10 Questions to Ask Before You Hire a Marketing Agency

72%of businesses have fired a marketing agency in the last 3 years
10questions every business must ask before signing with an agency
90dthe timeframe in which you should see clear progress
$0cost to ask the right questions before you commit
In this article
  1. Why Choosing the Right Agency is One of the Most Important Business Decisions You’ll Make
  2. Question 1 — Will My Campaigns Run in My Own Account?
  3. Question 2 — How Do You Define and Measure Success?
  4. Question 3 — Have You Worked in My Industry Before?
  5. Question 4 — Who Specifically Will Manage My Account?
  6. Question 5 — What Does Your Onboarding Process Look Like?
  7. Question 6 — What Results Can I Realistically Expect and When?
  8. Question 7 — How Do You Handle It When Campaigns Aren’t Working?
  9. Question 8 — What Does Your Reporting Look Like?
  10. Question 9 — What Are Your Contract Terms and Exit Conditions?
  11. Question 10 — Can I Speak to One of Your Current Clients?
  12. Red Flags to Watch For
  13. Frequently Asked Questions

Hiring a marketing agency is one of the highest-stakes decisions a business owner makes. Get it right and you gain a partner that generates consistent leads, grows your revenue, and frees you to focus on delivering for clients. Get it wrong and you’re months down the line, thousands of dollars poorer, and back to square one.

The frustrating truth is that most agencies look identical on the surface. Professional websites, impressive case studies, confident proposals, and a sales rep who knows exactly what you want to hear. Telling the difference between a genuinely good agency and one that will disappoint you is hard — unless you know the right questions to ask.

These 10 questions are the ones we wish every business would ask before signing with any agency — including us. The answers will reveal more about an agency’s real capabilities, values, and track record than any proposal or pitch deck ever could.

How to use this guide: Ask every agency you’re considering all 10 of these questions. The quality of their answers — not just what they say but how specifically and honestly they say it — will tell you almost everything you need to know about whether they’re right for your business.

Why Choosing the Right Agency is One of the Most Important Business Decisions You’ll Make

A good agency relationship compounds over time. The longer a great agency works with your business, the more they understand your clients, your market, and what works for you — and the better your results get month after month. A bad agency relationship does the opposite — it drains budget, wastes time, and leaves you worse off than when you started because you’ve lost months you could have spent building something that works.

The Stakes

What’s actually at risk when you choose the wrong agency

  • Wasted ad spend — a poorly managed Google Ads account can burn through thousands of dollars generating zero qualified leads
  • Lost time — the months spent with a bad agency are months your competitors were building momentum
  • Data loss — if campaigns run in the agency’s account rather than yours, you lose all historical data when you leave
  • Damaged trust — a bad experience makes it harder to invest in marketing again even when the right partner comes along
  • Opportunity cost — every month with the wrong agency is a month you weren’t generating the leads you needed to grow

The 10 questions below are your protection against all of these outcomes.

Question 1 — Will My Campaigns Run in My Own Account?

Question 1

This is non-negotiable — your data must belong to you

Ask every agency: “Will my Google Ads campaigns run in my own Google Ads account, with you having manager access?” The correct answer is yes — always.

Some agencies run client campaigns inside their own master account. This gives them more control and makes it harder for clients to leave — but it means all your campaign history, conversion data, audience lists, and the machine learning your campaigns have accumulated belong to the agency, not you. When you leave, you start from zero.

What the right answer looks like: “Yes, your campaigns will run in your own Google Ads account. We’ll request manager access, which you can revoke at any time. All data, campaigns, and creative assets belong to you permanently.”

What should concern you: Any hesitation, vague language about “our systems,” or suggestion that running in their account is “standard practice” or “more efficient.” It is not standard practice at reputable agencies.

Question 2 — How Do You Define and Measure Success?

Question 2

The answer reveals everything about what the agency actually optimises toward

Ask: “What metrics will you use to measure whether our campaigns are successful — and how do those connect to actual leads and revenue for my business?”

A genuinely performance-focused agency will immediately talk about leads, cost per lead, and revenue. An agency that leads with impressions, reach, click-through rates, or Quality Score without connecting them to business outcomes is telling you what they actually optimise toward — and it’s not your results.

What the right answer looks like: “Our primary success metrics are number of leads generated, cost per lead, and lead-to-client conversion rate. We track these every week and our optimisation decisions are driven by improving them. We also track revenue attributable to campaigns where your sales data allows.”

What should concern you: Extensive focus on vanity metrics — impressions, reach, engagement, Quality Score — without a clear bridge to leads and revenue. These metrics can look impressive while your business generates zero new clients.

The vanity metrics trap: An agency can run your campaigns for 12 months, show you a report full of impressive-looking numbers, and generate zero new clients — all while technically delivering what they promised. If success isn’t defined in terms of leads and revenue from the very first conversation, redefine it before you sign anything.

Question 3 — Have You Worked in My Industry Before?

Question 3

Industry experience shortens the learning curve — sometimes by months

Ask: “Have you worked with businesses in my specific industry? What are the unique challenges my industry faces in paid advertising and SEO, and how does your approach account for them?”

The second part of that question is the important one. Any agency can say yes to the first part. The second part tests whether their experience is real — because the challenges differ significantly by industry. Legal advertising has specific compliance requirements. Medical practices face strict Google Ads policies. Home services compete differently from B2B SaaS. An agency with genuine experience in your industry will answer the second question without hesitation.

What the right answer looks like: Specific, detailed knowledge of your industry’s challenges — not a generic overview. “In your industry we typically see X challenge with Y keyword, which we address by doing Z. We’ve found that A converts better than B for your type of client.”

What should concern you: A generic answer that could apply to any industry. If they can’t name specific challenges your industry faces without Googling it, their experience is likely shallow.

Question 4 — Who Specifically Will Manage My Account?

Question 4

The person who sells you the agency is rarely the person who manages your account

Ask: “Who specifically will be managing my account day-to-day? Can I meet them before I sign? What is their experience level and how many other accounts do they manage?”

This is one of the most revealing questions you can ask. At many agencies, the senior people who pitch new business hand accounts off to junior staff after signing. The person you were impressed by in the sales meeting never touches your account again.

What the right answer looks like: They introduce you to your actual account manager before you sign. That person has verifiable experience, can speak knowledgeably about your specific situation, and manages a reasonable number of accounts — not 50 clients simultaneously.

What should concern you: Vague answers about “a dedicated team,” inability or unwillingness to identify who specifically will manage your account, or an account manager who seems unfamiliar with your industry or business when you meet them.

Question 5 — What Does Your Onboarding Process Look Like?

Question 5

A good onboarding process tells you how seriously an agency takes understanding your business

Ask: “Walk me through exactly what happens in the first 30 days after I sign with you. What information do you need from me and what will you deliver?”

The onboarding process reveals how much genuine discovery an agency does before spending your money. A great agency has a structured onboarding that includes deep questions about your business, your ideal clients, your competitive landscape, your sales process, and your goals. A mediocre agency will ask for your logo and credit card details and start running ads within days.

What the right answer looks like: A clear, structured 30-day onboarding including: discovery call to understand your business and clients, competitor research, campaign strategy document, tracking setup and verification, landing page review, and a first campaign launch with clear initial targets.

What should concern you: “We’ll have your campaigns live within 48 hours.” Speed is not a virtue in campaign setup. Proper setup takes time because proper setup requires understanding your business first.

Question 6 — What Results Can I Realistically Expect and When?

Question 6

The honest answer to this question separates genuine experts from salespeople

Ask: “Based on what you know about my business and budget so far, what results can I realistically expect at 30 days, 90 days, and 6 months? And what are the main factors that could affect those results?”

This question is a truth test. An honest agency gives you realistic, nuanced expectations based on your specific situation — including the factors that could cause things to take longer or cost more than expected. An agency trying to close the deal tells you what you want to hear.

What the right answer looks like: Specific, honest estimates with clear caveats. “With your budget targeting your local area, we’d expect to start generating leads within 2–4 weeks. At 90 days we should have enough data to identify your best-performing keywords and optimise cost per lead. By month 6, campaigns should be significantly more efficient than month 1. The main factors that could affect this are landing page conversion rate and how competitive your specific target area is.”

What should concern you: Guaranteed results, promises of specific lead volumes before any research has been done, or unrealistically positive timelines designed to get you to sign quickly.

Question 7 — How Do You Handle It When Campaigns Aren’t Working?

Question 7

Every campaign hits challenges — what matters is how an agency responds

Ask: “If after 60 days my campaigns aren’t generating the results we expected, what specifically would you do? How would you communicate that to me and what would the next steps be?”

This question reveals an agency’s honesty, problem-solving capability, and communication values. Every campaign hits periods of underperformance. The difference between a great agency and a mediocre one is whether they tell you proactively and have a clear plan — or go quiet and hope things improve on their own.

What the right answer looks like: “We’d reach out to you proactively as soon as we identified the problem — we wouldn’t wait for you to ask. We’d bring you a clear diagnosis of what’s not working, specific proposed changes, and realistic revised expectations. If the issue is something outside our control like a landing page conversion problem, we’d flag that and work with you to fix it.”

What should concern you: Vague answers about “optimising” and “giving it more time.” An agency that can’t articulate a clear process for handling underperformance doesn’t have one — and will default to silence when things go wrong.

Question 8 — What Does Your Reporting Look Like?

Question 8

Ask to see a real report from a current client — not a template

Ask: “Can you show me an example of the monthly report a client in a similar situation to mine receives? And will we have a call to review it each month or just an email?”

A report tells you exactly what an agency thinks success looks like. If their sample report leads with impressions and reach — that’s what they optimise toward. If it leads with leads generated and cost per lead — that’s a performance agency.

What the right answer looks like: A clear, readable report that leads with business outcomes — leads generated, cost per lead, revenue attributable — followed by the campaign data that explains those outcomes. Plus a monthly call where someone walks you through the numbers and explains what they mean in plain language.

What should concern you: A PDF full of graphs that look impressive but don’t include lead volume or cost per lead as headline metrics. Or a report that’s emailed with no accompanying call — because a report you can’t ask questions about is just a document.

Question 9 — What Are Your Contract Terms and Exit Conditions?

Question 9

The contract terms reveal how confident an agency really is in their results

Ask: “What are your minimum contract terms? What happens if I want to leave before the contract ends? What notice period is required?”

An agency that’s genuinely confident in their results doesn’t need to lock you in for 12 months. Long lock-in contracts protect the agency — not you. The best agencies operate on 30–90 day notice periods because they’re confident you’ll stay based on results, not because of contractual obligation.

What the right answer looks like: A reasonable minimum initial period (1–3 months to get campaigns set up and generating data) followed by a 30–60 day rolling notice period. Clear confirmation that all your campaign data, creative assets, and account access remain yours if you leave.

What should concern you: 12-month minimum contracts with significant exit penalties, vague language about data ownership upon termination, or any suggestion that your campaigns or data would be inaccessible if you left.

Question 10 — Can I Speak to One of Your Current Clients?

Question 10

Real client references are the most reliable signal of an agency’s true performance

Ask: “Can you provide me with the contact details of 2–3 current clients I can speak to directly — ideally in a similar industry to mine?”

This is the most revealing question of all — not because of what current clients say, but because of whether the agency provides them willingly. An agency with genuinely happy clients will offer references without hesitation. An agency that deflects, provides only written testimonials, or offers to “arrange an introduction” rather than giving you direct contact details is protecting itself from honest client feedback.

What to ask current clients:

  • Are the results they promised matching the results you’re actually getting?
  • How quickly do they respond when you have a problem or question?
  • Have there been any surprises — positive or negative — since you started working with them?
  • Would you recommend them to a business similar to yours?
  • Is there anything you wish you’d known before signing with them?

What should concern you: Reluctance to provide direct client references, only offering written case studies or video testimonials, or clients who seem coached in what to say rather than genuinely enthusiastic.

Red Flags to Watch For

Watch Out

8 red flags that should make you walk away

  • Guaranteed results — no legitimate agency guarantees specific lead volumes or rankings. Anyone who does is either lying or will find a way to technically deliver while missing the point entirely.
  • Proposal in 24 hours — a proposal produced within 24 hours of your first call is a template, not a strategy. Real strategy requires real understanding of your business first.
  • Pressure to sign quickly — “this pricing is only available until Friday” or “we only have one slot left” are sales tactics, not reasons to make a significant business decision quickly.
  • No questions about your business — if an agency is more interested in telling you about themselves than understanding your business, clients, and goals — they’re selling a product, not a partnership.
  • Campaigns in their account — as covered in Question 1, this is a deal-breaker. Walk away.
  • Vague on who manages your account — if they won’t tell you who specifically will work on your campaigns, assume it’s the most junior person available.
  • No case studies with real numbers — “we helped a client grow their business” without specific metrics is meaningless. Real results come with real numbers.
  • 12-month minimum contracts — confidence in results means short notice periods. Long lock-ins protect the agency, not you.

Looking for an Agency That Can Answer All 10 of These Questions Confidently?

Book a free strategy call with Zexers. We’ll answer every one of these questions honestly, show you real client results with real numbers, and give you a clear picture of what we could achieve for your specific business — no pressure, no lock-in pitch, no fluff.

Book My Free Strategy Call

Free call. No commitment. No hard sell. Just honest answers.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long should I give a new marketing agency before judging results? ⌄
For Google Ads — you should see initial leads within 2–4 weeks if campaigns are set up correctly. At 60–90 days you should have enough data to clearly assess whether the agency is delivering. For SEO — meaningful results take 3–6 months, with significant results visible at 9–12 months. If a Google Ads campaign has run for 60 days with zero leads and no clear explanation from the agency, something is fundamentally wrong. More time won’t fix a broken strategy.
Is it worth paying more for a specialist agency vs a generalist? ⌄
Generally yes — a specialist agency that knows your industry deeply will outperform a generalist charging less, because they’ve already solved the problems specific to your market. The learning curve is shorter, the strategy is sharper, and the results typically come faster. That said, a genuinely excellent generalist agency that asks the right questions and invests time in understanding your business can absolutely outperform a mediocre specialist. Quality of execution matters more than specialisation alone.
What is a reasonable agency fee for Google Ads management? ⌄
Most Google Ads agencies charge either a percentage of ad spend (typically 10–20%) or a flat monthly management fee ($500–$3,000+ depending on account complexity). Be cautious of agencies charging less than $500/month for management — at that price point your account is likely being managed by very junior staff with minimal time invested. The management fee should reflect the actual time and expertise being applied to your campaigns, not just the minimum needed to keep the contract.
Should I work with a local agency or does location not matter? ⌄
For digital marketing services like Google Ads and SEO, location matters very little — the work is done remotely regardless. What matters far more is expertise, communication, and track record. A great agency on the other side of the country will outperform a mediocre local agency every time. That said, if local market knowledge is important for your campaigns — for example targeting very specific local areas — an agency familiar with your region can have an advantage. But don’t let geography be the deciding factor over capability.
What should I do if my current agency isn’t performing? ⌄
First, have an honest conversation with them — raise your concerns directly and give them a clear opportunity to explain and address the issues. A good agency will respond with transparency and a specific plan. If after that conversation you’re not satisfied with their response or if the same problems persist, begin the process of transitioning. Ensure you have access to all your campaign data before giving notice, download your conversion history and audience lists, and ensure your new agency has full access to your account before the old one loses manager access.
Z
Zexers Performance Team

Performance marketing agency specializing in Google Ads, SEO, and lead generation. We believe every business deserves a marketing partner that answers these questions confidently — and then delivers on every answer.

