Blog

Notes on Google Ads, tracking, and what actually moves the needle for local businesses and ecommerce brands.

Showing all 35 posts

October 5, 2026Local Services Ads

How Long Must a Local Services Ads Call Last?

How long a Local Services Ads phone call must last to be charged, plus Google's new 20-second missed-call rule from October 1, 2026.

October 1, 2026Platform Updates & News

Smart Bidding Learning Phase: 50 Conversions

Google's Smart Bidding guidance is shifting from weeks to a conversion count. Here's what that actually means for low-volume accounts.

September 30, 2026Local Services Ads

Google Tests a Bigger Local Services Ad

Google appears to be testing a larger Local Services Ads unit with a bigger image and highlight box. Here's what's confirmed and what isn't.

September 29, 2026Platform Updates & News

Call Extensions Won't Track as Conversions

CallRail can't capture calls from call extensions, no landing page loads for them. The real fix is Google's own Call Details Forwarding, not a CallRail setting.

September 29, 2026Platform Updates & News

The {AdName} Mistake in Google Ads Tracking

Putting {AdName} in a Google Ads tracking template feels like it should work. It doesn't, those aren't real ValueTrack parameters. Here's the real fix.

September 29, 2026Platform Updates & News

PMax Can Land Clicks on Your Business Profile

Performance Max now offers your Business Profile as a landing option alongside your website. Here's what you give up on tracking by using it.

September 24, 2026Platform Updates & News

UTM Tracking for ChatGPT Ads in GA4

Without UTM parameters, GA4 sees every ChatGPT Ads click as one lump bucket. Here's how to tag destination URLs so GA4 can break out real traffic.

September 21, 2026Local Services Ads

Google Ads for Movers: A Real Playbook

What actually works in Google Ads for movers: Local Services Ads, Search structure, keywords, and why booked-move tracking beats lead volume.

September 16, 2026Platform Updates & News

GTM Now Writes Version Descriptions With AI

When you publish a GTM version now, an AI writes the name and a tag-by-tag description of what changed, without you typing a word. Here's what I saw.

September 10, 2026Platform Updates & News

Conversion Tracking for OpenAI Ads Manager

ChatGPT Ads uses the same pixel-plus-Conversions-API pattern as Meta and Google. Here's how to install the pixel, fire events, and add server-side tracking.

September 1, 2026Platform Updates & News

ChatGPT Ads Self-Serve Goes Live in Europe

Self-serve Ads Manager access opened to European advertisers on August 31. The bigger news: how much the platform itself has matured since spring.

August 25, 2026Platform Updates & News

Local Actions - Clicks to Call, Explained

Clicks to Call tracks every 'Call' click on your Business Profile after someone sees your ad. It's biddable, but only in Performance Max.

August 25, 2026Platform Updates & News

Local Actions - Directions, Explained

Local Actions - Directions tracks 'Directions' clicks on your Business Profile after someone sees your ad. Here's what triggers it and how to set it up.

August 25, 2026Platform Updates & News

Local Actions - Menu Views, Explained

Menu Views tracks menu clicks on your Business Profile, but only if your listing has a menu link configured. Here's how it works.

August 25, 2026Platform Updates & News

Local Actions - Orders, Explained

Local Actions - Orders tracks 'Order' clicks on your Business Profile, but only if the Order click option is enabled. Here's how it works.

August 25, 2026Platform Updates & News

Local Actions - Other Engagements

Other Engagements tracks Share Location, Save, Photos, and similar clicks on your Business Profile. Here's exactly what it covers.

August 25, 2026Platform Updates & News

Local Actions - Website Visits, Explained

Website Visits tracks 'Website' clicks on your Business Profile. It's reporting-only, and easy to confuse with real conversion tracking.

August 20, 2026Account Access & Sharing

How to Share CallRail Access

Share CallRail access in a few steps, what each of the four user types can actually do, and the one permission that catches people off guard.

August 19, 2026Platform Updates & News

ChatGPT Ads Expands to 31 European Markets

OpenAI launched ChatGPT Ads in 31 European markets on August 24, its largest expansion yet. US self-serve is live and the $50,000 minimum spend is gone.

August 19, 2026Platform Updates & News

Claude Now Watermarks Every AI Response

Anthropic is embedding invisible watermarks in Claude's text output and signed C2PA metadata in files, worldwide, no opt-out. Here's what gets marked.

August 18, 2026Platform Updates & News

Google Ads Drops Language Targeting

The campaign-level language targeting setting disappears from Search campaigns and Performance Max's Search portion. Here's what actually changes.

August 14, 2026Platform Updates & News

Google Ads Local Actions, Explained

What local actions conversions track (directions, calls, website visits from your Business Profile), and how they differ from store visits.

August 14, 2026Platform Updates & News

What Is a Google Ads Conversion?

A conversion is a specific action you've told Google Ads to count as valuable, not a click or a visit. Here's what counts and how to set one up.

August 12, 2026Platform Updates & News

AI Max Becomes Default in Google Ads Sept. 1

From September 1, 2026 Google auto-upgrades Search campaigns using automatically created assets or campaign-level broad match to AI Max.

August 11, 2026Account Access & Sharing

How to Share Google Analytics 4 (GA4) Access

Share GA4 access in four steps, what each of the five roles can do, and the difference between account and property level access.

August 11, 2026Account Access & Sharing

How to Share Google Ads Account Access

Share Google Ads access in four steps, what each of the five access levels can do, and when to use a manager account instead.

August 10, 2026Account Access & Sharing

How to Share Google Tag Manager Access

Share Google Tag Manager access in four steps, plus which of the five permission levels to actually give someone and why it matters.

August 7, 2026Platform Updates & News

Google Ads Now Bids to Your Actual Target

Starting August 17, 2026, Google Ads bids up to your actual CPA/ROAS target instead of undershooting it. Here's what that means for your budget.

August 7, 2026Platform Updates & News

Google Maps Sponsored Pins: How to Get One

Google Maps sponsored pins (branded pins) explained: what they are, what they cost, and how to actually get one running for your business.

August 7, 2026Local Services Ads

Google Guaranteed Is Gone, Meet Verified

The Google Guarantee and Google Screened badges were retired on October 20, 2025, replaced by one Google Verified checkmark. Here is what changed.

August 7, 2026Local Services Ads

Bad Leads and Credits in Local Services Ads

Here is how lead credits and disputes actually work in Local Services Ads today, and what to expect when a lead is clearly not valid.

August 7, 2026Local Services Ads

How Local Services Ads Ranking Actually Works

Local Services Ads ranking is not just about your bid. Here are the real factors Google uses, straight from its own documentation.

August 7, 2026Local Services Ads

Local Services Ads Mistakes to Avoid

Seven common Local Services Ads setup mistakes, straight from Google's own performance guidance, that quietly waste budget.

August 7, 2026Local Services Ads

Local Services Ads or Search Ads: Which First?

Local Services Ads and Google Search Ads solve different problems for home service businesses. Here is how to decide which to run first.

August 7, 2026Local Services Ads

LSA to Performance Max: What's Changing

Google is migrating Local Services Ads into Performance Max starting August 2026. Here's what changes, what stays the same, and what to expect.