Frequently asked questions
Straight answers about Google Ads, what I do, and how working together works. Can’t find yours? Book a call.
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About Joe & the basics
Who is Joe Lowery?
Joe is an independent Google Ads consultant who ran paid search for Fortune 500 brands like Sprint and Boost Mobile. He now brings that same discipline to small and local service businesses — working directly with each client, with no agency overhead.
What does Joe Lowery do?
He manages Google Ads for service businesses (done-for-you), and also offers one-on-one coaching, standalone account audits, and clean campaign migrations. The goal is always the same: more qualified leads for less wasted spend.
Are you an agency?
No. Joe is an independent consultant. You work directly with him — there are no account managers, no junior staff learning on your budget, and no markup added to your ad spend.
What makes you different from an agency?
A flat fee instead of a percentage of your spend, direct access to the person actually running your account, and honest measurement in leads and cost-per-lead rather than impressions. See The Problem for the fuller story.
What’s your background and experience?
Joe is Google Ads Certified and spent years running paid search at Fortune 500 scale before going independent. That enterprise discipline is now pointed at small and local service businesses.
Getting started & the call
How do I get started?
Book a free 30-minute strategy call. Joe will look at your situation, tell you honestly what’s working and what isn’t, and recommend the right next step — even if that’s not working with him.
Is the strategy call really free?
Yes — 30 minutes, no charge, no obligation. It’s how you both figure out whether there’s a fit. There’s no pitch and no pressure to decide anything on the call.
What happens on the call?
A quick look at what you’re running or planning, an honest read on where your budget is going, and a clear recommendation for the right next step — done-for-you, coaching, an audit, or a migration.
Do I need to prepare anything for the call?
No. If you want to make the most of it, have your website and a rough sense of your monthly ad spend handy, but nothing is required.
What happens after the call?
If it’s a fit, Joe follows up with a simple next step or proposal. If it isn’t, he’ll point you in the right direction anyway.
Do you offer a free audit?
The strategy call is the free part. A full Account audit is a paid, thorough diagnostic — not a sales call dressed up as a free review. You keep the findings regardless of whether you hire Joe.
Pricing & how it works
How much does Google Ads management cost?
Done-for-you management starts at $1,500 per month, flat, plus your ad spend. The exact number depends on your channels and goals, which are scoped on the call.
Is your fee a percentage of my ad spend?
No. It’s a flat fee, so it doesn’t grow just because your budget does. That keeps the incentives aligned — the only thing Joe is optimising for is your results.
What’s separate from the management fee?
Your ad spend. That goes directly to Google, not to Joe. The flat fee covers the management work; the budget you set is yours and is spent on your ads.
How much does coaching cost?
Coaching and audits are $300 per hour, or $1,000 for a 4-hour package. There’s no retainer — you buy time as you need it.
How much does an account audit cost?
A standalone account audit is a single flat fee that includes the full review, a written report, an action plan, and a walkthrough call.
How much does a campaign migration cost?
Migrations are scoped per project, since accounts vary in complexity. You get a fixed quote before any work starts — and migration may be included free when you start done-for-you management.
Is there a minimum ad spend?
It depends on your market and channels. There’s no artificial minimum-spend trap — Joe will size a realistic budget with you on the call and tell you honestly if it’s too small to work.
Do you require a long-term contract?
No — management is month-to-month. Joe would rather earn your business each month than lock you into a contract you regret.
Done-for-you management
What’s included in done-for-you management?
Full account setup or migration, campaign strategy across the right channels, weekly optimisation, a monthly strategic review, conversion tracking and call-recording setup, and direct access to Joe. See Done-for-you management for the full breakdown.
Do you take over my existing account or build a new one?
Either. The first-week audit decides whether to migrate what you have — preserving your conversion history — or build clean. Joe recommends the honest answer, not the one that bills more hours.
Which channels will you run for me?