Google Auto-Upgrades Campaigns to AI Max September 1 — 7 Updates Every Business Needs to Know

Sep 1Google auto-upgrades ACA and Broad Match campaigns to AI Max
Feb 27DSA campaigns get extended deadline — not September anymore
Sep 4Google Assistant disappears from Android — replaced by Gemini
130MReddit daily active users — surpasses milestone for first time
In this article
  1. ⚠️ September 1 Deadline — Google Auto-Upgrades Campaigns to AI Max
  2. DSA Migration Delayed to February 2027 — But Not Everything
  3. Meta is Crawling the Web to Build Its Own Search Index
  4. Google Assistant Disappears September 4 — Gemini Takes Over
  5. Google Reps Are Emailing Advertisers Directly — What to Do
  6. Reddit Surpasses 130M Daily Users — What This Means for Marketing
  7. ChatGPT Ads Gets Conversation Format — A New Ad Model Entirely
  8. What Every Business Should Do Right Now
  9. Frequently Asked Questions

This week’s digital marketing news is dominated by two imminent deadlines — both landing in the first week of September — that require action from anyone running Google Ads. Beyond those deadlines, there are significant developments from Meta, Reddit, and ChatGPT that point to where marketing is heading next.

Here’s everything that matters — clearly explained, with specific action steps for each update.

⚠️ Two September deadlines this week: September 1 and September 4 both bring significant changes to Google products. Read Sections 1 and 4 first if you run Google Ads or use Google Assistant on Android.

1. ⚠️ September 1 Deadline — Google Auto-Upgrades Campaigns to AI Max

This is the most urgent update this week. Campaigns using Automatically Created Assets (ACA) and the campaign-level Broad Match setting will be automatically upgraded to AI Max starting September 1, 2026. This is not optional and there is no way to opt out after the deadline.

Action Required Before September 1

Two types of campaigns are affected — check yours today

What is being auto-upgraded on September 1:

  • Campaigns using Automatically Created Assets (ACA) — where Google was generating ad headlines and descriptions automatically from your website content
  • Campaigns using campaign-level Broad Match setting — where broad match was applied at the campaign level rather than keyword level

To avoid the automatic migration you must, before September 1, either manually disable automatically created assets or the Broad Match setting in the affected campaigns, or move to AI Max actively yourself. According to Google, there is no third option that keeps the old settings unchanged.

What AI Max changes about your campaigns:

  • AI-powered search term matching based on real-time user intent — not traditional keywords
  • AI-generated ad creatives pulled from your website content
  • Broader reach than keyword-based campaigns
  • Less direct control over which search queries trigger your ads

Your options before September 1:

  1. Migrate to AI Max proactively now — gives you control over the settings and time to configure negative keywords and URL controls before the forced migration. Recommended if you want the benefits of AI Max.
  2. Disable ACA and campaign-level Broad Match before September 1 — keeps your campaigns in their current format and avoids the forced upgrade. Recommended if you want to maintain control of your current setup.
  3. Do nothing — Google auto-upgrades your campaigns on September 1 with default settings. Not recommended — you lose control of the migration process.
Which option should you choose? If your current campaigns are performing well, disable ACA and campaign-level Broad Match before September 1 to preserve your setup. If performance has been inconsistent or you want to test AI Max, migrate proactively now so you control the configuration rather than letting Google do it automatically with default settings.

2. DSA Migration Delayed to February 2027 — But Not Everything

There’s an important clarification this week that many advertisers have misunderstood. There are two parallel deadlines in 2026. Dynamic Search Ads have a reprieve until February 2027. Automatically created assets and the campaign-wide Broad Match setting, by contrast, will be upgraded automatically on September 1, 2026 as originally planned.

Important Clarification

The June delay announcement only applied to DSA — not ACA or Broad Match

In June, Google announced that the DSA migration to AI Max was being delayed from September 2026 to February 2027. Many advertisers read this as “everything is delayed until February” — but that’s incorrect.

What was delayed:

  • Dynamic Search Ads (DSA) auto-migration → delayed to February 2027
  • New DSA campaign creation was also restored on June 15

What was NOT delayed and is still September 1:

  • Automatically Created Assets (ACA) → still September 1, 2026
  • Campaign-level Broad Match setting → still September 1, 2026

If you run Dynamic Search Ads specifically — you have until February 2027. But if you use ACA or campaign-level Broad Match — September 1 is your deadline regardless.

3. Meta is Crawling the Web to Build Its Own Search Index

Meta appears to be crawling the web to build its own search index. This is a significant development that could reshape how Facebook and Instagram surface content and potentially how ads are targeted in the future.

What’s Happening

Meta wants its own search capability — independent of Google

Meta’s AI assistant currently relies on third-party search providers (including Bing) to answer questions on Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. Building its own search index would give Meta independence from external providers — and potentially allow it to surface web content, business information, and product listings directly within its platforms.

Why this matters for your business:

  • Your website content could become discoverable through Facebook and Instagram search in ways it isn’t today
  • Meta’s AI assistant could start recommending local businesses and services based on web data — similar to the ChatGPT-Yelp dynamic we covered last week
  • A Meta search index could eventually enable new ad formats tied to search intent within Meta’s platforms

What to do: Nothing urgent right now — this is early stage. But it reinforces a consistent theme: having a well-structured, clearly described website benefits your visibility across all AI and search platforms, not just Google. Keep your service pages clear, your business information consistent, and your content genuinely useful.

4. Google Assistant Disappears September 4 — Gemini Takes Over

Google has announced that Google Assistant will begin disappearing from Android devices starting September 4, 2026, as the company completes its transition to Gemini as its primary AI assistant. The change will affect Android phones and tablets, as well as connected devices like Wear OS watches, compatible headphones, earbuds, and Android Auto experiences projected from mobile devices. Once the transition reaches a device, users will no longer be able to switch back to Google Assistant.

Platform Shift

What replacing Google Assistant with Gemini means for your marketing

This matters for businesses because Gemini is significantly more capable than Google Assistant — and more connected to Google’s broader AI ecosystem including Google Search, Google Ads, and Google Business Profile.

Key implications:

  • Voice search quality improves — Gemini gives more nuanced, conversational answers than Assistant did. “Hey Google, find me a plumber near me” will return more sophisticated results.
  • Google Business Profile becomes more important — Gemini draws on Google’s knowledge graph and Business Profile data when answering local queries. A complete, review-rich profile is even more valuable.
  • Conversational search grows — users who previously asked Assistant simple questions will ask Gemini more complex, multi-turn questions. Your content needs to answer follow-up questions, not just first queries.
  • Android Auto integration — Gemini in Android Auto means better local search while driving. For local service businesses this is a significant visibility opportunity.

5. Google Reps Are Emailing Advertisers Directly — What to Do

Google reps are emailing agency-managed advertisers directly again. This happens periodically and causes confusion — clients receive emails that look official from Google recommending changes to their campaigns.

Important Warning

These emails are sales outreach — not mandatory recommendations

Google’s sales representatives are measured on how much advertisers spend — not on whether their recommendations improve your results. When Google reps email you directly suggesting budget increases, new campaign types, or feature enablement, treat these as sales suggestions rather than expert recommendations.

What to do when you receive a Google Ads email:

  • If you have an agency managing your account — forward the email to them rather than acting on it yourself
  • Never increase your budget or enable new features based solely on a Google rep email
  • Check whether the recommendation actually aligns with your campaign goals and current performance
  • Legitimate policy changes from Google are announced in the Google Ads interface, the Google Ads blog, and through your account notifications — not just in sales emails
  • You can unsubscribe from Google rep outreach emails in your Google Ads settings

6. Reddit Surpasses 130M Daily Users — What This Means for Marketing

Reddit surpasses 130 million daily active users. This milestone matters for marketers because Reddit has become one of the most important sources of authentic, high-trust content that Google’s AI cites — and a growing advertising platform in its own right.

Platform Growth

Reddit is now a serious part of the search and marketing landscape

Why Reddit matters for your SEO:

  • Google frequently surfaces Reddit threads in AI Overviews and search results because Reddit is perceived as authentic user-generated content
  • Your brand being mentioned positively on relevant Reddit communities directly influences how AI systems perceive your credibility
  • Negative Reddit threads about your business can appear prominently in searches for your brand name

What to do:

  • Search for your business name and your service category on Reddit — see what’s being said
  • If relevant communities exist for your industry, participate genuinely — answer questions, share expertise, avoid overt promotion
  • Monitor Reddit mentions of your brand using Google Alerts set to “site:reddit.com [your brand name]”

7. ChatGPT Ads Gets Conversation Format — A Completely New Ad Model

OpenAI is testing a genuinely new ad format that replaces the click-to-website model with a click-to-conversation one. A new format spotted in ChatGPT Ads Manager would have a clicked ad open a business-specific ChatGPT conversation instead of a landing page. This “Agent” campaign makes it possible for advertisers to use their business website and data for agent-powered campaigns.

New Ad Format

Instead of clicking to a website — users click to a conversation with your business AI

This is a fundamentally different concept from any existing ad format. Instead of your ad leading to a landing page where users read static content — the ad opens a ChatGPT-powered conversation that can answer questions, qualify the prospect, and guide them toward a booking or enquiry — all within the ChatGPT interface.

The potential implications:

  • Removes the landing page step entirely — a high-friction point in most lead generation funnels
  • Allows AI to qualify prospects conversationally before they become a lead
  • Could significantly improve conversion rates for complex service businesses where prospects have many questions before committing
  • Represents a genuinely new model of advertising that doesn’t fit traditional metrics like CTR and landing page conversion rate

What to do: This format is still being tested and not widely available. Watch for it in your ChatGPT Ads Manager. When it becomes available, it’s worth a small test — particularly for service businesses where the sales process involves answering many client questions before they commit.

What Every Business Should Do Right Now

This Week’s Action Plan

In order of urgency — September 1 is 17 days away

  1. TODAY — Check for ACA and Broad Match campaigns
    Log into Google Ads. Check which campaigns use Automatically Created Assets or campaign-level Broad Match. Decide before September 1 whether to migrate to AI Max proactively or disable these settings to preserve your current setup.
  2. THIS WEEK — If you use DSA — breathe
    DSA migration is now February 2027. You have time. But use that time to test AI Max proactively rather than waiting for the forced migration.
  3. THIS WEEK — Review any emails from Google reps
    If you’ve received recommendations from Google reps recently, review them critically or forward to your agency. Don’t implement changes based solely on sales emails.
  4. THIS WEEK — Search Reddit for your brand and service
    Know what’s being said about you and your industry on Reddit — it’s increasingly appearing in Google Search results and AI citations.
  5. SEPTEMBER 4 — Update Google Assistant habits
    From September 4, Google Assistant becomes Gemini on Android. Ensure your Google Business Profile is fully complete to maximise visibility in Gemini’s local recommendations.
  6. ONGOING — Keep your website content clear and well-structured
    With Meta building its own search index and Gemini replacing Assistant, multiple AI systems are now crawling your website. Clear, structured, helpful content benefits your visibility everywhere.
The September theme: The first week of September brings two Google changes — the AI Max upgrade on September 1 and the Gemini transition on September 4. Neither requires panic, but both require awareness. Check your campaigns before September 1, make a deliberate choice about AI Max, and make sure your Google Business Profile is complete before Gemini takes over local search on Android.

Not Sure How the September Changes Affect Your Campaigns?

Book a free strategy call with Zexers. We’ll review your campaigns before the September 1 AI Max deadline, check your Google Business Profile ahead of the Gemini transition, and make sure you’re set up to benefit from these changes rather than be caught out by them.

Book My Free Strategy Call

Free call. No commitment. Response within 1 business day.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happens if I do nothing before September 1 and my campaigns use ACA or Broad Match? ⌄
Google will automatically upgrade your campaigns to AI Max with default settings on September 1. This means AI-powered search term matching will activate, your targeting will broaden, and AI-generated creatives will be enabled — all without your input on configuration. Some campaigns see improved performance from this. Others see costs rise as broader targeting brings in lower-quality traffic. Acting before September 1 gives you control over the migration rather than leaving it to Google’s defaults.
My Dynamic Search Ads are working well — should I migrate to AI Max now or wait until February 2027? ⌄
If your DSA campaigns are performing well, there’s a strong argument for testing AI Max proactively now rather than waiting for the February forced migration. Proactive migration lets you run DSA and AI Max in parallel, compare performance, and refine your AI Max setup before you lose the option to fall back to DSA. If you wait until February and the forced migration disrupts performance, you’ll have no DSA fallback. Test early, on your own terms.
Will Gemini replacing Google Assistant affect how my business appears in voice search? ⌄
Yes — Gemini is more capable than Assistant and draws more heavily on Google’s full knowledge graph, including Google Business Profile data, reviews, and website content. The most important thing you can do is ensure your Google Business Profile is 100% complete with accurate information, strong reviews, regular posts, and clear service descriptions. This is the primary data source Gemini uses for local business recommendations.
Should I be advertising on Reddit? ⌄
Reddit Ads are worth testing for B2B businesses and for brands targeting tech-savvy or research-oriented audiences — Reddit users tend to be highly engaged and spend significant time evaluating options before purchasing. For most local service businesses, Reddit Ads are not a priority channel right now. The more immediately valuable action is monitoring and participating in relevant Reddit communities organically, since Reddit content is increasingly appearing in Google Search results and AI citations.
Z
Zexers Performance Team

Performance marketing agency specializing in Google Ads, SEO, and lead generation. We cut through the noise of platform updates so our clients always know what actually matters — and what to do about it.

Google Ads vs SEO — Which is Right for Your Business?

3.5BGoogle searches made every single day
27%average click-through rate for position 1 on Google
3-6motypical time before SEO generates meaningful traffic
2xbetter results when Google Ads and SEO work together
In this article
  1. The Core Difference Between Google Ads and SEO
  2. When Google Ads is the Right Choice
  3. When SEO is the Right Choice
  4. Google Ads vs SEO — Side by Side
  5. Why the Best Businesses Use Both
  6. How to Decide Based on Your Budget
  7. Which Works Best for Your Industry
  8. Where to Start — A Clear Decision Framework
  9. Frequently Asked Questions

Google Ads or SEO? It’s one of the most common questions we hear from business owners — and it’s usually asked as if the answer is one or the other. The reality is more nuanced, more practical, and ultimately more useful than a simple either/or answer.

Both Google Ads and SEO put your business in front of people actively searching for what you offer on Google. But they work differently, cost differently, produce results at different speeds, and suit different situations. Understanding those differences is the key to knowing which one deserves your attention and budget right now.

In this guide we’ll break down exactly how each works, when each is the right choice, and how to decide which one to prioritise based on your specific situation.

The honest answer upfront: For most businesses, the question is not “Google Ads or SEO” — it’s “which one first, and when do I add the other?” They serve different purposes at different timescales, and the businesses generating the most leads in 2026 are using both together.

The Core Difference Between Google Ads and SEO

At the most fundamental level, both Google Ads and SEO achieve the same goal: getting your business in front of people searching for your product or service on Google. The difference is in how you get there and what it costs.

The Basics

Paid vs earned — that’s the fundamental difference

  • Google Ads — you pay Google each time someone clicks your ad. Your listing appears at the top of search results immediately. Stop paying and your listing disappears instantly.
  • SEO — you earn your position in organic search results through content quality, backlinks, and technical optimisation. There’s no cost per click. Results take months to build but can generate free traffic indefinitely.

Think of Google Ads as renting a prime shop location — you pay monthly and enjoy the footfall for as long as you pay. SEO is more like buying the building — it takes longer and costs more upfront, but eventually you own it and the footfall is free.

Choose Google Ads When

Speed, control, and measurability matter most

  • You need leads now — Google Ads can put you at the top of search results today and start generating leads within days. If you’ve just launched a business, have a new service, or have a seasonal window to maximise — Google Ads is the only channel that delivers that quickly.
  • You’re in a competitive market — if your competitors have been doing SEO for years and dominate the organic results, it could take 12–24 months to outrank them organically. Google Ads lets you appear above them immediately regardless of their authority.
  • You want precise control — Google Ads gives you complete control over budget, targeting, geography, time of day, and audience. You can turn it on and off, scale it up and down, and test different messages instantly.
  • You want measurable ROI — every click, lead, and conversion in Google Ads is tracked. You know exactly what your marketing spend is generating. SEO results are harder to attribute to specific content or activity.
  • You sell high-value services — the higher your client lifetime value, the more you can afford to pay per lead. A law firm or financial adviser can justify a £200 cost per lead because one client is worth £5,000+. Google Ads makes economic sense at those numbers.
  • You have a specific promotion or event — launching a new service, running a seasonal promotion, or filling a specific short-term pipeline gap. Google Ads can be switched on and scaled quickly for exactly this scenario.
Google Ads warning: Google Ads only works when the campaign is set up correctly — with a dedicated landing page, proper conversion tracking, and tight keyword targeting. Poorly set up Google Ads campaigns waste budget without generating leads. The channel works brilliantly when done properly and terribly when done badly.

