# Pedal Performance > Pedal Performance is a performance marketing agency born into the AI era, built by the team behind Pearmill (which has managed $500M+ in ad spend). Pedal specializes in performance media, growth ops (SEO, analytics, CRO, automation), and web design for businesses whose customers research before they buy — medical and cosmetic practices, e-commerce and DTC brands, educational institutions, and B2B platforms. Pedal is operated by Pearmill Inc. (d/b/a Pedal). The agency focuses on turning ad spend into booked appointments and customers, with its deepest vertical expertise in elective and aesthetic medical practices. Its approach is three-part: Integrate (embed with the client's team, learn SOPs and KPIs), Augment (AI workflows for bid management, ad testing, and reporting), and Advise (ongoing strategy and tuning as platforms shift). Key facts: - Parent company: Pearmill Inc. - Website: https://pedal-performance.com - Email: hello@pedal-performance.com - Services: Performance Media, Growth Ops, Web Design & Development - Specialties: Medical & Cosmetic (med spas, plastic surgery, cosmetic dentistry, hair replacement), E-Commerce & DTC, Education & Institutions, Platforms & Partnerships - Pricing: Starter ($2,500/mo flat fee, up to $10K ad spend), Growth (15% of ad spend, $10K-$50K), Scale (custom, $50K+) - Contracts: Month-to-month, no long-term contracts, no setup fees - Asset ownership: Clients own all domains, ad accounts, website code, and data from day one --- ## Homepage Pedal Performance | AI-Native Performance Marketing for Medical, DTC & Growing Businesses AI is like a bike. Get the right fit — and you'll go further than you thought possible. Pedal is the bike shop for your marketing. We set you up, tune your system, and get you moving — so every dollar you spend actually works. Built by the team behind Pearmill. Book a free call: 30 minutes. No pitch deck. No pressure. ### The Problem — You've been through this before. Running a great business shouldn't mean fighting your own marketing. But for most small business owners, it does. - Your ad spend is a black box — You're spending thousands on Google and Meta every month. The reports show impressions and clicks. But you can't tell what's actually driving appointments — or what's being wasted. - Your agency went quiet — You signed up expecting a partner. What you got was a monthly PDF, a recurring charge, and radio silence. No new ideas. No strategy calls. Just a bill. - You don't own your own stuff — Your last agency built your site on their platform. They control your domain, your ad accounts, maybe even your CRM. If you ever leave, you start from scratch. - Slow months that spiral — January goes quiet. Then February. Suddenly you're covering payroll from savings and wondering if this is ever going to feel predictable. Most marketing agencies aren't built for businesses like yours. We built one that is. ### Why Pedal World-class methodology. Without the enterprise price tag. We spent years at Pearmill running performance marketing for companies managing $500M+ in annual ad spend. We built Pedal to bring the same methodology and accountability to businesses like yours. - Pearmill pedigree — The same methodology that runs $500M+ in ad spend, now available to local businesses. - AI-native delivery — We use AI across research, creative, reporting, and execution — big-agency output at a fraction of the cost. - Vertical depth — We specialize in your category. We know your buyers, your funnels, and your competitive landscape. - You own everything — Your domain, ad accounts, and website code. All yours from day one. No lock-in, ever. ### How We Work: Inspect. Tune. Ride. Every engagement starts the same way: we look at everything, fix what matters most, and build the system that keeps improving. The same process a good bike mechanic uses — and it works just as well for your marketing. 1. Inspect — We look at everything. Before we change a single thing, we audit your full setup: Google Ads and Meta campaign structure, conversion tracking and event setup, landing page messaging and layout, lead flow (forms, calls, booking links), and reporting. 2. Tune — We fix the highest-impact things first. We prioritize by impact: campaign structure and bidding strategy, conversion tracking and attribution, landing page copy/layout/CTA, creative (ad copy, visuals, offers), and budget allocation across channels. 3. Ride — You get a growth system that compounds. Monthly priorities and testing roadmap, performance reporting you can actually read, continuous campaign and creative testing, CRO recommendations on live pages, and budget/channel guidance as you grow. ### Who We Serve Deep expertise where it matters most. Five specialties, one system — measurement you can trust and funnels built for how your customers actually buy. - Healthcare, Cosmetic, & Medical — Med spas, plastic surgery, cosmetic dentistry, hair replacement. Trust-first funnels that fill consultation books. (see Healthcare, Cosmetic, & Medical Marketing page) - E-Commerce & DTC — Shopify and DTC brands with considered purchases. Ad spend tied to revenue your P&L can actually see. (see Ecommerce Marketing page) - Lead Generation — Local services and professional practices. Leads that become booked calls, not form-fills that ghost. (see Lead Generation page) - AI Marketing — AI in the execution, humans on the strategy, Hopkin watching your accounts. (see AI Marketing page) - SEO Services — Performance SEO measured to leads and revenue: technical, on-page, and content, not vanity rankings. (see SEO Services page) ### Results Our team built its track record at Pearmill, managing $500M+ in ad spend. Med Spa, Austin TX: Consultations up 3.2x in 90 days. Cost per consultation dropped from $310 to $94. Cosmetic Dentistry, Scottsdale AZ: Lead-to-consultation rate jumped from 11% to 34%. Monthly consultations doubled while ad spend stayed flat. (Figures representative of results based on team experience.) ### Testimonials Rachel M., Glow Med Spa, Austin TX: "Within 60 days, my cost per consult was cut in half and I stopped dreading slow months." Dr. James K., Renew Cosmetic Surgery, Denver CO: "With Pedal, I have full access to everything from day one." Dr. Sarah L., Bright Cosmetic Dentistry, Scottsdale AZ: "Pedal sends me a report I can read in five minutes. My schedule has never been fuller." ### Pricing - Starter: $2,500/month flat fee (up to $10K/month in ad spend). Paid search campaign management, conversion tracking setup and monitoring, dedicated growth advisor, monthly strategy check-in. - Growth (Most Popular): 15% of monthly ad spend ($10K–$50K/month). Everything in Starter, plus landing page design and optimization, weekly strategy calls, creative testing and iteration. - Scale: Custom ($50K+/month in ad spend). Everything in Growth, plus email and SMS marketing, senior growth advisor + dedicated support, custom CRO and bi-weekly strategy calls. No setup fees. Month-to-month. You own everything from day one. ### FAQ Q: What if I've tried marketing agencies before and it didn't work? A: You're not alone — most of our clients came to us after a bad agency experience. We integrate with your team first, we report on revenue and booked appointments — not impressions — and you own everything from day one. Q: How long until I see results? A: Paid search typically shows meaningful data within 30 days and strong performance within 60–90 days. We set milestone expectations during onboarding. Q: Do I own my website and ad accounts? A: Yes. Always. Your domain, Google Ads account, Meta Business Manager, and website code — all yours from the moment we set it up. If you ever leave, you take everything. Q: Is this HIPAA compliant? A: We build all campaigns and landing pages with HIPAA considerations in mind. We don't collect protected health information through ad forms, use compliant tracking methods, and follow industry best practices for patient privacy. Q: What's the minimum commitment or contract length? A: Month-to-month. No long-term contracts, no cancellation fees. Q: What types of businesses do you work with? A: Our deepest expertise is in elective and aesthetic medical practices — med spas, plastic surgery, cosmetic dentistry, and hair replacement. Our methodology works for any local business whose primary revenue driver is booked appointments. Q: What does the onboarding process look like? A: After your strategy call, we audit your current setup and build a custom plan. Once approved, campaigns