy

There are a few safety nets built into ChatGPT ads. For example, ads do not show for users known to be under the age of 18. Ads are also automatically suppressed in conversations involving sensitive topics like health and politics.

OpenAI also says it keeps users’ chats private. They won’t share chat history, names, precise locations, etc., with advertisers.

Bidding and budgeting

ChatGPT ads run on an auction. You choose a goal like views (CPM or reach) or clicks (CPC) and set a maximum bid at the ad-group level.

There is a “conversion” option, too, but it’s based on optimized cost per click (oCPC). That means you pay for clicks from users likely to take an action (subscribe, buy, etc.) instead of paying for actual conversions.

The highest bid doesn’t automatically win. OpenAI uses a relevance-weighted, second-price auction. A more relevant ad can beat a bigger bid, and the winner usually pays just enough to beat the next ad (learn about paid search strategies here for comparison).

OpenAI considers an ad’s relevance to the conversation as well as the bid amount when placing ads.

OpenAI recently added automated bidding options and view-through conversions to see when a buyer converts within a day of seeing an eligible ad.

Buying ChatGPT ads won’t boost your organic visibility there. This will: The Complete AI Search Toolkit: Practical Strategies to Get Found by AI

What are the pros and cons of investing in ChatGPT ads now?

ChatGPT ads are still new and evolving quickly. There can be benefits to being an early adopter. But early volatility and a still somewhat niche shopper base mean not every business can take advantage. Here is the good and the bad of trying ChatGPT ads now.

Pros

Here’s what you get for jumping into ChatGPT ads now.

High-intent engagements

ChatGPT ads show up right when people are actively looking for a solution. Your product or service fits organically into the conversation, maybe even before the buyer knew they needed it.

“What makes [ChatGPT ads] interesting is that you are reaching people while they are working through a problem or decision,” Katia said. “Sometimes that’s before they’ve even turned that need into a traditional search.”

ChatGPT ads fit into the context of the conversation to help improve conversions.

Simplified research

Keyword research sits at the center of a successful search ads campaign. It’s a pain to do. You can spend hours digging through tools, figuring out search intent, and building lists that are out of date as soon as customer behavior changes.

ChatGPT ads semantic matching cuts out a lot of that work.

“ChatGPT Ads aren’t based on exact-match keywords like Google,” said David Meerman Scott, author, speaker, and expert in fandom marketing. “Instead, advertisers tell the system context hints that describe the conversations, topics, or keywords where their products or services may be relevant. That means there isn’t as much research required to get going.”

Instead of a spreadsheet full of potential keywords, you can think about what you would ask if you were your customer. And it may even be easier than that. “You can just point to a landing page and let the ChatGPT Ads AI take it from there,” David added.

Early-mover advantage (less competition)

Depending on which source you trust, the businesses advertising on ChatGPT number in the 10 to 10s of thousands. It’s closer to 7 million on Google.

Lower competition means you’ll have a fighting chance at surfacing for your ideal customer. That’s not likely to be true forever.

“As marketers gain experience with ChatGPT ads and OpenAI figures out ways to show a positive ROI, I expect advertising costs to increase significantly,” David said. “Now is the time to experiment.”

Cons

There are downsides to getting into a new marketing channel early. Especially one that’s used for deeper research instead of a quick search.

ChatGPT ads are still in beta

OpenAI’s help docs refer to the platform as Ads Manager Beta. Meaning, you’ll be advertising on a platform that’s still being built.

OpenAI continues to add new features to ChatGPT ads, like conversion-optimized bidding.

The result is a frequently changing platform. There have already been several updates to rules, features, and ad types. What works right now may not in a few weeks as these updates roll out.

Results are not stable

Google Ads has years of experiments and campaigns to back up best practices there. ChatGPT has a few months of early data, and it seems to vary greatly by advertiser.

On Reddit, advertisers talk about a mixed bag of results. Some say they’re getting cheaper clicks for local services, while others complain about low-quality leads and platform glitches. One advertiser said visitors from ChatGPT ads were only sticking around for 5 seconds on average.

Even with good initial results, it’s difficult to budget for long-term impact as the platform matures. There’s also not a reliable playbook yet from other marketers to test and prove what works.

They have a relatively narrow audience reach

You can’t reach all ChatGPT users with ads. And many people won’t use an AI tool like ChatGPT for high-value, fast-conversion searches.

Unlike Google, which has a pretty universal reach (most users see ads), only some people who frequent ChatGPT do.

