Google is not a marketing channel. It is a demand capture system. This distinction changes everything about how you should think about Google presence, Google Ads, and Google optimization.
The Fundamental Difference
When someone sees a billboard or a Facebook ad, they may or may not have a need. The ad is trying to create interest or awareness. It is demand creation, or at least demand stimulation.
When someone searches on Google, they have already decided they have a need. They are actively looking for a solution. The demand exists. Your only job is to capture it.
This is why Google remains the most misunderstood channel despite being two decades old. Businesses treat it like other advertising when it operates on fundamentally different principles.
Search Intent Is Everything
The search query is an explicit signal of buyer intent. It tells you what Category Entry Point the buyer is in. It tells you what problem they are trying to solve. It tells you how urgent the need is.
"Plumber near me" is different from "how to unclog a drain" is different from "24 hour emergency plumber." Each query represents a different intent, a different buyer state, and requires a different response.
Understanding and mapping search intent is the foundation of effective Google Ads. Most campaigns fail before the first click because they do not align with actual search intent.
The Google Ads System
Google Ads is infrastructure for intercepting demand at the moment it is expressed. When someone searches for what you sell, you can appear in front of them. The efficiency is remarkable: you are reaching people who have raised their hand to say they need something.
But the infrastructure is complex. Keyword selection, match types, bid strategies, campaign structure, ad copy, landing pages, conversion tracking, all of these elements must work together. Failure in any one area can undermine the entire system.
Local Service Businesses
For local service businesses, Google is often the primary demand capture mechanism. The combination of explicit search intent and geographic targeting makes it extraordinarily efficient.
The Google Business Profile, Local Services Ads, and traditional Search Ads each capture different segments of local demand. A complete Google presence requires attention to all three.
Common Mistakes
Businesses underperform on Google by:
- Treating Google like brand advertising instead of demand capture
- Underfunding campaigns so they never reach competitive scale
- Using broad match keywords without proper negative lists
- Sending traffic to generic pages instead of intent-matched landing pages
- Not tracking conversions or tracking the wrong events
- Optimizing for cost per click instead of cost per outcome
- Ignoring the phone calls that represent their best leads
The Downstream Problem
Google can only capture the demand and deliver it to you. What happens next is your responsibility. If follow-up is broken, the leads Google delivers will not convert. If your phone goes unanswered, the demand you paid to capture goes to competitors.
This is why Google performance cannot be evaluated in isolation. It is one part of a demand capture system that includes everything from the search to the final conversion.