You're Training Google Ads on the Wrong Calls

AI lied to me for over an hour. And honestly, it made me more optimistic about the future of Google Ads than I've been in a while.In this video I break down why the growing trust problem with AI is actually good news for Google Ads, why keywords still matter in 2026, and my exact match strategy for accounts that want to scale the right way.If you're running Google Ads for a service business or ecommerce store, this one's for you.Link to video I mentioned: https://youtu.be/fEzqSlbpaoU

If you want help fixing your conversion setup, you can enter the coaching call giveaway here:https://focusyourads.ca/giveawayGoogle Ads doesn’t optimize based on what you want. It optimizes based on the conversion goals and signals you allow into the system.If those signals are wrong, your campaign will optimize in the wrong direction — even if everything else looks correct.In this video, I explain exactly how conversion goals control optimization, including:• Primary vs Secondary conversions• Account-default goals vs campaign-specific goals• Standard goals vs Custom Goals• How to separate upper funnel and lower funnel campaigns properly• A clean, simple setup for search-based lead generation accountsThis is the system that determines what your campaign is actually optimizing toward. Once you understand it, you can stop accidentally training Google on the wrong signals.Subscribe for more Google Ads tutorials focused on real optimization and practical account management.

CallRail - 3rd Party Call Tracking (Affiliate link)https://partners.callrail.com/uwxvcsk5bgfk Are your Google Ads generating real customers, or just spam, price shoppers, and wrong numbers?If your dashboard looks great but your actual business doesn't reflect it, your call tracking is probably feeding Google the wrong signals. In this video, I break down the 4 types of Google Ads call tracking, what each one actually measures, and the exact layered system I use for service businesses to stop optimizing for junk calls and start training the algorithm on real revenue.

 Your Google Ads dashboard says everything is working. Leads are coming in, CPA looks solid, volume is up. But the business is telling a different story. In this podcast, I break down what's actually happening when an account "drifts" — where Google quietly shifts your budget toward cheap, low-intent traffic that converts on paper but never turns into real customers. I'll walk you through the exact scenario where I caught this happening, why it's so hard to spot, and the 3-step Drift Control System I use to detect it early, contain the damage, and retrain the account before it spirals. 

Ever opened your Google Ads dashboard and felt completely overwhelmed by all the numbers staring back at you? You're definitely not alone.Here's the thing: the biggest problem most advertisers face isn't a lack of data. It's that they're looking at the wrong data, or they're completely misinterpreting what they're seeing. And that leads to bad decisions, wasted budget, and a whole lot of frustration.In this episode, I walk through the Google Ads metrics that actually matter for your business—which ones are genuinely useful, which ones only matter in specific contexts, and which ones can quietly lead you in the completely wrong direction if you don't understand what they're really telling you.IN THIS EPISODE:Click-Through Rate (CTR) - Why this metric is excellent for testing ad copy but dangerous when used as a primary success metric. I'll show you exactly when high CTR is actually a warning sign.Cost Per Lead/Cost Per Acquisition - This is where things start to feel real, but it's also where most people stop. I explain why cost per lead is meaningless without understanding your closing rate and customer value, and why two businesses with the same CPL can have completely different outcomes.Return on Ad Spend (ROAS) - The king of metrics. I break down why ROAS changes everything, how to track conversion value properly, and why offline conversions are a game-changer for service businesses.Impression Share - The most underappreciated metric in Google Ads. This tells you whether you actually have room to scale or if you've already maxed out available demand. I also explain the critical difference between losing impression share due to budget vs. losing it due to rank.Supporting Metrics - Cost per click, Quality Score, conversion rate, and position metrics. These all matter, but only in context. I'll show you how to think about them properly.The Big Picture - How to stop reacting emotionally to individual metrics and start making confident, deliberate decisions by understanding how metrics work together in groups.WHO THIS EPISODE IS FOR:Business owners running their own Google AdsMarketers managing PPC campaignsAnyone who feels confused or overwhelmed by Google Ads dataExperienced advertisers who want to sharpen their analytical approachKEY INSIGHT: No single metric tells the full story. Metrics work in groups. When you understand what each metric is actually FOR and when it should influence a decision, managing Google Ads becomes calmer, more predictable, and way less stressful.FREE RESOURCE MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: I created a completely free Google Ads Audit Checklist to help you put this into practice. You can download it at focusmoreleads.com - it's designed to help you find waste in your account in a quick and organized way. No fluff, no credit card required.CONNECT WITH ME: 🌐 Website: https://focusyourads.ca 📧 Questions or topics you want covered? Send them my way!If you found this episode valuable, please leave a rating and review—it helps other advertisers find the show. And if you know someone who's struggling with their Google Ads account, share this episode with them.Thanks for listening, and I'll catch you in the next one!

In this podcast, I explain why conversion tracking has become the most important lever in Google Ads in 2026, and how the data you send into the platform directly affects your costs, lead quality, and ability to scale.We’ll look at how modern Google Ads campaigns actually work, why bad tracking quietly hurts performance, and how strong accounts use better data to make smarter decisions.This isn’t a setup tutorial. It’s about understanding how conversion data shapes everything in your account, from bidding and targeting to budget decisions and long-term stability.If you run Google Ads for your own business or manage accounts for clients, this will help you stop guessing and start operating with more confidence.▶ Learn how to set up basic conversion tracking for forms and phone calls:https://youtu.be/7r8Pjzcd-wk▶If you’d like help improving your tracking, structure, or overall Google Ads performance, you can learn more about my management and consulting services here:https://focusyourads.ca

These are some of the top Google Ads metrics to watch in your account. If you want to work with us, visit https://focusyourads.ca

Learn about the 3 pillars of Google Ads that really hold the whole system up. Great episode for anyone getting started in Google Ads. If you want to work with us, reach out at https://focusyourads.ca

Not sure how much to budget for Google Ads? In this episode, Dan breaks down the math step-by-step so you can figure out exactly what to spend, how to calculate your cost per lead, and when to scale up or pull back.Learn how to set realistic goals, avoid wasted spend, and build a campaign that actually grows your business.Want more help? Reach out to us at focusyourads.ca

In this episode we dive into the alpha beta setup for a shopping campaign. This is a bit more technical, but it is the best way to control search terms for any shopping campaign. Essentially you can show up for exactly what you want to show for. If you are interested in working with us, either send us an email at [email protected] or visit our website at https://focusyourads.com.