“A significant drawback to the ChatGPT ad program is that the ads are only shown to the free tier of ChatGPT users,” David said. “That means that many business users who pay for the premium plans won’t see ads. That’s a problem for B2B marketers.”

Also, many people will prefer Google Maps and Apple Maps for a quick search of “Coffee shops near me” or “Home improvement stores open now.” AI search platforms like ChatGPT are great for deeper research, but they can’t compete with the convenience of quickly searching a map app for immediate needs.

How much do ChatGPT ads cost?

There’s a wide range of costs in advertising, even for established channels like search ads (we see search ad CPCs from under $2 to nearly $10 depending on the industry in our benchmarks reports).

Digiday reported CPMs of around $25 in April.

They seem to be falling and, depending on your industry, competitive with other platforms.

“I’m seeing about 0.5% click-through rates and about $10 CPMs via ChatGPT ads,” David said. “I remember way back in the early days of Google Ads when these sorts of costs were the norm. Now many high-value keywords on Google are fabulously expensive!”

There’s not enough historical data to have a high level of confidence in ChatGPT ads costs. The best bet is to run a controlled test.

Who should consider ChatGPT ads?

There’s a lot up in the air about what will work on ChatGPT ads. If you have the budget, you may find a lucrative new source of leads.

“Any business that is already prioritizing paid advertising on social networks, or Google, or other online channels should experiment right now,” David said.

That’s particularly true if you sell something people need to research before buying.

“I think the businesses that should be testing ChatGPT Ads now are the ones where customers naturally come to ChatGPT to make a decision,” Katia said. “Travel and hospitality, retail and ecommerce, and home services are good examples because people are already using ChatGPT to plan trips, compare products, research repairs, and figure out what to do next.”

Travel ads work well in ChatGPT because people use AI to research their next trip.

You should consider trialing ChatGPT ads if you:

• Sell into an approved category: Check OpenAI’s ad policies to see if your industry and topics are approved.
• Already track your leads and sales: If you can measure calls, forms, and purchases on other channels, you’ll be able to tell whether ChatGPT is delivering results.
• Have budget you can afford to lose: There’s no minimum spend, but benchmarks are thin, so treat your first campaign as a learning cost.
• Sell something people research before buying: Ads show up below relevant conversations, so they fit best when someone is comparing options.
• Can run a small, focused test: Pick one service, one location, one budget cap, and a clear “keep going or stop” number before you launch.

ChatGPT ads FAQs

There’s a lot of new information to learn about ChatGPT ads. This quick list of FAQs will help you get a handle on it all.

When did ChatGPT launch ads?

OpenAI announced its ad plans on January 16, 2026, and began testing ads with US users on the Free and Go plans on February 9, 2026. The self-serve Ads Manager opened to all US businesses on May 5, 2026.

What are ChatGPT ads like?

ChatGPT ads appear at the bottom of an answer when there’s a relevant sponsored product or service. They’re clearly labeled as an ad and visually separated from the regular response. OpenAI picks which ad to show by matching advertisers’ ads to the topic of the conversation, the user’s past chats, and their past interactions with ads.

Do ChatGPT ads affect organic mentions?

No. OpenAI’s “answer independence” principle means ads do not influence the answers ChatGPT gives users. You can’t buy your way into ChatGPT’s recommendations, so your listings, reviews, and website content still determine whether you get mentioned.

Should you invest in ChatGPT ads?

ChatGPT ads are new. But with so many users engaging with a high buying intent, they’re also very tempting.

If your customers tend to ask more than one question about a product in AI search, you sell something OpenAI has approved for advertising, and you can spare the budget if the return isn’t great, then ChatGPT ads could be worth experimenting with.

The post Are ChatGPT Ads Worth It? Pros, Cons, Costs, & Who Should Try Them appeared first on WordStream.

• Setting bids
• Deciding when a user is ready to convert
• Choosing the exact right placements
• Finding the right time to show up

But the thing Google can’t do? Know what is going to meaningfully impact your business.

To Google, you’re just another account number. It doesn’t know how your sales process works or what your margins are. It’s simply a machine going after a number, and it’s damn good at it.

As marketers, our job is now very different than it used to be, but just as important: we have to tell Google what we want.

In this article, I’ll walk you through how to create a winning Google Ads conversion strategy so you can track and impact the most important results for your business.

Contents

• Determine what’s valuable
• Figure out how to track it
  • Types of conversion tracking in Google Ads
• Match the valuable action to the tracking functionality
• Configure settings to maximize outputs
  • Understanding goals vs. conversion actions
  • Campaign-specific goals
  • Conversion action settings

How to create a winning Google Ads conversion strategy (in the age of AI)

Let’s get started.

