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Advanced Google Ads Campaigns for Roofing Companies: Display, Remarketing & Performance Max

Advanced Google Ads Campaigns for Roofing Companies: Display, Remarketing & Performance Max

You’ve mastered Google Search Ads. You’re generating 20+ leads per month. Your campaigns are profitable. You know your numbers, you’ve optimized your keywords, and your ROI is solid.

But you’re hitting a ceiling.

There’s only so much search volume in your market. Even if you bid on every relevant keyword at top positions, you can only capture so many people actively searching for a roofer right now. You want to scale beyond 30-40 leads per month, but cranking up your Search campaign budget isn’t getting you there anymore.

Here’s what most roofing companies don’t realize: Search Ads represent only 30-40% of Google’s advertising inventory.

The other 60-70%? Display ads on millions of websites. Video ads on YouTube. Ads in Gmail. Ads in the Google Discover feed. Performance Max campaigns that show everywhere. These advanced campaign types reach people BEFORE they search, while they’re browsing, researching, or thinking about their roof.

And most of your competitors aren’t using them.

This is where the next level of growth happens. But—and this is critical—advanced campaigns only work if you’ve already nailed the basics. Jump in too early, and you’ll waste money. Jump in at the right time with the right strategy, and you’ll 2-3× your lead volume while maintaining profitability.

In this guide, I’ll show you:

  • When you’re actually ready for advanced campaigns (don’t skip this)
  • Display and remarketing strategies that work for roofing
  • How Performance Max campaigns work (and when to use them)
  • Demand Gen campaigns for brand building
  • Smart Bidding strategies that actually improve ROI
  • How to allocate budget across all campaign types

Let’s scale your roofing lead generation.

Are You Ready for Advanced Campaigns? (Self-Assessment)

Before we dive into tactics, let’s be honest about where you are.

Don’t Run Advanced Campaigns If:

❌ Your Search campaigns aren’t profitable yet

  • If you’re not making money on Search (the easiest, highest-intent traffic), you won’t on Display or Performance Max

❌ You’re spending less than $5,000/month total

  • Advanced campaigns need budget to test and learn
  • Under $5K, focus 100% on Search

❌ You don’t have conversion tracking set up properly

  • Advanced campaigns rely on Google’s AI learning from conversions
  • No tracking = AI can’t optimize = wasted money

❌ Your website isn’t optimized for conversions

  • If your landing pages convert at 3%, fix that before spending on advanced campaigns
  • Should be 8-12% for roofing

❌ You haven’t built any audiences

  • No customer email lists
  • No website traffic to remarket to
  • Starting from zero

You’re Ready for Advanced Campaigns If:

✅ Search campaigns consistently profitable

  • 4× ROI or better for at least 3 months
  • Cost per lead is predictable
  • You understand what works

✅ Monthly budget of $5,000+

  • Enough to test while maintaining Search campaigns
  • Can allocate $1,000-$2,000 to experiments

✅ Conversion tracking working perfectly

  • You know exactly which keywords drive leads
  • Call tracking is set up
  • Form submissions tracked
  • You trust your data

✅ You have website traffic

  • 1,000+ visitors/month minimum
  • Enough to build remarketing audiences
  • More traffic = more people to remarket to

✅ You want to scale beyond search volume limits

  • You’re maxing out impression share on Search
  • You’re ready to capture people earlier in the journey

✅ You’re willing to test and be patient

  • 60-90 day learning period
  • Not every campaign wins immediately
  • You can handle some losses while testing

The Mindset Shift You Need

Search Ads spoil you.

Search Ads:

  • Someone searches “emergency roof repair”
  • Clicks your ad
  • Calls you within 5 minutes
  • Clear, direct ROI

Advanced Campaigns:

  • Someone sees your ad while reading news
  • Doesn’t click immediately
  • Sees your ad 3 more times over 2 weeks
  • Then searches your brand name
  • Then converts

Which campaign gets credit? The brand Search ad (last click). But the Display ads did the work.