are typically live within 2–3 weeks. ### Booking Book a free 30-minute call. We'll look at your marketing and tell you honestly whether we can help. Prefer email? hello@pedal-performance.com --- ## Healthcare, Cosmetic, & Medical Marketing The healthcare marketing agency built for private practices. Med spas, plastic surgeons, cosmetic dentists, hair restoration clinics — practices that live on booked consultations. Not hospitals, not pharma. Who We Serve: Med Spas & Cosmetic Clinics, Plastic Surgery, Cosmetic Dentistry, and Hair Replacement Therapy — each with its own funnel strategy, benchmarks, and dedicated page. Adjacent elective-care practices (dermatology, vision correction, fertility, men's health) also fit the playbook. The Problem: Patient acquisition doesn't play by generalist rules — HIPAA-conscious tracking, franchise/DSO budget competition, lead-to-consultation drop-off, and agency account lock-in. Why Pedal: Pearmill pedigree ($500M+ ad spend methodology), AI-native delivery, deep healthcare playbooks, fully transparent pricing. Services: Performance Media, Growth Ops (incl. SEO for medical practices), Web Design & Development — all optimized to consultations booked, not leads generated. Results: Austin TX med spa saw consultations increase 3.2x in 90 days (cost per consultation $310 → $94). Scottsdale AZ cosmetic dentistry practice lead-to-consultation rate jumped 11% → 34% with consultations doubling on flat spend. Free Audit: Request a free practice marketing audit with your name, email, business name, website URL, and monthly ad spend range. Contact Form: Get in touch with your name, email, business name, phone (optional), and message. --- ## Ecommerce Marketing The ecommerce marketing agency that ties ad spend to revenue. Shopify stores, DTC brands, supplements and wellness — products people research before they buy. Not platform-reported fiction: revenue your P&L can actually see. Who We Serve: Supplements & Wellness (compliant funnels in paid media's most restricted category), Shopify & DTC brands (considered-purchase products), and subscription/repeat-purchase brands (acquisition planned around payback windows, not first-order ROAS). The Problem: Platform ROAS is fiction (signal loss, view-through credit, branded-search cannibalization), CAC climbs while margins shrink, traffic converts poorly on pages built for browsing, and agencies lock brands out of their own accounts. Why Pedal: Pearmill pedigree ($500M+ ad spend methodology for the fastest-growing DTC and consumer brands), AI-native delivery, revenue-first measurement (server-side tracking), fully transparent pricing. Services: Performance Media (search, Shopping, social, remarketing, email, SMS), Growth Ops (incl. ecommerce SEO), Web Design & Development — all managed to the brand's target return. Free Audit: Request a free ecommerce marketing audit with your name, email, business name, website URL, and monthly ad spend range. Contact Form: Get in touch with your name, email, business name, phone (optional), and message. --- ## Lead Generation The lead generation agency built for small businesses. Local services, professional practices, online brands — businesses that live on booked calls and qualified inquiries. We turn ad spend into leads that actually become customers. Who We Serve: Local & Service Businesses (booked jobs from local intent), Professional & Medical Practices (see Healthcare, Cosmetic, & Medical Marketing), and Online & E-Commerce Brands (see Ecommerce Marketing). The Problem: Leads that never become customers (volume without qualification), vanity-metric reporting (clicks, not cost per booked customer), franchises and lead-selling aggregators outbidding on local keywords, and agency account lock-in. Why Pedal: Pearmill pedigree ($500M+ ad spend methodology), AI-native delivery, lead-first measurement (tracking wired to booked calls and CRM), fully transparent pricing. Services: Performance Media, Growth Ops (incl. local SEO), Web Design & Development — all optimized to qualified leads booked, not clicks generated. No guaranteed-lead gimmicks — a target cost per qualified lead, reported honestly. Free Audit: Request a free lead generation audit with your name, email, business name, website URL, and monthly ad spend range. Contact Form: Get in touch with your name, email, business name, phone (optional), and message. --- ## AI Marketing The AI marketing agency that actually runs on AI. Built AI-native from day one by the team behind Pearmill — AI in the execution, humans on the strategy, and Hopkin, an AI marketing copilot clients can meet themselves. What AI-Native Means: AI runs the production layer (creative iteration, campaign analysis, reporting, QA) so senior people spend time on strategy and judgment calls — the reason pricing sits below big-agency rates. Everything client-facing gets human review. Hopkin (see the Hopkin page) watches client ad accounts continuously between human check-ins. The Problem: most "AI-powered" agencies sell the same retainer with a new label; AI slop at scale doesn't convert or rank; tools without strategy just automate guessing; and agencies lock clients out of their own accounts. Why Pedal: Pearmill pedigree ($500M+ ad spend methodology), actually AI-native (the delivery model, not a feature), Hopkin inside, fully transparent pricing. Services: Performance Media (AI-assisted creative testing and analysis), Growth Ops (SEO including AI search surfaces like ChatGPT/Copilot, analytics, CRO, automation), Web Design & Development. Free Audit: Request a free AI marketing audit with your name, email, business name, website URL, and monthly ad spend range. Contact Form: Get in touch with your name, email, business name, phone (optional), and message. --- ## SEO Services The SEO agency that ranks you for revenue, not vanity metrics. Built by the team behind Pearmill to run SEO like performance marketing: technical, on-page, and content work measured against the leads and revenue it produces. AI handles the production, senior strategists own the calls, and you own every page, backlink, and data point. What Performance SEO Means: SEO run like performance marketing and measured to revenue, not rankings. AI-native production handles technical audits, content drafting, and reporting so senior strategists focus on what moves rankings. Hopkin (see the Hopkin page) connects to analytics and ad accounts and watches them continuously. The Problem: most SEO is sold on vanity metrics — rankings without revenue, AI slop at scale that doesn't rank or convert, six-month black boxes with no reporting, and agencies that keep the content and links so your rankings leave when you do. Why Pedal: Pearmill pedigree ($500M+ ad spend methodology), performance discipline (SEO measured to leads and revenue), AI-native production, fully transparent pricing with full ownership of everything built. Services: Technical SEO (crawlability, indexation, site speed, structured data), On-Page & Content SEO (search-intent content, on-page optimization, internal linking), Digital PR & Link Building (real editorial links and authority). Free Audit: Request a free SEO audit with your name, email, business name, website URL, and monthly ad spend range. Contact Form: Get in touch with your name, email, business name, phone (optional), and message. --- ## PPC & Google Ads Management Paid search that's measured in revenue, not clicks. Built by the team behind Pearmill, the firm that has managed $500M+ in ad spend, to run paid search against the numbers that matter: leads and revenue. AI handles the production, senior strategists own the calls, and the client owns the ad account, the tracking, and all the data. What We Run: Google Search (intent capture managed to cost per lead), Performance Max (Google's automation, supervised, fed clean conversion data), Shopping (feed health, segmentation, margin-aware bidding), Display & YouTube (accountable remarketing and prospecting), and Microsoft/Bing Ads (lower CPCs, clean imports from Google). Hopkin (see the Hopkin page) connects to analytics and ad accounts and watches them continuously. The Problem: most PPC management is built to spend, not to earn: accounts optimized for activity instead of leads and revenue, broken or missing conversion tracking so every optimization is a guess, hidden custom-quote pricing that flexes to what the agency thinks you can afford, and agencies that keep the ad account so the history and data leave when you do. Why Pedal: pricing is published in full with