The State of Google Ads in 2026 (Episode 511)

Chris Schaefer, host of the Paid Search Podcast with over 20 years in Google Ads, shares candid observations from client work on the platform's state in 2026. Drawing from recent accounts, he highlights trends that surprise and frustrate him, including successes despite poor management and failures from overlooked basics.

Conversion Tracking as the Key Differentiator

Schaefer stresses that conversion tracking—covering phone calls, leads, and sales—separates long-term success from quick failure. One client with five years of steady conversions succeeded despite broad match keywords pulling unrelated but effective search terms like "ABC" instead of targeted "XYZ." Their serious tracking setup, improved recently, outweighed sloppy management.

In contrast, a second client without tracking constantly second-guesses spend, toggling budgets and pausing campaigns amid uncertainty about value delivered. A third, advised early to track but refusing site codes, faced a slow spring; metrics like traffic, CTR, CPC, and search terms stayed steady, but without baselines, Schaefer couldn't diagnose drops in leads—possibly from unmeasured organic traffic.