{"id":683722,"date":"2025-08-07T06:45:16","date_gmt":"2025-08-07T03:45:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/what-to-do-when-google-ads-performance-declines\/"},"modified":"2025-08-07T06:45:16","modified_gmt":"2025-08-07T03:45:16","slug":"what-to-do-when-google-ads-performance-declines","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/what-to-do-when-google-ads-performance-declines\/","title":{"rendered":"What to do when Google Ads performance declines"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_85 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a2fa21c100c4\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a2fa21c100c4\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/what-to-do-when-google-ads-performance-declines\/#1_Diagnose_before_you_act_Framing_the_performance_decline\" >1. Diagnose before you act: Framing the performance decline<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/what-to-do-when-google-ads-performance-declines\/#2_Clarify_goals_and_separate_signal_from_noise\" >2. Clarify goals and separate signal from noise<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/what-to-do-when-google-ads-performance-declines\/#3_Look_beyond_the_platform_Analyze_external_factors\" >3. Look beyond the platform: Analyze external factors<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/what-to-do-when-google-ads-performance-declines\/#Seasonality\" >Seasonality<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/what-to-do-when-google-ads-performance-declines\/#Promotional_cycles\" >Promotional cycles<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/what-to-do-when-google-ads-performance-declines\/#Competitive_landscape\" >Competitive landscape<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/what-to-do-when-google-ads-performance-declines\/#Broader_market_changes\" >Broader market changes<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/what-to-do-when-google-ads-performance-declines\/#4_Ready_to_optimize_Start_with_these_strategic_steps\" >4. Ready to optimize? Start with these strategic steps<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/what-to-do-when-google-ads-performance-declines\/#Choose_the_right_levers_based_on_your_performance_goals\" >Choose the right levers based on your performance goals<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/what-to-do-when-google-ads-performance-declines\/#Refine_ad_copy_and_landing_pages_to_improve_user_experience\" >Refine ad copy and landing pages to improve user experience<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/what-to-do-when-google-ads-performance-declines\/#A_note_on_funnel_management\" >A note on funnel management<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-12\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/what-to-do-when-google-ads-performance-declines\/#Final_thoughts\" >Final thoughts<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<div><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" src=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2025\/08\/Gemini_Generated_Image_Google-Ads-decline.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-post-image\" alt=\"What to do when Google Ads performance declines\" style=\"margin-bottom: 15px\" \/><\/div>\n<p>It\u2019s a familiar \u2013 and frustrating \u2013 scenario for any PPC expert.<\/p>\n<p>You log into your ads account, and the numbers are trending in the wrong direction.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Dashboards are red, pressure is building, and stakeholders want answers.<\/p>\n<p>But a dip in performance is more than just a red metric or a single bad day.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s often a pattern that unfolds over weeks, with real business impact and growing concern across the team.<\/p>\n<p>But your job isn&#8217;t just to react. You&#8217;re expected to provide clarity, a plan, and a path forward that reassures everyone involved.<\/p>\n<p>This article outlines a strategic framework for navigating performance declines.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>You\u2019ll learn how to contextualize the issue, align with stakeholders, and identify the most effective levers to pull within your paid ads account.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-1-diagnose-before-you-act-framing-the-performance-decline\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"1_Diagnose_before_you_act_Framing_the_performance_decline\"><\/span>1. Diagnose before you act: Framing the performance decline<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Before you make any optimizations, understand the true nature of the decline.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Jumping into an account and making basic or even drastic changes \u2013 like overhauling campaigns, adding a ton of new keywords, or changing match types wholesale \u2013 can cause more damage than it solves.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Avoid relying solely on the <em>Recommendations<\/em> tab and blindly <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>lying every suggestion the platform offers. I&#8217;ve witnessed this approach before, and it led to a complete disaster.<\/p>\n<p>Instead, you need to pause, evaluate, and stick to a clear strategy until the performance dip has resolved or can be explained.<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>Dig deeper: <\/em><\/strong><strong><em>Top Google Ads recommendations you should always ignore, use, or evaluate<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-2-clarify-goals-and-separate-signal-from-noise\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"2_Clarify_goals_and_separate_signal_from_noise\"><\/span>2. Clarify goals and separate signal from noise<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>You need to distinguish between a perceived decline and an actual decline.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>A CMO or traffic manager might be concerned about a drop in impressions or site traffic, but these are often vanity metrics or diagnostic indicators, not the full picture.<\/p>\n<p>The real question is whether key performance indicators (KPIs) \u2013 like return on ad spend (ROAS) or conversion value \u2013 are actually declining.<\/p>\n<p>In lead gen accounts, that means asking: Is conversion volume decreasing or is cost per acquisition (CPA) rising?<\/p>\n<p>If your account started with a clear measurement plan, now is the time to revisit it.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Realign with your boss or client on the core goals. A simple email can often clarify this and prevent miscommunication.<\/p>\n<p>Realize that this alignment is critical because as conversion value increases, return on ad spend often decreases, especially during a period of growth.