When SEO is the Right Choice

Choose SEO When

Long-term, compounding, cost-efficient traffic is the goal

  • You’re thinking long-term — SEO is a 12–24 month investment that generates returns for years. If you’re building a business for the long term and can afford to wait for results, SEO’s cost efficiency over time is unmatched.
  • You want to reduce dependence on paid ads — every business that relies entirely on Google Ads is one suspended account or price increase away from zero leads. SEO builds organic traffic that doesn’t depend on ongoing spend.
  • Your audience researches before buying — in industries where buyers read extensively before making a decision (legal, medical, financial, B2B software) — appearing in organic search with genuinely helpful content builds trust that paid ads can’t replicate.
  • You have content and expertise to share — businesses with real knowledge and genuine expertise have a significant advantage in SEO. If you can publish consistently useful content that your ideal clients actually want to read — SEO compounds powerfully over time.
  • You’re targeting informational keywords — searches like “how to generate leads” or “what is Google Ads” are better served by content marketing and SEO than paid ads, because the searcher isn’t ready to buy yet.
  • You want AI Overview citations — as we covered in last week’s news, Google’s AI now cites content quality over ranking position. A strong SEO content strategy is your best path to appearing in AI Overviews.

Google Ads vs SEO — Side by Side

FactorGoogle AdsSEO
Speed to resultsDays to weeks3–12 months
Cost modelPay per clickTime and content investment
Ongoing costStops when you stop payingLow after initial build
ControlVery highLimited — Google decides
MeasurabilityPreciseHarder to attribute
CompetitionCan beat anyone immediatelyTakes time to outrank established sites
Trust signalLower — users know it’s an adHigher — organic results feel earned
Long-term ROIConstant spend requiredCompounds — gets cheaper over time
Best forImmediate leads and revenueLong-term traffic and authority
RiskAccount suspension, rising CPCsAlgorithm updates, slow results

Why the Best Businesses Use Both

The Winning Strategy

Google Ads and SEO are stronger together than either is alone

The businesses generating the most consistent, cost-efficient leads in 2026 are using Google Ads and SEO together — not as alternatives but as complementary strategies that each make the other more effective.

How they work together:

  • Google Ads generates immediate leads while SEO builds in the background. You’re never dependent on a single channel.
  • Google Ads data improves SEO strategy — your best-performing ad keywords reveal exactly which terms your audience uses when they’re ready to buy. Use this to target your SEO content.
  • SEO reduces your Google Ads costs over time — as organic rankings build, you can reduce spend on keywords you’re now ranking for organically, reinvesting that budget into new opportunities.
  • Combined visibility dominates search results — appearing in both the paid results at the top AND the organic results below creates a double presence that significantly increases click-through and trust.
  • SEO content supports Google Ads landing pages — well-written blog content that ranks organically also makes excellent landing page content for paid campaigns, improving Quality Score and conversion rates simultaneously.
Real world example: A business runs Google Ads targeting “Google Ads agency London” — paying £8 per click. After 12 months of consistent blogging, they rank organically for the same term. Now they appear twice on the same page, their organic position gets them free clicks, and they can reduce their ad spend on that keyword — reinvesting it into new terms they don’t yet rank for. This compounding effect is why the best businesses invest in both.

How to Decide Based on Your Budget

Budget Guide

What to prioritise at different budget levels

  • Under £300/month total marketing budget
    Start with SEO and content — publish two blog posts per week, optimise your Google Business Profile, and build backlinks. Google Ads below £300/month rarely generates enough data to optimise effectively. Your time is better invested in content that compounds.
  • £300–£1,000/month
    Split roughly 70/30 — put £700–£800 into a tightly targeted Google Ads campaign (local, exact match keywords only) and invest the rest in one quality blog post per week. This generates immediate leads while building long-term organic momentum.
  • £1,000–£3,000/month
    Run a properly funded Google Ads campaign and invest in consistent SEO — 2 blog posts per week, active link building, and regular content updates to key service pages. At this budget level you can meaningfully invest in both simultaneously.
  • £3,000+/month
    Full dual strategy — Google Ads for immediate lead generation across multiple campaigns, and a comprehensive SEO programme including regular content, technical optimisation, and active link acquisition. This is the level where the compounding benefits of running both fully materialise.

Which Works Best for Your Industry

Industry Guide

General guidance by business type — your situation may vary

  • Local service businesses (plumbers, electricians, dentists, accountants) — Google Ads works exceptionally well because people search with immediate buying intent. Start with Google Ads and Google Business Profile. Add SEO as budget allows.
  • Professional services (law firms, financial advisers, consultants) — both work well but SEO and thought leadership content build the trust that professional service clients need before committing. Google Ads for immediate leads, SEO for long-term authority.
  • E-commerce — Google Shopping Ads and Performance Max for immediate sales, SEO for product and category pages for long-term organic traffic. Both are essential.
  • B2B SaaS and software — SEO and content marketing are typically stronger because B2B buyers research extensively before purchasing. Google Ads for retargeting and bottom-of-funnel terms. SEO for awareness and consideration stages.
  • Restaurants, hospitality, retail — Google Business Profile and local SEO are most important. Google Ads can supplement during promotional periods.
  • New businesses with no online presence — always start with Google Ads. SEO takes too long when you need clients now. Build the paid channel first, then layer in SEO.

Where to Start — A Clear Decision Framework

Decision Framework

Answer these 4 questions to know exactly where to start

  1. Do you need leads within the next 30 days?
    Yes → Start with Google Ads. No → SEO is viable from day one.
  2. Do your competitors dominate the organic search results?
    Yes → Google Ads lets you compete immediately regardless of their authority. No → SEO could get you visible faster than expected.
  3. Can you invest at least £300/month in ad spend?
    Yes → Google Ads is viable. No → Focus on SEO and Google Business Profile first.
  4. Are you building a long-term business?
    Yes → Start Google Ads for immediate leads and begin SEO simultaneously. No → Google Ads only for the short term.

For most businesses reading this: Start with a tightly targeted Google Ads campaign for immediate leads. Simultaneously publish one quality blog post per week. After 6 months you’ll have a Google Ads campaign generating consistent leads AND growing organic traffic from your content — a dual channel system that gets more efficient every month.

Not Sure Whether Google Ads or SEO is Right for Your Business?

Book a free strategy call with Zexers. We’ll review your specific situation — your industry, your competition, your budget, and your goals — and give you an honest recommendation on exactly where to start and what to expect. No fluff, no obligation.

Book My Free Strategy Call

Free call. No commitment. Response within 1 business day.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Google Ads better than SEO? ⌄
Neither is universally better — they serve different purposes at different timescales. Google Ads is better when you need leads quickly, want precise control, or need to compete with established competitors immediately. SEO is better for long-term cost efficiency, building authority, and generating traffic that doesn’t depend on ongoing spend. For most businesses, the best answer is using both together — Google Ads for immediate results while SEO builds in the background.
How long does SEO take to generate leads? ⌄
For most businesses, meaningful organic traffic from SEO takes 3–6 months to start building, with significant results typically visible at 9–12 months of consistent effort. Local SEO for less competitive keywords can show results faster — sometimes within 4–8 weeks. The key variable is competition — the more competitive your market, the longer it takes to rank. This is exactly why running Google Ads in parallel during the SEO build phase makes sense for most businesses.
What is the minimum budget for Google Ads to work? ⌄
For most service businesses, a minimum of £300–£500 per month in actual ad spend is needed to generate enough clicks and data to optimise effectively. Below this level you’ll get too few clicks to make meaningful decisions or for Google’s Smart Bidding to optimise your campaigns. The exact minimum depends on your industry — competitive industries like legal or financial services have higher average CPCs and require larger budgets to generate sufficient volume.
Can I do SEO myself or do I need an agency? ⌄
Basic SEO — publishing quality blog content, optimising your Google Business Profile, fixing technical issues flagged in Search Console — can absolutely be done yourself with time and consistency. Advanced SEO — competitive link building, technical site architecture, schema markup, and competing in high-competition markets — typically benefits from specialist expertise. Many businesses successfully manage their own content marketing while working with an agency for technical SEO and link building.
Does running Google Ads help my SEO rankings? ⌄
Not directly — Google has confirmed that running Google Ads does not improve organic search rankings. They are completely separate systems. However Google Ads indirectly benefits your SEO in a few ways: it drives traffic to your pages which can reduce bounce rate and increase time-on-site, it gives you data on which keywords convert best so you can target them in your content, and it keeps your brand visible while your organic rankings build — maintaining lead flow and brand awareness simultaneously.
Z
Zexers Performance Team

Performance marketing agency specializing in Google Ads, SEO, and lead generation. We help businesses decide where to invest their marketing budget for maximum impact — and then execute both channels with precision.

Google Ads August 17 Deadline — 7 Days Left + 6 More Updates This Week

7 daysuntil August 17 Google bidding change — act today
Top 10ranking no longer guarantees AI Overview citation
$567MMeta fined for failing to protect teens online
Aug 31Local Inventory Ads auto-enabled — 3 weeks away
In this article
  1. ⚠️ August 17 is in 7 Days — Final Warning to Act Now
  2. OpenAI Partners With Yelp — ChatGPT Local Search Gets Serious
  3. Google Ads Blocks Free Email Accounts From Sensitive Changes
  4. Possible Google Algorithm Update — Volatility Being Tracked
  5. AI Overviews Now Citing Pages Outside the Top 10
  6. The AI Slop Problem — And Why It’s Your Opportunity
  7. Meta Fined $567M — What It Means for Advertisers
  8. What Every Business Should Do Right Now
  9. Frequently Asked Questions

The biggest week in Google Ads this year is upon us. The August 17 Smart Bidding change is now just 7 days away — and if you haven’t acted yet, today is the day. Beyond that urgent deadline, this week has also delivered significant updates from OpenAI, Google Search, and Meta that every business running digital marketing needs to understand.

Here’s everything that matters — with clear action steps for each update.

⚠️ Read Section 1 first. The August 17 deadline is 7 days away. If you have budget-limited campaigns running on Target CPA or Target ROAS, this change could quietly increase your costs from next Monday. This is not a drill — act today.

1. ⚠️ August 17 is in 7 Days — Final Warning to Act Now

We have covered this deadline in previous posts — but with 7 days remaining, this is the final warning. As of August 17, 2026, Google Ads is changing bidding behaviour for budget-limited campaigns. Here is exactly what is happening and what you need to do today.

Final Checklist

Do this in your Google Ads account today — takes 15 minutes

What’s changing on August 17:

The main risk concerns campaigns whose target has become obsolete — a Target CPA set two years ago at €50 while the campaign has been converting at €30 for months. From August 17, Google will pull those campaigns back toward their stated target — meaning your cost per lead could rise from £30 to £50 without any change in budget.

Your 15-minute action plan — do this today:

  1. Log into Google Ads
  2. Go to Campaigns — filter for any showing “Limited by budget”
  3. For each limited campaign, note your actual CPA or ROAS over the last 30 days
  4. Compare to your stated Target CPA or ROAS
  5. If actual performance is better than your target — lower your target to match actual performance right now
  6. Use the Bid Target Adjustment Tool in your account to do this efficiently

Important clarifications from Google’s own Q&A on this update:

  • This is not an auction change — Google Ads auction mechanics stay the same. Only the bidding behaviour evolves.
  • No automatic extra spend — your daily and monthly caps are still respected. The update does not increase your spend by itself.
  • Campaigns not limited by budget don’t change — they already optimise toward their target and will keep doing so.
  • Google touches neither your targets nor your budgets — no automatic modification.
  • Inaction is a choice — potentially a costly one.
Already done this? Double-check by looking at your campaigns again today. If any new campaigns have become budget-limited since you last checked — they need the same treatment. This takes 15 minutes and could save you significant money from next Monday.

2. OpenAI Partners With Yelp — ChatGPT Local Search Gets Serious

An official partnership between OpenAI and Yelp has been made, which means that the local search feature of ChatGPT has been strengthened considerably. This is one of the most significant local search developments of 2026.

Big Partnership

ChatGPT can now recommend local businesses using Yelp’s real-time data

Until now, ChatGPT’s ability to recommend local businesses was limited — it had general knowledge but no access to real-time local business data like reviews, hours, availability, and ratings. The Yelp partnership changes this entirely.

Now when someone asks ChatGPT “find me a good accountant near me” or “best Google Ads agency in [city]” — ChatGPT can pull live Yelp data to give specific, accurate, up-to-date recommendations including reviews and business details.

What this means for local businesses:

  • Your Yelp profile is now a direct input into ChatGPT recommendations
  • Businesses with strong Yelp reviews and complete profiles are more likely to be recommended by ChatGPT
  • A neglected or incomplete Yelp profile could mean being invisible in ChatGPT local search
  • This adds Yelp to the list of platforms that directly affect your AI search visibility

What to do right now:

  • Claim and complete your Yelp business profile if you haven’t already
  • Ensure your business name, address, phone, hours, and services are accurate
  • Start actively collecting Yelp reviews from satisfied clients — they now influence ChatGPT recommendations directly
  • Respond to all existing Yelp reviews — positive and negative

3. Google Ads Blocks Free Email Accounts From Sensitive Changes

Google Ads is testing a new security feature to disallow free domain email addresses from performing sensitive actions on a Google Ads advertiser account. This affects anyone managing Google Ads with a Gmail, Hotmail, or other free email address.

Security Update

What counts as a “sensitive action” in Google Ads

Sensitive actions in Google Ads include things like:

  • Changing billing information or payment methods
  • Adding or removing account administrators
  • Transferring account ownership
  • Accessing certain account-level settings

Google’s motivation is clear — free email accounts are easier to compromise through phishing and social engineering. Requiring a business domain email for sensitive changes significantly reduces the risk of account takeover.

What to do:

  • Check which email address is the primary admin on your Google Ads account
  • If it’s a Gmail or other free email — add your business domain email (name@yourbusiness.com) as an admin
  • Make your business domain email the primary admin
  • This is currently being tested — but it’s good practice regardless

4. Possible Google Algorithm Update — Volatility Being Tracked

Search Engine Watch is tracking a potential Google algorithm update in August 2026, reporting ongoing fluctuations and volatility in search engines. As of this week, nothing has been officially confirmed by Google — but SEO professionals are reporting significant ranking movement across multiple industries.

Watch List

What to do when Google algorithm volatility is detected

Signs your site has been affected:

  • Significant drop or increase in organic traffic over the last 7–14 days
  • Rankings changing noticeably for your key target keywords
  • Changes in which pages Google is indexing or featuring

What to do if you see unusual ranking movement:

  • Check Google Search Console for any manual actions or coverage issues
  • Compare your traffic week-on-week in Google Analytics — is the change sudden or gradual?
  • Don’t make panic changes to your website — algorithm updates often settle within 2–3 weeks
  • Focus on content quality — Google’s updates consistently reward helpful, specific, well-structured content
  • Monitor the situation for 2 weeks before making any major SEO changes

Our take: Unconfirmed algorithm volatility is common and doesn’t always mean a major update is underway. Keep publishing quality content, monitor your Search Console, and avoid knee-jerk reactions.

5. AI Overviews Now Citing Pages Outside the Top 10

This is a significant shift in how SEO success should be measured. AI Overviews often cite pages outside the top 10 — so ranking alone is no longer the whole game.

SEO Shift

Google’s AI is choosing citations based on content quality — not just position

For years, ranking in the top 10 was the primary goal of SEO. A page outside the top 10 was essentially invisible. AI Overviews have changed this — Google’s AI is selecting citation sources based on content quality, specificity, and trustworthiness — not purely on search ranking position.

This means a page ranking position 15 or 20 could be cited in an AI Overview and receive significant visibility — while a page ranking position 3 with thin content gets ignored entirely.

The best pages answer a narrow buyer question fast, then add evidence, examples, and clear decisions. Small businesses can win by focusing on comparison pages, pricing pages, and problem-solving pages tied to real purchase intent.

