Google Ads Agency Melbourne

Google Ads for the new era of search
We plan, build and run Google Ads that turn search demand into leads, sales and profit. Search, Performance Max, Shopping and YouTube, all managed by our in-house team of experts who understand how to strike the balance between automation and control.
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Brands that trust us with their Google Ads
Google Ads

How Google Ads works now, and what that means for your account

Google's use of AI in its advertising platform has accelerated in recent years. It can now decide which searches your ads match, write new versions of your copy, pick the landing page and place your ads in AI Overviews, AI Mode, YouTube and Gmail as well as the search results.

This has made quality inputs as important as ever to get the most from your account performance. Top performing accounts are now the ones feeding Google the best conversion data, the most targeted creative and the right guardrails. This is where our team spends their time optimising your campaigns.

Google’s AI handlesWe control
Matching ads to searches (AI Max, broad match)Negative keywords, brand exclusions and search term reviews every week
Writing headline and description variationsApproved messaging, brand guidelines and pinned copy where it matters
Choosing landing pages (final URL expansion)URL exclusions so traffic only lands on pages that convert
Setting bids in every auctionWhat counts as a conversion, what each one is worth, and the targets bids work to
Spreading spend across channels in Performance MaxChannel reporting, placement exclusions and budget splits by product or service line
Google Ads

Google Ads today,
by the numbers

Search is still where buying decisions start, and advertisers are backing it. Google's search ad revenue grew 17% year on year in the June 2026 quarter.

87.9%

of Australian searches happen on Google. Your customers still search there first.

1 billion+

monthly users of Google's AI Mode. AI is growing Google's audience, and ads now show inside AI answers.

8.18%

average conversion rate for search ads across 23 industries. Few channels convert this well.

First drop in 5 years

Average cost per lead on Google and Microsoft Ads fell in 2026

26%

average lift in incremental ROAS for advertisers who connect their offline and CRM data to Google.

7%

more conversions or conversion value on average from AI Max for Search, set up with its full feature set.

Is your account keeping up?

Every industry is different, so our audit benchmarks your account against yours. If you're below it, your budget is working harder for your competitors than for you.

Get a Google Ads audit
What we Manage

Google Ads management across every campaign type

Search and AI Max

Reach people the moment they search for your product or service. We build tight keyword and ad structures, then use AI Max to find the extra searches that convert, with brand, URL and search term controls in place from day one.

Performance Max

One campaign across Search, Shopping, YouTube, Display, Gmail, Discover and Maps. We shape it with audience signals, strong assets and channel-level reporting, so you can see where the money goes and what it returns.

Google Shopping

Product ads that show price, image and reviews before the click. We clean up your Merchant Centre feed, group products by margin and bid toward profit, not just revenue.

Google Shopping →

Demand Gen and YouTube

Video, image and carousel ads across YouTube, Shorts, Gmail and Discover to build demand before people search. This is also where Display campaigns now live.

YouTube ads →

Remarketing and Customer Match

Bring back people who visited but didn't buy, and use your customer lists to reach lookalike audiences or exclude existing customers from acquisition spend.

Google remarketing →

Microsoft Advertising

Bing, Copilot and partner sites reach searchers Google misses, often at a lower cost per click. Campaigns tend to convert well, with the same keyword targeting options as Google.

Microsoft ads →
Measurement
Tracking that tells Google what a good customer looks like

Google's bidding is only as smart as the data you give it. If it can only see form fills, it will find you more form fills, including the ones that never become customers. We set up measurement so it learns from verified conversion signals to keep your campaign performance high.

Conversion tracking audit
We check every conversion action in Google Ads, GA4 or your CRM, remove duplicates and set clear primary goals.
Enhanced conversions and consent mode
Fill the gaps left by cookie limits and privacy settings, so reporting and bidding stay accurate.
CRM and offline conversions
Feed qualified leads, booked jobs and closed sales from HubSpot, Salesforce or your CRM back into Google Ads.
Value-based bidding
Give each conversion a value that reflects margin or lead quality, so bids favour your most profitable customers.
Reporting you can act on
A live dashboard, regular WIP and a monthly review that covers cost per acquisition, return on ad spend, revenue and what we're doing next.
AI Overviews and AI Mode

Get your ads seen in Google's AI answers

More searches now end with an AI-generated answer at the top of the page. In Australia, ads can show above, below and inside AI Overviews, and Google is rolling out new ad formats inside AI Mode. You don't buy these placements separately. Your ads become eligible through AI Max for Search, broad match, Shopping and Performance Max.

AI Search Optimisation

What we do to get you there

Set up AI Max and broad match with the controls to keep spend on relevant searches
Keep your product feed complete and accurate, so Shopping ads can show in AI results
Write landing pages and assets that answer the questions people ask AI
Line up paid and organic, so you show in the answer whether it's an ad or a citation
Our process
How we run your Google Ads
01

Audit

We review your account, tracking, landing pages and competitors, and show you where budget is being wasted.

02

Strategy

We agree on goals, targets and budget split by product, service or location, tied to what the business needs to hit.

03

Build

Campaign structure, conversion tracking, feeds, audiences and creative, set up properly before pushing more budget.

04

Optimise

Regular structured search term and placement reviews, bid and budget changes, ad and landing page tests.

05

Report and plan

A live dashboard, regular WIPs, a monthly performance review and a clear plan for the month ahead.

Our client-facing team are experienced ad specialists so you'll always have access to direct, clear advice on your account.

Results we've delivered

Tiger Mist

Ferocious organic and paid performance for world-class ecomm fashion juggernaught.

Häagen-Dazs

Sweet, premium social strategy driving indulgent engagement.

Natio

Radiant digital growth cultivated for iconic plant-based skincare & beauty legends.

See all recent work

Google Ads FAQs

How do you manage AI Max without losing control of search terms?
When does Performance Max make sense alongside Search and Shopping?
How do you get CRM and offline conversion data into Google Ads?
How do you measure incrementality, not just platform-reported ROAS?
How do you set up value-based bidding for lead generation?
How do you protect brand spend and stop cannibalisation?
Can we show in AI Overviews and AI Mode, and how is it reported?
How is privacy and signal loss affecting your measurement?
How do you handle the Display to Demand Gen migration?
How do you work with our in-house team and other agencies?
Who owns the account and the data?
Why choose Clearwater as your Google Ads agency?

Get more from your Google Ads budget