For anyone who isn't a Google Ads buyer

Never opened a Google Ads dashboard? Start here.

This workbook is a shared brain for everyone at SEO Navigator who touches a client's Google Ads account. The Google Ads Optimizer Team fills it in. The Strategist Team reviews it. The CRM Team feeds it data. Account managers read it before a client call. You don't need to know what a "bidding strategy" is to use it — but by the time you finish this tab, you'll know exactly which other tab to open when you have a question.

AThe 30-second mental model

Every important number in this pack lives in four versions side-by-side. The agent (or a human buyer) reads them left-to-right and uses the most specific value available.

For any number → look at This Client first → if empty, fall back to Agency Aggregate then → if empty, fall back to Skill Default.

Translation: "Use what we know about THIS client. If we don't know it, use what's true across all our clients. If we don't know that either, use the textbook default."

BThe four cell colors — with a real example

Throughout the pack you'll see numbers in four colors. Here's what each color actually means, using one real metric (Cost Per Lead) as the example. We'll use these same colors on every tab.

$70.11
Skill default SKL

What it is: The textbook number baked into the SEO Navigator skill on day one. Came from research, industry blogs, or starter assumptions.

"If we know nothing about this client and nothing about our agency averages, this is what we assume."

$28.50
Published benchmark PUB

What it is: A real, public number from a credible source (LocaliQ 2026, WordStream, Google). Context only — never used as the answer.

"LocaliQ surveyed thousands of auto repair accounts in 2026 and the average was this. So if our number is wildly different, we should know why."

$63.92
Agency aggregate AGY

What it is: The actual average across all 28 SEO Navigator clients, rolled up quarterly by the Strategist Team. This is our internal truth.

"Across the 28 detailing shops we run ads for, this is what a lead actually costs on average."

$106.38
This Client CLI

What it is: The specific number for the specific client you're working on right now. The Optimizer Team fills this in. Auto-saves as you type.

"For Sun Stoppers Charlotte in April 2026, this is what their leads actually cost."

⚠ +66%
Variance flag FLAG

What it is: An automatic red badge that fires when Agency Aggregate differs from Skill Default by more than 20%. It's a signal — not a problem.

"Our actual agency average is way off from the textbook default. Time to update the textbook (the skill markdown), because reality has shifted."

CWho does what

Four roles touch this pack. If you're not sure whether something is your job, this is where to look.

Media Buying
Google Ads Optimizer Team
Fills the This Client (blue) column for every active client. Runs the diagnostic when a campaign breaks.
Lives in: Tabs 01, 06, 09, 10, 11
Strategy
Strategist Team
Rolls up the Agency Aggregate (green) column quarterly. Decides which variance flags trigger a skill update.
Lives in: Tabs 11, 12, 14, Decision Log
CRM & Revenue Ops
CRM Team
Feeds back the closed-sale and offline-conversion data from GHL so we can compute real LTV and revenue, not just leads.
Lives in: Tabs 02, 04, 05
Account Management
Account Managers
Read Tab 01 (snapshot) and Tab 13 (client communication notes) before any client call. Never edit — read-only.
Lives in: Tabs 01, 13, 14

DTab roadmap — "If you want to…"

Don't read every tab. Use this lookup. Click the tab tag to jump straight there.

…see who runs this account at a glance
→ Tab 01 · Snapshot
…know what a "lead" is actually worth in dollars
→ Tab 02 · Economics
…know the rules the AI is not allowed to break
→ Tab 03 · Rules
…see which conversions count as a real lead
→ Tab 04 · Quality Map
…diagnose a broken campaign in the right order
→ Tab 06 · Diagnostic
…see who the customer is and where they live
→ Tab 07 · ICP & Geo
…check if this client's CPL / CTR / CPC is normal
→ Tab 11 · Benchmarks
…tell a client what we changed and why, in plain English
→ Tab 13 · Comms
…see every decision we've ever made on this account
→ Tab 14 · Log 🔒

ENext steps

Now that the four-color system makes sense, here's the recommended reading order:

  1. Open 🔤 Plain-English Glossary to decode the acronyms (CTR, CPC, CPA, ROAS, QS, etc.) — about 5 minutes.
  2. Then open 🎯 Worked Example and follow the Sun Stoppers Charlotte walkthrough — about 10 minutes.
  3. By the end, you'll know how to read every other tab in the pack.
Honesty check › This pack assumes the agency's Agency Aggregate column is being kept up-to-date. If those green cells are empty or stale, the AI agent is effectively running on textbook defaults — not on what we actually know works. The Strategist Team reviews this quarterly.
Placeholder hints › Empty "This Client" cells across the pack show typical Auto Repair / Service / Parts values in the background as gray placeholder text. The numbers come from LocaliQ / WordStream — 2025 Google Ads Benchmarks (Auto Repair/Service/Parts vertical; some metrics use the all-industry average where no Auto Repair number is published). Type over them to enter the real client number — placeholders disappear automatically.
Acronym decoder · 30 most common terms

Plain-English Glossary

Every term in this pack — explained the way you'd explain it to a friend who runs a detailing shop, with a concrete number example. If you only learn the first 5 metrics (CTR, CPC, CPA, CVR, ROAS), you'll be able to follow 80% of any Google Ads conversation.

Jump to: The Big 5 Metrics Quality & Visibility Campaign Types Tracking Audience Bidding Match Types

01The Big 5 performance metrics

If you only learn five things from this glossary, learn these. Every conversation about ad performance uses these terms.

