Google Ads Does Not Have One “Right” Way

For as long as I can remember we have been saying that Google Ads is an art and a science and I still agree with this statement today.

A client asked me two contrasting questions today: 'How do we get a ton of new clients?' followed immediately by, 'What do we do if we get too many and can't take on more?'

First of all what an amazing place to be to be able to ask that question.

Here is my answer to that for anyone spending on Google Ads

I would not recommend pausing campaigns. In fact I try to avoid this whenever I can. Google is a zero sum game and if you stop advertising someone will take your place.

• How it works: Search volume for your keywords is limited. On a given day, there are only so many people searching for what you offer.

• What happens when you pause: The total demand doesn't vanish because users are still searching, but it gets redistributed to whoever is still bidding. When you turn off your campaigns, your ad rank drops to zero for those auctions and another ad takes your place.

• The outcome: Your competitors ads step into those auction slots, capture the clicks, and gain the conversions and customer data that would have gone to you.

There is also an algorithmic cost of pausing campaigns.

Modern Google Ads relies heavily on Smart Bidding (Target CPA, Target ROAS, Maximize Conversions). When you pause an ad campaign for an extended period, you disrupt this engine:

• Loss of Momentum: Algorithms require a steady stream of data to understand who converts and how to bid efficiently.

• Re-learning Period: When you unpause, the system often has to go through a fresh learning phase. This can lead to temporary spikes in Cost Per Click (CPC), volatile performance, and inefficient spend as it recalibrates.

• Competitor Quality Score Gains: While you are paused, competitors who stay active continue building historical Click-Through Rates (CTR) and conversions, potentially improving their Ad Rank relative to yours.

Alternatives to Pausing

If you need to reduce spending or manage inventory, consider these lower-impact alternatives:

• Lower the Budget: Scale back your daily budget by 20–50% to maintain impression presence and keep the bidding algorithms active with real-time data.

• Adjust Bid Targets: Increase your Target CPA or Target ROAS goals to force the algorithm to bid more conservatively on high-intent queries.

• Ad Scheduling / Device Adjustments: Reduce spend during specific low-converting hours or on specific devices rather than turning off the entire campaign.

The Art: Strategy, Psychology, & Market Nuance

This balancing act is exactly why there’s no single formula for success in Google Ads. I might give one answer and another expert might give a different answer and both answers are correct.

The data side helps feed the algorithm and keeps your campaigns competitive in an auction where someone is always ready to take your spot.

But while data is important is the overall strategy that will determine long term success.

It's knowing when to increase budgets, adjust targets, or make changes that support growth without creating operational headaches or wasting money. Basically this is also a way of saying, there should be a plan and reasoning behind the changes you make in the ads account.

Whether you're trying to scale lead volume aggressively or intentionally slow things down, it’s rarely as simple as hitting "pause" or "play” in Google Ads when you are trying to grow a business or pull back.

The best results come from matching what the algorithm needs with what your business can realistically handle volume wise and making slow intentional changes.

There’s no one right way to manage a Google Ads account. There’s only the approach that makes the most sense for your goals, capacity, and situation right now.