You need to think about:

  • Attribution windows (30-90 days)
  • Assisted conversions (ads that helped but didn’t get final credit)
  • Brand lift (are more people searching for you?)
  • View-through conversions (saw ad, didn’t click, but converted later)

If you only care about immediate, last-click ROI, stick with Search. If you’re ready to build a comprehensive lead generation system, let’s go.

Budget Allocation Framework

Starting point for companies ready to scale:

Campaign Type% of BudgetPurpose
Search Ads60%Foundation – consistent leads
Remarketing20%Low-hanging fruit – re-engage visitors
Performance Max or Demand Gen15%Testing/scaling
Experimental5%New tactics, audiences

As you scale, this might evolve to:

  • Search: 40-50%
  • Remarketing: 20%
  • Performance Max: 20-25%
  • Demand Gen: 10-15%

Display & Remarketing Campaigns: The Gateway Drug to Advanced

Start here. Remarketing is the easiest, highest-ROI advanced campaign type.

What Is Display Advertising?

Display ads are visual ads (images, not just text) that show across Google’s Display Network:

  • 2+ million websites: News sites, blogs, forums
  • YouTube: Before, during, and alongside videos
  • Gmail: Promotions tab
  • Mobile apps: Games, utilities, etc.

Instead of showing when someone searches, Display ads show when someone browses.

The Two Types of Display Campaigns for Roofing

1. Remarketing (Start Here First)

What it is: Show ads to people who already visited your website but didn’t convert.

Why it works brilliantly for roofing:

The average roof replacement decision takes 30-90 days from first research to hiring.

Here’s what happens without remarketing:

  1. Homeowner searches “roof replacement [city]”
  2. Clicks your ad, visits your landing page
  3. Looks good, but they’re not ready yet
  4. They close the browser
  5. Over next month, they visit 5 other roofing sites
  6. They forget about you
  7. When they’re ready, they call whoever they remember

Here’s what happens WITH remarketing:

  1. Same scenario—they visit but don’t convert
  2. For the next 60 days, they see your ads:
    • While reading news: “Still thinking about your roof? We’re here to help.”
    • On YouTube: Video showing your recent project
    • In Gmail: “Schedule your free estimate today”
  3. You stay top-of-mind
  4. When they’re ready, they remember YOU and call

The psychology: It typically takes 7-13 touchpoints before someone makes a buying decision on a major purchase. Remarketing gives you those touchpoints.

Setting Up Remarketing:

Step 1: Install the Remarketing Tag

Google provides a snippet of code to add to your website. Once installed, it tracks visitors and adds them to audiences.

Step 2: Build Your Audiences

Create different audiences for different behaviors:

  • All website visitors (30-day window)
    • Anyone who visited any page
    • Broadest audience
  • Visited services page (60-day window)
    • More interested than homepage-only visitors
    • Can show more aggressive ads
  • Started contact form but didn’t submit (90-day window)
    • Highest intent
    • Almost converted
    • Show urgency messaging: “Still need an estimate? We’re here to help”
  • Blog readers (30-day window)
    • Read your content
    • Early research phase
    • Softer messaging
  • Viewed pricing page (60-day window)
    • Price-sensitive
    • Considering options
    • Show financing offers

Step 3: Create Display Ads

What makes a good remarketing ad for roofing:

✅ Before/After photos of your actual work (not stock images)

  • “Remember us? See what we did for the Johnsons last week.”

✅ Customer testimonial image

  • Photo of happy customer + quote
  • “Sarah M. said: ‘Best roofer in [City]. Done in 2 days!'”

✅ Limited-time offer (if applicable)

  • “Schedule your free estimate this month”
  • “Spring special: Free gutter inspection with every roof replacement”

✅ Reminder with credibility

  • “Still researching roofers? We’re licensed, insured, and have 500+ 5-star reviews.”

✅ Address the hesitation

  • “Worried about cost? We offer flexible financing.”
  • “Not sure about quality? See our 50 recent projects.”