CTRClick-Through Rate

Of the people who saw the ad, what % clicked on it. Higher = the ad is more interesting to the people seeing it.

Example: If 1,000 people saw your ceramic coating ad and 66 clicked it, your CTR is 6.6%. LocaliQ says the all-industry average in 2026 is about 6.66%.
Low CTR usually means: weak headline, wrong audience, or boring offer.
CPCCost Per Click

What you pay Google each time someone clicks your ad. Lower = cheaper traffic for the same money.

Example: Spend $500 in a week. Get 95 clicks. Your CPC is $5.26. The published all-industry benchmark for 2026 is exactly $5.26. For automotive specifically it's lower — $3.13.
High CPC usually means: low Quality Score, competitive keywords, or aggressive bidding.
CPA / CPLCost Per Acquisition (or Lead)

What you pay to get one lead (a real phone call, form fill, or booking). The single most important number in lead-gen.

Example: Spend $5,000 in a month. Get 47 phone calls. Your CPL is $5,000 ÷ 47 = $106.38. The agency average across all detailing clients is $63.92 — so this one is paying way too much per lead.
High CPA means: bad tracking, bad targeting, bad landing page, or bad keywords. Almost never "bad bidding strategy" first.
CVRConversion Rate

Of the people who clicked the ad and landed on the page, what % became a lead. Higher = the landing page is doing its job.

Example: 100 people click your ad. 7 fill out the form. Your CVR is 7%. LocaliQ benchmark for 2026 is 7.52% across industries.
Low CVR usually means: slow page, mismatch between ad promise and page content, or hard-to-find phone number.
ROASReturn On Ad Spend

For every $1 spent on ads, how many dollars came back as revenue. 4x ROAS means you spent $1 and got $4 in sales.

Example: Spend $5,000. Customers who came through ads paid the shop $14,200. ROAS = $14,200 ÷ $5,000 = 2.84x. That's profitable for most detailing shops once you subtract labor + materials.
ROAS only works if the CRM is syncing closed sales back. Without that, you're flying blind.

02Quality & visibility

How Google grades your ads and how often they actually show.

QSQuality Score

Google's 1-to-10 grade of how relevant your ad + keyword + landing page are. Higher QS = you pay less per click for the same ad position.

Example: Two shops bid the same. One has QS 8, one has QS 4. Shop with QS 8 may pay 40-60% less per click and show in a higher position. Agency average for detailing is around 7/10.
Low QS = your ad copy doesn't match the keyword, or your landing page is slow/irrelevant.
ISImpression Share

Of the times your ad could have shown, what % did it actually show. 100% means you're not missing any opportunities; 40% means you're invisible 60% of the time.

Example: "Ceramic coating Charlotte" was searched 1,000 times this month. Your ad only showed 380 times. Your IS is 38% — usually means your budget is capped or your bids are too low.
"IS Lost (Budget)" = you're running out of money. "IS Lost (Rank)" = your bid or Quality Score is too low.
Ad StrengthGoogle's UI score for RSAs

Google's UI rates each ad Poor / Average / Good / Excellent. Mostly a "completeness check" — did you give it enough headlines and descriptions to work with.

Example: An RSA with only 3 headlines = "Poor." Same ad with 12 headlines, 4 descriptions, no pinned headlines = "Excellent." Performance doesn't always follow Ad Strength — the Optimizer Team uses it as a sanity check, not a target.
"Poor" Ad Strength = fill in more headlines. "Excellent" but bad performance = the copy is wrong, not the count.

03Campaign types

The main kinds of Google Ads campaigns we run for detailing shops.

SearchTraditional text ads

The original Google ad. Someone types a search ("ceramic coating near me"), they see your text ad at the top, they click. Most predictable, easiest to control.

Example: A new client almost always starts here — one search campaign per service line (ceramic, PPF, tint).
First campaign type for any new detailing client.
RSAResponsive Search Ad

The modern format inside a search campaign. You give Google up to 15 headlines and 4 descriptions; Google mixes-and-matches to find what works best.

Example: Instead of writing 10 separate ads, you write one RSA with 15 headline variants like "Ceramic Coating Charlotte", "10-Year Paint Protection", "Free Quote in 60 Seconds." Google A/B tests automatically.
Every search campaign now uses RSAs — they replaced the older "Expanded Text Ad" format in 2022.
pMaxPerformance Max

An all-channel automated campaign — Google runs ads on Search, Display, YouTube, Maps, and Gmail from one budget. Powerful but hard to see what's working.

Example: Used for established clients who already have good conversion data flowing. Risky for new accounts because Google needs ~30 conversions/month to optimize properly.
Not for accounts under 30 conversions/month. Sacred Rule (Tab 03).
LSALocal Services Ads

The phone-call-only ads at the very top of search results with the green "Google Guaranteed" badge. You pay per lead, not per click. Different account from regular Google Ads.

Example: Auto detailing isn't always LSA-eligible (depends on region). Where eligible, LSA leads are often 30-50% cheaper than search.
Check eligibility first. Requires business verification + insurance docs.

04Tracking (how we know it worked)

Without good tracking, every other metric is a guess. This is what the Optimizer Team checks first when something looks broken.

GTMGoogle Tag Manager

The middleman that fires tracking codes on a website without changing the site itself. One GTM container holds tags for Google Ads, GA4, Meta, etc.