What to prioritise for AI Overview citations:

  • Direct, specific answers — answer the question clearly in the first paragraph
  • Real evidence and examples — data points, case studies, specific numbers
  • Clear structure — H2 headings, bullet points, FAQ sections
  • Purchase-intent pages — comparison pages, pricing pages, “X vs Y” posts
  • Authorship signals — who wrote this and why should Google trust them?

6. The AI Slop Problem — And Why It’s Your Opportunity

AI slop is low-value content made wholly or substantially with generative AI and released with too little human judgment, verification, craft, or accountability. It is commonly produced because speed, scale, traffic, engagement, or cost reduction matters more to the publisher than usefulness to the person receiving it.

The Opportunity

The internet is filling with AI slop — stand out by being genuinely useful

The volume of AI-generated content online has exploded in 2026. Every industry, every topic, every keyword now has dozens of AI-written articles that all say essentially the same thing in essentially the same way. Google and other AI systems are actively working to detect and demote this content.

August 2026 confirms a harder, cleaner version of SEO. Search rewards pages that are useful, structured, specific, and trustworthy.

How to make sure your content isn’t AI slop:

  • Add specific real-world examples — “We ran this exact campaign for a plumber in Birmingham and generated 34 leads in 30 days at £18 CPL”
  • Include your genuine opinion — agree or disagree with conventional wisdom based on your actual experience
  • Use real data — reference actual numbers from your campaigns, your clients, your industry
  • Edit ruthlessly — remove anything generic that could have been written by anyone about anything
  • Add human voice — write how you actually speak, not how an AI thinks a professional sounds

AI tools are still valuable for drafting, structuring, and speeding up your writing process. But the final output must have genuine human expertise, real examples, and authentic voice — or it will increasingly be invisible in both Google Search and AI citations.

7. Meta Fined $567M — What It Means for Advertisers

A New Mexico judge ruled that Meta is a key contributor to a youth mental health crisis and fined the company $567 million for failing to protect teens. This is part of a growing wave of regulatory action against social media platforms.

Regulatory Watch

What increasing Meta regulation means for your Facebook and Instagram ads

The fine itself doesn’t directly change how Facebook and Instagram ads work today. But the regulatory direction is clear — platforms targeting younger audiences are facing increasing scrutiny and restriction. For businesses advertising on Meta:

  • Teen-targeted advertising restrictions are tightening — if your audience includes under-18s, review your targeting settings and ensure compliance with current Meta policies
  • Data usage regulations are increasing — expect more restrictions on how Meta can use audience data for ad targeting over the coming 12–18 months
  • Platform diversification matters more than ever — businesses that rely entirely on Meta ads are exposed to regulatory risk. Maintaining Google Ads alongside Meta ads reduces this risk
  • First-party data becomes more valuable — your own email list and CRM data is unaffected by platform regulation and becomes more valuable as third-party targeting becomes more restricted

What Every Business Should Do Right Now

This Week’s Action Plan

In order of urgency

  1. TODAY — August 17 bidding check
    15 minutes in Google Ads. Filter for budget-limited campaigns. Lower targets to match actual performance. Do not wait until next week.
  2. THIS WEEK — Claim and complete your Yelp profile
    The OpenAI-Yelp partnership makes this a direct input into ChatGPT local search recommendations. Complete every field and start collecting reviews.
  3. THIS WEEK — Check your Google Ads admin email
    Ensure your account is managed from a business domain email, not a free Gmail account. Add your business email as admin if needed.
  4. THIS WEEK — Monitor your organic rankings
    Check Search Console for any unusual traffic or ranking changes related to the possible algorithm update. Don’t panic — just monitor.
  5. ONGOING — Review your content for AI slop
    Read your recent blog posts honestly. Does anything read as generic, interchangeable, or obviously AI-generated without human expertise added? Rewrite those sections.
  6. ONGOING — Build your email list
    With Meta regulation tightening, your own email list is your most valuable owned marketing asset. Every piece of content should have an email capture opportunity.
This week in one sentence: Act on the August 17 deadline today, claim your Yelp profile, and make sure everything you publish online has genuine human expertise that AI slop can’t replicate — because that’s the content Google and ChatGPT will trust enough to cite.

Not Sure If Your Campaigns Are Ready for August 17?

Book a free strategy call with Zexers. We’ll check your budget-limited campaigns before the deadline, review your Yelp and local search presence, and make sure your content strategy is built for AI citation — not invisibility.

Book My Free Strategy Call

Free call. No commitment. Response within 1 business day.

Frequently Asked Questions

What exactly happens to my Google Ads on August 17 if I do nothing? ⌄
If you have budget-limited campaigns delivering better results than their stated targets — for example, a Target CPA of £50 but actually converting at £30 — Google will start pulling those campaigns toward the £50 target from August 17. Your cost per lead could increase without any change in your budget or bidding strategy. The fix is simple: lower your target to match your actual performance before August 17. If your campaigns are not budget-limited, nothing changes for you.
Does the OpenAI-Yelp partnership affect Google Business Profile? ⌄
No — Google Business Profile feeds into Google Search and Google Maps. The Yelp partnership feeds into ChatGPT specifically. They are separate systems. For full local search visibility in 2026 you need both: a complete, review-rich Google Business Profile for Google Search, and a complete, review-rich Yelp profile for ChatGPT local recommendations. They complement each other.
How do I get my content cited in Google AI Overviews? ⌄
The clearest signals for AI Overview citation are: answering the specific question directly and early in the content, providing real evidence and examples rather than generic statements, using clear heading structure that lets AI parse your content easily, having strong authorship signals, and maintaining good traditional SEO fundamentals like quality backlinks and page speed. Crucially, AI Overviews now cite pages outside the top 10 — so content quality matters more than position alone.
Should I be worried about the possible Google algorithm update? ⌄
Not unless you’re seeing clear evidence of ranking drops in your specific keywords. Algorithm volatility is tracked constantly and doesn’t always indicate a major update. Check your Google Search Console for traffic changes and any manual actions. If your rankings are stable, continue your current strategy. If you’re seeing significant drops, wait 2 weeks for the update to settle before making changes — knee-jerk reactions to unconfirmed updates often cause more harm than the update itself.
Z
Zexers Performance Team

Performance marketing agency specializing in Google Ads, SEO, and lead generation. We monitor every major platform update so our clients can act on deadlines and opportunities before their competitors even know they exist.

How to Build a Lead Generation System That Works 24/7

24/7a proper lead gen system works while you sleep
5xmore leads from a system vs random marketing activity
90dto build a fully functioning lead generation system
£0extra spend needed — just connect what you already have
In this article
  1. What a Lead Generation System Actually Is
  2. Step 1 — Build Your Traffic Engine
  3. Step 2 — Create a High-Converting Landing Page
  4. Step 3 — Capture Every Lead Automatically
  5. Step 4 — Build an Instant Follow-Up Sequence
  6. Step 5 — Nurture Leads That Aren’t Ready Yet
  7. Step 6 — Retarget Visitors Who Didn’t Enquire
  8. Step 7 — Track Everything and Optimise Monthly
  9. Your 90-Day Build Timeline
  10. Frequently Asked Questions

Most businesses don’t have a lead generation system. They have a collection of disconnected marketing activities — a Google Ad here, a social media post there, a website that sometimes gets traffic — with no clear path connecting any of it to a predictable flow of new clients.

A lead generation system is different. It’s a connected, automated sequence that takes a complete stranger from first discovering your business to becoming a qualified lead — consistently, predictably, and without requiring your personal involvement at every step.

The businesses generating the most leads in 2026 aren’t necessarily spending the most on marketing. They’re the ones who have connected all the pieces into a system that runs 24 hours a day, 7 days a week — whether they’re working, sleeping, or on holiday.

Here’s how to build one.

The key insight: A lead generation system is not about doing more marketing activities. It’s about connecting the activities you already do into a sequence where each step leads naturally to the next — with automation handling the gaps so no lead falls through the cracks.

What a Lead Generation System Actually Is

Think of a lead generation system as a pipeline with seven connected stages. Every person who becomes a client has moved through all seven — whether you consciously built the pipeline or not. The difference is whether they moved through it by accident or by design.

The 7 Stages

Every lead generation system has these components

  1. Traffic — people find out your business exists
  2. Landing page — they land somewhere that makes them want to take action
  3. Lead capture — they submit their details and become a lead
  4. Instant follow-up — they hear from you immediately
  5. Lead nurture — you build trust with leads not yet ready to buy
  6. Retargeting — you re-engage people who visited but didn’t enquire
  7. Tracking — you measure everything and improve monthly

Most businesses have 2 or 3 of these in place. A properly built system has all 7 — connected and automated.

Step 1 — Build Your Traffic Engine

Step 1

You need at least two traffic sources — one paid, one organic

Relying on a single traffic source is the most fragile thing a business can do. If Google changes its algorithm, if your ad account gets suspended, if a platform changes its rules — a business with only one traffic source can go from busy to empty overnight.

A resilient traffic engine has at minimum:

  • One paid source — Google Ads for immediate, intent-driven traffic. This is your tap you can turn on and off. Produces leads immediately but stops when you stop paying.
  • One organic source — SEO and blog content for free, compounding traffic. Takes 3–6 months to build but generates leads indefinitely without ongoing spend.

Together these create a system where paid ads generate leads immediately while organic traffic builds in the background — and over time organic traffic reduces your dependence on paid spend.

For most service businesses the priority order is:

  1. Google Ads — for immediate lead flow while organic builds
  2. Google Business Profile — free local visibility, often generates leads within days
  3. Blog content — compounds over 12–24 months into significant free traffic
  4. Social media — supporting channel for brand awareness and retargeting

Step 2 — Create a High-Converting Landing Page

Step 2

Traffic without a converting landing page is money down the drain

This is the most commonly skipped step — and the most expensive mistake. Businesses spend hundreds or thousands on Google Ads sending traffic to their homepage, which was never designed to convert paid visitors into leads.

A landing page built for lead generation is fundamentally different from a website homepage:

  • No navigation menu — removes the ability to wander off
  • One single goal — fill in the form, call the number, or book the appointment
  • Headline matches the ad — message match is critical for Quality Score and conversions
  • Above-the-fold CTA — your call to action is visible without scrolling
  • Social proof — reviews, client logos, results with real numbers
  • Fast load speed — under 2.5 seconds on mobile
  • One landing page per campaign — not one page for all traffic

A landing page with a 10% conversion rate generates 5x more leads than one converting at 2% — from exactly the same traffic and exactly the same ad spend. Improving your landing page is the highest-ROI activity in your entire lead generation system.

The homepage trap: Your homepage is designed to serve every visitor — potential clients, existing clients, job applicants, competitors, and curious browsers. A landing page is designed for one specific visitor with one specific intent. Never send paid traffic to your homepage.

Step 3 — Capture Every Lead Automatically

Step 3

Every visitor who shows intent should become a lead — automatically

Lead capture is about making it as easy as possible for an interested visitor to give you their contact details — and making sure that when they do, their information flows automatically to wherever you need it without manual intervention.

Lead capture mechanisms to have in place:

  • Contact form — simple, maximum 4 fields. Name, email, phone, and one qualifying question
  • Google Lead Form assets — now available to all advertisers, lets people enquire without leaving Google
  • Click-to-call — phone number clickable on mobile, tracked with call tracking software
  • Live chat or WhatsApp — for visitors who want to ask a quick question before committing
  • Calendar booking — Calendly or similar, lets people book a call directly without back-and-forth emails

Automation to set up:

  • All form submissions flow automatically to your CRM or email inbox
  • Every lead triggers an instant SMS notification to your phone
  • Every lead triggers an instant auto-reply email confirming receipt
  • All leads are tagged by source — Google Ads, organic, referral — so you know what’s working

Step 4 — Build an Instant Follow-Up Sequence

Step 4

Speed of follow-up is the single biggest factor in converting leads to clients

The data on this is unambiguous: businesses that respond to a lead within 5 minutes are 21 times more likely to convert them than businesses that respond after 30 minutes. Most businesses respond hours or days later — and wonder why their leads go cold.

Your instant follow-up sequence should look like this:

  1. Immediately (0 minutes) — auto-reply email sent to the lead confirming you received their enquiry and setting expectations (“We’ll be in touch within 2 hours during business hours”)
  2. Immediately (0 minutes) — SMS notification sent to your phone or sales team with the lead’s details
  3. Within 5 minutes (business hours) — personal call or WhatsApp message from a real person
  4. Same day (if no answer) — follow-up email with more information about your service
  5. Day 2 (if still no response) — second follow-up with a specific offer or invitation to book a call
  6. Day 5 (final follow-up) — last attempt, low pressure, leave the door open

This 6-step sequence can be mostly automated using any email marketing tool — and it ensures no lead is ever lost due to slow follow-up.

Step 5 — Nurture Leads That Aren’t Ready Yet

Step 5

Most leads aren’t ready to buy immediately — but they will be eventually

Research consistently shows that only 3% of your potential market is actively ready to buy right now. Another 17% are open to it. The remaining 80% are not ready yet — but they will be at some point. Most businesses only market to the 3% and ignore the other 97%.

A lead nurture sequence keeps you top of mind with the 97% until they’re ready. It’s how small businesses punch above their weight against larger competitors with bigger budgets.

Simple lead nurture system that works:

  • Monthly email newsletter — one useful tip, one recent client result, one CTA. Takes 30 minutes to write. Keeps your name in front of every lead who isn’t ready yet.
  • Blog content — every new blog post sent to your email list. Builds expertise over time.
  • Case studies — when you get a great client result, send it to your entire lead list. “We just helped a law firm generate 47 leads in 30 days” is powerful nurture content.
  • Seasonal offers — end of financial year, January fresh start, industry-specific busy seasons. Time-sensitive offers convert fence-sitters.

Step 6 — Retarget Visitors Who Didn’t Enquire

Step 6

97% of your website visitors leave without enquiring — retargeting brings them back

Retargeting ads follow your website visitors around the internet after they leave — showing them your ads on Google, YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram. These ads typically cost a fraction of standard ads and convert at significantly higher rates because the audience already knows who you are.

How to set up retargeting:

  • Google Ads retargeting — add the Google Ads remarketing tag to your website. Create a campaign targeting people who visited your site but didn’t fill in the form.
  • Facebook/Instagram retargeting — install the Meta Pixel on your website. Create a custom audience of website visitors and show them ads on Facebook and Instagram.
  • YouTube retargeting — show video ads to people who visited your website. Highly effective for building brand familiarity at low cost.

Retargeting ad message: Don’t repeat your original ad. Address the hesitation. “Still thinking about it? Here’s what our clients say” or “Get answers to your questions in a free 20-minute call” tend to work well for retargeting.

Step 7 — Track Everything and Optimise Monthly

Step 7

A system you don’t measure is a system you can’t improve

The final piece of a lead generation system is the measurement layer that tells you what’s working, what isn’t, and where to focus your improvement effort next month.

Monthly metrics to track:

  • Total leads generated — by source (Google Ads, organic, referral, social)
  • Cost per lead — for each paid channel
  • Landing page conversion rate — visitors to leads percentage
  • Lead to client conversion rate — what percentage of leads become paying clients
  • Revenue attributed to marketing — total value of clients acquired through the system
  • Return on ad spend — for every £1 spent on ads, how much revenue came back

Monthly optimisation routine (takes 60 minutes):

  1. Review last month’s numbers against targets
  2. Identify the biggest gap — is it traffic, conversion rate, or follow-up speed?
  3. Make one specific improvement to address that gap
  4. Set a target for next month
  5. Repeat

Your 90-Day Build Timeline

You don’t need to build all 7 steps at once. Here’s the order that gets you generating leads fastest:

90-Day Plan

Build your system in this exact order

  1. Week 1–2 — Foundation
    Set up Google Analytics and conversion tracking. Create your first dedicated landing page. Set up instant lead notifications to your phone.
  2. Week 3–4 — Traffic
    Launch a focused Google Ads campaign to your landing page. Set up Google Business Profile completely. Publish your first 2 blog posts.
  3. Month 2 — Capture and Follow-Up
    Set up automated email follow-up sequence. Add calendar booking to landing page. Launch retargeting campaigns on Google and Meta.
  4. Month 3 — Nurture and Optimise
    Start monthly email newsletter. Review all metrics and identify biggest improvement opportunity. Make targeted improvements based on data.

