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Googling Yourself to Check Your Ads Can Cost You Money

Last Updated: August 19, 2025

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We get it. You’re spending money on Google Ads, and you want to make sure your ads are actually showing. So you type your keywords into Google, scroll through the results, and look for your listing. Maybe you do it once. Maybe you do it ten times a day. It feels like quality control… but it might be doing more harm than good.

Before we get into why, let’s cover how Google Ads actually works behind the scenes.

How Google Decides What You Pay (and When You Show)

When you run a Google Ads campaign, your ad enters into an auction every time someone searches for a keyword you’re targeting. Whether your ad shows up—and how much you pay for a click—is based on a few key factors. Here’s the simplified version:

1. Quality Score

When your ad is new, Google gives it a default Quality Score based on the average performance of that keyword across the platform. From there, your individual score adjusts based on your own ad’s performance.

2. Your Ad’s Performance Over Time

Google watches what happens when people see your ad:

  • Do they click it?
  • Do they click and stay on your site?
  • Do they bounce back to Google right away?

Google wants to show ads that are useful. If your ad gets ignored (or if people leave your site quickly) Google assumes it’s not a good match for that keyword. That hurts your Quality Score, which directly affects how often your ad shows and how much you pay per click.

3. Ad Rank = Bid × Quality Score

Google uses this formula to determine your ad’s position:
Ad Rank = Your bid × Your Quality Score

This is where it gets important: the top spots on the search results page are super competitive. A small change in your Quality Score (or even a slight drop in your click-through rate (CTR) ) can knock you from position 1 to position 7, for example.

In local markets, the difference between those positions often comes down to fractions. So when you accidentally damage your CTR by obsessively searching and not clicking, you might tank your ranking… even though your ad and website are solid.

Big Budgets vs. Small Budgets

If you’re running a massive campaign with tens of thousands of impressions a day, your habit of Googling yourself probably won’t move the needle. Even if you search ten times a day, that’s only 300 impressions a month. If your campaign gets 400,000 impressions per month, that’s barely a fraction of a percent.

But here’s the catch: most local businesses aren’t running big-budget campaigns. More often than not, you’re working with something like a $20/day budget (about $600/mo.) With a cost-per-click (CPC) between $5 and $10, that budget typically gives you about 2 to 4 clicks per day.

Using a rough rule of thumb that it takes about 50 impressions to earn a click, a small campaign with a $20/day budget is probably generating 2 to 4 clicks per day. That works out to around 100 to 200 impressions per day, or 3,000 to 6,000 impressions per month, depending on your cost-per-click.

That’s not a lot. And if you’re Googling yourself hundreds of times a month? Yeah, now you’re skewing the numbers in a way that actually matters.

Real-World Example: Curiosity Got Expensive

We had a client in the environmental cleanup industry who fell into this exact trap. He wanted to make sure his ad was showing at all hours, so he obsessively searched for his keywords—sometimes dozens of times a day. Within just a few weeks, his cost-per-click went from about $12 to over $25.

What happened?

To Google, it looked like people were seeing the ad and choosing not to click. But in reality, it was just the client refreshing search results over and over. All those extra impressions, with no clicks, caused his CTR to drop. That led to a lower Quality Score, which directly affected his CPC—and not in a good way.

So not only did he waste a lot of time, but he also doubled his ad costs and potentially dropped his ranking—just from trying to keep tabs on his own campaign.

What Impacts Your Ad’s Performance?

If you’re wondering what really affects how your ad performs (and how much it costs), here’s a quick breakdown:

Key Factors That Influence Ad Relevance and CPC:

  1. Click-Through Rate (CTR)
    The ratio of people who see your ad and actually click. A low CTR is a red flag to Google.
  2. Ad Relevance
    How closely your ad matches what the searcher was looking for.
  3. Landing Page Experience
    Is your website fast, helpful, and relevant to what your ad promised?
  4. Quality Score
    Google’s 1–10 rating of your ad based on CTR, relevance, and landing page quality.
  5. Bid Amount
    How much you’re willing to pay per click. But remember, money alone won’t win if your Quality Score is low.
  6. Competition Level
    Some industries have higher CPCs simply because more advertisers are fighting for the same terms.
  7. User Behavior Signals
    Google looks at things like time on site, bounce rate, and whether the searcher comes back afterward.
  8. Device and Location Targeting
    Who you’re targeting and where they’re searching from can affect your results and your cost.