Example: When someone fills out the contact form, GTM fires a "lead" event to Google Ads and a "Lead" pixel to Meta — all from one container.
If GTM is broken, every conversion number is wrong.
GA4Google Analytics 4

Google's free analytics tool. Tracks every visitor, every event, every conversion. Replaced "Universal Analytics" in 2023.

Example: GA4 might show 80 form submissions while Google Ads shows 47. The gap is usually organic + direct traffic the ads didn't cause.
Use GA4 to sanity-check Google Ads conversion counts.
GCLIDGoogle Click ID

A tracking code Google attaches to every click URL. Lets you match clicks back to ads even weeks later when someone finally closes a sale.

Example: Someone clicks a ceramic coating ad on Monday. The GCLID is captured by the CRM. They book on Friday. The CRM sends the closed-sale event back to Google with that GCLID. Google credits the right ad.
If the CRM isn't capturing GCLIDs, offline conversions don't work — Stage 2/3 is broken.
Offline Conversionaka "OCI"

Telling Google about a sale that happened outside the website — by phone, in person, or in the CRM. The bridge from "lead" to "actual revenue."

Example: The CRM Team marks a deal as "closed-won" in GHL. GHL sends that event + the original GCLID to Google. Google now knows that specific ad click led to a real sale.
Stage 2 and Stage 3 of the conversion trust ladder both depend on this.

05Audience (who we're targeting)

Tools for showing ads only to specific groups of people.

RemarketingRetargeting site visitors

Showing ads only to people who already visited your website. Typically much higher conversion rate because they already know the shop.

Example: Someone visits the ceramic coating page but doesn't book. For the next 30 days they see a "Get $100 Off Your Coating This Week" ad on YouTube and Display.
Cheapest leads in the account. Always set up after Search is working.
RLSARemarketing Lists for Search Ads

Show different search ads to people who've already visited your site versus brand-new searchers.

Example: A first-time searcher sees a regular ad. Someone who already visited the site sees an ad with a 10% off code.
Powerful but only after you have enough cookie history. The Strategist Team sets up after 30+ days of traffic.
Customer MatchUploading your customer list

Upload your actual past customer list (emails, phones) to Google. Show win-back or upsell ads to them, or build a "lookalike."

Example: Upload last year's ceramic coating customers. Run a "Time for Annual Maintenance Detail" ad to them in spring.
Best for accounts with 1,000+ historical customers. Needs proper consent.

06Bidding strategies

How Google decides what to bid in each auction. NEVER touch this first when something's broken (Tab 06 says so).

Max ConvMaximize Conversions

"Google, spend my budget and get me as many leads as you can." No CPA target — just volume.

Example: The default starter strategy. Run it for 2-3 weeks to gather conversion data, then graduate to tCPA.
First 14-21 days of any new campaign. Tab 09 details the graduation path.
tCPATarget CPA

"Google, get me leads at around $X each." You set the target, Google adjusts bids to hit it.

Example: Set tCPA = $65 for an established detailing account. Google will pull back on expensive clicks and lean into cheaper ones.
Once you have 30+ conversions in the last 30 days. Sacred Rule.
tROASTarget ROAS

"Google, optimize for revenue ÷ spend, not just lead count." Needs proper revenue tracking flowing back from the CRM.

Example: Set tROAS = 400% on a PPF campaign. Google will favor the searches that historically led to $1000+ PPF jobs, not $200 partial-front quotes.
Only after Stage 3 conversion tracking (closed-sale w/ revenue) is fully wired. See Tab 04.
Manual CPCYou set bids by hand

The old-school way — you set the max bid for each keyword. Almost never used anymore except for very low-volume accounts.

Example: A brand-new account with $10/day budget might run Manual CPC for the first week to keep training wheels on.
Mostly retired. Smart bidding (Max Conv / tCPA / tROAS) outperforms manual in 95% of cases.

07Match types

How loosely Google matches your keyword to what someone actually typed.

[Exact]Square brackets

Your ad shows only when the search means almost exactly the same thing as your keyword. Tightest control.

Example: Keyword = [ceramic coating charlotte]. Ad shows for "ceramic coating charlotte" or "ceramic coatings in charlotte." Doesn't show for "ceramic dish charlotte."
Use for your highest-intent, highest-value keywords. Most predictable.
"Phrase"Double quotes

Your ad shows when the search includes the meaning of your phrase, in roughly the same order. Medium control.

Example: Keyword = "ceramic coating". Ad shows for "best ceramic coating near me" or "affordable ceramic coating shops." More reach than Exact, less than Broad.
Workhorse match type for most detailing campaigns.
BroadNo quotes or brackets

Your ad shows for anything Google thinks is related. Maximum reach, least control. Burns budget fast on bad searches without proper negatives.

Example: Keyword = ceramic coating. Could show for "ceramic floor tile," "paint sealant," "car wax sale." Without negatives, half the budget goes to junk.
Only with tCPA/tROAS smart bidding + a strong negative keyword list. Tab 05.
NegativeWords that BLOCK your ad

Words that, if present in the search, prevent your ad from showing. Critical for keeping Broad match clean.

Example: Add "diy", "kit", "spray", "wax" as negatives so "ceramic coating diy kit" doesn't trigger your ad. Tab 05 maintains this list across all detailing clients.
Review the Search Terms Report weekly. New junk = new negatives.
Worked example · 10-minute walkthrough

"Why did Sun Stoppers Charlotte
pay $106 for a lead in April?"