By day 90 you have a functioning 7-step lead generation system. It won’t be perfect — but it will be generating leads consistently and giving you the data to keep improving it.

The compounding effect: A lead generation system gets better every month — not because you work harder, but because each month’s data tells you exactly where to improve. After 12 months of consistent optimisation, businesses typically find their cost per lead has dropped 30–50% while their lead volume has doubled. That’s the power of a system versus random marketing activity.

Ready to Build a Lead Generation System That Works 24/7?

Book a free strategy call with Zexers. We’ll map out your current situation, identify the gaps in your lead generation pipeline, and give you a clear 90-day plan to build a system that generates consistent, predictable leads — no fluff, no obligation.

Book My Free Strategy Call

Free call. No commitment. Response within 1 business day.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it take to build a lead generation system? ⌄
You can have a basic functioning system — Google Ads, landing page, conversion tracking, and instant follow-up — running within 2 weeks. A complete 7-step system with retargeting, email nurture, and full tracking takes around 90 days to build properly. The first leads typically come within days of launching Google Ads to a converting landing page.
How much does it cost to build a lead generation system? ⌄
The core components — landing page, email automation, conversion tracking, and retargeting setup — can be built for under £500 in tools and time if you do it yourself. Google Ads budget is separate and depends on your industry — typically £300–£2,000/month for meaningful results. Many of the most important components, like Google Business Profile and email nurture, cost nothing beyond your time.
Do I need a CRM to run a lead generation system? ⌄
Not immediately. You can start with a simple spreadsheet to track leads and a free email tool like Mailchimp for follow-up sequences. A CRM becomes valuable when you’re generating 20+ leads per month and need to track the status of each one through your sales process. Start simple and add complexity as volume grows.
What’s the difference between a lead generation system and just running Google Ads? ⌄
Google Ads alone is just one traffic source — it generates clicks but has no mechanism to capture, follow up, nurture, or retarget the people who don’t convert immediately. A lead generation system wraps Google Ads in a complete pipeline: a converting landing page captures the traffic, automated follow-up converts more of it into leads, nurture sequences convert the leads that aren’t ready yet, and retargeting brings back the ones that left. The system consistently converts more of your ad spend into actual revenue.
How do I know if my lead generation system is working? ⌄
Track these four numbers monthly: total leads generated, cost per lead, lead-to-client conversion rate, and revenue from marketing. If total leads are growing, cost per lead is stable or falling, and revenue is increasing — your system is working. If any of these metrics is moving in the wrong direction, it tells you exactly which part of the system needs attention.
Z
Zexers Performance Team

Performance marketing agency specializing in Google Ads, SEO, and lead generation. We build complete lead generation systems for businesses across legal, medical, real estate, SaaS, and home services — turning disconnected marketing activities into predictable, scalable client acquisition.

Google Drops $50K Requirement for Lead Forms — 8 Updates Every Business Needs to Know

$0minimum spend — Lead Form assets now open to all advertisers
Aug 31Local Inventory Ads enabled by default for all Shopping campaigns
6monew Google Ads policy appeal deadline — act within 6 months
41%of LinkedIn posts now show signs of AI generation
In this article
  1. Google Drops $50K Requirement — Lead Form Assets Now Free for Everyone
  2. Google Local Services Ads Moving Into Google Ads Platform
  3. Local Inventory Ads Enabled by Default from August 31
  4. Google Search Now Powered by Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite
  5. Google Tag Manager Gets Guided Setup for Conversion Tracking
  6. Google Ads Policy Appeals Now Limited to 6 Months
  7. 41% of LinkedIn Posts Show Signs of AI — What This Means for Your Brand
  8. Google Ads Moves Missed Opportunities to Recommendations Tab
  9. What Every Business Should Do Right Now
  10. Frequently Asked Questions

This week in digital marketing has delivered a mix of genuinely useful new features, important deadline reminders, and a few changes that require immediate action from businesses running Google Ads. There’s also a notable data point about AI-generated content on LinkedIn that every business using social media needs to know about.

Here’s everything that matters this week — with clear action steps for each update.

New this week worth acting on immediately: Google has removed the $50,000 minimum spend requirement for Lead Form assets — one of the most impactful Google Ads features is now accessible to businesses of any size. If you haven’t used Lead Form assets before, this week is the time to set them up.

1. Google Drops $50K Requirement — Lead Form Assets Now Free for Everyone

This is the most actionable update this week. Google has expanded access to its native lead generation format by removing the $50,000 ad spend requirement and introducing new integrations and simplified eligibility criteria.

What Changed

Lead Form assets are now available to every Google Ads advertiser

Lead Form assets (formerly Lead Form extensions) let users submit their contact details directly within Google’s search results — without ever visiting your website. A user sees your ad, taps “Get a quote” or “Book a call”, fills in their name, email and phone number, and submits — all without leaving Google.

Why this matters for small and medium businesses:

  • Previously only available to advertisers spending $50,000+ on Google Ads
  • Now available to every advertiser regardless of spend level
  • Eliminates the landing page step — reducing friction and improving conversion rates
  • Works especially well on mobile where typing a URL is inconvenient
  • New integrations allow leads to flow directly into your CRM or email system

What to do right now:

  1. Go to your Google Ads account
  2. Select any Search or Performance Max campaign
  3. Go to Assets → Add asset → Lead form
  4. Create a form with your headline, description, and the fields you need (name, email, phone)
  5. Set up a webhook or CRM integration so leads go directly to your sales team
  6. Set up an instant email notification so you can follow up within 5 minutes

Lead Form assets work best for service businesses — law firms, plumbers, medical practices, agencies, real estate — where the goal is a direct enquiry rather than a website visit.

2. Google Local Services Ads Moving Into Google Ads Platform

Google Local Services Ads are transitioning to the main Google Ads platform. This is a significant structural change for any local service business that runs Local Services Ads.

What’s Changing

Local Services Ads will be managed inside Google Ads — not separately

Until now, Local Services Ads (LSAs) — the “Google Guaranteed” ads that appear at the very top of local search results — were managed through a completely separate platform at ads.google.com/local-services-ads. They’re now moving into the main Google Ads dashboard.

What this means practically:

  • All your ad campaigns — Search, Display, Performance Max, and now LSAs — in one place
  • Unified reporting across all campaign types
  • Easier budget management across all Google advertising
  • Potential for better cross-campaign optimisation as Google’s AI sees all your data together

What to do: If you run Local Services Ads, watch for migration notifications from Google. The transition should be automatic but check your LSA dashboard regularly during the transition period to ensure campaigns continue running without interruption.

3. Local Inventory Ads Enabled by Default from August 31

This update is specifically relevant for businesses with physical retail locations. Google confirms Local Inventory Ads will be automatically enabled for all Shopping campaigns starting from August 31st, aiming to enhance local shopping experiences.

Action Required by August 31

Shopping campaigns will automatically show local inventory — opt out if needed

Local Inventory Ads show users that a product is available to buy in a nearby physical store — including real-time stock levels and store location. From August 31 this will be switched on automatically for all Shopping campaigns.

This is good news if:

  • You have a physical retail location
  • Your inventory data is accurate and up to date in Google Merchant Center
  • You want to drive foot traffic as well as online sales

This needs attention if:

  • Your inventory data in Google Merchant Center is outdated or inaccurate
  • You are an online-only retailer with no physical store
  • You don’t want to advertise local stock availability for any reason

What to do before August 31: Check your Google Merchant Center inventory feed. If your stock data is accurate and you have physical locations — great, no action needed. If your data is inaccurate or you’re online-only, go to your Shopping campaign settings and opt out of Local Inventory Ads before the automatic enablement date.

Google Search has integrated the Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite AI model for enhanced search experiences. This is the latest and most efficient version of Google’s Gemini AI — replacing the previous model powering AI Overviews and AI Mode.

What This Means

Faster, smarter AI answers — and new citation card placements being tested

Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite is faster and more efficient than its predecessor — which means AI Overviews will load faster and potentially appear on more queries. Google AI Mode and ChatGPT are also testing new citation card placements — meaning how your business gets cited in AI answers could look different soon.

What to do: The same content principles that helped you get cited before still apply — clear structure, direct answers, strong authorship signals. No immediate action needed, but monitor your Search Console impressions over the next 30 days to see if AI Overview appearances change for your key topics.

5. Google Tag Manager Gets Guided Setup for Conversion Tracking

GTM’s new guided setup simplifies Google Ads conversion tracking by automatically configuring key measurement components. This is a genuinely useful update for businesses struggling with conversion tracking setup.

New Feature

Conversion tracking setup just got significantly easier

Setting up Google Ads conversion tracking through Google Tag Manager has historically required technical knowledge — understanding triggers, variables, and tag firing rules. The new guided setup walks you through the process step by step, automatically configuring the key components.

Who this helps most:

  • Small businesses without a dedicated developer
  • Businesses that have been putting off setting up conversion tracking
  • Agencies onboarding new clients who need tracking set up quickly

What to do: If your Google Ads conversion tracking isn’t set up yet — now is the easiest time to do it. Go to Google Tag Manager, look for the guided setup option for Google Ads, and follow the steps. Accurate conversion tracking is the single most important technical foundation for any Google Ads campaign.

6. Google Ads Policy Appeals Now Limited to 6 Months

Starting July 21, 2026, the option to appeal a policy decision directly from your Google Ads account will not be available for policy decisions made more than 6 months prior.

New Rule

You have 6 months to appeal any Google Ads policy decision

If Google flags one of your ads or your account for a policy violation, you now have a 6-month window to appeal that decision directly from your Google Ads account. After 6 months, the in-account appeal option disappears — though you may still be able to contact support through other channels.

What to do:

  • Check your Google Ads account for any existing policy violations or disapproved ads
  • If you have any policy decisions older than 5 months that you haven’t appealed — do it now before the window closes
  • Going forward, address any policy violations promptly — don’t let them sit unresolved
  • Go to Policy Manager in Google Ads to see all current and historical policy decisions

7. 41% of LinkedIn Posts Show Signs of AI Generation — What This Means for Your Brand

A recent report from Pangram estimated that 41% of posts on LinkedIn showed signs of AI generation, highlighting a growing problem across all apps. And at the recent Cannes Lions Festival, Reddit’s EVP of community told brands to “act like a citizen, not like a billboard.”

The Bigger Picture

AI-generated content is flooding social media — and audiences are noticing

When nearly half of LinkedIn posts are AI-generated, the feed becomes homogenous. Every post sounds the same. Every insight feels recycled. Users scroll past without engaging because nothing feels genuine.

This creates a significant opportunity for businesses willing to show up as real humans with real opinions and real expertise.

What separates content that gets engagement in 2026:

  • Specific real-world examples — “We ran this campaign for a law firm last month and here’s what happened” beats any generic tip
  • Genuine opinions — take a position, disagree with conventional wisdom, share what you actually think
  • Behind-the-scenes reality — show the process, the mistakes, the iterations — not just the polished outcome
  • Client results with specifics — “Generated 47 leads in 30 days at $28 CPL” is infinitely more compelling than “we help businesses grow”

Use AI to help you write faster — but always add your own voice, your own experience, and your own specific examples. That’s what 59% of LinkedIn is not doing right now. It’s your competitive advantage.

8. Google Ads Moves Missed Opportunities to Recommendations Tab

Google Ads has relocated the “Missed Opportunities” report to the Recommendations tab. This is a minor interface change but worth knowing so you can find it.

Interface Change

Where to find Missed Growth Estimates in your Google Ads account

The Missed Opportunities report — which shows you estimated performance you could have achieved with different budget, bidding, or targeting settings — has moved from its previous location to the Recommendations tab in Google Ads.

What to do: Go to Recommendations in your Google Ads account. You’ll now see both Google’s optimization suggestions and the missed growth estimates in the same place. Review these monthly — they can highlight genuine opportunities to improve campaign performance, though treat Google’s suggestions with appropriate scepticism since some recommendations benefit Google’s revenue more than your results.

What Every Business Should Do Right Now

This Week’s Action Plan

7 things to do — in order of impact

  1. TODAY — Set up Lead Form assets
    Go to Google Ads → any Search campaign → Assets → Lead form. Create a form and set up instant lead notifications. This is now available to everyone and could immediately increase your lead volume.
  2. THIS WEEK — Check for unappealed policy violations
    Go to Policy Manager in Google Ads. If you have any violations older than 5 months — appeal them now before the 6-month window closes on July 21 decisions.
  3. BEFORE AUGUST 31 — Review Local Inventory Ads setting
    If you run Shopping campaigns, check whether automatic Local Inventory Ad enablement is right for your business. Opt out if your inventory data is inaccurate or you’re online-only.
  4. THIS WEEK — Set up GTM conversion tracking if not done
    Use the new guided setup in Google Tag Manager to get conversion tracking properly configured. This is the most important foundation for any Google Ads campaign.
  5. ONGOING — Watch your Local Services Ads during migration
    If you run LSAs, monitor them through the transition to the main Google Ads platform. Ensure campaigns don’t drop during migration.
  6. ONGOING — Make your social content genuinely human
    With 41% of LinkedIn posts AI-generated, standing out is easier than ever — just be real. Add specific examples, genuine opinions, and real client results to everything you post.
  7. ⚠️ REMINDER — August 17 bidding deadline is 26 days away
    If you haven’t checked your budget-limited campaigns yet — do it today. Lower your Target CPA or ROAS targets to match your actual performance before August 17.
This week’s theme: Google is opening up powerful features that were previously only available to big-spending advertisers — Lead Form assets being the best example. Small and medium businesses now have access to the same tools as enterprise advertisers. The playing field is levelling. The businesses that move fast to implement these features while competitors are still unaware will gain a meaningful edge.

Want Help Implementing These Updates?

Book a free strategy call with Zexers. We’ll set up Lead Form assets, check your conversion tracking, and make sure your campaigns are ready for every upcoming deadline — no fluff, no obligation.

Book My Free Strategy Call

Free call. No commitment. Response within 1 business day.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are Google Lead Form assets and how do they work? ⌄
Lead Form assets are a Google Ads feature that lets users submit their contact details directly within the search results page — without visiting your website. When someone clicks your ad, a form appears asking for their name, email, and phone number. They submit it without ever leaving Google. You receive the lead instantly via email notification or CRM integration. They work especially well on mobile and for service businesses where the goal is a direct enquiry.
How do I check for Google Ads policy violations in my account? ⌄
Go to your Google Ads account and click on Tools in the top navigation. Look for Policy Manager under the Setup section. This shows all current and historical policy decisions on your account — including disapproved ads, account-level violations, and any decisions you haven’t yet appealed. Review this monthly to stay on top of any issues before they affect your campaigns.
Will Local Inventory Ads affect my online-only Shopping campaigns? ⌄
If you are an online-only retailer with no physical store, Local Inventory Ads won’t show for your products because there’s no local store inventory to display. However it’s worth checking your Shopping campaign settings after August 31 to confirm the automatic enablement hasn’t caused any unexpected changes to your campaigns.
Should I use AI to write my social media posts? ⌄
Yes — but don’t publish raw AI output. Use AI to draft, structure, or speed up your writing — then add your own specific examples, real client results, genuine opinions, and personal voice before posting. The 41% of LinkedIn posts that read as purely AI-generated get significantly less engagement because they lack specificity and personality. AI efficiency plus human authenticity is the winning combination.
Z
Zexers Performance Team

Performance marketing agency specializing in Google Ads, SEO, and lead generation. We monitor every major platform update so our clients can act on new opportunities before their competitors even know they exist.

Why Your Last Marketing Agency Failed?