no custom-quote wall, every campaign measured against leads and revenue, senior review instead of a junior media buyer learning on your budget, and the client owns the ad account, tracking, audiences, and data from day one. Services: Search & Performance Max Management (keyword strategy, structure, bids, negatives, budget pacing), Conversion Tracking & Measurement (tag setup, revenue-true conversion actions, offline imports, call tracking), Ad Copy & Creative Testing (responsive search ads and landing page alignment on a steady cadence). Pricing: Starter $2,500/month flat fee for up to $10K/month in ad spend (paid search campaign management, conversion tracking setup and monitoring, dedicated growth advisor, monthly strategy check-in). Growth (Most Popular) 15% of monthly ad spend for $10K to $50K/month in ad spend (everything in Starter plus landing page design and optimization, weekly strategy calls, creative testing and iteration). Scale custom pricing tailored to your spend for $50K+/month in ad spend (everything in Growth plus email and SMS marketing, senior growth advisor and dedicated support, custom CRO and bi-weekly strategy calls). No setup fees, month-to-month, and you own everything from day one. Free paid search audit to start. Free Audit: Request a free paid search audit with your name, email, business name, website URL, and monthly ad spend range. Contact Form: Get in touch with your name, email, business name, phone (optional), and message. --- ## Paid Social & Meta Ads Management Facebook and Instagram ads measured in revenue, not reach. Built by the team behind Pearmill, the firm that has managed $500M+ in ad spend, to run Meta and TikTok ads against the numbers that matter: leads and revenue. AI handles the creative production, senior strategists own the calls, and the client owns the ad account, the pixel, and all the data. What We Run: Facebook Ads (prospecting and retargeting via Advantage+ and manual campaigns, judged on cost per acquisition), Instagram Ads (feed, Stories, and Explore placements with native creative), Meta Advantage+ (Meta's automation, supervised and fed clean signal), Reels & Stories (short-form video with weekly format testing), and TikTok Ads (lower CPMs and a native-video audience when the creative and math fit). Hopkin (see the Hopkin page) connects to analytics and ad accounts and watches them continuously. The Problem: most paid social is built for reach, not revenue: accounts optimized for impressions and engagement instead of leads and revenue, creative that fizzles in a week without a testing cadence, hidden custom-quote pricing that flexes to what the agency thinks you can afford, and agencies that keep the ad account and pixel so the history, audiences, and data leave when you do. Why Pedal: pricing is published in full with no custom-quote wall, every campaign measured against leads and revenue, creative testing on a weekly cadence, and the client owns the ad account, the Meta pixel, audiences, and data from day one. Services: Creative Testing & Production (a steady cadence of new hooks, formats, and angles for Meta and TikTok, AI-drafted and senior-approved), Campaign Management & Scaling (structure, audience strategy, budget pacing, and bids across Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok), Tracking & Attribution (Meta pixel and Conversions API setup, revenue-true events, clean attribution). Pricing: Starter $2,500/month flat fee for up to $10K/month in ad spend (Facebook & Instagram campaign management, pixel and Conversions API setup and monitoring, dedicated growth advisor, monthly creative testing and strategy check-in). Growth (Most Popular) 15% of monthly ad spend for $10K to $50K/month in ad spend (everything in Starter plus TikTok campaign management, weekly creative testing and iteration, weekly strategy calls). Scale custom pricing tailored to your spend for $50K+/month in ad spend (everything in Growth plus full-funnel creative production, email and SMS marketing, senior growth advisor and bi-weekly strategy calls). No setup fees, month-to-month, and you own everything from day one. Free paid social audit to start. Free Audit: Request a free paid social audit with your name, email, business name, website URL, and monthly ad spend range. Contact Form: Get in touch with your name, email, business name, phone (optional), and message. --- ## Med Spa Marketing Performance marketing built for med spas and cosmetic clinics. Your med spa deserves a full consultation calendar. Pedal is built by the team behind Pearmill, with deep expertise in med spa and cosmetic clinic marketing. The Problem: Med spa marketing has unique challenges. Franchise budgets, seasonal cycles, lead-to-consultation drop-off, and underused before/after content. Services: Performance Media, Growth Ops, Web Design & Development — all focused on filling your consultation calendar. Results: Austin TX med spa saw consultations increase 3.2x in 90 days. LA med spa grew from 18 to 47 monthly consultations in four months. Free Audit: Request a free med spa marketing audit with your name, email, business name, website URL, and monthly ad spend range. Contact Form: Get in touch with your name, email, business name, phone (optional), and message. --- ## Dermatology Marketing Performance marketing built for dermatology and cosmetic dermatology practices. Your dermatology practice deserves a full, high-value schedule. Pedal is built by the team behind Pearmill, with deep experience marketing dermatology and cosmetic practices, and an understanding of the split between insurance-based medical demand and cash-pay cosmetic demand. The Problem: Dermatology runs two businesses under one roof — insurance-based medical dermatology and cash-pay cosmetic work. Unique challenges: competing with med spas for the cosmetic dollar (Botox, filler, laser); medical visits filling the schedule at thin margins while high-margin cosmetic services go unmarketed; cosmetic leads that don't convert because the front desk is built for insurance scheduling; and underused reviews and before/after proof. Services: Performance Media, Growth Ops, Web Design & Development — focused on growing the cash-pay cosmetic side while strengthening the reputation that feeds the medical schedule. How We Grow a Dermatology Practice (our approach): separate the cosmetic engine from the medical schedule and market the high-margin cash-pay services (Botox, laser, injectables, peels); build one dedicated page per cosmetic procedure; wire conversion tracking to actual booked cosmetic consults (and revenue where possible); and build a systematic review and Google Business Profile reputation engine. Free Audit: Request a free dermatology marketing audit with your name, email, business name, website URL, and monthly ad spend range. Contact Form: Get in touch with your name, email, business name, phone (optional), and message. --- ## Plastic Surgery Marketing Performance marketing for plastic surgeons and cosmetic surgery practices. We convert high-consideration patients into booked surgical consultations. The Problem: Patients research for months. Long decision cycles, brand sensitivity, poor conversion tracking, and competition from large cosmetic surgery groups. Services: Performance Media, Growth Ops, Web Design & Development — all focused on surgical consultation bookings. Results: Denver facial plastic surgeon rebuilt campaigns with procedure-specific landing pages and proper conversion tracking. Free Audit: Request a free plastic surgery marketing audit with your name, email, business name, website URL, and monthly ad spend range. Contact Form: Get in touch with your name, email, business name, phone (optional), and message. --- ## Cosmetic Dentistry Marketing Performance marketing built for cosmetic dental practices. We fill your schedule with veneer, whitening, and smile makeover consultations. The Problem: DSOs outspending independents, leads that don't convert, websites that don't showcase work, and lack of procedure-level tracking. Services: Performance Media, Growth Ops, Web Design & Development — all focused on cosmetic dental consultations. Results: Scottsdale practice saw lead-to-consultation rate jump from 11% to 34%. Monthly consultations doubled while ad spend stayed flat. Free Audit: Request a free dental marketing audit with your name, email, business name, website URL, and monthly ad spend range. Contact Form: Get in touch with your name, email, business name, phone (optional), and message. --- ## Hair