Determine what’s valuable

The first step to having a winning Google Ads conversion strategy is to outline exactly what is valuable to your business. This will be different for every company based on your sales processes, margins, conversion rates, customer retention strategies, and so on, which is why Google isn’t able to make these decisions for you. It needs these inputs for success.

But this stage shouldn’t outline only the final sales on your site. With some exceptions, very few businesses have only a purchase action to consider a positive engagement with a company. Depending on your business model, there may be a slew of them that we want to outline.

Start by writing down all of the ways someone can meaningfully engage with your company. No, page views don’t count, unless it’s a very important page.

We’re looking for actions like:

• Signing up for a newsletter
• Entering to win a drawing
• Requesting a demo
• Clicking to call
• Making a purchase
• App installs
• Completing a sales call
• Downloading a report
• Joining a loyalty program
• Starting a free trial
• Upgrading to a paid account
• Registering for a webinar

Any action that could be part of a customer journey should be a part of this list. For this portion, we really just need to know what’s valuable. In a little bit, we’ll get to outlining just how valuable something is.

Worried you’re wasting spend in Google Ads? Find out with a free, instant audit >> Google Ads Performance Grader

Figure out how to track it

All of these actions hold some level of value to your marketing campaigns, whether they’re the end goal of every campaign or just a quality indicator along the way. In my experience, it’s best to have as many of these actions as possible tracked in your Google Ads accounts for two reasons.

First, you’re able to optimize to that goal in your campaign settings. We’ll talk about this more later, but if you want to have more newsletter signups, Google is going to be best able to do that if you have confirmed that newsletter signups are tracked so it can model past behavior and know when it sees success.

Second, these actions can be good indicators of performance in other campaigns. While each of these actions might not fit into a perfectly linear funnel, it’s logical that someone who regularly downloads your content is more likely to engage with your brand on a revenue-generating basis than someone who doesn’t know who you are. These actions can be used simply as observations in your account to help you better understand how your campaigns are performing throughout the funnel.

Types of conversion tracking in Google Ads

While the idea of tracking many different types of conversion actions might be a novel idea to some, it’s not to Google. They’ve been developing loads of ways to track meaningful interactions with companies over the years. Here’s a rundown of the high-level options:

Website conversions: This strategy leverages the Google Tag on your website and can help track actions like purchases, newsletter signups, form submissions, and more based on how the user engages with your website.

App conversions: This is similar to website tracking, but for your App instead. This can track when someone installs your app or takes specific in-app actions like completing a level of a game or making a purchase.

Phone call conversions: Google’s options allow advertisers to track calls from three different sources: calls from call assets or the ad itself, calls made from a forwarding number on the website, or calls generated on a mobile device by clicking on the phone number (click to call).

Offline conversions: This measures actions that are valuable to your company, but take place in the physical world and not the digital one. This can include in-store purchases, CRM lead progression, and other actions either provided to Google through a CRM integration, importing a file, or through the Google Ads API.

What conversion rate can you expect from your Google Ads? Download our latest Google Ads Benchmarks to find out >>

Match the valuable action to the tracking functionality

Now we need to determine which tracking methodology makes the most sense for our goals and get it set up. I’m not going to walk through how to implement tracking for each type of these goals here (you can do that by reading this article), but I do want to give some examples of how you can use each.

Looking at our list of valuable actions above, each has multiple different ways to track it depending on your setup:

It’s up to you to determine which makes the most sense and which is going to be the most accurate, but odds are there’s some option for you to track your valuable events.

Some of these options are certainly more involved than others. You may be able to set these up yourself, or you might need to get help from a developer or someone a bit more technically minded. Either way, at this point, your challenge is simply to get the conversions set up so you can see them in the Google Ads interface.

Configure settings to maximize outputs

Now comes the fun part, or at least what I consider the fun part: configuring conversion settings in Google Ads to make the most of your valuable actions.

Understanding goals vs. conversion actions

In Google Ads, there are two levels of organization when it comes to conversion tracking. A conversion action is a single event that someone can convert on. Think about a purchase or filling out a lead form.

Goals are a group of conversion actions that are similar (or at least are intended to be similar) and are named by their intended outcome.

In the image above, you can see there are five Goals: Submit lead form, Phone call lead, Contact, Download, and Engagement. You can see how many campaigns those goals are applied to, how many Primary conversions they have, and their status.