A Smarter Way to Stay Informed

The good news? You don’t need to manually search to know your ad is showing. Google gives you real tools for this, like the Ad Preview and Diagnosis Tool. If you’re working with a marketing agency, you should also have access to reports that show impressions, clicks, CPC, and more.

At Prospect Genius, for example, we offer 24/7 access to your ad data through an online portal. You can see exactly how your campaign is performing, without accidentally wrecking it.

The Takeaway

Googling your own ads might feel like you’re keeping tabs on your campaign, but it’s a risky habit—especially for smaller budgets. You can hurt your performance, damage your rankings, and drive up your costs without even realizing it.

Instead, use the tools and reports available to you. Trust the data. And if you have questions, your marketing partner should be happy to walk you through it.

After all, Google Ads is an investment—and a little discipline goes a long way toward making sure that investment pays off.

Google Ads Self-Search FAQs


Yes. Repeatedly Googling your keywords without clicking your ad lowers the campaign’s click-through rate (CTR). This signals to Google that the ad is not relevant, reducing its Quality Score and potentially increasing your cost-per-click (CPC).


If your cost-per-click (CPC) is rising, it may be due to a drop in your ad’s Quality Score. This often happens when ads receive a high number of impressions but few clicks, which can occur if you or others search for your ads without clicking them.


CTR (click-through rate) is a major factor in your ad’s Quality Score. A lower CTR tells Google that searchers find your ad less relevant, which can reduce your Ad Rank and visibility, and raise your CPC.


The safest way to check your Google Ads is by using the Google Ad Preview and Diagnosis Tool. It allows you to view your ads under specific search conditions without affecting CTR, impressions, or campaign performance.


If you frequently view your ad without clicking it, Google interprets this as a low relevance signal. This lowers your click-through rate (CTR), which then decreases your Quality Score, hurting your ad performance and increasing costs.


To safely monitor your Google Ads, use tools like the Google Ad Preview Tool or access reporting dashboards from your marketing provider. Prospect Genius offers 24/7 online access to real-time campaign data without harming performance.

The 4 Numbers That Keep You from Getting Burned on Google Ads

Last Updated: July 3, 2025

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If you’ve ever gotten a PPC report that looks like a NASA flight log, you’re not alone.

Many agencies bury you in pages of charts and graphs, hoping your eyes glaze over so you won’t question where your money’s actually going. It’s not that the data is fake, but it’s often used as a smokescreen. And frankly, most of it doesn’t matter.

There are only a few numbers that truly tell the story of whether your campaign is working. If those 3 or 4 metrics look healthy, you’re probably in good shape. If they’re off, then it’s time to dig deeper. But you don’t need to live in spreadsheets to stay on top of your ads.

Here’s what you really need to watch:

1. Call Tracking: The Number That Matters Most

If you’re a service business, calls are your lifeblood. Not traffic. Not clicks. Calls.

That’s why call tracking is non-negotiable. You need to know exactly how many phone calls came from your ads, not just from your website in general.

We use a tool called CallTrax, which assigns a unique phone number to your ad campaign so we can count only the PPC calls. We pair that with PhoneSwap, which dynamically replaces the phone number on your website for visitors who came from your ads. That gets us roughly 90% accuracy on how many calls your ads are really generating.

If your agency isn’t using tools like these, or can’t clearly show you call data, you’ve got a problem.

Bottom line:
If call volume isn’t increasing:

  1. You may be targeting the wrong audience
  2. Your landing page may not be converting visitors
  3. Your tracking may be missing or set up incorrectly

Action Item:

Even if your current vendor doesn’t offer these tools, you can always layer them on separately. Reach out to us, or find another provider of phone numbers to help you get a line dedicated to your campaign.