Restoration Marketing Performance marketing for hair restoration and hair replacement practices. We connect you with patients who are ready to act on hair loss. The Problem: Competition from big-brand clinics, deeply researching patients, underused before/after photography, and the need to market male and female hair loss differently. Services: Performance Media, Growth Ops, Web Design & Development — all focused on hair restoration consultations. Results: Houston clinic rebuilt campaigns with procedure-specific targeting and proper conversion tracking, significantly increasing consultation bookings. Free Audit: Request a free hair replacement marketing audit with your name, email, business name, website URL, and monthly ad spend range. Contact Form: Get in touch with your name, email, business name, phone (optional), and message. --- ## Hopkin AI Marketing Copilot Hopkin is Pedal's AI marketing copilot. Built by Pedal to run client ad accounts, now opened up to the public — either self-serve with a 1-week free trial, or bundled into a Pedal-managed engagement at no extra cost. Connects paid media accounts (Meta, Google, LinkedIn, TikTok, Reddit, Google Search Console, Mailchimp) to Claude and other MCP-compatible AI assistants. Positioning: "Hopkin by Pedal — your ad accounts, inside your AI." Replace dashboards. Keep the insight. The Problem: Dashboard sprawl across paid channels, slow answers from stale exports, no clean read across creative and media, and budget waste hiding in plain sight. What Hopkin Does: - Cross-platform performance reports (spend, conversions, CPA, ROAS) across every channel in one prompt - Creative breakdowns and fatigue surfacing - Demographic and device cuts - Waste detection — surface the bottom 20% of ads by efficiency - Read-only via OAuth, no password storage, data fetched live (not warehoused) How It Works (3 steps): 1. Connect your ad accounts via OAuth (Meta, Google, LinkedIn, TikTok, Reddit — no API keys) 2. Open your AI assistant (install Hopkin MCP server in Claude, Notion Custom Agents, or any compatible assistant) 3. Ask anything — pull reports, rank creatives, spot waste in natural language Two Ways to Use Hopkin: 1. Self-serve — start a 1-week free trial (no card), connect ad accounts via OAuth, install the MCP server in Claude. For in-house teams, founders, and operators. Affordable monthly plans after trial (pricing coming soon). 2. Pedal-Managed — Pedal runs performance marketing end-to-end with Hopkin bundled in at no extra cost. For practices and brands that want growth, not homework. No trial needed; Hopkin is part of the engagement. Why Pedal Built Hopkin: We tried every reporting tool on the market. Most produced slow, brittle PDFs nobody read. So we built Hopkin — the analytics copilot that lives where our analysts already work, inside Claude. It's how Pedal runs client accounts daily (weekly performance pulls, creative ranking before strategy calls, monthly waste audits) — now opened up. Pricing (Early Access — final amounts coming soon): - Hopkin Starter: Early Access (1-week free trial, one ad account, unlimited seats) - Hopkin Pro: Early Access (1-week free trial, multiple ad accounts, unlimited seats, no spend limits) - Pedal-Managed: Custom (full-service performance marketing, Hopkin bundled at no extra cost) FAQ Highlights: - Read-only, OAuth, no passwords stored, data not warehoused - Works in Claude, Notion Custom Agents, and any MCP-compatible AI assistant - Supported platforms: Meta, Google, LinkedIn, TikTok, Reddit, Google Search Console, Mailchimp - Free trial is 1 week, no credit card required to start; post-trial pricing coming soon - Self-serve users can switch to Pedal-managed later — accounts stay yours - Pedal-managed plans bundle Hopkin at no extra cost (no separate subscription) - Pedal has zero visibility into self-serve Hopkin accounts unless explicitly added as a manager - Setup typically under an hour; month-to-month, no contracts CTAs: - Try Hopkin (start free trial): https://hopkin.ai - Have Pedal Run It For You: book a call at https://cal.com/team/pedal/introductory-meeting --- ## Resources Pedal publishes guides and field notes for paid media owners and operators at https://pedal-performance.com/resources/. Currently published: ### Guide: How to Set Up Google Ads Conversion Tracking URL: https://pedal-performance.com/resources/guides/set-up-google-ads-conversion-tracking Updated: 2026-09-08 Author: Chad Hilyard, Founder, Pedal Performance Step-by-step 2026 guide to setting up Google Ads conversion tracking the current way — not the retired copy-a-snippet method — so campaigns bid toward real leads instead of noise. Written for owners and in-house marketers at small and mid-sized businesses, not developers. Requires admin access to Google Ads and the ability to edit the website or tag manager. Core principle: Google Ads optimizes toward whatever you tell it a conversion is. A conversion action is the specific visitor behavior counted as a win (form submit, purchase, call-button click), and Smart Bidding, broad match, and Performance Max all lean on that data. Every campaign should have exactly one Primary conversion action — the action that actually makes money — with everything else set to Secondary so it informs reporting without steering bids. Multiple primaries pointed at one campaign is the most common fast win to clean up. Step 1 — Set up your website conversion action (30–45 min, free): In Google Ads open the Goals menu > Summary > + Create conversion action > Website source. Google scans the domain for an existing Google tag or GA property — let it look before adding anything (duplicate tracking starts here). You get the Google tag, a single base tag on every page, plus an event snippet (or phone snippet) that fires on the specific conversion. The tag ID and conversion label are different things: base tag everywhere, event only on the money action. Mark the money action Primary; softer actions Secondary (tracked in "All conversions" but excluded from the "Conversions" column bidding uses). If the deepest funnel action is too rare, make a frequent high-intent action (qualified form submit, "Book now" click) the Primary and keep the rare deep conversion Secondary. Step 2 — Import conversions from Google Analytics (15 min, free): Two honest sources: a native Google Ads tag or a GA4 import (mark the action a key event in GA4, then import via Goals > Summary > + Create conversion action). Native tag = tightest signal for paid-media bidding; GA4 import = when the conversion already lives in Analytics or spans channels. Never track the same action with both at once — that counts the same lead twice. One source per action, deliberately. Step 3 — Turn on Enhanced Conversions for Leads (20–30 min, free): Sends hashed first-party data (SHA-256 email/phone) so Google matches conversions to clicks even when cookies are gone. As of June 2026 Google unified enhanced conversions for web and leads into a single on/off setting accepting user-provided data from website tags, Data Manager, and API connections; the fastest configuration path is Google Ads Data Manager. Step 4 — Track offline conversions (time varies, free): If leads close later offline, capture the GCLID (Google Click Identifier, appended to the URL on ad click; case-sensitive) on the lead form, store it in the CRM, and upload closed deals back to Google matched by GCLID. Data Manager is the fastest upload path; as of June 15, 2026 offline imports and Enhanced Conversions for Leads uploads move to the Data Manager API, with the older Google Ads API path phased out. Consent Mode v2: applies to EEA/UK/Switzerland traffic; passes cookie-banner consent to Google's tags. V2 added two signals covering ad personalization and user-data sharing. Google-certified consent platforms usually just enable it in banner settings. Step 5 — Verify before you scale (20 min, free): The conversion action should read "Recording conversions." Fire a real conversion and watch it with Google Tag Assistant (or GTM Preview). Confirm one completed action produces exactly one conversion — not one from a native tag plus one from a GA4 import, and not button click plus thank-you page load. Common mistakes: counting page views as conversions; double-counting native tag + GA4 import; optimizing on a too-rare event; no offline loop for lead-gen; leaving Google's auto-created conversion actions unreviewed. After fixing a broken setup, performance usually dips while campaigns re-learn, then gives an honest read. Pedal's