Understanding the settings of Goals and how they impact your account is very important. For three of the Goals above, you’ll see “Account-default” over their name. That means every new campaign that’s created will use that Goal as part of its target conversion setup.

This is important to know, because Google uses these Goals as the actions they’re going to optimize for. If you’re regularly creating new campaigns that have all different sorts of conversion targets, you want to make sure you’re leveraging the right optimization goals, or else Google can go off the rails driving actions for a campaign that you’re not trying to get.

If you click Edit goal in blue on the right, you’ll be given these settings:

From here, you can decide if this group should be an Account Default, you can select certain campaigns that should use this goal, and you can get a quick view of the conversion actions in each Goal.

Ready to quickly increase your conversions and win more customers? Download our guide: Super-Fast Ways to Boost Conversions >>

Campaign-specific goals

If your account has multiple campaigns that are aiming for different outcomes, think Demo Request vs. Content Download vs. Online Purchase, you’re a good candidate for Campaign-specific goals.

Rather than using the Account-default goals, you can select custom Goal settings by campaign. You can do that from the Goal settings as we show in the picture above, or you can do it in the campaign-level settings.

In the campaign settings, navigate to the Conversion goals section. There you’ll find a dropdown that says Account-default or Campaign-specific.

Once you’ve selected Campaign-specific, you can select which Goals you want this campaign to consider conversions.

Just remember, whatever Conversion actions you have in those Goals will then count for that campaign, and that’s what Google’s machine learning will optimize for. It’s important for you to keep track of which actions are in which goals so it’s easy to know which should be applied to the account and which should be applied to your respective campaigns.

Is your Google Ads account set up for success? Download now >> The Last Guide to Google Ads Account Structure You’ll Ever Need >>

Conversion action settings

Now that you understand the organization and how it impacts Google’s optimization strategies, let’s focus on the settings for each conversion action and talk about why they’re important.

Each conversion action you create will have a screen that looks like this for the settings:

Let’s go through them in order.

Conversion name is important simply for ease of understanding what the conversion action is tracking. For this account, we have a single conversion action that tracks every Demo Request across all sites and microsites, so a simple name is all we need. If your actions are more involved than this, I implore you to create a naming convention that’s clear and straightforward.

Try to name things so that anyone who looks at your list of conversions has an idea of what they’re tracking, even if they know nothing about the account. Conversion type ID and Date created aren’t important for the purposes of this article.

Action optimization

Action optimization is simple, but very important.

Each conversion action can be deemed a Primary or Secondary action.

Primary actions are used for bidding optimizations, meaning Google will leverage this data to find more users likely to take this action and will be counted in the Conversions column.

Secondary actions will not be used in bidding, but will still be tracked and can be seen in the All Conversions column in the interface.

It’s simple: if you want Google to use an action and optimize for it in bidding, then that action is Primary. If you simply want to see how many of these actions are taken, but you’re not interested in optimizing for it, choose Secondary.

Note: We already talked about Google optimizing only for the Goals applied to a campaign, whether with account settings or at the campaign level. If a Goal isn’t applied to a campaign but a conversion action in that Goal is set to Primary, that action will be counted in the All Conversions column since that Goal isn’t assigned to that campaign. 

Conversion values

Adding the value of a conversion is always recommended, even if it’s an approximation.

Ecommerce companies will likely use the “different values for each conversion” setting so they can track the actual revenue generated from each sale.

For this setting, you’ll use either the Google Tag or an Event snippet to pull in the value of these sales. This tracking requires some additional coding to dynamically include revenue numbers, but is definitely worth it.

For many lead generation companies, we end up using stable values for conversion actions and employ the “same value for every conversion” setting. Here, we’ll assign a monetary value to that conversion action that can be applied to our Conversion Value column.

Some of you lead gen folks might be saying, “but I don’t know the value of a lead” or “all my deal sizes are different, so one value doesn’t make sense.” I hear you. Here are a few questions for you that could help you plan out your next steps:

• Can you calculate your sales pipeline conversion rates for each step and determine an average value per lead to add here?
• Are you able to use a different conversion tracking type (Offline conversion or CRM Import) to pull in closed deals and their associated revenue?
• Do you know how valuable a lead is to you in relation to another goal? I.e., 10% of people who fill out a newsletter form end up making a purchase. You can take the average purchase price, multiply it by 10%, then determine an estimated average value per newsletter signup.