Follow the Optimizer Team through the exact diagnostic. By the end you'll have seen 7 of the pack's tabs in real use — and you'll have learned the most important rule in Google Ads diagnostics: don't touch bid strategy first.

Client
Sun Stoppers · Charlotte NC
Services
Tint + PPF
April 2026 Spend
$5,000
Leads counted
47
1

Open Tab 01 · Account Snapshot

Time: 90 seconds · Owner: Optimizer Team · Goal: make sure the basics are filled in
What the Optimizer Team does Fills in the index card for Sun Stoppers — MCC ID, primary contact, account status, monthly retainer, kickoff date. If someone took over tomorrow, this is what they'd need to know.
Why it matters You always start here. 60% of "weird performance" issues turn out to be context the diagnostic spreadsheet didn't capture — wrong time zone, paused budget, recent service launch. The snapshot rules those out in 90 seconds.
2

Open Tab 11 · KPI Benchmarks — check the CPL row

Time: 2 minutes · Tab: 11 · What we're checking: is this CPL normal?
What the Optimizer Team does Calculates the actual cost per lead and types it into the blue "This Client" column on the Cost-Per-Lead row. Looks at the row left-to-right.
What the row now looks like
Cost Per Lead — April 2026
Cost Per Lead
$51.62
$28.50
$63.92
$106.38
+66% vs agency
What this is telling you in plain English Sun Stoppers paid $106 per phone call/form in April. The agency-wide average across 28 other detailing shops is $64. The published auto-repair benchmark (LocaliQ 2026) is even lower at $28.50. Something is off — but we don't yet know if it's the spend, the targeting, the tracking, or the lead quality. That's what the next 5 steps figure out.
The math: $5,000 spend ÷ 47 leads = $106.38 CPL CLI
Variance vs agency: ($106.38 − $63.92) ÷ $63.92 = +66.4%
3

Resist the urge to "fix the bid strategy." Open Tab 06 · Diagnostic Runbook.

Time: 1 minute · Tab: 06 · Goal: follow the order
What the Optimizer Team does Re-reads the sacred diagnostic order before doing ANYTHING in the account.
The runbook order
  1. 1. Tracking — are conversions even being counted correctly?
  2. 2. Search terms — what are people actually searching?
  3. 3. Budget — are we capped out before peak hours?
  4. 4. Landing page — is the site slow or broken?
  5. 5. Client-side — did the shop stop answering the phone?
  6. 6. THEN bid strategy.
Why this order, not any other Buyers waste 2-week diagnostic cycles by reaching for bid strategy first. If tracking is broken, changing the bid does nothing. If the search terms are full of "diy ceramic kit" junk, changing the bid does nothing. The runbook forces you to rule out the cheap, fast checks before touching the expensive, slow ones.
4

Step 1 of the runbook: Open Tab 04 · Conversion Quality Map.

Time: 3 minutes · Tab: 04 · Are the 47 leads real?
What the Optimizer Team does Breaks the 47 "leads" down by conversion type. Anything in the "Excluded" column doesn't count as a real lead.
The breakdown
April 2026 conversions by type
Conversion type Count Stage 1 quality
Phone call ≥60 sec 30 High
Form submit (lead form) 12 Medium
Click-to-call (mobile tap only) 5 Excluded
What this is telling you 5 of the 47 "leads" weren't leads at all. They were people tapping the phone number on mobile — never actually placed the call (the call lasted <60 sec or didn't connect). Skill default Stage 1 excludes these from primary conversion counts. So we have 42 real leads, not 47.
True lead count: 30 calls + 12 forms = 42 real leads
True CPL: $5,000 ÷ 42 = $119.05 CLI (revised) — worse than we thought.
5

Open Tab 02 · Service Economics — what's each lead actually worth?

Time: 3 minutes · Tab: 02 · CPL is half the story — revenue is the other half
What the Optimizer Team does Asks the CRM Team for the service-mix breakdown of those 42 leads, then pulls the dollar values from Tab 02. This is where the panic stops.
What the CRM Team pulled from GHL
Lead mix — April 2026
Service inquired Leads Skill value Closed
Window Tint — Full Vehicle 30 $158 12 @ $350 = $4,200
PPF — Full Body 7 $1,000 2 @ $5,000 = $10,000
Unknown / general inquiry 5 $200 0
The plot twist Sun Stoppers actually made $14,200 from $5,000 of ad spend in April. That's a 2.84x return on ad spend — solidly profitable for detailing once you subtract materials and labor. The CPL looks bad next to the agency average, but the revenue is fine. Real verdict: profitable
April revenue: $4,200 + $10,000 = $14,200
ROAS: $14,200 ÷ $5,000 = 2.84x CLI
Even at a high CPL, the PPF jobs at $5,000 each rescue the account. This is exactly why ROAS > CPL for high-ticket detailing.
6

Decide what to do — and write it down in Tab 14 · Decision Log 🔒

Time: 2 minutes · Tab: 14 (append-only) · Owner: Optimizer Team + Strategist Team
What the Optimizer + Strategist Teams decide together
  • Don't cut budget. 2.84x ROAS is profitable.
  • Don't change bid strategy. The runbook said don't and the data agrees — it's not a bidding problem.
  • Investigate why CPL is high despite good revenue. Hypothesis: geo radius is too tight, missing surrounding searches.
  • Test: expand geo radius from 10 mi → 18 mi for the PPF campaign only (per Tab 07 ring profile data). Run for 30 days.
  • Review date: May 15, 2026. The CRM Team re-pulls service-mix + closed sales. The Strategist Team updates the green Agency Aggregate column.
Why we log it The Decision Log is append-only — we never delete a decision, even if it turns out wrong. That's the whole point. If the geo expansion doesn't work in May, the next person looking at this account in 6 months will see we tried it and won't waste another month on the same idea.
7

Tell the client. Open Tab 13 · Client Communication.