standard: tracking audit first on every new paid-media account; Google tag deployed cleanly, one deliberate source per action, Enhanced Conversions for Leads on, GCLID captured. Built inside the client's Google Ads and Google Analytics accounts — the client owns the account, tags, and data. Pedal runs paid media from $2,500/month, month-to-month. ### Guide: How to Set Up the Meta Pixel and Conversions API for a Local Business URL: https://pedal-performance.com/resources/guides/set-up-meta-pixel-conversions-api Updated: 2026-06-09 Author: Justin Griffiths, Co-Founder, Head of Strategy & PR, Pedal Performance Step-by-step guide for local service businesses to set up Meta's conversion tracking correctly: the Meta Pixel (now called a dataset inside Events Manager) paired with the Conversions API, so Facebook and Instagram ads optimize on real leads instead of guesses. Written for owners and in-house marketers, not developers. Each step includes a "you'll need / time / cost" header. Core principle: tracking must send events from two directions at once — the visitor's browser (pixel) and your server (Conversions API) — into one dataset, deduplicated by a shared event_id. The Conversions API is no longer optional; it is the half of the setup that survives ad-blockers and iOS tracking prompts. Step 1 — Find or create your dataset in Events Manager (10 min, free): Events Manager is the hub inside Business Manager. Check for an existing pixel/dataset before creating a second one — duplicate datasets split data so neither can optimize. The old "Facebook Pixel"/"Meta Pixel" is now the "dataset"; the ID is unchanged. Create via Data Sources → Add → name after the business → Web source. Assign the dataset to the Business, never a personal profile, or you can lose conversion history in a staffing change. Step 2 — Install the browser pixel and fire the right events (30–45 min, free): Add the base pixel to every page (via Google Tag Manager, or a native Shopify/Squarespace/WordPress field) for a generic PageView. Then fire a standard event on the money action — for a local service business, usually Lead or Contact (contact-form submit, "Request an appointment" click, click-to-call tap). Judgment call: if the only conversion is a deep action (completed booking) that happens a few times a month, Meta never gets enough signal; move the primary event up-funnel to a frequent, high-intent action and keep the deep conversion as a secondary. Use named standard events (Lead, Contact, Schedule, Purchase). Never fire the same conversion on both a thank-you page load and a button click — that double-counts. Step 3 — Verify your domain (15 min + up to 72h DNS, free): Business Settings → Brand Safety → Domains. Verify via DNS TXT record, an HTML meta tag in the site , or an uploaded file (DNS is most durable). Note: Meta retired the manual Aggregated Event Measurement 8-event configuration in mid-2025 and now aggregates eligible events automatically, so hand-ranking events is gone — but domain verification still controls who can edit ad links and locks event configuration. Step 4 — Add the Conversions API for server-side events (20 min–2h, free from Meta; some connectors charge): The Conversions API (CAPI) sends events from your server straight to Meta, recovering conversions the browser drops to ad-blockers, privacy browsers, and iOS prompts. Meta's guidance is to run pixel AND Conversions API together. Three connection options, easiest first: native platform integration (Shopify, WordPress plugins, most CRMs — right answer for most local businesses); partner integration (GTM server-side container); direct API integration (developer). Mirror the same Lead/Contact events server-side and send strong customer-info parameters (hashed email/phone) — match quality is won or lost server-side. Deduplicate with a shared event_id on both copies so Meta counts each conversion once; no shared event_id means double-counted, inflated conversions. Step 5 — Confirm event quality before you scale (20 min, free): Use the Test Events tool and trigger a real conversion on your own site — the event should arrive from BOTH browser and server. Then check the dataset's event overview and match quality after a day or two; a healthy deduplicated share and non-red customer-information match quality. Low match quality usually means server-side events aren't sending enough customer parameters. How the pieces fit: the dataset is the container (single source of truth); the browser pixel is the first pipe (fast on-site behavior); the Conversions API is the second pipe (recovers dropped conversions + strong matching); the shared event_id is the valve (prevents double-counting); domain verification is the lock (controls who can change configuration). Common mistakes: running two datasets; browser pixel only (no CAPI); no shared event_id; optimizing on a rare event; setting up under a personal account instead of the Business. FAQ topics covered: whether the browser pixel is still needed with CAPI (yes, run both), whether the pixel is the same as a dataset (yes), whether you still pick 8 iOS priority events by hand (no, retired mid-2025), how to track phone calls from a local-business ad, and how much data Meta needs to optimize (~50 conversions per ad set per week to exit the learning phase). Sources: Meta for Developers Conversions API docs; Meta Business Help Center on Aggregated Event Measurement, domain verification, and the learning phase. CTA: Book a free call for a second set of eyes on your Meta setup — dataset, events, and Conversions API deduplication — at https://cal.com/team/pedal/introductory-meeting. --- ### Guide: How to Set Up Google Business Profile, Analytics 4, Tag Manager & Ads URL: https://pedal-performance.com/resources/guides/google-marketing-setup Updated: 2026-06-02 Beginner-friendly, step-by-step setup guide for the six core Google marketing tools, written for new businesses and businesses taking digital seriously for the first time. Covers Google Business Profile, Google Search Console, Google Analytics 4, Google Tag Manager, Google Ads, and Google Merchant Center. Each section includes a "you'll need / time / cost" header, exact click paths, and verification steps. Core principle: set up the **free four** first (Business Profile, Search Console, Analytics 4, Tag Manager) — they cost nothing and form the foundation. Add Google Ads when ready to spend on paid traffic. Add Merchant Center only if selling physical products online. Order matters: each step's outputs feed the next. Critical prerequisite: own everything under a business-controlled Google account (free Gmail or paid Google Workspace) — never a personal Gmail, never an outside agency/freelancer's account. Roughly half of new-client onboardings at Pedal involve recovering accounts from prior owners. Google Business Profile (free) — 30 min setup + 5–14 days for postcard verification (or instant via video for many categories). Create or claim listing at google.com/business. NAP consistency (Name/Address/Phone) is critical: match character-for-character across website, directories, and license. Complete profile to 100%: hours, services, 10+ photos, attributes, description, booking link. Ongoing: respond to every review within 48 hours, post weekly updates. Google Search Console (free) — 20 min setup. search.google.com/search-console → Add property → choose Domain (not URL prefix) → verify via DNS TXT record at your domain registrar. Submit sitemap. Wait ~1 week for data to populate. Most useful screens: Performance (queries + position), Pages (indexing status), Core Web Vitals, Mobile usability. Google Analytics 4 (free) — 15 min setup. analytics.google.com → Admin → Create Account + Property. Pick reporting timezone and currency carefully (revenue events depend on currency). Add a Web data stream → capture the Measurement ID (G-XXXXXXXXXX). **Do not paste the GA4 snippet directly** — load it through Tag Manager instead, or you'll double-count. Turn on Enhanced Measurement (covers page views, scrolls, outbound clicks, downloads, on-site search for free). Change Data Retention from default 2 months to 14 months. Google Tag Manager (free) — 30 min setup + first-time developer help for the snippet install. tagmanager.google.com → Create Account + Container. Install two snippets (<head> + <body>) on every page — most platforms (Shopify, Squarespace, Wix, WordPress, Webflow) have built-in fields or free plugins. Add a Google Tag pointed at your GA4 Measurement ID with All Pages trigger. Preview → confirm tag fires → Submit + publish. From here on, every future tag (Ads pixel, Meta pixel, LinkedIn, Hotjar) is added in the GTM UI with no code changes. Google Ads (pay-per-click, you set the budget) — 45 min setup. ads.google.com → Start now → **switch to Expert Mode** (skip Smart Campaigns — they can't be converted later and hide critical controls). Lock in timezone + currency carefully (both immutable). Add billing. **Link to GA4** (Tools → Data manager → Product links → Google Analytics) — this is the most under-done step and unlocks proper conversion measurement. **Import GA4 conversions** (Tools → Conversions → New → Import from GA4) and mark at least one as Primary. Optionally link to Search Console for paid-vs-organic analysis. Stop here if not ready to spend — campaign building is a separate topic. Google Merchant Center (free, e-commerce only) — 1–2 hours. **Skip if service business**. merchants.google.com → Get started → verify website (reuse Search Console verification for one-click site claim) → upload product feed (Shopify Google & YouTube channel, WooCommerce plugin, BigCommerce/Wix/Squarespace built-in integrations, or custom CSV/XML feed file). Link to Google Ads. Wait for product approvals; fix disapprovals in Products → Diagnostics. How the tools fit together: GTM installs GA4. GA4 sends conversions to Google Ads. Search Console verifies the domain (reused by Merchant Center). Business Profile handles Maps independently. Hopkin (Pedal's AI marketing copilot) can read across GA4, Google Ads, and Search Console once they're set up — answers questions like "which campaigns drove the most appointments last month" without opening a dashboard. Common mistakes audited from real client setups: personal Gmail owning everything, skipped GBP verification, installing GA4 twice (hardcoded gtag.js AND GTM tag), forgetting to link Ads to GA4, forgetting to import conversions, wrong locked timezone/currency in Ads, inconsistent NAP, agencies/freelancers owning accounts under their own login. FAQ topics covered: do you need all of them, what each costs, GA4 vs GTM order, whether you need a developer, moving ownership later, what to check on existing setups, total setup time, the single most important thing not to mess up (double-installed GA4). CTA: Book a 30-minute intro at https://cal.com/team/pedal/introductory-meeting for an audit of an existing setup. --- ### Guide: How to Connect Your Ad Accounts to an Agency Manager (Meta, Google, TikTok, Shopify) URL: https://pedal-performance.com/resources/guides/connect-ad-accounts-to-your-agency Updated: 2026-07-07 Step-by-step guide for granting partner-level agency access on the three platforms most local and small businesses run ads on: Meta Business Manager (Facebook + Instagram), Google Ads via a Manager Account (MCC), and TikTok Business Center, plus Shopify collaborator access for businesses that sell online. Core principle: agencies should be added as *partners* to client accounts, not the other way around. Clients keep ownership. Agencies get role-based access that can be revoked in a single click. Never share passwords; never transfer account ownership to an agency. Three access models compared: 1. Password sharing: never do this. No audit trail, security risk, platform flags foreign logins. 2. Transferring ownership: never do this. Lose all historical data, pixel signal, custom audiences when the engagement ends. 3. Partner access (correct): client owns assets, agency owns its own manager, partnership is role-scoped and revocable. Meta Business Manager (Facebook + Instagram): five assets are assigned separately: ad account (Manage), Facebook Page (Create content + Advertise), Instagram account (Manage account), pixel/dataset (Manage), catalog (Manage if applicable). Done from business.facebook.com/settings → Users → Partners → Add. Agency provides a 16-digit Business ID. Google Ads (MCC): Manager Account (legacy name: My Client Center / MCC) is a parent account. Client provides 10-digit Customer ID. Agency sends link request from their MCC. Client approves in their Google Ads account at the notification bell. Four access levels: Read-only, Standard, Admin, Email-only. Recommend Admin for an active engagement (covers user management + billing reconciliation). TikTok Business Center: client BC must send the partner request to agency BC (TikTok does not support inbound agency-initiated requests). Asset types: ad account (Operator), TikTok account (Manage), Pixel/Events Manager (Manage), catalog (Manage). TikTok's audit log is the most readable of the three platforms. Shopify: agencies connect via a collaborator account, not a staff seat (collaborators don't count against the plan's staff limits). Store owner finds the 4-digit collaborator request code under Settings → Users → Security and sends it to the agency; the agency submits the collaborator request from its Shopify Partner dashboard; the owner approves and scopes permissions. Pedal requests: Online Store/themes (pixel placement + landing-page checks), customer events (tracking install/QA), Products (Google Merchant Center + Meta catalog feeds), Orders view-only (conversion reconciliation). All-permission collaborator requests are over-scoped and a red flag. Common failure mode: owner says the ads aren't working while the ad platform records conversions; 90% of the time the cause is conversion tracking set up improperly years ago by a former agency or developer. Store access is non-negotiable for data confidence ("garbage in, garbage out"). Pre-flight checklist (5 minutes): confirm Admin access on each platform; have 10-digit Google Customer ID ready; confirm BC exists on TikTok; confirm billing card is in business name. Verify after access is granted: Meta: all five assets visible in agency BP; Google: MCC link shows "Linked"; TikTok: partnership status Active; Shopify: collaborator listed with scoped permissions and store visible in agency Partner dashboard; billing card in client's name; conversion tracking fires on a test event. What Pedal does once granted access (within 7 days): waste audit (typically 18–24% of spend redirectable), pixel/conversion-tracking audit (drops cost-per-lead 15–25% on its own when broken), creative-performance breakdown ranked by ROAS, and a 30-day plan with specific pauses/tests/budget shifts. FAQ topics covered: data visibility, password sharing, what happens when an engagement ends, who controls billing, removing previous agencies, recovering accounts from former employees, timeline, which Meta assets are required. CTA: Book a 30-minute intro at https://cal.com/team/pedal/introductory-meeting. ### Blog: How to Choose a Digital Marketing Agency (Without Getting Burned) URL: https://pedal-performance.com/resources/blog/how-to-choose-a-digital-marketing-agency Published: 2026-09-15 Author: Chad Hilyard, Founder, Pedal Performance Most people pick a marketing agency on a smooth pitch, a good price, or a big name, then get locked into a long contract with a team optimizing the wrong thing. Choosing well is a repeatable evaluation, not a gut call. This guide gives the eight criteria that predict a good fit, the questions to ask on the call, and the red flags that should end the conversation, written for small and mid-sized businesses. Key points: 1. Start with what you need. Define your goal (leads, revenue, a launch) before you shop, so you grade agencies against your needs instead of their pitch. 2. Agency size and who touches your account. Big versus boutique is the wrong question; the real one is whether you are a priority client and who actually does the work, senior staff or a junior bench. 3. Scope is a trap. Almost every agency lists the same services, so the menu tells you almost nothing. What matters is real depth in the one or two channels that move your revenue, and whether they can grow with you. 4. Compatibility and communication. How they communicate during the sales process rarely improves after you sign. The best partners reframe your problem instead of just taking the brief. 5. Track record and proof. Demand case studies with real numbers tied to revenue or leads, call references, and read reviews for pattern, not star count. 6. Data and transparency. Live dashboards over black-box PDFs; KPIs tied to outcomes (revenue, qualified leads, cost per acquisition, return on ad spend), not vanity metrics like impressions and clicks. 