#1 Google Ads Specialist

A Google Ads specialist is someone who helps businesses and organisations plan, set up, manage, and optimise their Google Ads campaigns.

They have expertise in the Google Ads platform, understand how to create effective ad copy and targeting strategies, track results, analyse data and make adjustments for continuous improvements in the ad accounts.

A Google Ads specialist worth their salt will also have a strategic vision that aligns with your company's goals, similar to what a fractional CMO provides at a leadership level. We're a bespoke Google Ads + search engine marketing consultancy that's generated over $100M for clients across lawyers, dentists, physios, plumbers and home services, so the lens is always: get more leads, customers, and sales without wasting your budget.

You can find freelance Google Ads Specialists for hire in places like Upwork, which is a great place to hire people. Some agencies may have paid media specialists, but it's better to find one person on their own.

The best way to hire someone is to talk with them and ensure they know what you need help with. There are also online forums like Facebook groups or Reddit where people post services they offer related to Google Ads and Google Analytics.

It may be worth your time if you have specific questions or you're looking to hire immediately. And read up on their reviews to see if they're a good fit for your needs. It's always best to chat with them before making any decisions.

It's important to remember that you're entrusting someone to manage your money, so be sure to choose someone who is knowledgeable and down-to-earth, easy to talk to, and relatable. We're selective on our end too, we work best with local service, healthcare and professional services businesses in the $1M–$10M revenue band, so a quick fit-check call protects both sides. You can book a free strategy call with us to see if we're a good fit.

Common mistakes that a lot of people make are that they aren't careful with their match types like phrase match, and so they bid on too broad of an audience. This can decrease your ads' relevancy. Google can penalise you for this by making you pay more for your CPCs than other advertisers.

Another massive one is that many agencies do not continue in their learning and upskilling. Many still follow old strategies like Single Keyword Ad Groups (SKAG) and the Alpha/Beta strategy. These are all outdated techniques and actually cost you more in ad spend than modern methods. Josiah audits around 200 ad accounts per year, and roughly 9 out of 10 are mismanaged in some way, usually wasted spend hiding inside Performance Max, broken conversion tracking, or a single converting keyword being throttled.

Many new ad managers constantly tweak their campaigns, and it prevents your ads from showing up on Google sooner. My two cents are to give your ads time. On average, it takes around two weeks for them to kick in properly.

Both Google Ads and Facebook Ads offer unique advantages depending on your campaign objectives. Google Ads are often more effective for targeting customers when they're searching for products or services like yours, especially when paired with a strong SEO consultant strategy.

Facebook Ads excel in brand visibility and community engagement, in a perfect world a blend of both can work well. To be straight with you though, we don't run Facebook, Meta or email ourselves; we focus only on Google Ads and search engine marketing where we know we can move the needle. As an experienced digital marketing consultant, I'll tell you if Google is the wrong channel for your business rather than take a retainer that won't pay back.

Firstly, focus on your Quality Score, as it directly influences your per-click costs. Using Google Ads Editor can help you manage campaigns more effectively.

Always start with keyword research to understand the intent behind search terms. Plus, optimise your bids and use geo-targeting to focus on locations where your audience is most active. We also install Fraud Blocker free on every Google Ads account we manage to stop click farms and bot traffic eating budget, and we track every lead's CAC, CPL and ROI by channel inside our proprietary stats dashboard so cuts are made on data, not vibes.

Learning how to improve your Quality Score is one of the fastest ways to reduce your CPA and get more from your Google Ads performance.

Google Partner status is awarded to agencies that excel in using Google Ads.

With a Google Partner badge, an agency gets access to a variety of benefits, including industry research and a more direct line to Google support.

Becoming a Google Partner ensures that you're working with a credible, certified Google Ads specialist. On top of that, Josiah teaches the modern Google Ads method to 170,000+ subscribers on YouTube, so the playbook you're hiring is the same one we publish openly. Browse our Google Ads case studies for real results from a certified partner.

While daily monitoring isn't strictly necessary, keeping a close eye on your campaigns is important. Things can change quickly in the world of online advertising. Competition, bidding prices, and even market trends fluctuate constantly.

