Results · Case study
Construction / Google Ads

How an audit exposed that 95% of PMax clicks were junk

The dashboard looked busy. The audit showed the volume was an illusion, Performance Max buying cheap cross-network clicks while real customer searches starved.

Industry
Construction and contracting (Canada)
Services
Google Ads audit and restructure
Timeframe
Diagnosed in one audit pass
95%
PMax clicks from junk inventory
CA$0.76 vs $7.03
Junk click vs real search
77%
Spend on zero-conversion terms
5
Campaigns limited by budget
The challenge

A busy dashboard hiding an illusion

The dashboard showed plenty of clicks, so everything looked busy and productive. The audit showed the volume was an illusion.

Performance Max was buying dirt-cheap cross-network clicks that never converted, while the clicks representing real customers were starved by a budget split five ways.

What we did

Three moves, in order

1

Priced every click source

We measured each click source against its conversion reality, not its raw volume, so the illusion had nowhere to hide.

2

Prescribed one funded Search campaign

Consolidate spend onto real search intent and gate Performance Max until conversion volume earns it a place.

3

Shipped the negative baseline

A negative-keyword baseline to stop the junk inventory at the source.

The Heureux approach

Click counts flatter, intent converts. Price every click source against conversions and the campaign that looked productive turns out to be the biggest leak.

The result

The busy dashboard, exposed

The audit showed 95 percent of PMax clicks were cheap cross-network junk at CA$0.76 while genuine search intent cost CA$7.03, with 77 percent of spend on zero-conversion terms and five campaigns all limited by budget. The prescription: one funded Search campaign on real intent, Performance Max gated until it earns its place.

95%
Junk PMax clicks
77%
Zero-conversion spend
$0.76 vs $7.03
Junk vs real click
The proof

These numbers are real. We will show you live.

Every figure on this page came from a real account. Book a call and we will screen-share the actual dashboard and walk you through these exact numbers, live, so you know they are real and not a screenshot anyone could fake.

Others: a screenshot you cannot verify
Us: these exact findings, live in the account
See this live on a call

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