Ad Sizes to Create:

  • 300×250 (Medium Rectangle) – most common
  • 728×90 (Leaderboard)
  • 160×600 (Wide Skyscraper)
  • 320×50 (Mobile Banner)

Create 4-6 ad variations to test which resonates.

Step 4: Set Your Budget

Start with: $500-$1,000/month for remarketing

What to expect:

  • CPC: $0.50-$3.00 (much cheaper than Search)
  • Impressions: 50,000-100,000/month (lots of visibility)
  • Clicks: 200-500/month
  • Conversions: 10-20 (2-4% conversion rate)
  • Cost per lead: $50-$100 (significantly cheaper than Search)

Why CPL is so much lower:

  • These people already know you
  • They’ve already visited your site
  • You’re just reminding them

ROI on remarketing: Often 8-15×, one of your highest-performing campaign types

Pro Tip: Frequency Capping

Don’t show someone your ad 50 times in one day. They’ll get annoyed.

Set frequency cap: 3-5 impressions per person per day

This keeps you visible without being intrusive.

2. Strategic Placement Display Ads

Once remarketing is working, you can expand to showing ads on specific websites your customers frequent.

For roofing companies, target placements like:

Weather Websites:

  • weather.com
  • wunderground.com
  • Local TV station weather pages

Why this works: People check weather before and after storms—perfect time to show roofing ads.

Local News Sites:

  • Your city’s newspaper website
  • Local news stations
  • Community news sites

Home Improvement Sites:

  • Houzz.com
  • thisoldhouse.com
  • familyhandyman.com

Real Estate Sites:

  • Zillow
  • Realtor.com
  • Local MLS sites

(People researching homes often need work done)

Setup:

  1. Google Ads → Display Campaign → “Target specific content”
  2. Choose “Placements”
  3. Add the websites you want
  4. Set separate bids for each

Budget: $300-$800/month for testing

Expected performance:

  • Lower conversion rate than remarketing (these are cold audiences)
  • Good for brand awareness
  • Measure with view-through conversions

Remarketing Lists for Search Ads (RLSA) – Hidden Gem

This is advanced but powerful.

What it is: Apply your remarketing audiences to your Search campaigns, then adjust bids.

Why it’s powerful:

Someone who previously visited your website and THEN searches “roof replacement” is much more likely to convert than a brand new searcher.

Example:

  • Normal bid for “roof replacement [city]”: $25
  • RLSA bid for someone who visited your site before: $35-$40

You can justify the higher bid because:

  • Their conversion rate is 2× higher
  • They already know your brand
  • They’re coming back—high intent

Setup:

  1. Go to your Search campaigns
  2. Add your remarketing audience as “Observation” (not targeting)
  3. Set bid adjustment: +40% to +100%

Result: You win more auctions for these high-value searchers while maintaining efficiency.

Performance Max Campaigns: Google’s AI Takes the Wheel

Performance Max (P-Max) is Google’s newest campaign type and represents a fundamental shift in how Google Ads works.

What Is Performance Max?

Instead of creating separate campaigns for Search, Display, YouTube, etc., Performance Max is ONE campaign that shows everywhere.

Where Performance Max ads can show:

  • Google Search
  • Google Display Network (2M+ websites)
  • YouTube
  • Gmail
  • Google Discover feed
  • Google Maps

How it works:

  1. You provide assets (headlines, descriptions, images, videos)
  2. You provide audience signals (who to target)
  3. You set conversion goals (calls, form fills, bookings)
  4. Google’s AI automatically:
    • Creates ads from your assets
    • Tests different combinations
    • Shows ads across all Google properties
    • Optimizes toward your goal
    • Adjusts bids in real-time

One campaign = everywhere.

Performance Max for Roofing: Pros & Cons

Pros:

✅ Maximum reach – Show up everywhere Google has inventory
✅ AI optimization – Google finds converting audiences you wouldn’t have targeted
✅ Less management – No need to run 5 different campaign types separately
✅ Finds hidden opportunities – Discovers placements and audiences that work
✅ Good for scale – Can drive volume beyond Search limits

Cons:

❌ Less control – You don’t choose where ads show
❌ Black box – Limited visibility into what’s working
❌ Learning period – Needs 60-90 days and lots of data
❌ Can cannibalize Search – Might take budget from profitable Search campaigns if not set up correctly
❌ Requires good assets – Garbage in, garbage out

When Should Roofing Companies Use Performance Max?

