One of the biggest reasons people give up on Google Ads is that they expect perfect results from day one. In reality, the first few months are about learning what works, then doing more of it.
Here’s an honest picture of what the first three months usually look like.
Before launch: getting the foundations right
Before any ads go live, a few things need to be in place:
- Tracking. Calls, forms and messages should all be tracked, so you know which ads bring in enquiries.
- Clear goals. Which services do you want more of? Which areas do you cover?
- The right page. The page people land on should make it easy to call or ask for a quote.
Skipping this is the most common reason accounts struggle later.
Month 1: launch and learn
The first month is about getting live and gathering data.
- Enquiries usually start within the first week or two.
- Costs per lead are often higher than they’ll end up. Google is still learning, and so are we.
- Lots of small changes. Search terms are checked every few days, and irrelevant searches are blocked.
It’s normal for month one to feel a bit up and down. That’s expected.
Month 2: cutting the waste
By now there’s enough data to see patterns.
- Spend moves to what’s working. Better-performing keywords, areas, times of day and devices get more of the budget.
- Weak ads are rewritten or replaced.
- Cost per lead usually starts to come down.
This is often where the biggest improvements happen.
Month 3: building momentum
By the third month, the account should feel much more stable.
- A clearer picture of your real cost per lead.
- More consistent enquiries week to week.
- Decisions about growth. If it’s working, this is when it makes sense to increase the budget or add new services.
What’s a good result?
It depends on your trade, area and budget, but a good sign is when you can say: “I know roughly what each enquiry costs me, and it’s well below what a job is worth.”
From there, the goal is to keep improving: more enquiries, better quality jobs, and a lower cost per lead over time.
Red flags to watch for
If you’re three months in and any of these are true, something’s wrong:
- Nobody can tell you how many enquiries your ads brought in
- You’ve never seen a list of the searches your ads showed for
- Your reports only talk about clicks and impressions
- Costs keep rising with no explanation
Patience pays off
Google Ads isn’t an instant fix, but it’s one of the few kinds of marketing where you can see exactly what you get for your money. Give it a fair chance, track everything, and keep improving.
If your account has been running a while and you’re not sure it’s working, my £150 Ads Audit will give you a clear answer.