Google Ads isn't about more customers. It's about fit.

True or false? The purpose of Google Ads is to attract more customers.

False.

Google Ads, and marketing in general, should actually be about helping the right people become customers.

Good marketing does that by helping people self-select. Either in, or out. Every piece of marketing material should help a prospect answer:

Am I the kind of customer this business is built for?

And that's not everybody. Some people are a poor fit.

• They can't afford the service.
• They expect something you don't offer.
• Your process doesn't suit them.
• They need something that's not quite in your sweet spot.

But sometimes they buy anyway. That's bad for them, and it's bad for you.

I've taken on the wrong client more than once, and it's usually the same: you spend an inordinate amount of time trying to make it work. They still end up unhappy.

Better to let them self-select out.

Client self-selection happens at every step of the buying journey:

• They see your ad and ask themselves if they should click.
• They read your landing page and ask if what you do is what they're looking for.
• They see your form or booking page and ask themselves if they should contact you.
• They get your quote or estimate and ask themselves if they should contract.

At every step your marketing should help them make the right decision.

For some the right decision is not to continue.

That scares the pants off a lot of marketers and business owners:

• What if nobody enquires?
• What if you accidentally chase a good prospect away?
• What if you could persuade them to buy from you?

Fewer but better leads

In my mind deliberately reducing demand, allows for better demand.

I consulted for a custom furniture maker. He specialised in beautiful hardwood dining tables. He contacted me because his Google Ads were unprofitable. He wasn't closing many of the leads.

He was spending 2-3 hours every day away from the workshop speaking to prospective customers. He'd work through what the person wanted - table size, which wood species would fit in with their decor. Often he'd even mock up a few design options.

But when it came to the price, people were shocked. Many assumed that because dining table costs $80 in Ikea, a custom table might cost $150. His prices start at about $5,000.

He was losing hours every week to people who could never afford him. Time that should've been in the workshop, building tables for people who could.

We tested adding "From £4000" (he's British) into his ads and landing pages.

Whether that killed his business or saved it is a fair question. I'll come back to it.

Indicative pricing is one way of helping people self-select. Other ways include things like:

• Minimum project values. "We're a good fit for people spending at least $20,000 a month on Google Ads."
• Minimum order sizes. "We custom print batches of 200 T-shirts and above."
• Industry specialisation. "We supply valves for water treatment, petrochemical and mining."
• Typical client profiles. "We service high-growth funded startups."
• Describing who is not a good fit. "Our campground doesn't cater to children."

Self-selection matters especially for Google Ads because a poor fit is expensive before it's even a lead: you pay for the click, the call and the time spent handling it.

That's money that can't be used finding someone who's a good fit.

As for my furniture maker. He speaks to a couple of good prospects a week now. They arrive knowing that custom work costs a lot, but he's got a 4-month waiting list.

Related articles

Every Google Ads lead leaves a trail of evidence

Why a Google Ads account audit isn't enough

Why I'm rethinking how I audit Google Ads accounts

Testing Google Ads for an RV Campground

Mining the search terms report for negative keywords is a waste of time

What’s the right bidding strategy for a brand new Google Ads account?

Topics you'll find on this site