Expected duration: Ongoing This role is about maintaining and optimising WEA Planning's current campaigns rather than reinventing them. We want a professional who can apply ongoing best practices, monitor results, and keep us informed of relevant Google Ads developments, particularly Google’s increasing use of automation and AI-driven campaign, without adopting new features prematurely or unnecessarily.
WEA Planning is a London-based planning consultancy specialising in planning appeals, enforcement cases, HMO planning, and other property-related planning services. We have an established Google Ads account that has been running successfully since 2019, delivering consistent, high-quality leads through a tightly managed search strategy. With our current Ads manager retiring, we are seeking a freelance specialist to continue this work on a monthly retainer basis.
Key Responsibilities
1. Campaign Management
Oversee and optimise three established campaigns:
Planning Consultant (London-wide) – the primary driver of high-intent leads from users actively searching for planning consultancy services.
Borough Consultant – 26 ad groups across 13 targeted London boroughs, capturing location-specific searches such as “planning consultants Islington” or “planning appeal Camden.”
HMO Planning – a niche campaign aimed at users seeking advice on Houses in Multiple Occupation, directing traffic to the dedicated /hmo-planning landing page.
Refine targeting to focus on quality leads within our service areas.
Balance location precision with reach to avoid excluding valuable prospects.
Optimise regularly through bid adjustments, keyword updates, and budget reallocations.
Create and launch new campaigns when requested by the client to test additional services, ensuring they are structured, monitored, and evaluated for performance before full rollout.
2. Keyword & Search Term Management
Maintain a phrase and exact match keyword strategy, avoiding broad match unless actively monitored and justified.
Routinely review the Search Terms Report to identify and exclude low-intent or irrelevant queries.
Maintain and expand negative keyword lists, including borough-specific lists to block irrelevant council staff searches and other low-value terms.
3. Ad Creation & Optimisation
Regularly create and test new Responsive Search Ads (RSAs), introducing fresh headlines and descriptions to keep performance strong and adapt to market changes.
Use variation in tone, structure, and calls to action to identify winning combinations.
Monitor results closely, allowing ads to run long enough for meaningful data before making changes.
Pin headlines/descriptions only when a specific message or structure consistently outperforms other variations.
4. Budget & Bidding
Manage campaigns using the Maximise Clicks bidding strategy, maintaining CPC within target thresholds.
Allocate budgets in line with client requirements, ensuring specific monthly spend levels are met for each campaign.
5. Performance Monitoring & Reporting (optional)
Provide concise monthly reports with:
Spend vs. budget breakdown.
CPC, CTR, conversions, and lead quality trends.
Recommendations for optimisation or adjustments.
Flag any significant performance drops or anomalies immediately.
6. Staying Ahead of Trends
Keep track of Google Ads changes such as:
AI Overviews & conversational AI search results.
Performance Max and AI Max for Search campaigns.
Changes in keyword match type behaviour.
Advise when (and if) new features should be tested, balancing innovation with risk management.
7. Google Recommendations Management
Review Google’s automated suggestions with a critical eye as many are designed to increase spend rather than improve ROI.
Implement only those changes that clearly benefit performance, such as fixing disapproved ads, adding missing assets, or addressing proven conversion opportunities.
Be cautious with suggestions to enable broad match keywords, Performance Max, or Smart Bidding; these can dilute targeting, increase irrelevant clicks, and reduce lead quality for a service like planning consultancy. Only adopt them if backed by strong, consistent performance data.
Skills & Experience Required
Proven Google Ads experience, ideally in service-based local/niche markets.
Strong understanding of keyword targeting, negative keyword use, and location targeting.
Comfortable working with Google Ads Editor as well as the online dashboard.
Ability to interpret and explain performance metrics to a non-technical client.
Up-to-date knowledge of Google Ads’ evolving AI features and search landscape.
Detail-oriented with a proactive approach to problem solving.
Time Commitment & Working Style
Ongoing monthly retainer arrangement.
Estimated 2–4 hours per month.
Direct communication with the business owner, no agencies or intermediaries.
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