Tracking values for your conversions is important for Google’s machine learning because that tells Google how valuable something is to your business. It can then use that information to distinguish the value of one action vs. another and leverage that information in automated bidding.

Maximize Conversion Value and Target ROAS bidding lean heavily on these values for direction and feedback into the bidding algorithm to tell Google it’s delivering on your goals.

Conversion count

Google’s bidding algorithms also need to know if you want multiple conversions from the same person (purchases are a good example) or if you only want one (think lead generation where you don’t want to pay for the same user’s information twice).

Conversion attribution

The next four settings are all about conversion action attribution and effectively tell Google’s AI how far to look back for each type of action and how to model out reporting for it.

The Attribution windows for Click-through, Engaged-view, and View-through conversions all have different time frames you’re able to use, but it’s up to you to decide how far you want Google to look back and claim success.

The cascade of time frames here is pretty standard, with Click-through being the longest, then Engaged view, then View-through being the shortest, but the date ranges shown above are simply the ones that made sense for this client. I have others with a 90-day Click-through window and some with only one week.

Determine the settings that make sense for your business based on these conversion types and get those set up as needed.

Lastly, the Attribution Model tells Google how to attribute success across the account. Data Driven is the recommended model and is likely the right choice for just about every account.

In a scenario where a user views a video ad through a Demand Gen campaign, then later converts on a Search campaign, Google can give a small amount of the conversion (and conversion value) credit to the Demand Gen campaign based on the Engaged-view attribution settings since it likely played a role in the final conversion. This helps Google’s AI be more efficient over time, because it can see the whole picture and measure the impact of all campaigns together rather than just one.

Last click is still an option (you’ll notice none of the others listed are available anymore), but there are very few instances where I think this model makes sense.

Enhanced conversions

If you have a Google rep, you’ve likely been hounded about informed about Enhanced Conversions. This is an additional layer of tracking that helps Google match conversion actions to specific users in your account by using your first-party data to fill in tracking gaps for more accurate reporting.

This also requires some additional setup in Google and potentially on your website or CRM, so it’s a little involved, but the main goal is to have accurate tracking. With these holes filled in, Google’s AI can better know if it’s generating conversions or not and then in turn have better performance on the other side.

Get your conversion tracking right to see how Google’s AI is impacting your campaigns

Google’s AI is great at doing many of the tedious, technical tasks that we advertisers used to do on a regular basis. It’s our job now to provide guidance for those algorithms to get the best results from our accounts.

Accurate conversion tracking is the foundation for success because it’s what directs Google as to what our business needs to thrive. It all starts with finding a way to track the actions your business views as valuable, then feeding those into the Google platform. From there, Goal organization and individual conversion action settings will direct Google on what to optimize for, how valuable those actions are, and give the algorithm the data it needs to succeed.

The post How to Track Google Ads Conversions in the Age of AI appeared first on WordStream.

This is a common request I hear from business owners, whether they’ve been running Google Ads for years or they’re setting up their first campaign. How can you “crush the competition” with your Google Ads strategy?

Sometimes, this request is rooted in a good old-fashioned competitive spirit. Sometimes, it’s because the competitor is already advertising on your brand name, so you want to retaliate. Whatever the reason, we’re going to explore what “traditional” competitive conquesting is in Google Search. Then, I’ll share three different competitive conquesting strategies that you can try today–without breaking the bank.

Contents

• What is competitive conquesting in Google Ads?
• Why is competitor conquesting so expensive?
• 3 ways to do competitive conquesting without breaking the bank

What is competitive conquesting in Google Ads?

The dictionary definition of “conquesting” is “the act of taking control of a place or people by using force.” Sounds a bit extreme for a digital marketing strategy, right? In Google Ads, competitive conquesting refers to the tactic of placing ads on searches for your competitors.

For example, let’s say you are Anthropic (makers of the popular Claude LLM). If you were to use [claude] as a keyword in your Search campaign, that would be a branded search strategy. If you were to use [chatgpt] as a keyword in your Search campaign, that would be competitor conquesting.

Here’s an example in the wild. A search for The Farmer’s Dog yields results for other businesses clearly targeting their brand keyword.

Before you try to overtake the competition–get a real read on how your Google Ads are performing right now. Find out with a free, instant audit: Google Ads Performance Grader >>

Why is competitive conquesting so expensive?

Competitive conquesting typically comes with a double whammy of high CPCs and low conversion rates, which means poor ROI. Why?

First, when a user is searching for a competitor, that means they already know exactly what they’re looking for. So even if they do click on your ad, many will bounce once they realize that you are Claude, not ChatGPT. That leads to poor conversion rates.