72%of businesses have fired a marketing agency in the last 3 years
£0in results despite thousands spent — a common story
8warning signs your agency is failing you right now
30dto see if a new agency approach is working
In this article
  1. Why Most Marketing Agencies Fail Their Clients
  2. They Reported Vanity Metrics — Not Real Results
  3. They Had No Clear Strategy — Just Activity
  4. They Never Set Up Proper Conversion Tracking
  5. They Used a Generic Approach for Every Client
  6. They Went Silent After You Signed the Contract
  7. They Optimised for the Wrong Goal
  8. They Kept Everything in Their Own Accounts
  9. They Caved to Pressure Instead of Giving Honest Advice
  10. What a Good Agency Actually Looks Like
  11. Frequently Asked Questions

You hired a marketing agency. You paid them every month. You had calls, saw reports, and waited for the results you were promised. But the leads never came. Or they came briefly and then stopped. Or worse — you have no idea whether anything worked at all because the reporting never made sense.

If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone. A significant number of businesses have had at least one failed agency relationship — and most of them blame themselves, wondering if they “didn’t give it enough time” or “didn’t understand marketing well enough.”

The truth is usually simpler: the agency failed you. And there are specific, identifiable reasons why. Understanding them is the first step to making sure it never happens again.

Important note: This post isn’t about bashing agencies. Good agencies exist and deliver extraordinary results. This post is about helping you identify the specific failures that lead to wasted budget — so you can ask better questions, set better expectations, and choose better partners going forward.

Why Most Marketing Agencies Fail Their Clients

Marketing agencies fail for many reasons — but most failures come down to a fundamental misalignment between what the agency measures as success and what actually matters to your business. Agencies are often incentivised to look busy, report impressive-sounding numbers, and retain clients as long as possible — regardless of whether those clients are actually getting leads and revenue.

Here are the 8 most common reasons your last agency failed you — and the questions to ask your next one to make sure history doesn’t repeat.

1. They Reported Vanity Metrics — Not Real Results

Failure 1

Impressions, reach, and engagement don’t pay your bills — leads and revenue do

The most common agency failure is reporting metrics that look impressive but have no connection to your actual business outcomes. Monthly reports full of graphs showing:

  • “Your ads reached 450,000 people this month” — but how many contacted you?
  • “Your website had 12,000 sessions” — but how many turned into enquiries?
  • “Your social media engagement increased 34%” — but did revenue increase?
  • “Your Quality Score improved to 7.2” — but your cost per lead went up

These numbers aren’t meaningless — but they are meaningless in isolation. Without a direct line connecting marketing activity to leads, appointments, and revenue — you have no idea whether your agency is actually doing anything useful.

What good reporting looks like:

  • Number of leads generated this month vs last month
  • Cost per lead — what did each enquiry cost?
  • Lead quality — what percentage turned into actual clients?
  • Revenue attributable to marketing — what did this spend generate?
  • Return on ad spend (ROAS) — for every £1 spent, how much came back?

Question to ask your next agency: “What metrics will you report on monthly, and how do each of them connect to leads and revenue for my business?”

2. They Had No Clear Strategy — Just Activity

Failure 2

Activity is not strategy — busy work is not progress

Many agencies are excellent at looking busy. They post on social media, send weekly updates, tweak ad copy, and produce detailed reports — all without having a coherent strategy for how all of this activity connects to getting your business more clients.

A real marketing strategy answers these questions:

  • Who exactly is the ideal client we’re targeting — and why?
  • What is the specific message that will resonate with them?
  • Which channels will reach them most efficiently?
  • What is the conversion path from first contact to paying client?
  • How will we measure whether this is working?
  • What will we do differently if it’s not working after 30 days?

If your agency couldn’t answer all of these clearly before starting work — they didn’t have a strategy. They had a set of tasks.

Question to ask your next agency: “Can you walk me through the specific strategy you’d use for my business — not just the tactics, but the thinking behind why this approach will work for my industry and audience?”

Red flag: If an agency gives you a proposal within 24 hours of your first conversation — before they’ve deeply understood your business, your clients, your competition, and your goals — that’s a template, not a strategy. A genuinely good agency takes time to understand your business before recommending an approach.

3. They Never Set Up Proper Conversion Tracking

Failure 3

Without conversion tracking you are flying blind — and so are they

This is one of the most common and most damaging agency failures — and many clients never even know it happened. If your Google Ads agency didn’t set up proper conversion tracking from day one, they have no idea which keywords, ads, or campaigns are generating leads. And neither do you.

Conversion tracking means Google Ads (and your agency) can see:

  • Which keywords led to a contact form submission
  • Which ads generated phone calls
  • Which landing pages converted visitors into enquiries
  • What the real cost per lead is for each campaign

Without this data, Google’s smart bidding has nothing to optimise toward. Your agency can’t tell what’s working. And you can’t justify spending another penny.

How to check right now: Log into your Google Ads account. Go to Tools → Conversions. If there are no conversion actions set up, or if they show 0 conversions despite traffic — your last agency never set this up properly.

Question to ask your next agency: “How will you set up conversion tracking, and what specific conversion actions will you track for my business? Can you show me an example of a tracking setup you’ve done for a similar client?”

4. They Used a Generic Approach for Every Client

Failure 4

A strategy built for everyone is optimised for no one

Many agencies have a playbook — a standard set of actions they apply to every client regardless of industry, audience, or goal. Law firm? Same strategy as the plumber. E-commerce brand? Same approach as the B2B SaaS company. They change the logo and the industry name, but the strategy is identical.

This fails because different industries have fundamentally different:

  • Customer journeys — how long people take to make a decision
  • Search intent — what people are looking for at each stage
  • Competitive landscapes — how many competitors and how aggressive they are
  • Lead quality requirements — not all leads are equal in every industry
  • Conversion mechanisms — form vs call vs booking vs live chat

Question to ask your next agency: “Have you worked with businesses in my industry before? What specific challenges does my industry face in paid advertising and SEO, and how would your approach account for those?”

5. They Went Silent After You Signed the Contract

Failure 5

The best agencies over-communicate — the worst go quiet

A common and deeply frustrating pattern: an agency is responsive, enthusiastic, and full of ideas during the sales process. You sign the contract. Then silence. Monthly reports arrive but they’re templated and shallow. Emails take days to get responses. Your account manager changes three times in six months. Nobody proactively tells you when something isn’t working.

What good communication looks like with a marketing agency:

  • A dedicated point of contact who knows your account inside out
  • Proactive updates when something changes — positive or negative
  • Monthly reporting calls — not just a PDF emailed at 5pm on Friday
  • Clear explanation of what was done, what the results were, and what changes next month
  • Honest conversation when something isn’t working — not silence or spin

Question to ask your next agency: “Who specifically will manage my account? How often will we speak? What happens if my campaigns aren’t performing — how will you communicate that and what will you do about it?”

6. They Optimised for the Wrong Goal

Failure 6

Optimising for clicks is not the same as optimising for clients

This is a subtle but critical failure. An agency might genuinely be working hard and achieving their internal goals — while your business gets nothing useful from it. Common misalignments:

  • Optimising for clicks instead of leads — traffic goes up, enquiries stay flat
  • Optimising for cost per click instead of cost per lead — cheaper clicks from worse-converting traffic
  • Optimising for page 1 rankings instead of revenue-generating keywords — ranking for terms that nobody searching them would ever buy
  • Optimising for follower growth instead of enquiries — 10,000 followers who never become clients

The fix: Before any work starts, agree in writing on what success looks like. The primary metric should always be leads or revenue — not traffic, rankings, or engagement.

Question to ask your next agency: “What will you optimise toward first — and how does that connect to generating actual leads and revenue for my business?”

7. They Kept Everything in Their Own Accounts

Failure 7

Your data, your campaigns, your ad accounts should belong to you — always

One of the most damaging agency practices — and sadly one of the most common — is running your campaigns inside the agency’s own Google Ads account rather than yours. When you leave the agency, you lose everything: the campaign history, the conversion data, the audience lists, and the performance data that Google’s algorithm has learned from.

Starting from scratch means losing months of algorithm learning — and your new agency has to rebuild from zero while paying the premium that comes with a brand new account.

Non-negotiable requirements when working with any agency:

  • Your Google Ads campaigns must run in your Google Ads account — the agency gets manager access, not ownership
  • Your website analytics must be in your Google Analytics account
  • Your SEO tools and data must be accessible to you at any time
  • All creative assets, copy, and campaign materials belong to you
  • You should be able to leave the agency and take everything with you

Question to ask your next agency: “Will my campaigns run in my own Google Ads account? What access will I have to all my campaign data, and what happens to everything if we stop working together?”

8. They Caved to Pressure Instead of Giving Honest Advice

Failure 8

The best agency partner tells you what you need to hear — not what you want to hear

Sometimes agency failures aren’t entirely the agency’s fault — but how the agency responded to client pressure reveals their true quality. Common scenarios:

  • Client wants to target every keyword imaginable — good agency pushes back and explains why focus wins. Bad agency agrees and wastes budget.
  • Client wants results in 2 weeks from SEO — good agency sets honest expectations. Bad agency promises it to keep the contract.
  • Client insists on running ads to their homepage — good agency explains why a landing page is essential. Bad agency runs the ads and watches conversion rates tank.
  • Campaigns aren’t working after 60 days — good agency says so honestly and proposes changes. Bad agency keeps cashing the invoice and saying “it needs more time.”

What to look for in a good agency: They push back when they disagree. They tell you when something isn’t working. They give you honest timelines even when they’re not what you want to hear. A good agency relationship feels like working with a trusted advisor — not a yes-person who agrees with everything to keep the contract.

What a Good Agency Actually Looks Like

After understanding what bad looks like, here’s what you should expect from a great marketing agency partnership:

The Standard

What Zexers believes every client deserves

  • Clear strategy before any spending — we understand your business, your clients, and your goals before recommending anything
  • Conversion tracking set up on day one — every lead source tracked, every campaign measured against real business outcomes
  • Reporting on leads and revenue — not impressions and clicks. You always know exactly what your marketing spend is generating
  • Everything in your accounts — your Google Ads, your analytics, your data. Always yours
  • Proactive communication — we tell you when something isn’t working before you ask
  • Honest advice — even when it’s not what you want to hear. Especially then
  • Industry-specific strategy — your campaign is built for your business, not copy-pasted from a template
  • A dedicated point of contact — someone who knows your account inside out and is reachable when you need them

Burned by an Agency Before? Let’s Do This Differently.

Book a free strategy call with Zexers. We’ll listen to what happened with your last agency, show you exactly how we work differently, and give you an honest assessment of what we think would actually work for your business — no sales pitch, no pressure.

Book My Free Strategy Call

Free call. No commitment. No hard sell. Just honest advice.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long should I give a new marketing agency before judging results? ⌄
For Google Ads — you should see initial leads within 2–4 weeks if the campaign is set up correctly. For SEO — meaningful results take 3–6 months. If a Google Ads campaign has been running for 60 days with proper tracking and zero leads, something is fundamentally wrong and needs fixing immediately — not more time. For SEO, judge progress at 90 days and significant results at 6 months.
What should be in a monthly agency report? ⌄
A good monthly report should include: number of leads generated, cost per lead, total ad spend, ROAS or revenue attributable to campaigns, key changes made during the month, what worked and what didn’t, and the plan for next month. If your agency’s report doesn’t include lead volume and cost per lead as headline metrics, ask why.
Can I switch agencies without losing my campaign data? ⌄
Yes — if your campaigns are in your own Google Ads account. Simply remove the old agency’s manager access and add your new agency. All campaign history, conversion data, and algorithm learning stays intact. If your campaigns are in the agency’s account, you will lose everything when you leave — which is exactly why campaigns should always run in your own account from day one.
What questions should I ask before hiring a marketing agency? ⌄
The most important questions: Will my campaigns run in my own account? What metrics will you report on and how do they connect to leads? Have you worked in my industry before? Who will manage my account day to day? What does success look like at 30, 60, and 90 days? What happens if results aren’t where they should be? How do you handle conversion tracking setup? These questions separate genuine performance agencies from those that look good in a proposal.
Is it normal to feel like your agency doesn’t understand your business? ⌄
No — it’s common, but it shouldn’t be normal. A good agency invests significant time upfront understanding your business, your clients, your competitors, and your goals before recommending anything. If your agency launched campaigns within days of signing without asking deep questions about your business — that’s a warning sign. The best agency relationships feel like a genuine partnership where the agency knows your business almost as well as you do.
Z
Zexers Performance Team

Performance marketing agency specializing in Google Ads, SEO, and lead generation. We’ve spoken to hundreds of businesses who’ve been burned by previous agencies — and built our entire approach around doing things differently.

68% of Google Searches End Without a Click — 7 Updates Every Business Needs to Know

68%of Google searches now end without a click to any website
58%drop in click-through for top-ranking pages due to AI Overviews
Aug 17Google Smart Bidding deadline — reminder to act now
4major Google updates dropped this week alone
In this article
  1. 68% of Google Searches Now End Without a Click — What This Means
  2. Google Search Console Now Tracks Your Instagram, TikTok and YouTube
  3. Google Testing a “Visit Site” Button on Sponsored Results
  4. ChatGPT Ads Gets Audience Targeting — A Real Threat Now
  5. GPT-Live — OpenAI’s Voice Search That Shows Visual Answers
  6. New Performance Max Theme Feature for Asset Groups
  7. ⚠️ August 17 Bidding Reminder — Last Chance to Act
  8. What Every Business Should Do Right Now
  9. Frequently Asked Questions

This week in digital marketing has been one of the most significant in 2026. A major study confirmed what many marketers have suspected — Google search is fundamentally changing how it delivers value, and the click is no longer the currency. Meanwhile Google and OpenAI both dropped new features that have real practical implications for every business running ads or investing in SEO.

Here’s everything that matters this week — explained clearly, with exactly what to do about each update.

⚠️ Reminder before you read further: The August 17 Google Smart Bidding deadline is now 5 weeks away. If you haven’t checked your budget-limited campaigns yet, do it today. We covered this in detail in our last news post — scroll to Section 7 for the quick action checklist.

1. 68% of Google Searches Now End Without a Click — What This Means for Your Business

The most important number in digital marketing right now: 68% of US Google searches now end without a click to any website. With AI Overviews reaching 2.5 billion users and AI Mode crossing 1 billion monthly actives, Google is increasingly answering questions directly — meaning users never need to leave Google to get their answer.

The downstream effect is stark. AI Overviews have correlated with a 58% drop in click-through rates for top-ranking pages. Google referrals to publishers fell approximately a third globally in the year ending last November.

The Reframe

SEO success used to mean earning the click. That’s changing fast.

For two decades, ranking on page 1 meant getting traffic. That equation is eroding in real time. The businesses adapting fastest are rethinking what “winning” in search means:

  • Old measure of SEO success: sessions from organic search
  • New measure of SEO success: brand citations in AI answers, direct searches for your brand, lead quality from organic traffic

The brands quietly pulling ahead are doing two things simultaneously: building content that gets cited by AI (structured, authoritative, specific) and doing the brand work that makes their name worth searching directly. The goal is no longer just ranking — it’s being the source AI trusts enough to cite.

What this means practically:

  • Keep publishing quality blog content — it still drives AI citations and direct traffic
  • Measure brand search volume in Google Search Console — is your brand name being searched more over time?
  • Invest in Google Ads alongside SEO — as organic clicks decline, paid traffic becomes relatively more valuable
  • Focus on content that answers specific, intent-driven questions — not generic informational posts
The silver lining: Zero-click searches still build brand awareness. When Google’s AI cites your business as a source, millions of people see your name even without clicking. Brand visibility in AI results is the new page 1 ranking — and it’s driven by the same things that always mattered: quality, authority, and clarity.

2. Google Search Console Now Tracks Your Instagram, TikTok and YouTube Performance

This is a genuinely useful update that most businesses haven’t noticed yet. Google Search Console now integrates performance data from Instagram, TikTok, X (Twitter), and YouTube directly into its reports.

New Feature

See how your social content performs in Google Search and Discover — in one place

Until now, you’d need to check each social platform separately to understand how your content was performing. Now Search Console shows you how your Instagram posts, TikTok videos, YouTube content, and X posts are appearing in Google Search and Google Discover — all in one dashboard.

