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Google & Microsoft Ads · Oregon · Washington · Nationwide
Google & Microsoft Ads that bring leads while your SEO matures
Paid search puts you in front of people who are ready to buy, starting within days. I build and manage your campaigns on both platforms, cut the wasted spend, and show you plainly what every dollar is doing.
What gets managed
The short answer
What does Google & Microsoft Ads management involve?
I plan, build and run your paid search campaigns on Google and Microsoft, then optimize them every week so your budget goes to searches that actually turn into clients.
It’s for businesses that need leads now, not six months from now, and for those who’ve tried ads before and felt like they were paying for clicks that went nowhere. SEO and AI search optimization compound over time, but that takes months. Paid search fills the gap while your organic visibility builds.
Campaigns are usually live within about 7 days, and qualified leads often start coming in within the first few weeks (no one can honestly guarantee it). I’m certified in Google Ads Search, Google Ads Display and Microsoft Advertising, and I run every account myself. Management is quoted after a short conversation about your market and goals; your ad spend is set separately based on what your market needs.
What’s included
Complete management, from strategy to reporting
The difference between ads that work and ads that drain a budget is almost always strategy and attention, not the size of the budget.
Strategy & account structure
Structure decides whether your budget reaches the right searches or scatters across irrelevant ones. I start with your market, your competitors and what a lead is actually worth to you.
- Competitive landscape and keyword research
- Campaign and ad group architecture
- Budget allocation across platforms and campaigns
- Location targeting for Oregon, Washington or nationwide
Google Search with AI Max
AI Max is now the default for new Google Search campaigns. It can find good searches you’d never think to target, and it can also wander. I give it clear direction and tight guardrails.
- Intent-based keywords and match types
- Negative keywords and weekly search term review
- Responsive search ads, assets and copy testing
- Bid strategy tied to real conversions
Performance Max, with guardrails
Performance Max runs across Search, YouTube, Display, Gmail and Maps. It now supports negative keywords, brand exclusions and channel-level reporting, so it no longer has to be a black box.
- Negative keywords and brand exclusions
- Channel reporting to see where spend actually goes
- Audience signals and asset groups
- Used only where it outperforms Search alone
Display, where it fits
Display isn’t right for every business. When it is, usually for remarketing or building awareness in a defined area, I keep it targeted and measured.
- Remarketing to past site visitors
- Placement and audience exclusions
- Responsive display ads
- Clear limits so it never eats the Search budget
Microsoft Advertising & Copilot
Microsoft reaches people on Bing, its search partners and in Microsoft Copilot. Clicks are often cheaper and the auction is often less crowded than on Google. It also offers AI Max and Performance Max.
- Import from Google as a starting point, then tune
- Search, AI Max and Performance Max campaigns
- Eligibility for ad placements in Copilot
- Separate budgets and reporting per platform
Conversion tracking
You can’t optimize what you can’t measure. Accurate tracking connects ad spend to real outcomes, and it’s what the automated bidding learns from.
- Calls, form submissions and bookings
- Enhanced conversions
- Consent Mode v2 for privacy-compliant measurement
- GA4 and Microsoft UET integration
Landing-page guidance
A great ad sent to a weak page wastes money. I review where your ads point and give specific recommendations, or build better pages through my website design service.
- Message match between ad and page
- Speed and mobile experience
- Clear calls to action and simple forms
- Trust signals: reviews, credentials, real photos
Weekly optimization & transparent reporting
I’m in your accounts every week, not once a month. Reporting focuses on leads and cost per lead, written so you can actually read it. You work with me directly: no account managers, no junior staff.
- Weekly search term, bid and budget review
- Monthly report on spend, leads and cost per lead
- Monthly strategy conversation
- Direct email access to me
How it works
Live in about a week, sharper every week after
The first few weeks are a learning phase. Close attention then is what keeps the budget from leaking.
Strategy & setup
Market and competitor research, account structure, keywords, ad copy and conversion tracking, built right before anything spends.
Launch
Campaigns usually go live within about 7 days. I watch closely through the early weeks and adjust search terms, bids and ads fast.
Optimize weekly
Ongoing testing of copy, bidding and targeting, informed by real lead data. Cost per lead tends to improve as campaigns mature.
Report & scale
What works gets more budget; what doesn’t gets fixed or cut. Monthly reports show leads, cost per lead and what’s next.
Where ads show up in 2026
Search ads are moving into AI answers
Here’s what’s real right now, and what’s still an experiment.
Ads in AI Overviews
In the US, Search, Shopping and Performance Max ads can be eligible to appear in Google AI Overviews, except in sensitive categories. No one can buy a guaranteed spot. Well-structured campaigns and strong landing pages give you the best shot.
Ads in Copilot
Microsoft Advertising places ads inside Copilot conversations as well as Bing results. Running Microsoft campaigns is how you become eligible.