Second, while you can use your competitor’s name as a keyword, you can’t always put their name in your ad copy. While most practitioners focus on the potential trademark issues involved with putting another brand’s name in your ad copy, the more pressing Google Ads policy is actually “Unacceptable business practices.”

Other Farm Fresh Box? I see what you did there.

To quote Google’s Advertising policies about Misrepresentation, one of the unacceptable business practices (that can lead to account suspension, if not remedied) is “Impersonating other brands or businesses in your ads or on your website to hide your identity or imply connections or qualifications.”

In plain English, you can’t pretend to be another brand. For example, Marcus Bawden, Managing Director at T-mex Express, recently posted a screenshot on LinkedIn of a competitor using the ad headline “T-mex”

See Marcus’s full post here.

Regardless of trademark usage, and regardless of consumer protection laws in the UK (where Marcus is based), this other company was violating Google Ads policy because the headline implies that they are T-mex, when they are not. Don’t do this!

And because you aren’t doing this, you will usually have a low CTR if you advertise on your competitor’s name, which means poor ad quality, and therefore high CPCs. This is the other reason that search conquesting is usually prohibitively expensive.

Want to know what CPCs your competitors are seeing in Google Ads? Download our latest Google Ads Benchmarks to find out!

3 types of competitive conquesting strategies for Google Ads (+how to do them)

So what’s a savvy Google Ads advertisers do instead of true competitive conquesting? Here are three options that I developed for you to help you see better results than a conquesting campaign would net you.

1. Audience-based custom segments

Instead of paying a premium to show an ad at the exact moment a user searches for a competitor, you can show ads to people who have recently searched for your competitor–as they’re doing other things online. This strategy is cost effective (since you don’t have the poor ad quality/high CPC issue), and allows you to proactively get in front of people searching for the competition.

How to do it

• In Google Ads, go to Tools > Shared Library > Audience Manager > Custom segments and create a new custom segment.
• Be sure to select “people who searched for any of these terms on Google,” then type in your competitors’ names.
• Add this audience to a Demand Gen campaign or a Video campaign to reach people who’ve been searching for your competitors.
  • Because this type of custom segment is only compatible with Google-owned properties, ensure that you have the Display network and/or Video partners turned off
  • Also ensure that you have optimized targeting (in Demand Gen) and/or audience expansion (in Video) turned off, so that you are only showing ads to your custom segment.

2. Comparison search ads

While you can’t pretend to be your competitor, you can absolutely draw fair comparisons between your offerings and theirs. To clarify, it is acceptable within Google’s policies to use a headline like “Claude vs. ChatGPT” because you are not pretending to be ChatGPT, so you are not misrepresenting your business.

While laws vary by region, it is also acceptable by many consumer protection agencies to compare yourself to the competition. As always, this is not legal advice; consult with a lawyer before launching any type of competitive strategy.

Assuming that your legal department gives you the “okay,” you’re going to start running comparison search ads rather than competitor conquesting ads. What’s the difference?

Competitor conquesting is advertising on searches for “chatgpt” with ad copy that says “Try Claude today” or “Top AI Chatbot Claude.” Competitor keyword with no competitor name in the ad copy.

Comparison search ads are when you advertise on searches for “chatgpt vs. claude” with ad copy that says “ChatGPT vs. Claude: Which one?” or “Choose Claude vs. ChatGPT.” Comparison keywords with matching comparison ad copy. See the difference? You’re positioning yourself in front of users who are actively comparing you to your competitor.

This is an organic result, but Microsoft could run it as a comparison ad and be in the clear.

Rather than serving a regular branded ad, or a regular competitor ad, create a hybrid ad group (or campaign) to specifically serve these comparison searches.

I tested this strategy with one of my coaching clients, who runs a subscription software business. After reviewing the search terms together, I advised them to add comparison keywords and comparison ad copy to their existing competitor conquesting campaign. The results? 8% higher ROAS (and 7% lower CPA) from comparison keywords vs. competitor keywords.