2. Traffic Volume: A Helpful Clue, Not the Final Verdict

Watching your site traffic can help you understand whether your ads are getting seen and clicked, but traffic by itself doesn’t mean much. What matters is whether that traffic turns into actual leads.

More visitors are only helpful if more people are calling you.

Bottom line:
If traffic is up but the phone isn’t ringing:

  1. You may be attracting unqualified or irrelevant traffic
  2. Your landing page might not be persuasive or clear
  3. You could be targeting the wrong geographic area or search intent

Action Item:

Look at your Google Analytics or whichever other analytics tool you use. See what the numbers were before and after the campaign started to see what your gross numbers look like. if there’s no change, you have a problem.

 

3. CTR (Click-Through Rate): A Glance at Ad Appeal

CTR tells you how often people click on your ad after seeing it. A high CTR usually means your ad is interesting or relevant, but that doesn’t guarantee it’s bringing in the right people.

It’s common to see high CTR with low call volume. If that’s happening, it usually means:

  1. You’re targeting the wrong keywords or audience
  2. Your landing page isn’t convincing people to take action

Bottom line:
If your CTR is high but you’re not getting leads:

  1. Reevaluate your keyword and targeting strategy
  2. Look closely at your landing page, does it clearly say what you do and how to contact you?
  3. Check for any disconnect between what your ad promises and what your page delivers

Action Item:

Do a couple searches (or ask your favorite AI) to determine what an average CTR is for your industry and location. As a very rough estimate, anything under 1% is a total bust. If you’re over 3% you’re doing well. If you’re over 5%, you should probably invest more into that campaign because you’re hitting a home run.

 

4. CPC (Cost Per Click): How Efficient Is Your Budget?

CPC tells you how much you’re paying every time someone clicks your ad. A higher CPC doesn’t always mean something’s broken, but it often points to inefficiencies.

One of the biggest mistakes we see? Running ads to a page that hasn’t been SEO-optimized. If your landing page doesn’t have strong, relevant content, Google makes you bid higher to compete. That means you’ll burn through your budget faster just to keep up.

You don’t need to guess what’s normal, just do a quick search (or ask ChatGPT or Grok) for average CPC in your industry and region. If you’re way above the norm, it’s time to troubleshoot.

Bottom line:
If your CPC is high:

  1. Your landing page may not match your ads well (low relevance)
  2. Your Quality Score may be poor due to weak SEO or bad structure
  3. You may be in an ultra-competitive market, and need to budget accordingly, but still optimize where possible

Action Item:

Do some searches (or ask your favorite AI) to determine an average CPC for your industry and location. This is going to range wildly, but numbers between $5 and $15 per click are common for home-services industries. You can still get numbers below $1/click for longer-tail searches (more-specific terms).

 

Bonus: Watch How Your Budget Is Managed

Here’s a problem most business owners don’t know about:
Many agencies charge you one flat monthly fee, and don’t tell you how much goes to Google vs. how much they keep.

You might think you’re spending $1,000/month on ads. But is that:

  • $800 to Google and $200 to the agency? (Reasonable.)
  • Or $200 to Google and $800 to the agency? (Yikes.)

And here’s the kicker: this setup creates an incentive for the agency to quietly keep more of your money over time, until you notice and complain. Then they back off just enough to keep you quiet. Not every agency does this, but the temptation is always there.

That’s why we bill differently.
We charge our fee directly, and Google charges you directly. You’ll see two separate charges, one from us and one from Google, so you know exactly where every dollar is going.

Bottom line:
If you’re not sure how your budget is split:

  1. Ask for a clear breakdown of spend vs. fees
  2. Request access to your Google Ads account so you can see charges directly
  3. Make sure you’re not being overcharged while your actual ad spend quietly shrinks

Action Item:

Look at your contract (or just ask your current vendor directly) to see how your budget is being split up. It’s pretty standard for 20-25% of your total spend to be allocated toward a management fee. If you’re over 30%, you’re very likely being ripped off. If it’s way under, you should question if you’re getting quality service. Remember, you get what you pay for.