ChatGPT Ads (beta)
OpenAI opened a self-serve ads beta in 2026. It’s early and still changing. I can help you decide whether a small test makes sense, but I wouldn’t build a lead strategy on it yet.
A note for wellness and plant-medicine businesses: some of the industries I work with run into Google and Microsoft advertising policy limits. I’ll tell you upfront what’s allowed in your category before we spend anything.
The difference
Why ads with me feel different
Most frustration with paid search comes from how accounts are managed, not from the platforms themselves.
Typical PPC management
- Automation switched on and left to run
- Reports full of clicks and impressions
- Google only, by default
- Junior staff between quarterly check-ins
- Conversion tracking that counts the wrong things
How I run your ads
- AI Max and Performance Max with real guardrails
- Reports built around leads and cost per lead
- Google and Microsoft, wherever each one earns its place
- The certified specialist in your account every week
- Enhanced conversions, Consent Mode v2 and GA4 set up properly
Paid now, organic later
Ads should bring leads while organic builds
Paid search and SEO aren’t competing strategies. Ads fill your pipeline now; SEO and AI search optimization build visibility that keeps working without ongoing ad spend.
That’s exactly what happened with Arux Group, a Pacific Northwest security company based in Vancouver WA. They were running Google Ads while we rebuilt their site and organic presence. Within a year, organic and AI-driven leads were strong enough that the ads were paused.
702 → 15,411 / month
14 → 168 / month
Outcome
Organic and AI leads grew strong enough that Google Ads were paused.
Questions
Common questions about Google & Microsoft Ads
Budgets, timelines, automation and how paid search fits your bigger plan. Have a specific question? Email me directly.
How much should I budget for Google and Microsoft Ads?
It depends on your industry, your competition and how wide an area you’re targeting. For many local businesses, $1,500 to $3,000 a month in Google ad spend is a meaningful starting point, and Microsoft Advertising often needs less because its audience is smaller. Competitive industries or multi-location targeting can need more. I give you a specific recommendation after looking at your market.
How quickly will ads bring in leads?
Campaigns are usually live within about 7 days of kickoff, once conversion tracking is in place. Many accounts see qualified leads within the first few weeks, and cost per lead tends to improve over the first couple of months as the campaigns learn and I refine targeting. I can’t guarantee lead volume, but you’ll always see exactly where your money is going.
Is Microsoft Advertising worth running alongside Google Ads?
Often, yes. Microsoft ads reach people searching on Bing, Yahoo and DuckDuckGo and in Microsoft Copilot, and clicks are often cheaper because the auction is less crowded. I can import your proven Google campaigns as a starting point, then tune them for Microsoft’s audience. For some businesses it’s a small slice of the budget; for others it pulls real weight.
Will AI Max and Performance Max take control away from me?
Only if they’re left unmanaged. AI Max is now the default for new Google Search campaigns, and Performance Max now supports negative keywords, brand exclusions and channel-level reporting. I use those controls, review search terms every week, and keep the automation pointed at real leads instead of cheap clicks. Microsoft Advertising offers AI Max and Performance Max too, and I manage them the same way.
Can my ads appear in Google AI Overviews or ChatGPT?
In the US, Search, Shopping and Performance Max ads can be eligible to show in Google AI Overviews, except in sensitive categories. No one can buy a guaranteed spot there. Microsoft shows ads in Copilot. ChatGPT Ads opened as a self-serve beta in 2026; I can advise on whether a test makes sense for you, but it’s still an emerging channel.
Do you manage ads for businesses outside Vancouver and Portland?
Yes. My focus is Oregon and Washington, where I know the markets well, but I manage Google and Microsoft Ads for clients nationwide. Every account gets the same direct attention from me, wherever you’re located.
How do paid ads work alongside SEO and AI search?
They cover different timelines. Ads bring in leads now, while SEO and AI search optimization build visibility that compounds over months. Running both means you don’t have to choose between pipeline today and authority later. With Arux Group, organic and AI-driven leads grew strong enough that they paused their Google Ads.
Related services
Pair paid search with lasting visibility
Ads work best when the organic side is building at the same time.
Local SEO
Show up in Maps and the local pack across Vancouver, Portland and beyond, without paying per click.
Explore local SEO →AI search optimization
Get recommended in Google AI Overviews, ChatGPT, Perplexity and Copilot answers.
Explore AI search →Website SEO
Fix the technical and on-page issues that hold back both your rankings and your landing pages.
Explore website SEO →Website design
Fast, accessible pages built to convert the traffic your ads are paying for.
Explore website design →Further reading
Go deeper on this topic
Working locally? See how I approach websites and SEO in Vancouver, WA and in Portland, OR.
Let’s discuss your market
Paid search that brings qualified leads starts with strategy
Tell me about your business, your market and what you’ve tried. I’ll tell you honestly whether Google, Microsoft or both make sense for you right now.
Prefer email? nikki@rootandreachmedia.com