Use Performance Max if:

✅ You have $8,000+/month total budget
✅ You’ve maxed out Search campaign volume (limited by impressions, not budget)
✅ You have good creative assets (photos, ideally videos)
✅ You’re willing to be patient through learning period
✅ You want to expand beyond search-only advertising
✅ You have solid conversion tracking

DON’T use Performance Max if:

❌ You’re just starting with Google Ads
❌ Total budget under $3,000/month
❌ You want granular control over every placement
❌ Your Search campaigns aren’t profitable yet
❌ You don’t have good images/videos

Golden Rule: Don’t replace Search campaigns with P-Max. Run them alongside.

Performance Max Setup for Roofing Companies

Step 1: Gather Your Assets

Headlines (provide 5-15): Mix different angles:

  • Emergency focus: “24/7 Emergency Roof Repair | [City]”
  • Trust signals: “Licensed & Insured | 500+ 5-Star Reviews”
  • Service specific: “Roof Replacement Experts | Free Estimates”
  • Local: “Top-Rated Roofer in [City] Since 2005”
  • Benefit-driven: “Same-Day Service | Lifetime Warranties”

Descriptions (provide 5-15):

  • “Storm damage? Leak? We respond fast. Licensed local roofers with 20+ years experience in [City].”
  • “Free roof inspection and estimate. Most repairs completed same day. Call now for immediate service.”
  • “Specializing in roof replacement, repair, and emergency services. Financing available. Licensed, insured, and highly rated.”

Images (provide 10-20):

  • Before/after photos of roof projects
  • Your crew actively working on a roof
  • Completed projects from multiple angles
  • Happy customers (with permission)
  • Your trucks/branding
  • Close-ups of quality workmanship
  • Storm damage examples

Image specs:

  • Landscape (1.91:1) – 1200×628px
  • Square (1:1) – 1200×1200px
  • Portrait (4:5) – 960×1200px

Videos (optional but highly recommended):

  • 30-second project showcase
  • Customer testimonial
  • Before/after transformation
  • Storm damage response

Even a simple smartphone video works better than no video.

Logo:

  • Square version (1:1)
  • Landscape version if you have it

Step 2: Set Audience Signals (CRITICAL)

This is where most people mess up. Audience signals tell Google WHO to target initially.

Upload these signals:

  1. Customer Match list
    • Email addresses of past customers
    • Google will find similar people
  2. Website visitors
    • People who visited your site (remarketing audience)
  3. Custom segments
    • “In-market for home improvement”
    • “Recently moved” (new homeowners need work done)
    • Homeowners age 35-70
    • Household income $75K+
  4. Geographic
    • Your specific service ZIP codes
    • More precise than city-level

The more signals you provide, the faster Google learns.

Step 3: Set Conversion Goals

Tell Google what you want:

  • Phone calls (30+ seconds)
  • Contact form submissions
  • “Schedule estimate” button clicks
  • Appointment bookings (if you have online booking)

Assign values if possible:

  • Emergency call: $150 value
  • Replacement form fill: $300 value
  • Helps Google prioritize higher-value conversions

Step 4: Set Budget

Minimum for P-Max: $2,000/month Recommended: $3,000-$5,000/month

Lower than this and the AI doesn’t have enough spend to test and learn.

Step 5: CRITICAL – Brand Exclusions

Problem: P-Max will compete with your branded Search campaigns for your company name.

Solution: Add your company name as a negative keyword at the account level, or use brand exclusions.

In P-Max settings:

  • Add “Brand exclusions”
  • List your company name and variations

This ensures P-Max focuses on new customer acquisition, not capturing people already searching for you.

Performance Max Best Practices

1. Don’t replace Search campaigns

Run P-Max ALONGSIDE your Search campaigns, not instead of them.