 

Final Word: These 4 Metrics Will Keep You on Track

You don’t need to know everything about digital marketing, but you do need to watch these four things:

  1. Call Tracking: Are calls increasing from your PPC efforts?
  2. Traffic Volume: Is relevant traffic coming to your site?
  3. CTR: Are your ads getting attention?
  4. CPC: Are you paying a fair amount per click?

No single number tells the whole story, but when you look at them together, you can quickly spot when something’s working… or when something’s way off.

And if an agency can’t explain these numbers in plain English? It might be time to find one that can.

Google Ads Performance Metrics FAQs


Call tracking in Google Ads involves assigning unique phone numbers to your ad campaigns to accurately measure the number of calls generated by your ads, ensuring precise tracking and reporting.


While traffic volume indicates the number of visitors to your site, it doesn’t measure the quality of those visitors. Monitoring conversion metrics is essential to assess the effectiveness of your ads.


A high CTR indicates that your ad is appealing and relevant to users. However, it’s crucial to ensure that this translates into actual conversions and leads.


To assess if your CPC is reasonable, compare it against industry benchmarks and evaluate the return on investment (ROI) from the traffic generated by your ads.


Tools like CallTrax and PhoneSwap can assist in call tracking by assigning unique phone numbers to your campaigns and dynamically replacing phone numbers on your website for visitors coming from your ads.


To enhance your landing page, ensure it is clear, persuasive, and aligns with the intent of your ad. A well-designed landing page can significantly improve conversion rates.

How to Undercut Google’s Pay-to-Play Model and Advertise on a Budget

Last Updated: October 26, 2020

It’s genuinely depressing to think about the totality of words we’ve wasted whining about Google’s pay-to-play model.

Not because we regret the time spent educating our readers, but because we wish this weren’t the reality of digital marketing in 2020. Especially during a crippling pandemic.

And we know this situation is just as depressing for all of the small, local service providers out there who feel like they don’t have a fighting chance.

But we’re done with despair. It won’t do anything to combat Google’s nefarious greed.

That’s why, today, we’re showing all you small business owners how to fight back.

In this blog post, we’ve compiled some of our best tips to market yourself online without handing all of your hard-earned money to Google’s coffers.

READ MORE: How Google’s Greed Is Slashing Your Website Traffic

Use Social Media Ads

Whether it’s Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Yelp, or Twitter, your audience’s favorite social platform is the perfect place to advertise your business.

In fact, designing a quick ad and paying for clicks or impressions on one of these platforms will be much cheaper and potentially more cost-effective than Google Ads in terms of ROI. Just a small investment in time and money could pay off big.

After all, the endless social media scroll is how most people are exercising their thumbs these days. Might as well take advantage of it!

Use Word of Mouth

We know, we know: Nobody likes talking in person anymore!

Thing is, that’s not entirely true. Sure, people consistently prefer texting over calling on the phone, but that doesn’t mean everything takes place virtually. People talk!

Especially people who are close friends and family. In casual conversation, they’re likely to recommend contractors and service providers whom they had a good experience with. So, there’s no harm in giving your customers a little nudge to spread the word!

However, there is such a thing as virtual word-of-mouth, too. For example, you can use platforms like Facebook, LinkedIn, and NextDoor to join local groups, stay up to date on community events, and even network with other small business owners.

There are so many ways to get your name out there organically. Think outside the box!

Use Offline Materials

This might sound odd coming from a digital marketing team in 2020, but we’re big proponents of including offline materials in your overall marketing strategy. Such materials include:

  • Flyers
  • Brochures
  • Business cards
  • Direct mail
  • Branded calendars, pens, coasters, tote bags, etc.

With memorable marketing materials, unique branding (including logos and signage), personal referrals, and face-to-face networking in your community, you can supplement your online efforts and really stamp out a place for your business on the local scene.

Keep Fighting!

