Paid search, explained plainly
Paid search is the set of text ads above and below the regular listings on Google and Bing. You pay when someone clicks. Looking after it means keeping several parts in order:
- Keywords and match types, which decide the searches you can appear for.
- Negative keywords, which keep you out of searches that do not fit.
- Ads and assets: the headlines, descriptions, sitelinks and callouts people see.
- Bidding and budgets, which govern what you spend and how the platform bids.
- Conversion actions, the form fills or other events you count as a lead.
The auction belongs to Google or Microsoft. These settings shape what you enter it with and how you count what comes back.
A typical week in a managed search account
Early in the week, the manager opens the search terms report and reads what people actually typed. Irrelevant matches become negative keywords. Good terms that are not yet keywords get added, usually as phrase or exact match.
Midweek is for checking. Is each campaign spending roughly what was planned? Did conversions record yesterday, and does the count line up with the form submissions you received? Has Google pushed any new recommendations that would change settings if accepted?
Later in the week, ad copy gets attention. Assets marked as low performing are swapped out, and a new headline or description may go into a test. Bid strategy targets move only when there is enough data to justify it.
Each change goes into a log you can read.
What you hand over at the start
- Access to your Google Ads account, and Microsoft Advertising if you use it, through a manager account link or a user invite.
- Access to Google Tag Manager and GA4, or to whoever manages your website.
- A list of the services you want to advertise, with any you want left out.
- The areas you serve, if you do not cover the whole country.
- A monthly ad budget you are comfortable with.
- What counts as a lead for you: a form fill, a booked meeting, something else.
- Words and claims you want avoided, and any competitor names not to bid on.
- A contact who can answer questions and approve ad copy.
If you have no account yet, create it yourself under your company email so it belongs to you from day one.
Questions about search ads management
What are negative keywords?
Negative keywords stop your ads showing for searches you do not want, such as job searches, training courses or services you do not offer. They are added from the search terms report, which lists the real queries behind your clicks. Most managed accounts add to the negative list every week.
What counts as a conversion?
Whatever you decide is a lead, set up as a conversion action in Google Ads. For most B2B sites that is a completed quote form. Smaller actions such as page views can be recorded but should not be marked primary, because automated bidding learns from primary conversions.
Does sending the form commit me to anything?
No. Your request is passed to a service partner who does the work. They will ask about your accounts, services and budget, then agree scope and quote you directly. Nothing is agreed until you accept their terms. See how it works for the steps.
You keep the accounts and the data. Ask a service partner to quote the hands-on work.
Ask for a quoteOther services
Paid social setup
Pixel, Conversions API, audiences, first creative set and lead forms built and tested before any budget goes live.
Forms that connect
Form submissions routed to the right inbox or CRM pipeline, tagged by source, with a clear thank-you page.
Tracking and CRM
Measurement and lead handling set up around the tools you already use, with access kept in your name.