<\/p>\n<p>If you work in lead generation, you may notice an increase in CPA when prioritizing quality over quantity.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>A measurement plan is essential to effectively navigate this. It serves as both your safeguard and guide in these discussions.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-3-look-beyond-the-platform-analyze-external-factors\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"3_Look_beyond_the_platform_Analyze_external_factors\"><\/span>3. Look beyond the platform: Analyze external factors<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Once you&#8217;ve confirmed a decline in actual performance, it&#8217;s time to look outside the ad platform.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>A performance decline isn&#8217;t always caused by a problem within your campaigns.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Often, the market itself is the cause.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-seasonality\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Seasonality\"><\/span>Seasonality<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Performance naturally fluctuates throughout the year.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>For example, a vacation rental company will see a predictable dip in the winter months. It&#8217;s your job to contextualize this for the client.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>A change in CPA during an off-season might be a logical change that requires a budget adjustment, not a major account optimization.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-promotional-cycles\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Promotional_cycles\"><\/span>Promotional cycles<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Similar to seasonality, performance will naturally spike during a sale and then dip after it ends.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Factor this into your analysis. Is the current dip just a return to baseline after a successful promotion?<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-competitive-landscape\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Competitive_landscape\"><\/span>Competitive landscape<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>What are your competitors doing? Have they changed their pricing, launched a major sale, or increased their ad spend?&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Competitor actions can draw attention to the market <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/general\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"3\" title=\"General\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">general<\/a>ly, impacting your own conversion rates.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-broader-market-changes\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Broader_market_changes\"><\/span>Broader market changes<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Are there any other shifts in the market that could be affecting demand for your product or service?&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Markets can shift during major <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/news\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"2\" title=\"News\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">news<\/a> cycles or in response to <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/social-mediaa\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"1\" title=\"Social Media\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">social<\/a> issues.<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>Dig deeper: PPC diagnostics: How to find and fix the root cause of low conversions<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><!-- START INLINE FORM --><\/p>\n<div class=\"nl-inline-form border py-2 px-1 my-2\">\n<div class=\"row align-items-center nl-inline-container\">\n<div class=\"col-12 col-lg-3 col-xl-4 pe-md-0 pb-2 pb-lg-0\">\n<p class=\"inline-form-text text-center mb-0\">Get the newsletter search marketers rely on.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"col-12 col-lg-7 col-xl-6  pe-lg-0\">\n<div class=\"form-nl-inline\">\n<p>\t\t\t\t\tMktoForms2.loadForm(&#8220;https:\/\/app-sj02.marketo.com&#8221;, &#8220;727-ZQE-044&#8221;, 16298, function(form) {<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\/\/ form.onSubmit(function(){<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\/\/ });<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\/\/ form.onSuccess(function (values, followUpUrl) {<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\/\/ });<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t});<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"col-12 col-lg-2 col-xl-2 ps-1\">\n<p class=\"text-center mb-0\" style=\"font-size: .75rem\">See terms.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><!-- END INLINE FORM --><\/p>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-text-color has-cyan-bluish-gray-color has-css-opacity has-cyan-bluish-gray-background-color has-background\" \/>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-4-ready-to-optimize-start-with-these-strategic-steps\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"4_Ready_to_optimize_Start_with_these_strategic_steps\"><\/span>4. Ready to optimize? Start with these strategic steps<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>If you have decided to start making changes in the ad platform, these are the best steps you can take.<\/p>\n<p>Start by looking at the biggest drivers of your ad spend.<\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Sort campaigns by spend:<\/strong> Begin by examining the campaigns that spend the most. These are the campaigns that have the greatest impact on overall account performance.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Evaluate contribution:<\/strong> Analyze how these top-spending campaigns are contributing to your KPIs. Depending on your goals, you&#8217;ll want to look at:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>ROAS.<\/li>\n<li>Conversion value.<\/li>\n<li>Conversions.<\/li>\n<li>CPA.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Tailor your analysis by campaign type:<\/strong> This is the point where you begin to tailor your analysis based on the campaign type.&nbsp;\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>For an ecommerce campaign, you&#8217;ll focus heavily on ROAS and conversion value.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<li>For a lead generation campaign, CPA and conversion volume will be your top priorities.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-choose-the-right-levers-based-on-your-performance-goals\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Choose_the_right_levers_based_on_your_performance_goals\"><\/span>Choose the right levers based on your performance goals<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Once you&#8217;ve identified the underperforming campaigns, it&#8217;s time to get granular.