Time: 5 minutes · Tab: 13 · Owner: Account Manager
What the AM writes to Sun Stoppers Pulls the headline numbers and writes a 4-sentence email — not a spreadsheet dump.
The email (paraphrased)
"April recap: $5,000 spent, 42 verified leads, $14,200 in closed work — a 2.84× return. Two PPF jobs drove most of that. The leads were a bit more expensive than our other clients are seeing, so for May we're widening the geographic radius on the PPF campaign to catch more searches in the surrounding zip codes. We'll review on May 15."
Why this works The client never sees the word "CPL" or "bid strategy." They see: $5K in → $14K out, here's what we're doing next. Tab 13 has 6 more templates like this for different scenarios.
Lessons from this walkthrough

What this 10-minute diagnostic taught us

  • CPL alone lies. A bad CPL on a high-ticket service can still be a profitable account. Always pull ROAS before reacting.
  • Diagnose in order. Tracking → search terms → budget → LP → client → bid. The runbook (Tab 06) exists so you don't waste 2 weeks tweaking bids on a tracking problem.
  • "Excluded" conversions are a tax on real CPL. Click-to-call taps inflate the lead count and hide the real cost per actual conversation.
  • The four colors do most of the work. Skill default → published → agency average → this client. The agent and the human read them the same way.
  • Log every decision. Even wrong ones. Append-only. Future-you will thank present-you.
Internal · SEO Navigator · Auto Detailing Vertical

Detailing Google Ads — MASTER Benchmark + Knowledge Pack

ONE workbook that captures (a) the SEO Navigator skill defaults, (b) published 3rd-party benchmarks, (c) the agency's aggregated client averages, and (d) per-client overrides — for every Google Ads parameter the agency tunes.

Pack version v3 MERGED Vertical Auto detailing (ceramic, PPF, tint, paint correction) Owner Google Ads Optimizer Team · Strategist Team · CRM Team

ATwo use cases

This pack runs in two directions at once — per-client tuning, and a feedback loop that improves the agency's skill defaults.

Use case A

Per-client onboarding

The Optimizer Team fills the This Client column for a new client (Sun Stoppers, Elite Finish, etc.). Empty cells = use skill default. When the agent runs any Google Ads skill, populated overrides win.

Use case B

Skill-improvement loop

The Strategist Team rolls up actual values across all active client workbooks into the Agency Aggregate columns quarterly. Variance Flag fires when agency avg diverges >20% from skill default. A flagged row = signal to update the skill markdown.

BCell legend

Light blue
Per-client input — fill in for this client. Replace [FILL IN] placeholders.
Light green
Agency aggregate — rolled up across all clients quarterly by the strategist.
Light gray (italic)
Skill default or published benchmark — read-only reference from the skill markdown today.
Light beige
Published 3rd-party benchmark (LocaliQ, WordStream, etc.) — context only.
Variance flag
Agency aggregate differs from skill default by >20% — signal to update the skill markdown.
🔒 Locked sections
Append-only logs (Decision Log, Pipeline Negatives). Never delete rows, even on failures.

CHow the AI agent uses this

When any Google Ads skill is invoked for a client, the agent reads this Knowledge Pack first. It treats populated This Client cells as overrides. If empty → fall back to Agency Aggregate. If that's empty → fall back to Skill default (which is what's in the skill markdown today).

Tip › Fields auto-save as you type. Use Export JSON to back up or pass to another buyer. Use Import JSON when starting a new client from an existing template.
30-Second Briefing

Quick Reference Card

The buyer-of-record fills these out and updates whenever any of them change. Pin to the top of the account folder.

Account: [unset]
If you had 30 seconds with a new buyer before they pulled this account on Monday, this card is what you'd say.
Account
[Client name] — [Google Ads ID]
Primary metric
e.g. Booked appointments with deposit paid
CPA ceiling — overall
$
CPA ceiling — highest-LTV service
$
Conversion value rule
e.g. Cap at $1,500 in Ads feed
Three things never to do — 1
Three things never to do — 2
Three things never to do — 3
Top diagnostic rule
e.g. CPA spike → tracking, search terms, budget, LP, client-side BEFORE bid strategy
Last big lesson
Next planned change
Date + what
Identifiers & Ownership

Metadata

Client name
Client slug
Google Ads account ID
MCC link status
Primary services on Ads
Monthly budget at last review
Account age (with us)
Account age (overall)
Pack owner (media buying)
Strategist on account
CRM lead
Last full review date
Next scheduled review
60-second briefing Pending — Account Brief

01 — Account Snapshot

If a new buyer had to take over tomorrow with only this section, what would they need to know?