What you can now see in Search Console:

  • Which social posts are appearing in Google Search results
  • How many impressions and clicks those social posts are generating from Google
  • Which content types perform best in Google Discover
  • How your social content contributes to your overall Google visibility

What to do: Log into Google Search Console and look for the new platform properties section. Connect your social accounts and start tracking. This data tells you which social content format is generating the most Google visibility — incredibly useful for deciding where to focus your social media efforts.

3. Google Testing a “Visit Site” Button on Sponsored Results

Google is currently testing a large, prominent “Visit site” button on sponsored search results — a clickable button that appears directly on the ad unit to drive more direct traffic from paid placements.

What’s Being Tested

A bigger, more clickable CTA on your Google Ads

In the current test, sponsored results show a clearly visible “Visit site” button below the ad headline and description. This makes the ad more visually prominent and gives users a larger, more obvious click target — potentially increasing CTR for paid ads.

Why this matters: As organic click-through rates drop due to AI Overviews, Google appears to be compensating by making paid ads more clickable. If this rolls out widely, businesses running Google Ads could see a meaningful increase in CTR without any changes to their campaigns.

What to do: Nothing right now — it’s still a test. But this reinforces why maintaining strong Google Ads campaigns is more important than ever as organic traffic becomes less reliable. Watch for this feature appearing in your own ad previews.

4. ChatGPT Ads Gets Audience Targeting — A Real Competitive Threat Now

When ChatGPT first launched ads, the targeting was basic. This week OpenAI significantly upgraded the platform: ChatGPT Ads now supports audience targeting, allowing advertisers to upload customer lists (email addresses, phone numbers) to refine who sees their ads.

Platform Update

ChatGPT Ads is growing up fast

Audience targeting changes ChatGPT Ads from a broad awareness channel into something with genuine precision. Now you can:

  • Upload customer lists — target people similar to your existing clients
  • Suppress existing customers — avoid showing acquisition ads to people who already bought
  • Build lookalike audiences — reach new people who resemble your best clients

Our honest take: ChatGPT Ads is still maturing — measurement is limited and best practices are still being established. But with audience targeting now available, it’s worth a small test budget ($200–$500) for businesses that want to be early movers. The conversational context of ChatGPT means ads shown there reach people in a research and decision-making mindset — high quality intent if you can reach the right people.

What to do: If you have a customer email list of 500+ people, test ChatGPT Ads with a small budget. Upload your list, build a lookalike audience, and run for 30 days. Compare lead quality with your Google Ads leads before deciding whether to scale.

5. GPT-Live — OpenAI’s Voice Search That Shows Visual Answers

OpenAI has begun rolling out GPT-Live — new voice models for ChatGPT that can run a web search and show visual answers while you talk. This is the closest thing to a true voice-first search experience that has ever existed.

New Technology

Voice search is finally actually useful — and it could matter for your business

Previous voice search (Siri, Google Assistant) could only answer simple factual questions. GPT-Live can:

  • Run a live web search while you’re speaking
  • Show visual results (images, charts, maps) on screen while you talk
  • Hold a multi-turn conversation about complex topics
  • Compare options and give nuanced recommendations

If someone asks GPT-Live “find me a good Google Ads agency in [city]” — it will search the web, find options, and present them visually while describing them verbally. Businesses with well-optimised websites, strong reviews, and clear service descriptions are most likely to be recommended.

What to do: The same things that help you rank on Google help you get recommended by GPT-Live — clear website copy, structured content, strong reviews, and consistent business information across the web. No new strategy needed — just execute the fundamentals excellently.

6. New Performance Max Theme Feature for Asset Groups

Google has launched an Apply Theme feature for asset groups in Performance Max campaigns. Asset groups can now automatically adopt themes, streamlining creative management by grouping assets like images, headlines, and videos by theme.

New Feature

Smarter creative organisation in Performance Max

Previously, managing multiple asset groups in Performance Max required manually ensuring your images, headlines, and videos were correctly grouped and relevant to each other. The Apply Theme feature automates this — it analyses your assets and groups them by theme automatically, ensuring more cohesive and relevant ad combinations are shown to users.

What to do: If you run Performance Max campaigns, check for the Apply Theme option in your asset groups. Apply it and let Google group your existing assets — then review the groupings to make sure they make sense for your brand and messaging.

7. ⚠️ August 17 Bidding Reminder — 5 Weeks Left to Act

Google has now sent official email notifications to advertisers about the August 17 Smart Bidding change for budget-limited campaigns. If you haven’t received one, check your Google Ads notifications. If you have received one and haven’t acted — act today.

Action Required

Quick checklist — do this today

  1. Log into Google Ads
  2. Go to Campaigns and filter for any marked “Limited by budget”
  3. For each limited campaign, check your actual CPA or ROAS vs your stated target
  4. If actual performance is better than target — lower your target to match actual performance before August 17
  5. Use the Bid Target Adjustment Tool (now live in most accounts) to do this efficiently

This is not optional. Missing this deadline could quietly raise your cost per lead without you doing anything wrong.

What Every Business Should Do Right Now

This Week’s Action Plan

6 things to do based on this week’s updates — in order of urgency

  1. TODAY — August 17 bidding check
    Check budget-limited campaigns and lower targets if actual performance is better than stated targets.
  2. TODAY — Search Console social integration
    Connect your social accounts in Google Search Console and check which content is generating Google visibility.
  3. THIS WEEK — Rethink your SEO success metrics
    Add brand search volume and AI citation tracking to your reporting. Sessions from organic is no longer the whole story.
  4. THIS WEEK — Performance Max themes
    Apply the new theme feature to your Performance Max asset groups if you run them.
  5. THIS MONTH — Test ChatGPT Ads with audience targeting
    If you have a customer list of 500+ emails, run a small test. Compare lead quality with Google Ads.
  6. ONGOING — Keep publishing quality content
    The zero-click world rewards brands that AI trusts enough to cite. Consistent, structured, helpful content is still your best long-term investment.
The bigger picture this week: Google search is becoming less about clicks and more about presence — being the answer AI gives, the brand people search directly, the business with the most reviews and the clearest website. The businesses winning in this environment aren’t the ones chasing every new feature. They’re the ones executing the fundamentals so well that AI can’t ignore them. That’s always been the Zexers approach — and it’s never been more relevant.

Not Sure How These Changes Affect Your Business?

Book a free strategy call with Zexers. We’ll review your Google Ads, your SEO visibility, and your content strategy in light of these changes — and give you a clear action plan to stay ahead.

Book My Free Strategy Call

Free call. No commitment. Response within 1 business day.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is SEO still worth investing in if 68% of searches end without a click? ⌄
Absolutely yes — but the goal is shifting. SEO is no longer just about driving clicks to your website. It’s about being the source Google and other AI systems trust enough to cite. Businesses cited in AI Overviews get brand exposure to millions of users even without a click. And the 32% of searches that do result in clicks go to highly trusted, well-structured sources — exactly what good SEO builds. Keep investing in SEO, but measure success more broadly than just sessions.
Should I be advertising on ChatGPT as well as Google? ⌄
Google Ads should still be your primary paid channel for lead generation — it targets people actively searching for your service and delivers proven, measurable ROI. ChatGPT Ads is worth a small test budget now that audience targeting is available, particularly if you have a customer list to build from. Treat it as a supplementary channel rather than a replacement for Google Ads.
How do I connect my social accounts to Google Search Console? ⌄
Log into Google Search Console at search.google.com/search-console. Look for the platform properties section in the left navigation. You’ll be able to add Instagram, TikTok, X, and YouTube accounts. Once connected, their performance data will start appearing in your Search Console reports within a few days.
Will the “Visit Site” button on Google Ads increase my ad costs? ⌄
Not directly — Google Ads pricing is based on clicks, not on the size of the button. If the “Visit Site” button increases CTR it could indirectly affect your Quality Score (positively) and your competition in auctions. But the initial expectation is that higher CTR would be a net positive for most advertisers — more clicks at the same CPC means better campaign efficiency.
Z
Zexers Performance Team

Performance marketing agency specializing in Google Ads, SEO, and lead generation. We monitor every major platform update so our clients stay ahead of the curve — not behind it.

How to Generate Leads on a Small Budget (7 Strategies That Work)

63%of small businesses say budget is their #1 marketing barrier
$0cost to start with SEO and content marketing
5xmore leads from targeted campaigns vs broad ones
30dto start seeing results with the right strategy
In this article
  1. The Small Budget Mindset Shift That Changes Everything
  2. Run Hyper-Targeted Google Ads on a Tight Budget
  3. Start a Blog — The Highest ROI Marketing Activity
  4. Optimise Your Google Business Profile — It’s Free
  5. Build a Referral System — Your Best Leads Cost Nothing
  6. Use Social Media the Right Way on a Small Budget
  7. Build an Email List — The Cheapest Long-Term Lead Source
  8. Strategic Partnerships — Leverage Other People’s Audiences
  9. How to Prioritise When Budget is Tight
  10. Frequently Asked Questions

One of the biggest myths in marketing is that you need a large budget to generate leads. You don’t. What you need is a focused strategy, the right channels, and the discipline to do a few things really well rather than many things poorly.

At Zexers we work with businesses at every budget level — from startups spending $300/month to established companies spending $30,000/month. And we’ve consistently found that the businesses generating the best leads per pound spent are often the ones with the tightest budgets, because constraint forces focus.

Here are the most effective ways to generate leads on a small budget — ranked by ROI and ease of implementation.

The golden rule of small budget marketing: Don’t spread £500 across 5 channels. Put £500 into 1 channel and do it properly. A focused small budget always outperforms a scattered larger one.

The Small Budget Mindset Shift That Changes Everything

Before tactics, there’s one mindset shift that makes everything else work better. Stop thinking about marketing as an expense and start thinking about it as an investment with a measurable return.

If you spend $500 on Google Ads and generate 5 leads, and 2 of those become clients worth $2,000 each — you’ve turned $500 into $4,000. That’s an 8x return. The question is never “can I afford to market?” It’s “which marketing activity gives me the best return per dollar spent right now?”

Framework

How to think about small budget marketing

  1. Know your numbers — what is one new client worth to you? What can you afford to spend to get one?
  2. Pick one channel — master it before adding another
  3. Measure everything — track where every lead comes from so you know what’s working
  4. Double down on what works — when something generates leads, reinvest into it immediately
  5. Cut what doesn’t — ruthlessly stop any activity that isn’t generating measurable results
Strategy 1

Small budget Google Ads work — but only with laser-focused targeting

The biggest mistake small budget advertisers make on Google Ads is trying to target too broadly. With a limited budget you simply can’t compete nationally against well-funded competitors. But you can absolutely win locally or in a specific niche.

How to make Google Ads work on a small budget:

  • Target one specific location — your city or local area only. Local CPCs are significantly lower than national ones
  • Target 5–10 exact match keywords only — no broad match, no phrase match until you have data
  • Use a dedicated landing page — never send paid traffic to your homepage
  • Set up conversion tracking before spending a penny — you need to know which clicks turn into leads
  • Start with $15–$20/day minimum — below this you won’t get enough data to optimise
  • Add negative keywords immediately — block irrelevant searches from day one

A well-optimised local Google Ads campaign with a $500/month budget can consistently generate 10–20 leads per month for service businesses. The key is tight targeting and a converting landing page — not budget size.

Budget trap to avoid: Don’t run Google Ads at $5/day. You’ll get 2–3 clicks per day — not enough for the algorithm to learn or for you to make any meaningful decisions. Save up and run at $15–$20/day for 30 days, then optimise based on real data.

2. Start a Blog — The Highest ROI Marketing Activity Over Time

Strategy 2

Content marketing has the highest long-term ROI of any channel — and the startup cost is zero

Writing blog posts costs nothing except time. But done consistently, it builds organic search traffic that generates leads for years without ongoing spend. A blog post ranking on page 1 of Google for a relevant keyword is essentially a free Google Ad that runs 24/7 indefinitely.

How to start a blog that generates leads on zero budget:

  • Target long-tail keywords — instead of “Google Ads agency” (impossible to rank for), target “Google Ads agency for law firms in [city]” (very achievable)
  • Answer real questions your clients ask — “how much does Google Ads cost?”, “why am I not getting leads from my website?” — these are the searches that bring in buyers
  • Publish consistently — one good post per week beats three posts one month and nothing for three months
  • Include a CTA in every post — every blog post should end with a clear invitation to book a call, request a quote, or download something
  • Structure every post for SEO — clear H2 headings, FAQ section, meta description, internal links to your service pages

It takes 3–6 months to start seeing meaningful organic traffic from blogging — but after 12 months of consistent publishing, many businesses find their blog generates more leads than their paid ads. And it costs nothing to maintain.

3. Optimise Your Google Business Profile — It’s Completely Free

Strategy 3

The most underused free lead generation tool for local businesses

Google Business Profile (GBP) is free, powerful, and criminally underused by most small businesses. When someone searches “plumber near me” or “accountant in [city]” — the map results that appear at the top of the page are Google Business listings. Appearing in that local pack generates calls and enquiries at zero cost per click.

How to maximise your Google Business Profile for free leads:

  • Complete every single field — business description, services, hours, website, photos, attributes
  • Add photos consistently — businesses with photos get 42% more requests for directions and 35% more website clicks
  • Collect Google reviews actively — ask every satisfied client. Reviews are the #1 ranking factor for local search
  • Respond to every review — good and bad. Google rewards active, engaged business owners
  • Post weekly updates — share offers, news, or tips. Posts keep your profile active and relevant
  • Use the Q&A section — add your own questions and answers covering common client queries

A fully optimised Google Business Profile can generate 10–30 leads per month for a local service business — completely free.

Quick win: If you haven’t claimed your Google Business Profile yet, do it today. Go to business.google.com and claim your listing. It takes 15 minutes and could start generating leads within days.

4. Build a Referral System — Your Best Leads Cost Nothing

Strategy 4

Referred leads convert at 3–5x the rate of any paid channel

Most small businesses get referrals occasionally — but very few have a system that generates them consistently. A referral programme turns your existing clients into an active sales team that costs you nothing unless they deliver results.

How to build a simple referral system:

  • Ask at the right moment — after a successful project, delivery, or positive feedback. “We’d love to work with more businesses like yours — do you know anyone who might benefit from what we do?”
  • Make it easy — give clients a simple template or message they can forward to their contacts
  • Incentivise it — offer a discount on their next invoice, a gift card, or a cash referral fee for every successful referral
  • Follow up — most clients intend to refer but forget. A gentle quarterly reminder keeps referrals flowing
  • Thank people publicly — acknowledge referrals on social media (with permission) to encourage others

A well-run referral programme can generate 20–40% of a small business’s new client revenue at near-zero marketing cost.

5. Use Social Media the Right Way on a Small Budget

Strategy 5

Stop trying to be everywhere — pick one platform and dominate it

The biggest social media mistake small businesses make is spreading themselves across every platform and posting inconsistently on all of them. This produces weak results everywhere. Instead, pick the one platform where your ideal clients spend time and go all in on it.

Which platform to choose:

  • LinkedIn — best for B2B, professional services, agencies, SaaS
  • Facebook — best for local services, home services, consumer businesses
  • Instagram — best for visual businesses, food, fashion, interiors, fitness
  • YouTube — best for education, how-to content, any business with complex products or services

Small budget social media strategy that works:

  • Post 3–4 times per week on your chosen platform
  • Mix content types — educational posts, client results, behind-the-scenes, personal story
  • Engage genuinely — reply to every comment, comment on other posts in your niche
  • Use $5–$10/day to boost your best performing organic posts to your target audience
  • Every post should have one clear call to action

6. Build an Email List — The Cheapest Long-Term Lead Source

Strategy 6

Email marketing has a $42 return for every $1 spent — the highest ROI of any channel

An email list is an asset you own. Unlike social media followers (which a platform can take away overnight) or Google rankings (which can change with an algorithm update) — your email list belongs to you forever.

How to build and use an email list on a tiny budget:

  • Use a free email tool — Mailchimp is free up to 500 subscribers, MailerLite free up to 1,000
  • Create a free lead magnet — a checklist, guide, or template that your ideal client would want. Offer it in exchange for their email address
  • Add a signup form to your website — in the header, at the end of blog posts, and as an exit popup
  • Email your list weekly — share one useful tip, a recent blog post, or a client success story
  • Include one CTA in every email — book a call, read the latest post, or claim a current offer

Even a list of 200 engaged subscribers can generate consistent monthly leads — completely free to maintain.