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The levers you pull will depend on your primary performance metric.<\/p>\n<p><strong>If ROAS has decreased<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Adjust bidding<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>A decreased ROAS means you&#8217;re not getting enough return for your ad spend.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<li>One of the easiest solutions is to go into the campaign settings and slightly increase your target ROAS.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<li>This tells Google\u2019s automation to bid more conservatively for a better return.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Pull back budget<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Concurrently, you can consider slightly decreasing the campaign&#8217;s budget.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<li>This combination of a tighter target and a smaller budget can often bring the ROAS back in line by focusing on only the highest-value opportunities.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Micro-optimize ad groups and keywords<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Dive into the ad groups and keywords within the underperforming campaign.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<li>Sort by spend and look for specific keywords or ad groups that are not meeting your ROAS target.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<li>You can either pause these underperformers or adjust their match types to be more restrictive.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<li>This granular approach can isolate the problem without disrupting the entire campaign.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>If conversion value is the primary goal<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Reallocate budget<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>When your goal is to maximize total conversion value (meaning you&#8217;re focused on generating the most revenue, even at a lower ROAS), the best lever to pull is budget allocation.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Increase spend on high-value campaigns<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Identify the campaigns or ad groups generating the highest conversion value and allocate more budget to the campaign.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<li>This helps Google&#8217;s algorithms identify and deliver more high-value conversions.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<li>If an ad group shows strong potential, consider splitting it into its own campaign to dedicate additional budget and maximize performance.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Decrease spend on low-value campaigns<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Take budget away from campaigns that are not delivering a significant return and reallocate it to your top performers.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>For lead gen accounts, the key performance indicators are typically conversion volume (the number of forms filled out) and CPA.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The levers you pull will be a direct response to which of these metrics is underperforming.<\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>If conversion volume has decreased<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Expand your reach:<\/strong> A drop in conversion volume suggests you&#8217;re not reaching enough potential leads. To get more volume, you can:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Add keywords:<\/strong> Research and add new, relevant keywords to your campaigns.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Use Dynamic Search Ads:<\/strong> Consider adding a Dynamic Search Ads campaign to automatically find and target new queries on your website.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Broaden match types:<\/strong> Become less restrictive by expanding your match types for keywords.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Reallocate budget:<\/strong> Similar to ecommerce, shift budget from underperforming campaigns to those that are generating the most conversions.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>If CPA has increased (loss of efficiency)<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Tighten your targeting:<\/strong> An increase in CPA means you&#8217;re spending more to get a conversion. To increase efficiency, you must become more restrictive.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Use negative keywords:<\/strong> This is a crucial step. Add negative keywords to your campaigns to prevent your ads from showing for irrelevant or low-quality searches.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Refine keywords and match types:<\/strong> Review your keywords and ad groups, and pause any that are driving a high CPA. Consider tightening match types to ensure you&#8217;re only bidding on the most relevant searches.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Adjust CPA targets:<\/strong> If you&#8217;re using a smart bidding strategy, set a more restrictive target CPA. This tells Google to be less aggressive in its bidding, focusing on more cost-effective conversions.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-refine-ad-copy-and-landing-pages-to-improve-user-experience\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Refine_ad_copy_and_landing_pages_to_improve_user_experience\"><\/span>Refine ad copy and landing pages to improve user experience<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Once you&#8217;ve adjusted campaign settings and bids, it&#8217;s time to focus on messaging.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>While it\u2019s easy to stay fixated on metrics, your ad copy and landing page often have the most direct impact on performance.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Together, they shape the user experience \u2013 and can either reinforce or undermine everything you&#8217;ve optimized so far.<\/p>\n<p><strong>The ad copy should speak to the customer<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>With the rise of responsive search ads (RSAs), it can feel overwhelming to craft an entirely new ad when the system is already generating tens of thousands of combinations.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>However, you can still improve performance by focusing on the core components.<\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Review your assets<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Look at the performance data for your headlines and descriptions.