What this client actually sells
In their own words, NOT industry-speak. e.g. 'Tinted comfort and protection for car owners who park outside in Charlotte heat.'
Why they hired us
What 'winning' looks like
In their own words. e.g. '10 booked ceramic appointments a month, not 100 quote requests'
What they DO NOT want, even if it lowered CPA
e.g. 'Cheap quick-detail volume that clogs the calendar'
Three things that surprise people — 1
Three things that surprise people — 2
Three things that surprise people — 3
Conversion value & LTV math Pending — Revenue per Lead

02 — Service Economics & LTV

Per service: skill default proxy value, agency aggregate across clients, this client's true value. Variance flag fires when agency aggregate ≠ skill default by >20%.

Skill default
Published benchmark
Agency aggregate
This client
Variance >20%

AConversion value per service= avg ticket × close rate

→ scroll table horizontally
Parameter Skill default SKL 3rd-party benchmark PUB Agency avg AGY Agency range (low–high) AGY n (clients) Last reviewed THIS CLIENT CLI Variance Notes

BLTV math (narrative)

Definition of LTV used here
e.g. 'First-job revenue + (12-mo repeat rate × avg repeat ticket) — only first-party data'
Highest LTV service (and why)
Loss-leader / low-LTV service we still run
e.g. 'Basic detail at $175 — door opener for ceramic upsell'
Payback period (months)

CPer-client derivation table

Fill avg ticket / cost / close rate / repeat to compute client-specific conversion value.

→ scroll table horizontally
Service Avg ticket ($) Avg cost ($) Gross margin ($) Close rate Repeat rate 12mo Computed conv. value Confidence Notes
What Smart Bidding must not touch Partial — Revenue pending

03 — Sacred Rules

If 2% of jobs make up 60% of revenue, an unconstrained tROAS will chase that long tail and starve volume. Lock down the rules here.

ARevenue concentration

% jobs vs % revenue
e.g. 'Top 2% of jobs = 60% of revenue'
Is the long tail protected by a value cap?
If yes, conversion value cap rule
e.g. 'Cap at $1,500 in Smart Bidding feed; raw revenue tracked in CRM'
Conversion action where cap is applied
e.g. 'Action B — Closed Sale (Capped)'

BOff-limits items (require strategist sign-off)

ItemRationale CLI
Brand campaign budget
LSA budget
Specific campaign (name it)
Specific audience or RLSA list
Specific conversion action
Other

CMandatory always-on rules

SettingSkill default SKLClient override CLI
Display NetworkOFF (always)
Search PartnersOFF (default; tested quarterly)
Location targetingPresence only — no exceptions
Auto-applied recommendationsAll OFF unless explicitly approved
Ad rotationOptimize: Prefer best performing
Auto-taggingON (required for tracking)
Trust levels & signal quality Pending — Revenue per Lead

04 — Conversion Quality Map

What each conversion action actually means for THIS client. Which signals are trustworthy, which are noisy, which are dangerously misleading.

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Conversion action What fires it True close → $ rate (%) CLI Trust level Notes

ASignals to demote or kill

Events that fire as conversions in Ads but don't lead to revenue. e.g. '15-sec phone calls fire the call event but are 80% wrong-number / sales calls.'

Signal #1
Signal #2
Signal #3
Signal #4
Signal #5

BSignals to elevate

e.g. 'Booked-and-deposit-paid event from GHL. Imported as Stage 3 offline conversion. Weighted highest for Smart Bidding.'

Signal #1
Signal #2
Signal #3
Signal #4
Signal #5
Append-only — never delete Pending — Revenue-by-keyword

05 — Pipeline-Quality Negatives

Search terms that look great in Google Ads (good CTR, conversion-action firing) but close at near-zero in the CRM. They make dashboards look healthy while quietly destroying the account. Maintain weekly.

🔒 APPEND-ONLY · Pipeline-Quality Negatives · Never delete rows
Search term / pattern Why it triggers a "conversion" in Ads Why it doesn't close Action taken Date added

APatterns to watch for on this account

e.g. 'Fleet inquiries — high lead volume, low close rate because we don't service municipal contracts. Pre-emptively neg fleet, city, government, municipal.'

Pattern #1
Pattern #2
Pattern #3
Pattern #4
Pattern #5
Fix-order per scenario

06 — Diagnostic Runbook

Order matters. The default rule is NEVER to touch bid strategy first — that's almost always the symptom, not the cause.

Research timing · devices · seasonality · geography Partial — radius profile pending

07 — ICP Behavioral & Geography + Ring Profiles

Replaces generic skill defaults with what THIS client's customers actually do. Overrides the radius-optimizer rings, remarketing-engine windows, and campaign-builder ad scheduling.

AResearch-to-buy timing

When does the ICP research?
e.g. 'Sundays 6–10pm + Tuesday lunch'
When does the ICP book?
e.g. 'Mondays 8–11am the day after researching'
Avg gap first click → booked appt
e.g. '3.2 days'
Implication for ad scheduling
e.g. '+30% bid Sun 18:00–22:00 and Mon 08:00–11:00'
Implication for RLSA window
e.g. 'Hot-intent window 72 hours, not 7 days'

BDevice patterns

Primary research device
Primary booking device
Implication

CSeasonal patterns

SeasonDemand pattern (skill default)Action we take CLIPriorityNotes

DGeography & distance willingness

Avg miles driven for primary service
e.g. '8 miles for ceramic, 3 miles for full detail'
Furthest paying customer last 6 mo
e.g. '47 miles for $4,200 PPF Full Body'
Implication for radius rings
e.g. 'Override default. Inner 0–10mi, mid 10–25mi for ceramic, extend outer to 50mi for PPF only.'