The right mix for your business, decided together — not a template. That usually centres on Search and Local Service Ads, with Performance Max, Demand Gen, YouTube, and retargeting added as they fit. See What I Run.
How fast will I see results?
Many accounts start showing meaningful movement within the first couple of months as optimisation compounds. Joe will give you a realistic picture for your market — no overnight- miracle promises.
Will I keep ownership of my account?
Yes. Your account stays in your name and under your control. If an agency currently “owns” it, reclaiming ownership is part of what a migration handles.
Coaching & audits
What is the coaching service?
One-on-one help running your own Google Ads. You keep control of the account; Joe audits it, answers your hard questions, and coaches you through decisions. The first session is a full audit. See Coaching & audits.
Who is coaching for?
In-house marketers, agency owners and staff, and business owners who run their own ads and want senior guidance without handing over control.
How is coaching different from an online course?
It’s live and one-on-one, on your actual account, with a senior expert — not recorded modules, group calls, or an AI chatbot. You get answers to your specific problems, fast.
Do I have to commit to a package?
No. Buy a single hour or the 4-hour package — whatever you need. There’s no ongoing
commitment or retainer.
Account audits
What is an account audit?
A one-time, thorough diagnostic of your Google Ads account. You get a written findings report, a prioritised action plan, and a walkthrough call — all yours to keep. See Account audits.
What does the audit cover?
Account structure, wasted spend and search terms, missing negative keywords, bidding and budget pacing, conversion-tracking accuracy, campaign-type coverage, ad copy and assets, targeting, and quick wins versus structural fixes.
Do I have to hire you after an audit?
No. The report and action plan are yours. Fix it yourself, hand it to your current provider, or have Joe do it — there’s no obligation either way.
What access do you need for an audit?
Read-only access. Joe reviews everything but never changes anything — he’ll send simple step-by-step instructions after you book.
What’s the difference between the audit and the coaching audit?
The account audit is a one-time diagnostic you buy and keep. Coaching is ongoing 1:1 help where the first session happens to include an audit. If you just want to know what’s wrong right now, start with the audit.
Campaign migration
What is campaign migration?
Moving your Google Ads account or campaigns cleanly — when you switch providers, reclaim an account an agency controls, or face a forced platform change — without losing your history, learning, or control. See Campaign migration.
Will I lose my data or history when I migrate?
Not if it’s done right — that’s the whole point. A careful migration preserves your performance history so the algorithm doesn’t cold-start. Rebuilding from scratch is what costs you progress.
Can you get my account back from my current agency?
Usually, yes. Google Ads account ownership can be transferred out of an agency’s manager account. Joe will walk you through reclaiming it so the account is in your name.
What is the Display → Demand Gen change, and do I need to act?
Google is moving standalone Display campaigns into Demand Gen, with a migration tool rolling out through 2026 and automatic migration to follow. You can let it happen on default settings, or migrate deliberately and keep control. Joe handles the deliberate version.
Lead generation, results & measurement
What is lead generation marketing?
Marketing focused on producing real inquiries — calls, form fills, bookings — from people who could become customers, rather than impressions or followers. It’s measured by qualified leads and what each one costs. See Lead generation marketing.
How do you measure results?
By leads and cost-per-lead — real inquiries, not clicks or impressions. Joe sets up conversion tracking and call recording so you always know your true cost per lead.
What counts as a lead?
A real inquiry from someone who could become a customer: a phone call, a completed form, or a booking. Not a click, and not an impression.
Do you guarantee results?
No — and be wary of anyone who does. What Joe commits to is running your account properly and measuring it honestly, so you can see for yourself whether it’s working and decide accordingly.
How do you track conversions?
With proper conversion tracking and call-recording setup, so calls and form fills are counted accurately. If you can’t measure booked jobs, you can’t optimise toward them.
How do I know if my Google Ads are being managed well?
Ask whoever runs your account about your cost-per-lead trend, what they’ve actually changed this month, and how their fee is structured. Vague answers about clicks and impressions are a warning sign. The Problem covers exactly what to look for.