7. Price and pricing structure. Retainer, percentage of ad spend, per-project, or productized tiers; watch for markups, "relationship fee" retainers, and underpriced quotes that become out-of-scope charges. Cheapest and biggest are the two worst ways to open the search. 8. Contracts and account ownership. Check the term and exit clause, and who owns the ad accounts, tags, website, and data. Punitive lock-in and hostage account access are the top red flags. Pedal builds inside the client's accounts, month to month, so clients own everything and can leave with all of it. FAQ topics covered: boutique specialist versus big full-service agency, how much a digital marketing agency should cost, what contract length is normal, and how to tell if an agency is actually any good. CTA: Book a free audit to see what is working, what is leaking, and whether Pedal is the right fit. https://pedal-performance.com/#pricing. ### Blog: How Much Does a Marketing Agency Cost? (A Straight Answer) URL: https://pedal-performance.com/resources/blog/how-much-does-a-marketing-agency-cost Published: 2026-09-02 Author: Chad Hilyard, Founder, Pedal Performance The short version, before anyone asks you to "book a call to discuss custom pricing": for most small and mid-sized businesses in 2026, a serious marketing agency runs $1,500 to $10,000 a month depending on service and scope. SEO tends to land at $1,500 to $5,000. Paid media management usually starts around $2,000 to $3,000 a month before ad budget. Social media management sits between $1,000 and $5,000. One-off projects like a website build are their own line item. Most agencies price to what they think you will pay, not to what the work costs, which is exactly why the pricing page is missing and the "custom quote" wall goes up. Key points: 1. Four pricing models. Flat monthly retainer (predictable; watch for retainers that keep billing after the work slows), percentage of ad spend (often 10 to 20 percent; scales cleanly but can incentivize spending more rather than better), per-project (good for work with a clear finish line), and productized tiers (the most transparent model and the one the industry uses least, because published prices are harder to negotiate upward). Most SMB engagements are a blend. 2. What SEO costs. $1,000 to $5,000 a month for an ongoing engagement as a general market range; a one-time technical audit or cleanup project runs $2,000 to $10,000. Price moves on keyword competitiveness, content volume, technical debt, and local versus national scope. If SEO pricing has no floor and no defined deliverables, you are buying activity, not outcomes. 3. What paid media and PPC management costs. Separate the management fee from the ad budget; blurring them hides what you actually pay for the service. Management runs $1,500 to $5,000 a month or 10 to 20 percent of spend at larger budgets; meaningful SMB campaigns often start at $2,000 to $10,000 a month in media on top. Do the percentage math at your spend level: 20 percent of $3,000 is $600, 20 percent of $30,000 is $6,000 for arguably the same work. 4. What social media marketing costs. Organic social management runs $1,000 to $5,000 a month; paid social is priced like PPC (fee plus budget). The common trap is paying for daily organic posting no one sees when the same money in paid social would reach buyers. 5. What web design costs. Usually a project, not a retainer: $3,000 to $15,000 for a custom SMB build. Confirm you own the site and its files outright when the project ends. 6. What actually drives price. Scope, ad spend, competitiveness, done-for-you versus supported, and speed. Not on the list: how much the agency assumes you can afford. 7. What "cheap" really costs. AI slop with no human review, no ownership of your accounts and site, junior teams with no oversight, and activity reports with no line to revenue. The real cost is six or twelve months of spend that produced nothing measurable, plus the rebuild when you switch. 8. How Pedal prices it. Published pricing: paid media management starts at $2,500 a month; SEO runs on three published tiers at $1,500, $2,500, and $5,000 a month. Month-to-month terms, and clients own everything: ad accounts, website, tracking, data. AI-native operations and Pearmill's discipline (the team behind more than $500 million in managed ad spend) are what make the model work. FAQ topics covered: how much a small business should spend on marketing (5 to 10 percent of revenue benchmark; $2,000 to $10,000 a month combined in practice), retainer versus percentage of ad spend, why agencies hide pricing, whether cheaper SEO is worth it, the minimum to work with a real agency ($1,500 to $2,500 a month per service), and account/content ownership when you leave. CTA: Book a free audit for a straight number, not a range — https://pedal-performance.com/#pricing. ### Blog: SEO for Small and Mid-Sized Businesses: What Actually Moves Rankings URL: https://pedal-performance.com/resources/blog/seo-for-smb Published: 2026-08-04 Author: Chad Hilyard, Founder, Pedal Performance Most SEO retainers sold to small and mid-sized businesses optimize for the wrong things (domain authority reports, four blog posts a month, a "content marketing strategy" deck). For a business that lives on leads, rankings come down to three levers: reviews, the local pack, and service pages with real depth. This post covers how customers actually search, the three levers that move rankings, why the generic playbook stalls, and the questions to ask before signing or renewing a retainer. Key points: 1. Two kinds of searches. Customers search in two modes and SEO for lead generation must win both: problem/service research ("water heater replacement cost," "how long do dental implants last") answered by service pages and educational content; and provider selection ("plumber near me," "best med spa in [city]") answered by the local pack. Rank for research but be invisible in the pack and you lose at the finish line; show in the pack with thin service pages and you never enter consideration for big-ticket work. 2. Reviews are the ranking factor your agency can't do for you. Google's local ranking documentation lists relevance, distance, and prominence, and names review count and score as inputs. Reviews move pack position and do most of the convincing. Build the ask into your workflow at the moment of peak satisfaction, respond to every review (with HIPAA/bar-rule caution in regulated fields), and never buy, trade, or gate reviews (FTC finalized a rule banning fake and incentivized reviews in 2024). An agency can set up the workflow; only you can generate the reviews. 3. The local pack decides who gets the call. Your Google Business Profile is the highest-leverage page you own. Fundamentals: primary category set to your highest-value service (not a vague "Contractor"/"Skin Care Clinic"); NAP consistency across site, profile, and vertical directories (Healthgrades, Avvo, Angi); multi-location/practitioner profiles managed deliberately as a portfolio; a profile that looks alive (real photos, individual services, answered questions). 4. One service, one page, real depth. A single "Services" page with two sentences each forfeits the research phase. Every service deserves its own page: who it's for and isn't, how the work happens (written/reviewed by the practitioner, with their name — Google rewards first-hand expertise, highest bar for money/health topics), cost addressed honestly, proof (before/after with authorization, project photos, case results), and credentials. Ecommerce follows the same logic (deep category/product pages beat a thin catalog plus lifestyle blog). Service pages compound; seasonal blog posts don't. 5. The generic playbook stalls. Most small business SEO services packages contain domain-authority chasing (a metric Google doesn't use), thin generalist blog volume (what Google's systems filter out), and generic "content marketing" reporting (traffic up 40% on informational queries three states away). Metrics that matter: local pack positions, service page rankings, calls/direction requests, form fills, booked work. 6. Where paid search fits. SEO compounds slowly; paid search fills the gap and feeds SEO real query/conversion data on what produces leads before months of content work. The two channels fail the same way — evaluate them the same way (goal, evidence, what changed, cost, next). Mix shifts by vertical: long-research med spas lean organic; emergency plumbers live in the pack and on ads. 7. Six questions before you sign or renew: which services/searches specifically; the Google Business Profile and review plan; who writes service content and