It’s easy to feel discouraged when you realize how much the Google game is rigged–but, frankly, that’s not productive. Instead, stay in the ring and keep swinging. There are so many other avenues you can take to market yourself that don’t involve draining your bank account straight into Google’s gullet.

And if you need any assistance with creating a Facebook ad or designing a business logo, don’t hesitate to contact us! There’s nothing Prospect Genius loves more than helping small businesses stick it to the big guy.

How Google’s Greed Is Slashing Your Website Traffic

Last Updated: February 15, 2024

Google’s new slogan should be, “Helping Goliath pummel David.”

If you’ve been following this blog for a while, then you already know how we feel about Google and their reckless behavior towards the little guy. But for newcomers, here’s a quick recap:

Google’s motivation will always be to maximize profits for themselves. This runs in direct opposition to the best interests of small businesses that can’t spend a fortune advertising themselves online.

And it’s getting worse.

Now, with Google’s Local Services ads, in addition to Google Ads (formerly AdWords), Google is siphoning limited SERP (search engine results page) space and handing that space to their own paid platforms. The consequence of this action is that Google is slashing available organic traffic for everyone else, particularly small businesses that can’t afford a big ad budget. 

At this point, the notion that Google’s local search platform is pay-to-play is no longer up for debate.

In this blog post, we’re going to look at how the bloated presence of paid ads on Google’s SERPs are hurting small businesses’ web presence in real, tangible ways. We’re also going to tell you what you can do to protect yourself. Keep reading!

Paid Ads Are Taking Over

In the 30-or-so major U.S. cities where the Local Services platform has rolled out, small businesses are seeing a substantial decrease in website traffic.

Why? Because now, when someone searches for a local service provider in their city, like a plumber or electrician, they’re confronted with several paid ads right away. They have to scroll multiple times before even getting to the first organic website listing. This puts all organic listings at a major disadvantage.

Just take a look at this local SERP for “appliance repair service.” This is how much Google-sponsored content users see before they even get to the first organic listing!

Local SERP With Sponsored Content

More info: “How to Minimize Your Damage From Google’s New Platform”

In fact, a 2018 Bright Local study shows that the presence of Local Services ads has a significant, negative effect on other SERP listings:

  • Local Services ads receive 13.8% of all local SERP clicks
  • At the same time, 25% of all local SERP clicks are on paid ads in general (including Google Ads) when Local Services ads are present.

In other words, websites are missing out on a full quarter of their potential traffic due to the presence of paid ads. This is doing tremendous damage to website traffic for local service providers.

And here’s the thing: It’s not an accident that Google’s paid services are taking up so much space and hogging so much traffic. That’s by design. Again, Google’s interests conflict with yours: Their goal is to line their pockets through paid ads, which means they have to get the most clicks possible. Organic listings are, therefore, Google’s competition.

So, it’s no wonder that Google takes up the whole, top half of the SERP with paid ads. The more clicks those paid ads receive (and the fewer clicks organic listings receive), the more profit Google rakes in!

Plus, add to all of this the fact that Google is floating the idea of adding paid features to their Google My Business platform, and you’re looking at a steep price just to be visible online.

Play the Game but Protect Yourself

By now, it’s clear that Google’s pay-to-play model favors big businesses with big budgets. On local SERPs, the winner is whoever can afford to spend the most on paid ads. And if you’re a small service provider who can’t afford to dump money into advertising? The best Google can say is, “Good luck.” 

Your takeaway? Don’t trust Google to have your back.

Maybe it’s just us, but we don’t like the idea of putting the fate of our company into the hands of a giant corporation whose sole objective is to empty our pockets. 

And because of Google’s greed, organic traffic ain’t what it used to be. SEO is still crucial, but relying on SEO alone simply won’t cut it anymore. That’s why we advise our clients to diversify their advertising as a form of protection against the unstable nature of organic SEO.

To that end, we very begrudgingly admit that Google Ads is a necessary evil. It’s an unfortunate truth that Google owns the local search arena, so we all have to play by their rules. It pains us to say this, but as we demonstrated above, you need to set aside some money each month for a Google Ads PPC campaign if you want any degree of prominence or visibility on the local SERP.