Here is how the key metrics landed over the last year for comparison keywords (for example, [chatgpt or claude]) vs. competitor keywords (for example, [claude]):

• Comparison keywords saw 2.7x higher CTR than competitor keywords (8.2% vs. 3.1% CTR)
• Comparison keywords saw 2.1x higher CPCs than competitor keywords ($8.81 vs. $4.10 CPC). Remember, high CPCs are not the enemy, low quality traffic is!
• Comparison keywords saw 2.3x higher conversion rate than competitor keywords (5.6% vs. 2.4% CVR)
• Comparison keywords saw 7% lower CPA than competitor keywords ($159 vs. $171 CPA)
• Comparison keywords saw 8% higher ROAS than competitor keywords (0.93 vs. 0.86)

How to do it

• First, make sure you have a landing page that is ready to convert this traffic. My client created a comparison page that directly compares their software to a competitor’s. Without a customized landing page, you’ll be hard pressed to drive such a high conversion rate.
• Next, build your keyword list. Your existing search terms report from your branded search and/or search conquesting campaigns may already have some inspiration for you. We started with six exact match keywords; continuing with Claude and ChatGPT as our illustrative example, they are:
  • [chatgpt claude]
  • [claude chatgpt]
  • [claude or chatgpt]
  • [chatgpt or claude]
  • [claude vs chatgpt]
  • [chatgpt vs claude]
    • While there is some redundancy amongst these exact match keywords (only three of these six keywords received impressions in the last year), we wanted to ensure our bases were covered.
• Then, craft your comparison ad copy. I will reiterate that you should consult with a lawyer to clarify the law in your jurisdiction around comparison advertising. In the country where this client operates, “fair” comparisons with objective information were deemed acceptable by the client’s legal team.
• Finally, be sure you’re using a conversion-based Smart Bidding strategy (preferably Target CPA or Target ROAS) with properly implemented conversion tracking. This will ensure that your campaign focuses on driving business value from these comparison queries.

3. Non-brand search conquesting

Instead of fighting over your competitor’s brand name, why not steal the non-brand searches that are driving traffic to their website?

I coined the name “non-brand conquesting” for this strategy, because you are specifically conquesting your competitor’s non-brand traffic, rather than their brand traffic. In doing so, you don’t have the low CVR/high CPC issues that plague standard competitor conquesting–and you’re not risking any policy or legal violations.

How to do it

• In Google Ads, go to Tools > Planning > Keyword Planner > Discover new keywords > Start with a website.
• Instead of entering your own URL, as usual, enter your competitor’s website URL. You can do their entire site, or start with a specific page.
• Keyword Planner will show you all of the non-brand search terms that Google associates with your competitor’s site. Take the most relevant non-brand keywords from this list and add them to your Search campaigns as exact match keywords.
  • Now, you’ll be showing ads above your competitors’ organic results, and alongside their search ads (assuming they are advertising on Google Search)–stealing a share of the non-brand traffic that’s currently bringing them business!

You can also use the WordStream Free Keyword Tool for this!

Conquer your competitors in Google Ads

These competitive conquesting alternatives allow you to spend less while still targeting your competitors’ customers. Try these out and see which works best to steal your competitors’ traffic.

For more help conquering Google Ads, reach out to see how we can help.

The post How to Do Competitive Conquesting in Google Ads Without Breaking the Bank appeared first on WordStream.

Of all the metrics you can view, conversion rate and cost per lead are two of the most compelling. When they’re up, it’s a clear signal that everything from targeting to copy is in alignment.

A great step in setting goals and monitoring your conversion results is defining what those results should look like. What’s a high Google Ads conversion rate? What’s a good Meta Ads cost per lead? And how does conversion rate optimization change depending on your industry?

These are the questions we’re here to answer. With this guide, our goal is to provide the essential conversion rate benchmarks you need to get your conversion rate optimization (CRO) efforts off to the right start.

Contents

• Average Google Ads conversion rates by industry
• Average Google Ads cost per lead by industry
• Average Facebook Ads conversion rates by industry
• Average Facebook Ads cost per lead by industry
• Average display and video ads cost per lead by industry

Conversion rate benchmarks for Google Ads

The average conversion rate across Google Ads is 8.18%.

Note: We update this data regularly! Download the PDF of our latest Google Ads Benchmarks report here.

Conversion rates in Google Ads keep moving in the right direction. In our 2025 benchmarks, the average conversion rate was 7.52%. This year, it’s 8.18%. That’s an 8.8% year-over-year increase, and the second year in a row that average CVR has gone up.

Google Ads conversion rates tend to vary from vertical to vertical, so here is a more granular breakdown of Google Ads CVR by industry:

Are there opportunities to optimize your Google Ads for higher conversions? Find out instantly with the Free Google Ads Grader.

How much does a Google Ads conversion cost?

The average cost per lead across Google Ads is $66.69.

