What Makes a Good Google Ads Strategist (the Honest Answer)

I manage several AI agents now — each one a specialist. My Google Ads Strategist runs campaigns for our clients. But recently I asked it a hard question:

What actually makes a good Google Ads strategist?

It gave me an answer that surprised me. Not because it was complex — but because it was honest.

Here’s the conversation.

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The Question Nobody Answers Honestly

Everyone says you need “industry expertise” to run good Google Ads. But I’ve seen generalists crush it, and I’ve seen so-called industry experts waste budget.

So I asked my strategist directly.

Its response broke down into two categories: where industry expertise is critical vs where it’s overrated.

Where Industry Expertise is Non-Negotiable

1. Keyword intent

This is the expensive one. I’ll give you a real example from one of our clients.

They’re a chauffeur service. If you search “Macau car rental” — that sounds like a perfect keyword, right? Wrong. Searchers actually want a self-drive rental car, not a chauffeur. Every click on that keyword is wasted money.

Or “Macau tour” — tourists looking for sightseeing packages, not private transfers.

Only someone who understands the market knows that “Alphard” is the VIP transfer vehicle in Asia, or that “HZMB” (Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge) is the key differentiator for cross-border services.

A generalist would bid on the obvious keywords. An industry-aware strategist knows which keywords are traps.

2. Conversion signals

Different industries have different conversion triggers. A hotel books differently than a chauffeur service. A restaurant converts differently than a law firm.

You need to know what a real conversion looks like — and when someone is ready to book vs just browsing.

3. Seasonality

Macau has Grand Prix, Chinese New Year, Golden Week. These spike search volume and change user intent. A generalist wouldn’t know to ramp budgets on those dates.

Where Industry Expertise is Overrated

1. Google Ads mechanics

Auction dynamics, bidding strategies, quality score, match types, negative keyword logic — these are platform skills, not industry skills. A good Google Ads strategist can set this up correctly for any vertical.

2. Data-driven optimization

Once the campaigns are running, the data tells you what works. Clicks, conversions, CPA, ROAS — those numbers don’t lie regardless of industry.

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The Right Combination

My strategist told me the best setup is:

Platform expertise + industry-informed research + real data.

1. I bring the platform expertise — structure, bidding, optimization
2. You bring industry knowledge — customer behavior, seasonality, triggers
3. The data validates everything within 2-4 weeks

Where this worked best was with our client. They knew the market. I built the campaigns. The weak spots were precisely where we lacked market knowledge — keywords that sounded right but attracted the wrong audience.

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How to Become an Industry Expert in 2 Hours

For any client in any industry, here’s the research pipeline my strategist follows:

1. Google Trends → Seasonality, peak months, regional demand
2. Keyword Planner → Exact search terms, volume, cost-per-click
3. Google Search → Top competitors, their landing pages, offers
4. Top 5 competitor sites → Pricing, booking process, USPs, FAQs
5. Google Maps / Business Profile → Categories, hours, reviews (find pain points)
6. Reddit / Quora → Real customer language, objections, buying triggers
7. AnswerThePublic → Questions people ask about the service

This gives you: keywords, seasonality, booking triggers, customer language, and competitor weaknesses — everything needed to build a campaign.

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5 Industries Worth Targeting

Here are the industries my strategist recommends for Macau, Hong Kong, and Southeast Asia — chosen because they have clear conversion paths and strong search intent:

1. Legal Services (Immigration / Corporate)

• Keywords: “Hong Kong visa lawyer,” “business registration,” “immigration consultation”
• Conversion: Phone call, consultation booking
• Why it works: High-ticket client, specific search intent, very little wasted spend

2. Dental / Aesthetic Clinics

• Keywords: “dental implant,” “laser skin treatment,” “Botox clinic”
• Conversion: Online booking, WhatsApp inquiry, phone call
• Why it works: High-value leads, repeat clients, clear before/after triggers

3. Wedding Planning & Event Venues

• Keywords: “wedding venue,” “wedding planner,” “banquet package”
• Conversion: Inquiry form, site visit booking, call
• Why it works: Long lead time, high spend per client, emotional buying triggers

4. Home Renovation & Interior Design

• Keywords: “renovation company,” “interior designer,” “home renovation cost”
• Conversion: Call, site visit, quote request
• Why it works: Project-based, high value per client, clear search intent

5. International Schools / Language Tutoring

• Keywords: “best international school,” “English tutor,” “IELTS preparation”
• Conversion: Application inquiry, trial class booking, call
• Why it works: Parents actively research, seasonal urgency, multi-year customer value

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The Key Takeaway

A good Google Ads strategist doesn’t need to be born knowing your industry. They need two things:

• The platform skills to build and optimize campaigns
• The discipline to research your industry properly before spending a dollar

If you ask me about keyword match types, I’ll dive deep. If you ask me about your customer’s booking behavior, I’ll ask you first — then research it, then let the data confirm it.

That’s the formula. Platform expertise + your market knowledge + real data. Everything else is noise.