- Ads and Analytics
- Tag Manager
- BigQuery
- Looker Studio
Ten Google products under our client work: Ads, Analytics, Tag Manager, Search Console, Cloud, BigQuery, Looker Studio, Sheets, Workspace and Gemini.
- 10Google products, each with its own page
- 5+client Tag Manager accounts we've audited
- 8tools it connects to
Where Google fits our work
One manager account
Most of our clients' Google Ads accounts sit under one Pacing manager account, so we can manage and check campaigns without waiting on a screenshot.
Tags in two places
When paid tracking needs it, a server container sits alongside the browser one in Tag Manager, so more conversions reach the platforms.
Search data we query
Search Console feeds our SEO audits: pages competing for the same search, and queries that are worth a push.
Raw data in BigQuery
Our own site's server-side events stream into BigQuery, so we can check a report against the rows behind it.
Reports people open
For some clients, paid figures go into a Google Sheet and a Looker Studio report reads from it.
Ownership sorted
Accounts move to the business's own login, with us added as users, before we change anything.
We treat Google as one setup, not ten logins. Clients often arrive with several Google accounts, set up at different times. We check who owns what, move ownership to the business, and make the products share the same conversion definitions.
Getting the foundations right
- Ownership first. Accounts belong to the business, with us added as users, not the other way round.
- One definition of a conversion. Ads, Analytics and Tag Manager count the same event, so a visit, a lead and its cost can be followed across them.
- Linked, then checked. We link Search Console, Analytics, Tag Manager and Ads, then check the numbers against the raw data before we report from them.
Where each product fits
- Google Ads: Search and Shopping campaigns. Most client accounts sit under one Pacing manager account, so we can manage and check campaigns from one place.
- Google Analytics 4: counts sessions and events. We keep the setup tidy so reports match what the ad platforms show.
- Google Tag Manager: holds every tag. When paid tracking needs it, a server container sits alongside the browser one, with the server side hosted on Stape.
- Search Console: shows which searches bring people in. Our SEO audits query it for pages competing for the same search and for queries worth a push.
- Google Cloud: hosts the small services we run for tracking and reporting.
- BigQuery: keeps raw event data, including our own site's server-side events, so any number can be checked.
- Looker Studio: reports the whole team can open.
- Google Sheets: small lists, lead logs and, for some clients, paid figures that a report reads from.
- Google Workspace: our own mail, calendar, documents and chat.
- Gemini: the AI model we use inside some of our own tools.
Where to start
If you're not sure what you have, an audit of your Google accounts is the first job: who owns each one, what's linked, and whether the conversions match. Our tracking and paid marketing work both begin there.
Is that return high enough?
What we connect it to
Each Google product reports its own version of events. They only agree when they share definitions and IDs, and someone has to set that up.
Google AdsLinked to Analytics and the tag container, so conversions can be followed to the ad.
GA4Shares conversion definitions with Ads and Tag Manager.
GTMHolds the tags for every Google product.
GSCLinked to Analytics.
Google CloudOne of the Google products we use. It hosts the small tracking and reporting services we run.
BigQueryKeeps the raw events behind the reports.
Looker StudioReports built on the same data.
Google SheetsSmall lists and, for some clients, paid figures that reports read from.
Show 4 more
Services that use it
We don't sell it on its own. Each of these services uses it alongside the rest of your setup.
- Place in the loop: AdsPaid MarketingGoogle, Meta and LinkedIn ads, run end to end and judged on the customers they bring in, not the clicks.Related tools: Google Ads, Meta, LinkedIn, Google Tag Manager (GTM)How it fits
- Funnel ManagementDon't let leads fall through the gaps. We build the whole funnel, from the ad to the follow-up, then keep improving it.Related tools: Webflow, Google Tag Manager (GTM), Stape, CloudflareHow it fits
- Place in the loop: AdsContent & SEOContent and SEO that get you found on Google by people already looking for what you do.Related tools: Google Search Console, Google Analytics 4 (GA4), Google, WebflowHow it fits
What Google is
Google isn't one tool. It's a set of products that each count things their own way: ads, visits, searches, tags, stored data, reports. A business usually has most of them switched on, often set up separately and sometimes under one person's personal login.
This page is the map. Each product below has its own page with how we use it in detail.
Questions about Google
Straight answers on how we work, what it costs and what to expect. If yours isn't here, just ask.
Still have questions?
Talk to usHow do you optimise Google Business Profile for local marketing?
Start with the basics: the right categories, an accurate name, address and opening hours, and a proper description of what you do. Then add real photos, answer your reviews, and keep the details current.
It matters most if customers find you by searching near them. We can include it in our content and SEO work where we have access to the profile.
What are the most important Google tools for small businesses?
For most small businesses it's four: Google Business Profile for local searches, Search Console to see what people searched for, Analytics to see what they did on your site, and Google Ads if you want to pay for visits.
Tag Manager comes in once you want conversions counted properly. We set up Analytics and Tag Manager as part of our tracking work, and use Search Console in our content and SEO work.
What privacy changes is Google making and how do they affect marketing?
The main change that affects you is consent. Google's ad and analytics tags can be told what a visitor chose on your cookie banner, so when consent mode is on and someone says no, you lose some of that visit from your numbers. Safari and Firefox also limit tracking cookies, and Chrome kept third-party cookies after Google dropped its plan to remove them in 2024.
How we handle the gaps is built per project: we connect your cookie consent tool to your tags in Tag Manager and test it, and add a server container when paid tracking needs it. See our Tag Manager page.
What are the latest Google algorithm updates affecting search rankings?
Google updates search all the time, and the themes stay familiar: helpful content written for people, pages that load and behave well, and low-quality or mass-produced copy losing ground. We don't chase each update.
We look at what Search Console shows for your own pages and fix those, in our content and SEO work.
Why is Google essential for digital marketing success?
Because a lot of your customers' searching, and a lot of the tracking behind your marketing, runs through Google products. Ads, Analytics, Tag Manager and Search Console each tell you something different, and they're far more useful once they're set up to agree.
We set them up together, starting with who owns each account. See how we use Google or our paid marketing service.
Start with your numbers.
We'll tell you which tools you need and which connections are missing.
Bring your numbers.
We'll tell you if the spend makes sense.
- A 15-minute callYour goals, your challenges, and whether we're the right fit.
- A 1-hour discovery callWe dig into your numbers. Worth a hundred emails.
- A concrete planAds, a custom build or both, as a one-off project or ongoing.