Taking a look at the industries with the highest average costs per lead (Attorneys & Legal Services at $131.63, Furniture at $106.70, and Real Estate at $102.51), we see a common theme: high-ticket purchases. Legal fees, a new dining set, and a home all come with big price tags, and people don’t commit to them on a whim.

At the other end of the spectrum, the industries with the lowest costs per lead are Arts & Entertainment ($26.84), Automotive Repair, Service, & Parts ($29.96), and Restaurants & Food ($30.57). What they share is timing. People searching in these industries usually need an answer now. You don’t spend weeks picking a restaurant for tonight or a show for this weekend, and when your car breaks down, you want it fixed as fast as possible. Shorter decisions mean fewer clicks before someone takes action, which keeps each lead cost down.

Conversion rate benchmarks for Facebook Ads

The average conversion rate across Facebook Ad leads campaigns is 8.54%. 

Facebook is one of the most cost-effective places to find new leads, especially for local businesses. People aren’t searching for you on Facebook, which is actually an advantage. Your ad reaches them before they’ve started comparing options, so you own early discovery. And with Facebook lead ads, the form automatically fills in their contact info. Saying “yes” takes a couple of taps.

Education & Instruction (15.87%) and Arts & Entertainment (15.31%) top the conversion rate list. Both convert at nearly double the overall average. That’s roughly one lead for every six or seven clicks. Real Estate rounds out the top three at 9.95%. What these industries share is that they’re fun to browse. People scroll class schedules, event lineups, and home listings in their downtime anyway, so a Facebook ad doesn’t really feel like a disruption.

On the other end, Automotive For Sale (4.15%), Industrial & Commercial (4.50%), and Home & Home Improvement (5.32%) convert at about half the average rate. These are big, need-driven purchases, so fewer people click here. If you’re in one of these industries, Facebook still has a job to do. Use it to stay top of mind. Try making your first ask smaller, like a free estimate or a buying guide, to get more early shoppers in your lead pipeline.

How much does a Facebook Ads conversion cost?

The average cost per lead across Facebook Ads is $27.39.

Here’s some good news for your budget. In 13 of the 14 industries we track for Facebook leads campaigns, the average cost per lead is lower on Facebook than on Google Ads. Sometimes the gap is dramatic. The average Real Estate advertiser pays $102.51 per lead on Google, but just $13.74 on Facebook. That’s about one-seventh the cost.

Search leads often come with stronger buying intent, so a Google lead may be worth more to you than one from your Facebook ads. Still, if you’re in Career & Employment ($12.30), Real Estate ($13.74), or Arts & Entertainment ($14.59), the three industries with the lowest Facebook CPLs, Facebook is an affordable way to reach people who are interested before they jump into a search engine.

At the other end, Dentists & Dental Services ($61.56), Beauty & Personal Care ($50.91), and Home & Home Improvement ($42.95) pay the most per Facebook lead. Dental and home services buyers aren’t usually just window shopping (unless you sell windows). When they crack a tooth or spring a roof leak, they’re more likely to act when they see an ad, so competition is higher.

How much do display and video ads cost?

The average cost per lead for a display and video ad is $114.44.

Display and video ads run across hundreds of websites, apps, and networks, reaching people while they read the news, watch videos, or scroll. Their main job is to put your business in front of people before they’re ready to buy, a strategy called pre-marketing. That’s why cost per lead runs higher here than on search or social. Still, display campaigns do drive leads, so CPL is worth checking in on regularly.

Home & Home Improvement has the lowest display CPL at $65.37, followed by Personal Services ($67.36), and Finance & Insurance ($85.63). Home projects are usually planned weeks or months out, so a display ad for a kitchen remodel or a new roof can reach someone at the beginning of their research, long before they hire a professional.

At the high end, Arts & Entertainment ($230.44), Apparel/Fasion & Jewelry ($198.34), and Business Services ($149.90) pay the most per display lead. For the first two, that number tells only part of the story. People buy concert tickets and clothing through a checkout page, not a lead form, so many valuable sales won’t show up as leads. If you’re in one of these industries, judge your display ads by sales and site visits as well as CPL.

Use industry conversion rate benchmarks to grow!

These conversion rate and cost per conversion benchmarks help contextualize your own results. While every business is unique, seeing where your industry lands can help you strategize future campaigns.

Use these insights to drive better results on your advertising spend. For more ways to make the most of this data and maximize your CVRs across platforms, reach out and we’ll show you how our solutions can help!

The post Conversion Rate Benchmarks for YOUR Industry (Exclusive Data!) appeared first on WordStream.