Budget allocation:

  • 50-60% Search
  • 30-40% P-Max
  • 10% Remarketing

2. Give it 60 days minimum

Realistic timeline:

  • Weeks 1-2: High spend, low conversions (learning)
  • Weeks 3-4: Starting to improve
  • Weeks 5-8: Approaching profitability
  • Week 9+: Should be performing well

Don’t panic in week 2. The AI is learning.

3. Monitor “Insights” regularly

Google provides limited but useful data:

Search Terms Insights:

  • See what search queries triggered your ads
  • Add irrelevant ones as negatives

Asset Performance:

  • See which headlines/images perform best
  • Pause low performers
  • Create more of what works

Audience Insights:

  • See which audience signals drive conversions
  • Double down on winners

4. Feed it quality assets

Better assets = better performance.

If you give Google:

  • Generic stock photos
  • Vague headlines
  • No video

You’ll get mediocre results.

If you give Google:

  • Real before/after photos
  • Specific, compelling headlines
  • Customer testimonial videos

You’ll get better results. Simple as that.

5. Use Conversion Value Rules (Advanced)

If you can, assign different values to different conversions:

  • Emergency call from storm zip code: $200
  • Replacement form fill from wealthy neighborhood: $400
  • General inquiry: $100

Google will optimize for higher-value conversions.

Performance Max: Expected Results

Month 1-2:

  • Cost per lead: $400-$600 (while learning)
  • Might lose money
  • This is normal

Month 3-4:

  • Cost per lead: $300-$400
  • Approaching break-even or slight profit

Month 5+:

  • Cost per lead: $250-$350
  • Should match or beat Search campaign performance
  • Higher volume than Search alone

Realistic ROI once optimized: 4-7×

Demand Gen Campaigns: The Brand Builder

Demand Gen is Google’s newest campaign type (launched 2024), replacing Discovery campaigns.

What Is Demand Gen?

Where ads show:

  • YouTube: In-feed, in-stream, Shorts
  • Google Discover: The feed on Google mobile homepage
  • Gmail: Promotions and Social tabs

The focus: Visual, engaging content that reaches people BEFORE they’re actively searching.

Think of it as: The digital version of a billboard, but targetable and trackable.

Should Roofing Companies Use Demand Gen?

Honest answer: Most small-to-mid-sized roofing companies should skip it and focus on Search + P-Max.

Demand Gen makes sense for:

✅ Larger roofing companies ($3M+ annual revenue)
✅ Companies with video content and strong visuals
✅ Markets where you want broad brand awareness
✅ Supplement to strong Search campaigns (not replacement)
✅ Geographic expansion into new markets

It’s NOT ideal for:

❌ Small budgets (under $5,000/month total)
❌ Companies without video content
❌ If you need immediate, direct-response leads
❌ No patience for 90+ day attribution windows

Demand Gen Use Cases for Roofing

Use Case 1: Storm Season Preparation

Strategy: Run video ads in your area 4-6 weeks before typical storm season:

Message: “Storm season is coming. Is your roof ready? Free inspection.”

Goal: Build awareness BEFORE emergencies hit. When the storm comes and they need a roofer, they remember your brand.

Budget: $1,500-$2,500/month for 2-3 months

Use Case 2: Premium/High-End Services

Strategy: Target affluent neighborhoods with premium messaging.

Creative: Showcase high-end materials (slate, copper, architectural shingles, metal roofing)

Targeting:

  • Household income $150K+
  • Specific luxury neighborhoods
  • Age 45-65

Goal: Position yourself as the luxury roofer, not the cheap option.

Use Case 3: Geographic Expansion

Strategy: Entering a new city? Run Demand Gen for 60 days before launching Search campaigns.

Goal: Warm up the market, build awareness, introduce your brand.

Then: When you launch Search campaigns, people already recognize your company name. Higher click-through rates and conversion rates.