7. Strategic Partnerships — Leverage Other People’s Audiences

Strategy 7

Partner with businesses that serve the same clients as you — but don’t compete

Strategic partnerships let you access a warm, trusting audience that took someone else years to build — without spending a penny on advertising. Find businesses that serve your ideal clients but offer different services, and build a mutual referral relationship.

Examples of smart partnerships:

  • Google Ads agency + web design agency — different services, same client type
  • Accountant + business coach — same audience, complementary services
  • Plumber + estate agent — both serve homeowners
  • Wedding photographer + wedding venue — same occasion, different service

How to approach potential partners:

  • Identify 10 businesses in your area that serve your ideal client
  • Reach out with a specific, mutual value proposition — “I’ll refer my clients who need X to you if you refer your clients who need Y to me”
  • Start with one strong partnership and build from there

How to Prioritise When Budget is Tight

You can’t do everything at once. Here’s the order we recommend for businesses with a limited marketing budget:

Priority Order

Start here — in this exact order

  1. Google Business Profile — free, immediate impact for local businesses. Do this today.
  2. Referral system — ask your existing clients for referrals. Costs nothing, closes at the highest rate.
  3. Blog content — start publishing one post per week. Free and compounds over time.
  4. Google Ads — once you have a converting landing page and conversion tracking set up. Start with $300–$500/month minimum.
  5. Email list — build alongside your blog. Captures visitors who aren’t ready to buy yet.
  6. Social media — one platform, consistent posting, small boosting budget.
  7. Partnerships — build 2–3 strong referral partnerships in your local area.
The honest truth about small budget marketing: There is no magic channel that generates leads overnight for free. Every effective strategy requires either time or money — usually both. But the businesses that commit to doing the basics brilliantly and consistently will always outperform those chasing shortcuts. Start with Google Business Profile and referrals today. Add Google Ads when you have $500/month. Build your blog consistently. In 12 months you’ll have a lead generation machine that works 24/7.

Ready to Generate More Leads Without Wasting Budget?

Book a free strategy call with Zexers. We’ll review your current situation, identify the highest-ROI marketing activities for your specific business, and give you a clear action plan that fits your budget — no fluff, no obligation.

Book My Free Strategy Call

Free call. No commitment. Response within 1 business day.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the minimum budget needed to run Google Ads effectively? ⌄
For most service businesses, $300–$500/month is the minimum to generate consistent leads with Google Ads — but only if the campaign is set up correctly with tight keyword targeting, a dedicated landing page, and conversion tracking. Below $300/month you typically won’t get enough clicks to generate meaningful data or consistent results.
How long does it take to generate leads from blogging? ⌄
Blogging typically takes 3–6 months to start generating meaningful organic traffic. However some posts targeting low-competition local keywords can rank within 4–8 weeks. The key is publishing consistently — one quality post per week — and targeting specific, answerable questions your ideal clients are searching for.
Which is better for a small budget — Google Ads or social media ads? ⌄
For most service businesses, Google Ads delivers higher quality leads on a small budget because it targets people actively searching for your service right now. Social media ads build awareness but require significantly more budget to generate the same lead volume. Start with Google Ads for lead generation, use social media organically first, and add paid social only when you have budget to spare.
Can I generate leads with no marketing budget at all? ⌄
Yes — through organic channels that cost time rather than money. Google Business Profile optimisation, blog content, referral programmes, social media engagement, and strategic partnerships all require zero financial investment. They take longer to show results than paid channels but build sustainable lead generation assets that compound over time.
How do I know which marketing channel is working for my business? ⌄
Ask every new lead “how did you hear about us?” and record the answer. Set up Google Analytics to track where your website traffic comes from. Use Google Ads conversion tracking to measure which clicks turn into leads. Even simple tracking like a spreadsheet with lead sources tells you where to invest more and what to cut. You can’t optimise what you don’t measure.
Z
Zexers Performance Team

Performance marketing agency specializing in Google Ads, SEO, and lead generation. We’ve helped businesses at every budget level build consistent, measurable lead generation systems that grow with them.

7 Google Ads Updates Every Business Must Act On This July (August 17 Deadline)

Aug 17Google bidding change deadline — action required
19%more conversions with Smart Bidding Exploration
Jul 6Bid Target Adjustment Tool rolling out now
Feb 27Standalone call ads stop serving entirely
In this article
  1. ⚠️ August 17 Deadline — Google Bidding Change You Must Act On
  2. New Bid Target Adjustment Tool Rolling Out July 6
  3. Smart Bidding Exploration — 19% More Conversions
  4. New Promotion Mode for Peak Periods
  5. 4 Attribution Models Being Removed Mid-July
  6. Call Ads Being Retired — What to Do Now
  7. Ask Advisor — Google’s New Unified AI Agent
  8. What Every Business Should Do Right Now
  9. Frequently Asked Questions

July 2026 is shaping up to be one of the busiest months for Google Ads changes in recent memory. There are two hard deadlines coming up — one in mid-July and one on August 17 — that require action from every business running Google Ads. On top of that, Google has rolled out several powerful new features that can meaningfully improve your campaign performance if you use them correctly.

Here’s everything you need to know — with clear action steps for each update.

⚠️ Urgent: The August 17 bidding change is the most important update in this article. If you have budget-limited campaigns running on Target CPA or Target ROAS, this change could quietly increase your costs from August 17. Read Section 1 first and act before the deadline.

1. ⚠️ August 17 Deadline — Google Bidding Change You Must Act On

This is the most urgent update this month. From August 17, 2026, Google is changing how Smart Bidding works for budget-limited campaigns — and it could quietly raise costs on your best-performing campaigns if you don’t act before the deadline.

What’s Changing

Budget-limited campaigns will be pulled back toward their Target CPA or ROAS

Here’s the situation many advertisers have been benefiting from without realising it:

You set a Target CPA of $50. But because your campaign is limited by budget, Google has actually been delivering leads at $30 — significantly better than your target. This happens because budget constraints force Google to be more selective about which auctions to enter.

From August 17, Google is closing this gap. Budget-limited campaigns will be pulled back toward their stated targets — meaning if your target is $50, Google will stop delivering at $30 and move toward $50 instead. For many advertisers this means costs going up without any change in budget.

What to do before August 17:

  1. Go to your Google Ads account and identify every campaign marked “Limited by budget”
  2. For each limited campaign, check your actual CPA or ROAS vs your target — is there a gap?
  3. If your actual performance is better than your target, lower your target to match your actual performance before August 17 to lock in the better results
  4. Alternatively, increase your budget so the campaign is no longer budget-limited
  5. Use the new Bid Target Adjustment Tool (rolling out July 6) to make this process faster
Example: Your campaign targets $50 CPA but is actually delivering at $30. Before August 17, lower your Target CPA to $30. This locks in the better performance and prevents Google from drifting costs upward after the change. Don’t leave this until the last minute.

2. New Bid Target Adjustment Tool Rolling Out July 6

Google is rolling out a Bid Target Adjustment Tool starting July 6 — which is this week. You’ll receive a notification in your Google Ads account when it becomes available.

New Tool

What the Bid Target Adjustment Tool does

This tool is designed specifically to help advertisers prepare for the August 17 bidding change. It shows you:

  • Each campaign’s historical actual CPA or ROAS performance
  • The gap between your stated target and your actual performance
  • Recommended target adjustments based on your history
  • A one-click way to apply the updated targets across multiple campaigns

This makes the August 17 preparation significantly faster — instead of manually checking each campaign, you can review and update all targets in one place.

What to do: When you receive the notification in your account, open the tool immediately. Review every campaign flagged and apply the recommended target adjustments before August 17.

3. Smart Bidding Exploration — 19% More Conversions

Alongside the bidding changes, Google has launched Smart Bidding Exploration — a new feature that lets your campaigns chase conversions from search queries they are not currently reaching.

New Feature

Find new profitable demand without losing control of your targets

Smart Bidding Exploration works by allowing you to set a ROAS tolerance — a range within which Google can explore new query categories that your campaigns haven’t been winning before. Rather than only bidding on queries you already know convert, it intelligently tests new territory within your defined risk tolerance.

The results so far are significant:

  • Campaigns using Smart Bidding Exploration see an 18% lift in unique converting query categories
  • Average of 19% more conversions compared to campaigns not using it
  • Already live in all Performance Max campaigns without product feeds globally
  • Beta rolling out to Shopping and feed-based Performance Max campaigns

What to do: If you run Performance Max campaigns, check if Smart Bidding Exploration is available in your account. Enable it with a conservative ROAS tolerance first — test for 30 days, then adjust based on the quality of new conversions coming in.

Important caveat: Smart Bidding Exploration works best when your conversion tracking is accurate and your landing pages convert well. If you have tracking issues or a weak landing page, enabling exploration will find new traffic — but it won’t convert and you’ll waste budget. Fix those foundations first.

4. New Promotion Mode for Peak Periods

New Feature

Temporarily boost performance during sales, launches, and peak periods

Google has launched Promotion Mode — a new feature that lets you temporarily loosen your ROAS tolerance and increase budget for a defined period, then automatically return to normal settings afterwards. It’s currently in beta for Search and Performance Max campaigns.

This is particularly useful for:

  • Product launches or service promotions
  • Seasonal peaks — Black Friday, Christmas, end of financial year
  • Limited-time offers where you want to maximise reach for a short window
  • Flash sales or time-sensitive campaigns

What to do: If you run seasonal promotions, add Promotion Mode to your toolkit. Set it up before your next peak period rather than scrambling to adjust settings manually in the middle of a promotion.

5. 4 Attribution Models Being Removed Mid-July

This one has a mid-July deadline and affects how Google measures which of your ads are driving conversions.

Action Required

First click, linear, time decay, and position-based attribution are being removed

Starting mid-July 2026, Google is removing the ability to select these four attribution models for conversions in Google Ads:

  • First click — credits the first ad click in the journey
  • Linear — splits credit equally across all touchpoints
  • Time decay — gives more credit to clicks closer to the conversion
  • Position-based — gives 40% credit each to first and last click, 20% to the middle

Going forward, only two attribution models will be available: Data-driven attribution (the default and recommended option) and Last click.

What to do:

  • Go to Google Ads → Tools → Conversions
  • Check which attribution model each of your conversion actions is using
  • If any are set to the four models being removed, switch them to Data-driven attribution before mid-July
  • Data-driven attribution is Google’s recommended model — it uses machine learning to assign credit based on actual conversion path data from your account

6. Call Ads Being Retired — What to Do Now

If you use standalone call ads to generate phone leads — this update directly affects you.

Deprecation

Standalone call ads stop serving entirely by February 2027

  • From February 2026 — no new standalone call ads can be created
  • Existing call ads continue running for now
  • From February 2027 — all standalone call ads stop serving entirely

The replacement: Add your phone number as a call asset to your existing Responsive Search Ads. This achieves the same result — your phone number appears directly in the ad — but within the more flexible RSA format that supports all other ad assets too.

What to do right now:

  • Check if you have any standalone call ad campaigns running
  • Create Responsive Search Ads for those campaigns if you haven’t already
  • Add a call asset with your phone number to those RSA campaigns
  • Don’t wait until February 2027 — the sooner you migrate, the more performance data your new RSAs can accumulate

7. Ask Advisor — Google’s New Unified AI Agent

Google has introduced Ask Advisor — a new unified AI agent built with Gemini that spans Google Ads, Google Analytics, Merchant Center, and Google Marketing Platform in one interface.

New Tool

Your always-on AI strategic partner across all Google marketing tools

Think of Ask Advisor as a marketing assistant that can see across all your Google products simultaneously. You can ask it questions like:

  • “Why did my conversions drop last week?”
  • “Which campaigns are most efficient at driving revenue?”
  • “What should I do to improve my Performance Max results?”
  • “Show me which landing pages have the highest bounce rate from paid traffic”

Rather than switching between Google Ads, Analytics, and Merchant Center separately, Ask Advisor connects the dots across all of them and gives you a unified answer in plain language.

Our take: This is genuinely useful for saving time on cross-platform analysis. The quality of its answers depends entirely on the quality of your tracking and data setup. If your conversion tracking is broken or your Analytics is misconfigured, Ask Advisor will give you confident-sounding but misleading answers. As always — fix your data foundations first.

What Every Business Should Do Right Now

Action Plan

Your July 2026 Google Ads checklist — in order of urgency

  1. TODAY — Check budget-limited campaigns
    Identify every campaign marked “Limited by budget.” Check actual CPA/ROAS vs target. If actual is better than target, lower your target now — before the August 17 change raises your costs.
  2. JULY 6 — Use the Bid Target Adjustment Tool
    When you get the notification in Google Ads, open the tool and apply recommended target adjustments across all affected campaigns.
  3. MID-JULY — Update attribution models
    Switch any conversion actions using first click, linear, time decay, or position-based attribution to data-driven attribution before Google removes them.
  4. THIS MONTH — Test Smart Bidding Exploration
    If you run Performance Max, enable Smart Bidding Exploration with a conservative ROAS tolerance. Monitor for 30 days.
  5. THIS MONTH — Migrate call ads
    If you run standalone call ads, create RSA equivalents with call assets now. Don’t wait until February 2027.
  6. ONGOING — Try Ask Advisor
    Start using Ask Advisor for cross-platform reporting questions. It saves significant time on analysis if your data is clean.
The common thread in all these updates: Google is automating more and giving advertisers less manual control — but only advertisers with clean conversion tracking, strong landing pages, and clear campaign goals benefit from this automation. If your foundations are weak, more automation just makes problems happen faster. Fix your foundations first — then let Google’s AI work for you.

Not Sure If Your Campaigns Are Ready for These Changes?

Book a free strategy call with Zexers. We’ll audit your Google Ads account, check your budget-limited campaigns before the August 17 deadline, update your attribution models, and make sure you’re set up to benefit from the new features — not hurt by them.

Book My Free Google Ads Audit

Free audit. No commitment. Response within 1 business day.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happens if I don’t act before the August 17 bidding deadline? ⌄
If you have budget-limited campaigns delivering better performance than their stated targets, those campaigns will drift toward their targets after August 17. This means your cost per lead or cost per acquisition could increase without any change in your budget. The fix is simple — lower your targets to match your actual performance before August 17. Use the Bid Target Adjustment Tool rolling out July 6 to do this efficiently.
What is data-driven attribution and why is Google switching to it? ⌄
Data-driven attribution uses machine learning to analyse the actual paths customers take before converting and assigns credit to each touchpoint based on its real contribution to the conversion. Google is switching to it because it’s more accurate than rule-based models like first click or linear attribution, and it feeds better signals to Smart Bidding algorithms. The more accurate your attribution, the better Google’s AI can optimise your campaigns.
Should I enable Smart Bidding Exploration on all my campaigns? ⌄
Start with one Performance Max campaign that already has strong conversion data and a well-converting landing page. Set a conservative ROAS tolerance, run for 30 days, and review the quality of new conversions. If results are good, expand to other campaigns. Don’t enable it on campaigns with tracking issues or poor landing pages — it will find traffic but won’t convert it.
I run call ads for my business — do I need to do anything urgently? ⌄
Not urgently — existing call ads continue running until February 2027. But we recommend migrating now rather than later. Create Responsive Search Ads for those campaigns and add your phone number as a call asset. The sooner you switch, the more performance data your new RSAs will accumulate, which helps Google’s AI optimise them better over time.
How is Ask Advisor different from Gemini already in Google Ads? ⌄
Gemini inside Google Ads focuses on campaign-level insights and reporting within Google Ads specifically. Ask Advisor is broader — it connects Google Ads, Google Analytics, Merchant Center, and Google Marketing Platform in one unified interface. You can ask questions that span multiple platforms and get a single connected answer rather than having to check each platform separately.
Z
Zexers Performance Team

Performance marketing agency specializing in Google Ads, SEO, and lead generation. We monitor every Google Ads update so our clients never get caught out by deadline changes or miss new features that could improve their results.