how it's reviewed; what links are being built (show me last month's); which reported metrics connect to leads; what happened in the last comparable engagement. Guarantees of "#1 rankings" are a red flag. FAQ covers: how long SEO takes (2-3 months for local pack basics, 6-12 months for service page rankings); cost of small business SEO services (illustrative $500-$3,000/mo single-location, priced against customer value); local SEO vs. regular SEO; and doing it yourself vs. hiring an agency. CTA: We run lead generation programs for small and mid-sized businesses that connect paid and organic to booked work — book a free call at https://pedal-performance.com/#booking. ### Blog: How to Read a Google Ads Audit URL: https://pedal-performance.com/resources/blog/how-to-read-a-paid-search-audit Published: 2026-06-03 Author: Chad Hilyard, Founder, Pedal Performance Most paid search audits are written for the agency that wrote them, not the operator who has to act on them. They open with a number, present a list of recommendations, and end with "let's discuss." What they don't do — most of them — is tell the operator which three things to fix on Monday morning. This post walks through the five sections a real audit contains and the red flags that tell you the audit was a checkbox exercise. Six sections: 1. Start with the scorecard, not the recommendations. A real audit opens with a section-level structure — not a single number. The structure matters more than the number; an account scoring 70% with one critical section is different from an account scoring 70% with three. Red flags: pass/fail with no nuance; "everything looks good" on a below-break-even account. 2. Find the workhorse. A workhorse is the campaign carrying the account by spend share, conversion share, and efficiency. Concrete example: Brand Search at 9.14x ROAS on 9% of budget producing 74% of conversion value. The audit must name yours and answer two follow-ups: is it appropriately funded, and what protects it from breaking? 3. Find the drains. A drain is a campaign consuming budget without earning back. Concrete example: Performance Max (unbranded) at 0.34x ROAS consuming 79.6% of budget, no ROAS floor configured. Distinguish earned drains (decay; need new creative) from default drains (Google-recommended settings that never had a chance; fix structurally). The single most common SMB drain pattern is PMax with no ROAS floor at 60-80% of budget — if your audit misses this on a PMax-heavy account, it missed the headline. 4. Conversion tracking is where audits earn their keep. If tracking is broken, the ROAS numbers are fiction. Three checks: are conversion actions counted once or multiple times per real-world outcome (Shopify Shopping App Purchase double-counting is common); are local-action "conversions" (direction clicks, phone-call clicks, GBP interactions, $1 attributed values) being counted as revenue (3-10x inflation); is CAPI configured (iOS attribution leakage means pixel-only Meta tracking under-reports by 20-40%). 5. Recommendations should be ranked, not listed. A real recommendation has four parts: what to change (specific, not "explore PMax optimization"); estimated dollar impact ("approximately $900/month of misallocated spend"); time horizon and prerequisites; priority class (P0/P1/P2). Unranked recommendations push the prioritization onto the operator, which is the auditor avoiding commitment. 6. The closing question. The most useful question to ask of any audit: "Which three fixes would you do this week?" If the audit answers clearly, you can execute Monday. If it doesn't — or answers differently than the body suggests — the audit is incomplete. A good audit treats the closing question like a contract; bad audits treat it like a postscript. CTA: Book a 30-minute call to discuss whether a Pedal audit makes sense for your account — https://cal.com/team/pedal/introductory-meeting. ### Blog: The 5 Questions a Real Google Ads Audit Answers That Google's Recommendations Won't URL: https://pedal-performance.com/resources/blog/5-questions-a-real-audit-answers Published: 2026-06-05 Author: Chad Hilyard, Founder, Pedal Performance Google's Recommendations tab is a feature, not a strategy. Its job is to suggest changes Google can scale your account against — more keywords, broader match, higher budgets, more auto-apply. That's a legitimate job for an advertising platform, but it is not the same job as auditing an account. This post walks through the five questions a real paid search audit answers explicitly, which Google's Recommendations tab will not surface because answering them is not in its interest. Five questions: 1. What's the single campaign carrying the account? A real audit identifies the workhorse first — the profitable campaign keeping the lights on, almost always Brand Search (example: 9.14x ROAS on 9% of budget producing 74% of conversion value). Google instead suggests enabling Performance Max alongside it, cannibalizing the workhorse. 2. Where is budget being wasted right now? A real audit identifies drains explicitly, with dollar impact. The common SMB drain is a default-settings Performance Max campaign (example: 79.6% of budget at 0.34x ROAS). Google's recommendations are reliably additive and rarely tell you to pause or reduce. 3. Are your conversions counting what you think they're counting? Three common failures: Shopify Shopping App Purchase double-counting (~2x inflated ROAS), local-action "conversions" (direction/phone-call clicks valued at $1 rolled into revenue), and Meta CAPI not configured (pixel-only misses 20-40% of iOS conversions). A real audit reconciles the conversion model against actual revenue first. 4. Which competitors are eating your branded traffic? A real audit pulls the search-terms report and quantifies competitor/irrelevant query leakage in dollars (example: an indoor-golf account at ~$540/month leaking $145/month — 26% of spend — to queries like "topgolf near me"). Google's negative-keyword suggestions almost never include the high-impact competitor brand names. 5. What's the next dollar going to do? A real audit gives a ranked list of marginal-spend opportunities with dollar-return estimates ($200 into Brand Search at 9x returns ~$1,800; $200 into PMax at 0.34x returns ~$68). Google's automation cannot make this comparison because it has no idea what your business needs the next dollar to do. The Recommendations tab does what it is designed to do: suggest changes Google can scale your account against. That is a feature, not a strategy. A paid search audit's job is to answer the five questions Google will not. CTA: Book a 30-minute call to see if a Pedal audit makes sense for your account — https://pedal-performance.com/#booking. --- ## Authors ### Authors hub URL: https://pedal-performance.com/authors The people behind Pedal Performance. Field notes, guides, and strategy posts from the founding team. - Chad Hilyard — Founder, Head of GTM & Account Management. Writing on paid-media strategy for SMB and local-service brands. - Justin Griffiths — Co-Founder, Head of Strategy & PR. Writing on agency strategy, partnerships, and the infrastructure behind Pedal's audit and reporting stack. ### Chad Hilyard URL: https://pedal-performance.com/authors/chad-hilyard Founder, Head of GTM & Account Management — Pedal Performance. Founder of Pedal Performance, focused on paid-media strategy for SMB and local-service brands. Pedal runs audits, builds remediation queues, and operates accounts for clients who want their next dollar to actually earn back. Connect: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chadhilyard/ Recent articles: - How to Connect Your Ad Accounts to an Agency Manager (https://pedal-performance.com/resources/guides/connect-ad-accounts-to-your-agency/) ### Justin Griffiths URL: https://pedal-performance.com/authors/justin-griffiths Co-Founder, Head of Strategy & PR — Pedal Performance. Co-Founder of Pedal Performance, leading strategy and PR. Justin shapes Pedal's positioning, partner relationships, and the technical infrastructure behind the agency's audit and reporting stack. Recent articles: - How to Set Up the Meta Pixel and Conversions API for a Local Business (https://pedal-performance.com/resources/guides/set-up-meta-pixel-conversions-api/) --- ## Contact - Email: hello@pedal-performance.com - Book a call: https://cal.com/team/pedal/introductory-meeting - Website: https://pedal-performance.com - Legal entity: Pearmill Inc. d/b/a Pedal © 2026 Pearmill Inc. d/b/a Pedal. All rights reserved.