Paid Search
Paid search that turns clicks into booked jobs
Stop paying Google for clicks that go nowhere. Strategy-first paid search, with reporting that shows what produced every booked job, order or signup.
Platforms we run
Search, the second search engine, and the analytics that close the loop.
Why most paid search underperforms for service businesses
Most paid-search accounts we audit are buying clicks that never turn into work. Three patterns we see again and again, and the reason most service-business owners end up frustrated with their previous agency.
Bid optimization without business context
Optimizing for the lowest cost-per-lead on paper looks efficient right up until the leads stop booking. Without knowing which ones turn into work and which never answer the phone, the budget chases the wrong clicks.
Generic keyword strategy
Campaigns built from search-volume tools without industry context. For a multi-location plumber, emergency-repair keywords need different bid logic than installation keywords. Most accounts treat them the same.
No phone-call attribution
Many of your best leads arrive by phone. If your dashboard only counts form submits, the budget gets steered toward the wrong campaigns and the wrong locations.
How we manage paid search
We run paid search as part of a full-funnel system, not a click-buying utility. Every account is built to integrate with the rest of your marketing.
Vertical-specific campaign architecture
Home services
Multi-location
Franchise
Restaurants
Tracking and lead-quality reporting
- Lead-quality auditing
- Conversions API
- Server-side tagging (Stape, sGTM)
- Call tracking
- Default conversion tracking
What we layer in plus the default that every account starts with
Continuous optimization
Audit
Adjust
Measure
Refine
How we run an account
From kickoff to steady-state. The first phase does most of the strategic work; everything after compounds.
Step 01
Audit
We pull the last 12 months of account history, conversion data, call logs, and CRM activity. We surface what's working, what's leaking budget, and what's structurally wrong.
Step 02
Strategy
We map the campaign architecture to your service mix, locations, and seasonal patterns. We agree on the leading metrics, the budget shape, and what success looks like together.
Step 03
Build and launch
We rebuild campaigns as needed, integrate call tracking and CRM events, write the ad copy, and ship. We share full visibility into what's running.
Step 04
Optimization and review
Ongoing bid work, search-term mining, A/B tests, and audience expansion, paired with strategic check-ins to revisit budget allocation and what's coming next quarter. You see the changes; we explain the reasoning; we stay in proactive communication.
What we run inside the account
The full paid-search stack, managed as one system. Selected per account based on what your category and conversion economics warrant.
Search campaigns
High-intent capture for the queries closest to a buying decision. The structural workhorse on every account.
Performance Max
Cross-Google reach (Search, YouTube, Display, Shopping, Maps) where the data warrants it. Carefully scoped so PMax doesn't cannibalize search.
YouTube ads
Consideration-stage video for categories where the buyer needs to see the work before calling.
Microsoft Advertising
The second search engine. Often a profitable underspend for service businesses, where the demographic skews older and converts well on Bing.
Call-only ads and call tracking
Phone-first campaigns for emergency-service categories. Call tracking integrates back to your CRM so phone leads count.
Retargeting
Display and RLSA to reconnect with people who visited but didn't book. Sized to actual visitor volume so spend stays disciplined.
Industries
Who we serve
Different businesses, different definitions of a win. We learn yours, then bring what's already working across every industry we serve.
How this compares to your other options
Honest framing of where Prospect Future fits, and where another option might be the right call.
| Criteria | Prospect Future | Typical agency | In-house |
|---|---|---|---|
| Senior strategist on the account day-to-day | Yes. Matthew oversees strategy for all accounts. | Junior account manager, often shared across 20+ accounts | You are the strategist |
| Pricing model | Flat monthly retainer & marginal percentage of ad spend | High retainers or High percentage of ad spend | Salary plus tools |
| Account ownership | You own the account | Sometimes agency-owned; check the contract | You own it |
| Call tracking and phone-lead attribution | Standard in every engagement | Add-on or upsell | Possible if you set it up |
| Advanced reporting & automation support for CRMs | Standard. | Rare | Possible if you have engineering time |
| Notice period to leave | Short commitment. We'd rather earn the next month. | Often locked in 6 to 12 months | N/A |
Across our careers
- 400+
- Clients we've worked with
- 12+ years
- Senior performance-marketing experience
- $1M+/mo
- Peak monthly ad spend managed
Common questions
How long does it take to see results from Google Ads?
For most service-business accounts, the first 30 days are about cleaning up structure and tracking; weeks 4 to 8 are when budget starts moving toward what's working; by month 3 the cost-per-booked-job starts compounding down. Categories with longer sales cycles take longer.
What's a reasonable monthly budget to start with?
Budget depends on your service area, average job value, and where you sit competitively. We'll tell you honestly if your budget is too small to give the strategy a fair test, or if you should be spending less than you are.
How do you charge?
We use a predictable structure that scales with the work: a base management retainer plus a small percentage tied to the ad spend we manage. We share the specifics on a strategy call once we understand the scope.
We've been burned by an agency before. What's different here?
Integrity is built into how the work runs. The processes, the systems, the strategy, and the training all start from the assumption that we'll tell you the truth, including when the truth costs us money. That's what makes it possible to say "spend less here," "you're not ready for this yet," or "someone else is a better fit for this piece." It also makes the execution better, because nobody is quietly defending a decision they know is wrong. Most people who've had a bad agency experience weren't failed by tactics. They were failed by someone who wasn't straight with them.
Can you take over an existing Google Ads account?
Yes, and we usually prefer to. The conversion history on an established account is valuable; rebuilding from zero throws that away. We start with an audit, then propose a restructure that preserves what's working.
Do you have experience in our industry?
We have worked with over 400 businesses across our careers: home services, multi-location and franchise operators, restaurants, ecommerce and SaaS. That gives us a good sense of what works across Google Ads, Meta, websites and the rest. What decides the result is how well all of it gets adjusted to your market, your competition and your economics, and working across industries is what keeps those adjustments sharp.
What happens to my account if we stop working together?
You keep the account, the campaigns, the conversion history, the call-tracking setup, and the CRM integration. We document handoffs and remove our access. Most engagements start month-to-month so you can leave when you need to.
Do you handle call tracking?
Yes, in every engagement. We provide the call tracking, route calls through dynamic numbers per campaign, and integrate the call data into your CRM and ad platforms so phone leads count toward bid optimization.
What if you don't think you can help us?
We will tell you. We turn down work we don't think we can deliver well, and we are happy to point you toward a better-fit partner. Saying no when we mean it is part of how we do business.
Make your ad spend earn its keep.
Bring us where the account stands, and get an honest read on what we'd change first.