ERing profiles & bid modifiers

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Parameter Skill default SKL Pub benchmark PUB Agency avg AGY Agency range n Last reviewed THIS CLIENT CLI Variance Notes
Pre-decide once · stop re-deciding weekly

08 — Google 'Recommendations' Playbook

Default for SEO Navigator clients = Refuse unless explicitly approved.

RecommendationSEO Navigator default SKLThis client (override) CLIReason
Auto-apply settings on this account › Document the actual checkboxes. Default override: Ad & assets, Measurement, Remove redundant keywords, Remove conflicting negative keywords.
Primary metric · CPA range · strategy progression

09 — Bidding & CPA Targets

Placeholder hints › Per-service CPA cells below default to $28.50 — Auto Repair/Service/Parts CPL from LocaliQ 2025. Detailing sub-categories (PPF / Ceramic / Tint) aren't broken out separately in LocaliQ's published data, so the same vertical-wide benchmark is shown across services as a starting reference.

APrimary success metric

The one we optimize for, in conflict with all others.

Primary metric
e.g. 'Booked appointments with deposit paid. Not leads, not phone calls.'

BAcceptable CPA range by service

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Parameter Skill default SKL Pub benchmark PUB Agency avg AGY Agency range n Last reviewed THIS CLIENT CLI Variance Notes

CFloor / Target / Ceiling CPA per service

Service Floor CPA ($) CLI Target CPA ($) CLI Ceiling CPA — kill above ($) CLI Skill default range SKL Notes

DBid strategy progression

Current strategy
Why this strategy now
What triggers next graduation
What triggers a step back

EBid strategy decision tree — skill default, for reference

Conv vol / moStart strategyGraduate whenGraduate toNotes
<15Maximize Clicks (w/ max CPC cap)15+ conv in 30 daysMaximize Conversions (no target)Most new detailing accounts
15–30Maximize Conversions (no target)30+ conv in 30 daysMax Conv w/ Target CPA
30–50Target CPA (= actual + 10% buffer)50+ conv & values trustworthyTarget ROAS
50+Target ROAS or tCPA—Portfolio bidding across campaignsFull Smart Bidding capability

FWhen to override Smart Bidding manually

Override rule #1
e.g. 'If sale closes >$5,000, do NOT feed full revenue to Google. Cap at $1,500 in offline import.'
Override rule #2
Override rule #3
CPC benchmarks & match-type graduation Partial — no industry benchmark for some rows

10 — CPC & Match-Type

Placeholder hints › CPC cells default to LocaliQ benchmarks: $5.81 for PPF / Ceramic / Paint Correction (Body Repair & Paint, LocaliQ 2026 — closest proxy for premium auto services); $3.00 for Tint / Interior (Auto Repair/Service/Parts, LocaliQ 2025); $3.13 for Full Detail (Automotive industry, LocaliQ 2026).

ACPC benchmarks by service / cluster

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Parameter Skill default SKL Pub benchmark PUB Agency avg AGY Agency range n Last reviewed THIS CLIENT CLI Variance Notes

BBudget allocation by intent tier

TierIntentMatch typesSkill default % SKLThis client % CLINotes

CMatch-type graduation gates — skill default

From → ToVolume gateOther gatesHold timeNotes
Exact+Phrase → add Broad≥30 conv in 30–60 days & CPA within avg benchmarkNegative list mature; LP CVR stable30–60 daysMOST important rule for low-volume detailing
Maximize Clicks → Max Conv≥15 conv / 30 daysTracking verified30 days
Max Conv → Target CPA≥30 conv / 30 daysSet tCPA = actual + 10%30 days
Target CPA → Target ROAS≥50 conv / 30 daysConversion values trustworthy30 days
Performance-auditor KPIs

11 — KPI Benchmarks

Skill default = the 'Average' band in the 4-band benchmark from the performance-auditor skill. Variance flag fires when agency aggregate diverges >20% from skill default.

Placeholder hints › Empty THIS CLIENT cells below show typical Auto Repair / Service / Parts values from LocaliQ / WordStream — 2025 Google Ads Benchmarks in gray. Where no Auto Repair specific number is published (Imp Share, QS, Ad Strength), the cell stays blank. Type to override.

AKPI numeric benchmarks

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Parameter Skill default SKL Pub benchmark PUB Agency avg AGY Agency range n Last reviewed THIS CLIENT CLI Variance Notes

BFull 4-band KPI benchmark

MetricBelow AvgAverageGoodExcellentSource

CWasted spend categories

CategoryDetectionTypical waste %FixAgency observed % CLINotes
Quick lookup per skill Pending — clarify skill behaviors

12 — Skill Override Map

When an agent runs a specific Google Ads skill on this account, what's the override? Empty Override column = use skill default.

SkillDefault behavior SKLOverride for this client CLIPointer (detail tab)
Reports · language · sensitivities · cadence Pending — client interview

13 — Client Communication

AWhat they care about in reports (priority order)

Priority 1
Priority 2
Priority 3
Priority 4
Priority 5

BWhat they DO NOT want to see

Avoid #1
e.g. 'Impression share, ad strength scores, anything that doesn't tie to revenue'
Avoid #2
Avoid #3
Avoid #4

CTheir language ("they say → they mean")

They say…They mean…

DSensitivities

Sensitivity #1
e.g. 'Don't mention competitor names X / Y / Z'
Sensitivity #2
e.g. 'CPA is a trigger word — they want to talk in cost-per-booked-job'
Sensitivity #3

ECommunication cadence

Weekly check-in
Yes/No — day, channel, owner
Monthly report
Format: Looker / PDF / Slack
Emergency contact
Name + channel
Append-only — never delete Pending

14 — Decision Log

Every non-trivial change, dated. Append-only — never delete entries, even if they describe a failure. Goal: 6 months from now we can answer "why did we do that?" and "have we tried this before?" without guessing.