Pro tip: Having a savvy marketing specialist manage your PPC campaign for you will help you keep costs down.

However, to only invest in Google Ads would be a mistake.

Again, diversifying your web presence is the goal here. That’s why we also recommend using paid ads on whatever social media platform(s) or directories your customers connect with most. For many businesses, this is Facebook, but Instagram and Yelp are also popular choices. And the good news is, most social media ads are substantially more budget-friendly than Google Ads.

Related: “How to Run a Holiday Facebook Ad That Drives Results”

In addition, we always remind our clients that old-school, real-world marketing is still effective, too! With memorable branding (including logos and signage), word-of-mouth, and face-to-face networking in your community, you can supplement your online efforts and really stamp out a place for your business on the local scene.

So, don’t get down about your diminished website traffic. There are still several ways to promote yourself online (and off) without blowing your budget. Even though your organic website traffic may drop, you can still get plenty of calls, leads, and booked revenue from other sources.

Keep fighting!

If You Don’t Promote Your Summertime Services Now, You’ll Hate Yourself Later

Last Updated: May 21, 2019

Now that summer is only a month away, let’s talk about how you want to promote your summertime services.

We need to start looking at what you can do right now to boost your bookings this summer. Especially since your competitors probably aren’t planning ahead—which gives you an edge.

This post will arm you with some strategy ideas to help you book better jobs this season. Let’s jump in!

How to Book Better Jobs Than Your Competitors This Summer

The truth is, most people don’t plan ahead. They won’t remember to update their website or social media to highlight their seasonal offerings. And they certainly won’t think to campaign for a specific service months in advance.

Thankfully, you’re smarter than most people.

If you start advertising now, you’ll beat your competitors to the punch this summer. You’ll also put yourself in a strong position to cherry-pick your favorite jobs and book up your calendar through Labor Day.

Which Services Should You Promote?

Getting started is simple. Just think about the one or two jobs you would love to do all summer long, and advertise the heck out of them.

For example, here’s what some savvy businesses are doing to prepare for the season:

Landscapers are targeting homeowners who want to get their backyards and patios ready for summer.

Cleaners and junk haulers are pushing to help people with their big clean-out projects.

Home builders and remodelers are getting in front of people who put off their construction projects until it’s nicer outside.

HVAC technicians are marketing central air tune-ups in preparation for hotter temperatures.

Tax attorneys are marketing to people who are now in a panic about filing late or who had an issue with their returns.

Paving contractors are targeting homeowners and business owners who need new asphalt installation or resurfacing now that the weather is more cooperative.

Appliance repair technicians are seeking RV owners who need to service their special-sized appliances before taking their campers out on the road.

Mobile audio installers are marketing to boat and RV owners who want to optimize their stereo systems before the season officially begins.

Plumbers on the East Coast are promoting sump pump installation and backflow prevention ahead of hurricane season.

Basement waterproofers are also getting ahead of hurricane season by pushing drainage systems, sump pumps, and waterproofing panels.

What Promotional Strategies Should You Use?

Once you’ve chosen the summertime service(s) you want to promote, here are the next steps:

Dedicated web page. Make sure you have a corresponding page on your website for each service you wish to promote. Not only will this provide more information to interested site visitors, but it will also improve your credibility in Google’s view.

Pay-per-click (PPC). Get out in front of your competitors by starting a Google AdWords campaign for your specific service. This way, you’ll show up whenever someone in your area searches for that type of work.

Facebook Ads. Start a Facebook ad campaign and pop up in your target audience’s news feed! You’ll stay top of mind for that service they’ve been thinking about but haven’t pulled the trigger on yet.

Social media. Make adjustments to your social media profiles to showcase your summertime services. This way, when a potential customer visits your site or page, they’ll see it right away. You should also create posts and photos about these services to further boost your reach.

So… do you have a specific service you want to prioritize this summer?

Then get to work ASAP.

Or, if you need some guidance, give us a call or shoot us a message now. We’ll get you set up with a powerful campaign to boost your bookings this summer.

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