Demand Gen Setup

Required Assets:

Videos (essential):

  • 15-30 seconds optimal
  • Project showcases
  • Customer testimonials
  • Storm damage response/before-after

Images:

  • High-quality project photos
  • Square and landscape formats

Headlines & Descriptions:

  • Similar to P-Max assets
  • More brand-focused, less direct-response

Targeting:

Demographics:

  • Homeowners
  • Age 35-70
  • Household income $60K+ (adjust for your market)

Interests & Behaviors:

  • Home improvement enthusiasts
  • “Recently moved” life event
  • DIY & home repair content consumers

Custom Segments:

  • People who watch home improvement videos
  • Visit home improvement websites
  • Search home repair terms

Budget:

Minimum: $1,500/month
Recommended: $2,000-$3,000/month

Less than this and you won’t get enough data to evaluate performance.

Measuring Demand Gen Success

This is tricky because Demand Gen rarely gets direct conversions.

Don’t measure: Direct conversion rate (you’ll be disappointed)

DO measure:

1. View-Through Conversions

  • Someone saw your ad (didn’t click)
  • Within 30 days, they converted
  • Your ad influenced the decision

2. Brand Search Lift

  • Are more people searching your company name?
  • Compare brand search volume before/after Demand Gen launch
  • Use Google Trends or your Search campaign data

3. Assisted Conversions

  • Attribution reports in Google Ads
  • See how many conversions had Demand Gen touchpoint in the path

4. Engagement Rate

  • Video view rate
  • Click-through rate
  • High engagement = message resonates

Think of Demand Gen as: Building a pipeline. It fills the top of your funnel. Search campaigns close them at the bottom.

Smart Bidding Strategies: Let the AI Optimize

Smart Bidding is Google’s automated bidding using machine learning to optimize bids in real-time.

Manual vs. Smart Bidding

Manual CPC Bidding:

  • You set: “$25 per click for this keyword”
  • Google always bids around $25
  • No adjustment based on conversion likelihood

Smart Bidding:

  • You set: “Get me leads at $300 each”
  • Google adjusts bids automatically:
    • Bids $40 for a searcher likely to convert
    • Bids $15 for a searcher unlikely to convert
  • Optimizes for your goal

The Smart Bidding Options

1. Maximize Conversions

What it does: Get the most conversions possible within your budget

How it works:

  • You set daily budget: $150/day
  • Google spends all of it
  • Focuses on volume, not efficiency

Best for:

  • New campaigns (first 30 days)
  • When you want to gather data fast
  • When you don’t know your target cost yet

For roofing: Good starting point. Let Google gather 50-100 conversions, then switch to Target CPA.

2. Target CPA (Cost Per Acquisition)

What it does: Get conversions at or below your target cost

How it works:

  • You set target: “$300 per lead”
  • Google adjusts bids to hit that average
  • Some leads might cost $400, others $200, average $300

Best for:

  • Established campaigns with history
  • When you know your numbers
  • Predictable lead costs more important than volume

For roofing: This is the sweet spot for most established campaigns.

Use this once you have:

  • 30+ conversions in last 30 days
  • Stable conversion rate
  • Clear target CPL

Setup:

  • Calculate your profitable CPL (see Article 1.1 on CLV)
  • Set Target CPA 10-20% better than current performance
  • Let Google optimize

3. Target ROAS (Return on Ad Spend)

What it does: Maximize revenue at your target return

How it works:

  • You set target: “I want $5 back for every $1 spent”
  • Google optimizes for revenue, not just conversions

Best for:

  • E-commerce (not typical for roofing)
  • When you track actual job revenue in Google Ads
  • Different jobs have different values

For roofing: Only use if you’re passing job values back to Google (advanced tracking).

Most roofing companies won’t use this.

4. Maximize Conversion Value

What it does: Get highest total value within budget

How it works:

  • You assign values to different conversions
  • Google prioritizes high-value conversions

For roofing: Could work if you assign values:

  • Emergency repair call: $150
  • Replacement form fill: $300
  • Commercial inquiry: $500

Requires: Sophisticated tracking and conversion value setup.