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Which assets are being used most frequently?&nbsp;<\/li>\n<li>Which combinations have the highest click-through rates?&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>Identify the top performers and create new assets that are similar in tone or message.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Test a new angle<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>If your ads are underperforming, consider a new creative approach.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Do they speak to a different pain point?&nbsp;<\/li>\n<li>Highlight a new benefit?&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>Even small changes to your headline or a single description line can change how users perceive your offer and whether they choose to click.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Structure your ads optimally<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Learn how to assemble high-performing RSAs in Brad Geddes\u2019s Search Engine Land article, \u201cHow to assemble captivating Google Ads copy.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Review the landing page experience<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>A perfect ad is useless if it leads to a poor landing page.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Think of the user journey as a chain: the ad copy is one link, and the landing page is the next.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>If that second link is weak, the entire chain breaks.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>While this isn\u2019t a full PPC CRO deep dive, your landing page remains a critical factor in diagnosing performance issues.<\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Message match<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Is the message and offer on the landing page a perfect match for what you promised in the ad? Inconsistency creates confusion and causes users to bounce.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Clarity and speed<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Is the landing page easy to navigate? Is the call to action (CTA) clear and prominent? Does the page load quickly? Poor user experience, especially slow load times, can kill a campaign before it has a chance to succeed.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>As paid search expert <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/harrisonjhepp\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Harrison Jack Hepp<\/a> recently emphasized, landing pages are a key piece of the success puzzle.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>While not part of the Google Ads platform, they are a critical component of your paid search strategy.<\/p>\n<p>Hepp offers these four essential tips to ensure your landing page isn&#8217;t holding you back:<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1084\" height=\"938\" src=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2025\/08\/Harrison-Jack-Hepp-on-PPC-landing-pages.png\" alt=\"Harrison Jack Hepp on PPC landing pages\" class=\"wp-image-460020\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-a-note-on-funnel-management\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"A_note_on_funnel_management\"><\/span>A note on funnel management<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>While these optimizations are essential for improving performance, it&#8217;s important to be mindful of your overall strategy.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The tendency when optimizing is to move further and further down the sales funnel, reallocating spend from awareness-focused campaigns (like YouTube or Demand Gen) to bottom-funnel, high-intent campaigns.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>This can improve short-term performance when there is a decline, but can starve your funnel of new customers over time.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1600\" src=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2025\/08\/Marketing-funnel-management-for-PPC.jpg\" alt=\"Marketing funnel management for PPC\" class=\"wp-image-460021\" style=\"width:600px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>If you\u2019re running paid social campaigns on platforms like Facebook, this may be less of a concern, as they often excel at filling the top of the funnel.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>However, it&#8217;s a critical consideration to prevent your paid ads account from becoming overly dependent on a shrinking pool of high-intent searchers.<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>Dig deeper: How to analyze your marketing funnel and fix costly drop-offs<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-final-thoughts\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Final_thoughts\"><\/span>Final thoughts<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>By following this framework \u2013 contextualizing the issue, aligning with stakeholders, analyzing external factors, and making targeted optimizations \u2013 you can approach performance declines with clarity and confidence.<\/p>\n<p>Paid search is as much about strategic thinking as it is about tactical execution, and a structured process ensures you stay in control, even when results start to slip.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMN63nwsw68G3Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more like this article, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/technology\/\" target=\"_blank\" >Technology<\/a><\/span> category.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/google-ads-performance-declines-460018\" target=\"_blank\" >Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It\u2019s a familiar \u2013 and frustrating \u2013 scenario for any PPC expert. You log into your ads account, and the numbers are trending in the wrong direction.&nbsp; Dashboards are red, pressure is building, and stakeholders want answers. But a dip in performance is more than just a red metric or a single bad day.&nbsp; It\u2019s&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":683723,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2025\/08\/Gemini_Generated_Image_Google-Ads-decline.jpeg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-683722","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-technology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/683722","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=683722"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/683722\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/683723"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=683722"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=683722"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=683722"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}