The channels & how Google Ads works
How does Google Ads work?
You bid to show ads to people based on what they search or who they are. You’re charged when someone clicks — or, with Local Service Ads, when you get a valid lead. Run well, it puts you in front of people at the moment they want what you sell.
What are Search Ads?
Text ads that appear when someone types what you sell into Google — the most direct line
between a search and a booked job, and usually the foundation of an account. See Search Ads.
What is Performance Max?
A single campaign that runs across Search, Maps, YouTube, Gmail, Display, and Discover, optimised by Google’s AI toward your goal. Powerful when it’s fed and fenced by someone who knows how to steer it. See Performance Max.
What are Local Service Ads (LSA)?
Pay-per-lead ads that sit at the very top of Google with the Google Verified badge. You pay only for valid leads, not clicks — a strong option for many local service businesses. See Local Service Ads.
What is the Google Verified badge?
It’s the trust badge shown on Local Service Ads. As of late 2025 it replaced the older “Google Guaranteed” and “Google Screened” badges. There’s no money-back guarantee anymore; instead, Google’s automated system reviews leads and credits invalid ones, so there are no manual disputes.
What’s the difference between Local Service Ads and Search Ads?
Local Service Ads sit above the search ads, carry the Google Verified badge, and charge per lead. Search Ads sit just below, give you far more control over the message, and charge per click. Many local businesses benefit from both.
What is YouTube advertising?
Video ads that put your business in front of the right local audience while they watch — useful for building awareness and demand before people start searching. See YouTube Ads.
What is Demand Gen?
Image and video ads in Google’s visual feeds — YouTube, Discover, and Gmail. It’s the modern successor to Discovery campaigns and a way to reach people before they search.
What is display & retargeting?
Display puts you in front of people across the web; retargeting re-engages people who already visited but didn’t convert. In 2026 it runs across Display, Demand Gen, RLSA, YouTube, and Performance Max. See Display & Retargeting.
Does retargeting still work in 2026?
Yes — it’s one of the most efficient plays in Google Ads. What’s changing is the standalone Display campaign type, which is folding into Demand Gen. The inventory and the strategy remain; retargeting just runs through current campaign types now.
Industries & who it’s for
Who do you work with?
Small and local service businesses where a single new customer is worth roughly $300–$3,000 or more over time — the kind of business where a steady flow of qualified leads matters.
Do you specialise in any industries?
Joe works across many service categories, with dedicated pages for pest control, movers, and chiropractors. The same approach applies to most local service businesses.
Is Google Ads worth it for a small business?
Yes, when it’s run efficiently — the whole point is qualified leads per dollar. Run carelessly it can be a money pit, which is why management matters more on a small budget, not less. See Google Ads for small business.
What if my industry isn’t listed?
It almost certainly still works. The named industries are just examples — if leads matter to your business, book a call and Joe will tell you honestly whether it’s a fit.
Do you work with e-commerce?
Joe’s focus is lead generation for service and local businesses. E-commerce is a different playbook — if that’s you, he’ll tell you straight on the call whether he’s the right person.
Working together & logistics
Will I work with you directly, or a team?
Directly with Joe. He’s the person who runs your account — no handoffs to junior staff, no account-manager middle layer.
Do you work with clients remotely?
Yes. Joe works with clients remotely; the work is done inside your Google Ads account and over calls.
How often will we communicate?
Done-for-you clients get a monthly strategic review plus access between sessions for quick questions. Everything is in plain English — leads and cost-per-lead, not a wall of metrics.
Can I cancel anytime?
Yes — management is month-to-month, with no long-term contract.
What access do you need to my account?
For management, appropriate access to run the account; for an audit, read-only access. Either way, your account stays in your name and ownership.
How do I contact you?
Book a free call, or send a note via the Contact page. Either way you reach Joe directly.
Still have a question?
Book a free 30-minute call and ask Joe directly — no pitch, no obligation.
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