5. Enhanced CPC (eCPC)

What it does: You set bids manually, Google adjusts up/down by ~30%

How it works:

  • You bid $25 on a keyword
  • Google sees someone likely to convert: bids $32
  • Google sees someone unlikely: bids $18

Best for:

  • Transitioning from manual to smart bidding
  • Want to keep some control
  • Testing the waters

For roofing: Good intermediate step between manual and full smart bidding.

Which Smart Bidding Should Roofing Companies Use?

My Recommended Progression:

Phase 1 (Month 1-2): Manual CPC

  • Why: Learn what works
  • You control bids
  • Gather data on what converts
  • Understand your market

Phase 2 (Month 3-4): Enhanced CPC

  • Why: Keep control, add AI assistance
  • Maintain your bid strategy
  • Let Google make small adjustments
  • Test if smart bidding helps

Phase 3 (Month 5+): Target CPA

  • Why: Full optimization
  • Once you have 50+ conversions/month
  • Set your target CPL
  • Let Google fully optimize

Stay on Target CPA long-term unless you’re tracking job revenue (then consider Target ROAS).

Smart Bidding Requirements for Success

1. Conversion Volume

Smart Bidding needs data to learn.

Minimum: 30 conversions/month
Better: 50+/month
Optimal: 100+/month

If you’re below 30/month: Stick with manual or Enhanced CPC.

2. Accurate Conversion Tracking

This cannot be overstated: Smart Bidding is only as good as your conversion tracking.

Track: ✅ Phone calls (30+ seconds)
✅ Form submissions
✅ Chat initiated

Don’t track: ❌ Thank you page views (people can visit without converting)
❌ Pageviews
❌ Clicks to phone number (many misclicks)

3. Stable Conversion Rate

If your conversion rate bounces between 3% and 15% week-to-week, Smart Bidding struggles.

Stabilize first:

  • Fix landing pages
  • Improve response time
  • Consistent follow-up

Then implement Smart Bidding.

4. Realistic Targets

Wrong approach:

  • Current CPL: $300
  • Set Target CPA: $150
  • Google can’t hit it, campaigns suffer

Right approach:

  • Current CPL: $300
  • Set Target CPA: $280 (slightly better)
  • Let Google optimize
  • Lower target gradually as performance improves

Start close to current performance, improve incrementally.

Smart Bidding Best Practices

1. Be Patient During Learning Period

Weeks 1-2: Performance may dip (AI is learning)
Weeks 3-4: Should approach previous performance
Weeks 5+: Should improve beyond manual bidding

Don’t: Panic and switch back after one bad week.

2. Don’t Switch Strategies Constantly

Switching between bidding strategies resets the learning period.

Pick one strategy, commit for 60 days minimum.

3. Monitor Search Impression Share

If you’re not showing for searches due to budget constraints, Smart Bidding can’t optimize properly.

Check: Search Impression Share Lost (Budget)

If over 30%, you need more budget for Smart Bidding to work effectively.

4. Provide Seasonal Adjustments

During storm season, demand and conversion rates change.

You can tell Google: “In May-June, increase bids by 20%” (seasonality adjustments)

Helps the AI account for patterns.

5. Set Bid Limits (Optional Safety Net)

Worried about runaway spending?

Set maximum CPC limits:

  • Target CPA bidding
  • But max CPC: $50

Google won’t exceed $50 per click even if the AI thinks it’ll convert.

Use sparingly – too many limits hamstring the AI.

Common Smart Bidding Mistakes

Mistake #1: Not Enough Conversion Data

Running Target CPA with 10 conversions/month = doesn’t work.

Fix: Hit 30+ conversions/month first.

Mistake #2: Unrealistic Targets

Setting Target CPA 50% below current CPL.

Fix: Set achievable targets, improve gradually.

Mistake #3: Switching Too Often

Changing strategies every 2 weeks.

Fix: Commit to 60+ days per strategy.

Mistake #4: Poor Conversion Tracking

Tracking page views instead of actual leads.

Fix: Track only genuine conversion actions.

Mistake #5: Combining with Manual Bid Adjustments

Using Target CPA but also manually adjusting bids constantly.