🔒 APPEND-ONLY · Decision Log · Never delete rows
DateWhat changedWhyExpected outcomeActual outcome (fill 14–30 days later)Lesson / next move
🔒 APPEND-ONLY · Closed loops · Won't repeat without new info
DateClosed loop entry

The Knowledge Pack System

How data flows from this Knowledge Pack into the SEO Navigator Claude skill suite — and how that loop improves the agency's defaults over time.

LAYER 1 · INPUTS LAYER 2 · KNOWLEDGE PACK LAYER 3 · CLAUDE SKILLS Optimizer Team Onboarding inputs Per-client overrides Strategist Team Quarterly aggregation Across all clients CRM Team Revenue per lead Close rates · LTV Published data LocaliQ · WordStream Industry benchmarks Google Ads — Master Knowledge Pack v3 17 tabs · 4 data columns per row · Variance flag auto-fires when Agency ≠ Skill default by >20% Skill default Published benchmark Agency aggregate This client override Variance flag loop → update skill .md campaign-builder reads → 09 keyword-architect reads → 10 conversion-tracker reads → 02 + 04 performance-auditor reads → 11 + 06 radius-optimizer reads → 07 remarketing-engine reads → 07 When a skill runs: read THIS CLIENT first → else Agency aggregate → else Skill default

Skill ↔ Tab map

Each Claude skill below pulls overrides from specific tabs in this pack before falling back to its built-in default.

google-ads-campaign-builder
Tier-based campaign structure with bid strategy & budget allocation
Reads: 09 Bidding & CPA · 03 Sacred Rules
google-ads-keyword-architect
3-tier intent buckets, exact + phrase first, match-type graduation
Reads: 10 CPC & Match-Type · 05 Pipeline Negatives
google-ads-conversion-tracker
Conversion actions, proxy values, offline import setup
Reads: 02 Economics & LTV · 04 Conversion Quality
google-ads-performance-auditor
100-point audit using 4-band KPI benchmarks
Reads: 11 KPI Benchmarks · 06 Diagnostic Runbook
google-ads-radius-optimizer
Tiered rings + bid modifiers by market density
Reads: 07 ICP Behavioral & Geo (E. Ring Profiles)
google-ads-remarketing-engine
5-tier audience ladder + seasonal re-engagement
Reads: 07 ICP Behavioral & Geo (A. timing, C. seasons)
google-ads-copy-lab
15 messaging angles, RSA generator, A/B framework
Reads: 13 Client Communication · 01 Account Snapshot
paid-organic-crosswalk
Overlap dashboard between Ads keywords & organic rankings
Reads: 13 Client Communication (excluded items)

Conversion trust ladder

The agent treats these three stages differently when feeding signals to Smart Bidding.

1

Onsite signals

Stage 1 · Medium trust
  • Phone Call ≥60s — High
  • Form Submit — Med (varies)
  • Online Booking — High
  • Click-to-Call — Excluded ($0)
2

CRM stage offline import

Stage 2 · High trust
  • Qualified Lead (SQL)
  • Appointment Booked
  • Imported via GCLID from GHL
3

Closed sale w/ revenue

Stage 3 · Gold standard
  • CRM stage → closed-won
  • Revenue value (capped per rule)
  • Weighted highest for Smart Bidding

Diagnostic priority

When the account misbehaves, fix order matters. Never touch bid strategy first — it's almost always the symptom.

1

Tracking integrity

Fired counts vs CRM lead counts match? Auto-tagging still ON? GTM container live? No new conversion action accidentally promoted?

2

Search term drift

Last 7 days vs prior 7 days. Any new high-spend irrelevant queries? Check against Tab 05 Pipeline Negatives.

3

Budget changes

Anyone bumped budgets? A sudden +50% on a Smart Bidding campaign re-triggers learning.

4

Landing page

Page speed, form working, page even loading? Check Search Console for sudden indexing issues.

5

Client-side issues

Phone working? Voicemail full? Booking calendar full? Receptionist on vacation?

6

Only now — bid strategy

Has it been stable >14 days? Has anything been bulk-edited? Reference Tab 09 D for graduation thresholds.

The variance flag loop

The same workbook drives two parallel feedback loops. Together they prevent skill drift and keep the agency's defaults grounded in observed reality.

FORWARD LOOP · Skill → Client

Every time a skill runs for a client, it reads THIS CLIENT first. If empty, falls back to Agency aggregate. If empty, falls back to Skill default. The buyer can override anywhere in the chain.

REVERSE LOOP · Clients → Skill

Quarterly, the Strategist Team rolls This Client values across all active accounts into the Agency Aggregate column. When that aggregate diverges >20% from Skill default, the variance flag fires — signal to update the skill .md.

Why this matters › Without the reverse loop, skill defaults rot. They were written from one buyer's instinct at one moment in time. The aggregate column converts the agency's accumulated reality into something Claude can read.
Citations & references

Sources

SourceTypeDateWhat was used / URL
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