This can be especially true for industries like e-commerce, where social trends can influence demand in a short period of time. If you let your campaigns run unchecked for too long, you could end up wasting budget on underperforming ads or missing opportunities for optimisation. Our team is online weekdays 9am–6pm Philippines time, which overlaps UK hours from my end, so accounts are checked across nearly a 24-hour window without you having to chase us.

Regular analytics reviews, ideally every week, can help catch issues early. Look for changes in performance metrics like click-through rate (CTR), conversion rate, or cost-per-click (CPC). Even small tweaks, like updating ad copy or adjusting bids, can have a big impact over time.

By staying proactive, you ensure your paid search campaigns remain profitable and aligned with your business goals. Running a regular Google Ads audit helps you catch wasted spend before it adds up. See how the engagement works for the full operating model.

Mobile targeting is crucial in this digital age, especially for businesses like home improvement where people often search on the go.

63% of smartphone users have reached out to a business directly through search. That's exactly why every account we manage runs WhatConverts call tracking, so a missed mobile call is logged as a lead with the sales value attached, not lost in the noise.

Google Ads mobile targeting allows for device targeting for campaigns, providing a way to reach audiences depending on their device. Optimising shopping ads for mobile can particularly yield great results. Make sure your landing pages are optimised for mobile conversions too.

Google Ads can be a boon for niche sectors like online courses and real estate. Through precise keyword targeting and ad placement, you can attract highly interested individuals.

In the real estate industry, 57% of website visitors come from organic and paid search. Our real estate marketing service is built specifically for agents and brokers who need qualified leads.

Google Ads allows you to set your ads to appear for specific search terms, ensuring your ads are seen by those most likely to convert. With my help, we can optimise your ads to reach your target demographic effectively. We can even explore remarketing, targeting potential customers who have already interacted with your website.

When your cost-per-click (CPC) keeps climbing, it can feel like you're paying more without getting any extra value. Several factors contribute to increasing CPCs, there are 500+ moving parts in a Google Ads account, which is why no two of our clients run the same playbook even in the same niche.

Competitors bidding on the same keywords can drive up costs. Poorly optimised campaigns, like using broad match keywords instead of exact or phrase match, can waste money on irrelevant clicks.

Another reason could be your quality score. Google assigns a quality score based on how relevant your ad is to the search terms, the user experience on your landing page, and your ad's expected click-through rate. A digital marketing audit can identify exactly where your quality score is falling short and how to fix it.

To combat rising CPC, try focusing on long-tail keywords, improving your quality score, and tightening your targeting to avoid unnecessary spending.

It's normal to want proof before trusting a freelancer with your hard-earned ad budget. Around 90% of the ad accounts Josiah audits each year have been mismanaged by someone calling themselves an expert, so this scepticism is warranted.

One good sign is if they ask the right questions from the beginning, like about your target audience, business goals, and past campaign performance. If they dive straight into guarantees without learning about your business first, that's a red flag, we treat day-one guarantee demands as a no-go on our end too.

Ask to see proven campaign results or examples of similar businesses they've worked with. Also, check if they can explain complex concepts in simple terms. If they talk in jargon or dodge straightforward questions, they may lack true understanding.

Look for transparency in how they report results. Specific, honest feedback goes a long way in building trust.

Google Shopping Ads (now replaced by Performance Max campaigns) are a type of ad that features detailed product information. These are especially effective for businesses looking to highlight their products right in the search engine results.

Managing shopping campaigns effectively involves using Google Merchant Center and optimising your product listings. Honest note: we get the strongest results on Shopping for stores with a proven sales track record, brand-new e-commerce launches with no validated demand are hit or miss, and we'll tell you upfront if that's the case.

As a Google Ads professional, I can guide you through the entire campaign setup, ensuring your products reach their intended audience. Check our ecommerce Google Ads services for more details.

Numbers matter more than promises. The Elevate Dental Google Ads case study shows a 902% ROI rollout, and the retail ecommerce case study breaks down how we scaled spend without blowing CPA.

For strategy reading, start with how long Google Ads take to start working, how much Google Ads cost, and 5 PPC testing strategies for more conversions.