Fix: Let the AI work. You can’t micromanage Smart Bidding.

Budget Allocation Across All Campaign Types

Now that you understand all the options, how do you split your budget?

Budget Allocation by Total Spend

$5,000/month total:

  • 70% Search ($3,500)
  • 20% Remarketing ($1,000)
  • 10% Testing P-Max ($500)

$8,000/month total:

  • 60% Search ($4,800)
  • 20% Remarketing ($1,600)
  • 15% Performance Max ($1,200)
  • 5% Testing ($400)

$10,000/month total:

  • 50% Search ($5,000)
  • 25% Remarketing ($2,500)
  • 20% Performance Max ($2,000)
  • 5% Demand Gen/Testing ($500)

$15,000/month total:

  • 45% Search ($6,750)
  • 20% Remarketing ($3,000)
  • 25% Performance Max ($3,750)
  • 10% Demand Gen ($1,500)

$25,000+/month total:

  • 40% Search ($10,000)
  • 20% Remarketing ($5,000)
  • 25% Performance Max ($6,250)
  • 10% Demand Gen ($2,500)
  • 5% Testing/Experimental ($1,250)

The Scaling Path

Don’t try to run everything at once.

Month 1-3:

  • Master Search campaigns
  • Get profitable
  • Build tracking foundation

Month 4-6:

  • Add Remarketing
  • Easy win, high ROI
  • Build audiences

Month 7-9:

  • Test Performance Max
  • Start with small budget
  • Let it learn

Month 10-12:

  • Scale what works
  • Consider Demand Gen
  • Optimize across all types

Year 2+:

  • Sophisticated multi-channel strategy
  • Advanced attribution
  • Market domination

Measuring Success Across Campaign Types

Different campaigns require different success metrics.

Search Campaigns

Primary metrics:

  • Cost per lead
  • Conversion rate
  • Lead-to-close rate
  • Direct ROI

Target: 5-8× ROI

Remarketing

Primary metrics:

  • Cost per remarketing lead
  • Return visitor conversion rate
  • Assisted conversions
  • View-through conversions

Target: 8-15× ROI

Performance Max

Primary metrics:

  • Overall conversion volume
  • Cost per lead across all placements
  • Incremental lift (leads beyond Search)
  • Asset performance

Target: 4-7× ROI once mature

Demand Gen

Primary metrics:

  • View-through conversions
  • Brand search volume lift
  • Video engagement rate
  • Assisted conversions

Target: Not direct ROI, but 20-30% brand search lift

Attribution Models: The Big Picture

Use Data-Driven Attribution (if you have enough conversions).

Why it matters:

Example customer journey:

  1. Sees Demand Gen video ad (doesn’t click)
  2. Two weeks later, sees remarketing ad (clicks, doesn’t convert)
  3. Week later, searches your brand name (clicks, calls you, becomes job)

Last-click attribution: Brand Search campaign gets 100% credit

Data-driven attribution:

  • Demand Gen: 30% credit
  • Remarketing: 30% credit
  • Brand Search: 40% credit

More accurate picture of what actually drives conversions.

Enable in Google Ads: Tools → Attribution → Select “Data-driven”

Requires 400+ conversions/month for full data-driven. Below that, use “Linear” or “Time decay.”

The Bottom Line

Advanced campaigns aren’t for everyone.

But if you’ve mastered Search, have the budget, and want to scale, they’re your next frontier.

The path forward:

Start with: Remarketing (easy, high ROI)
Scale with: Performance Max (reach everywhere)
Optimize with: Smart Bidding (let AI work)
Build brand with: Demand Gen (optional for most)

Don’t abandon Search. It’s your foundation. These advanced tactics amplify it.

The roofing companies winning in 2025 aren’t just running Search Ads. They’re showing up everywhere their customers are—search, websites, YouTube, Gmail, Discover. They’re staying visible throughout the entire decision journey.

That’s how you scale from 20 leads/month to 50+, from $1M to $3M, from competing to dominating.