How should you prepare for a Google Ads interview?
Freshers are usually tested on definitions and simple maths. Candidates with some experience are tested on judgement: what they would change in an account and why. Answer each question in two parts: the definition, then when you would use it.
Definitions below were checked against Google Ads Help in September 2026. Google changes features often, so mention that you check the help centre for current behaviour; interviewers see that as a good sign.
What basic Google Ads questions come up?
1. How is a Google Ads account structured?
Account, then campaigns, then ad groups, then keywords and ads. Budget, bidding strategy, location, language and networks are set at campaign level. Ad groups hold closely related keywords and the ads written for them.
2. How does the Google Ads auction decide which ads show?
Each eligible ad gets an Ad Rank. Google lists the factors as your bid, ad and landing page quality, Ad Rank thresholds, auction competitiveness, the context of the search (location, device, time, terms) and the expected impact of ad assets. Higher quality ads can often win a better position at a lower cost per click.
3. Do you always pay your maximum bid?
No. Your bid is the most you are willing to pay for a click; the actual CPC is often lower.
4. What are ad assets (formerly extensions)?
Extra information shown with an ad, such as sitelinks, callouts, structured snippets, call and location assets, images and prices. They make the ad more useful and larger, and their expected impact is part of Ad Rank.
5. What is a responsive search ad?
The standard Search ad format. You provide up to 15 headlines (30 characters each) and up to 4 descriptions (90 characters each), and Google tests combinations. You need at least 3 headlines and 2 descriptions. Google recommends at least two RSAs with Good or Excellent ad strength per ad group.
6. What does pinning do, and when would you use it?
Pinning fixes a headline or description to a position. Use it for text that must always appear, such as a regulatory disclaimer or a brand name. Text that must appear in every ad should be pinned to Headline 1, Headline 2 or Description 1. Pin sparingly, because it reduces the combinations Google can test.
What questions are asked about campaign types?
7. Which campaign types does Google Ads offer?
| Campaign type | Where ads show | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| Search | Google search results | Capturing people actively searching, such as "physiotherapy near me" |
| Performance Max | All Google Ads inventory: Search, YouTube, Display, Discover, Gmail, Maps | Conversion goals across channels from one campaign |
| Display | Websites, apps and Google properties | Awareness and remarketing with visual ads |
| Video | YouTube and video partner sites | Awareness, consideration and some conversion goals |
| Demand Gen | YouTube (including Shorts), Discover, Gmail, Maps and the Display Network | Creating demand with visual, social-style ads |
| Shopping | Product listings on search results and the Shopping tab | E-commerce product sales from a Merchant Center feed |
| App | Across multiple Google channels | App installs and in-app actions |
8. Search or Performance Max: which would you start with for a new client?
It depends on data and goals. For a lead-generation business with little conversion history, many practitioners start with Search on high-intent keywords, because it is transparent and builds conversion data. Performance Max works best with reliable conversion tracking, enough conversion volume and good creative assets. A strong answer says what you would check before deciding.
9. What is Performance Max?
A goal-based campaign type that gives access to all Google Ads inventory from one campaign. You supply assets (text, images, videos, logos) in asset groups, set conversion goals and optional CPA or ROAS targets, and can add audience signals to guide the system. Controls include search themes, negative keywords and brand exclusions.
10. What is an asset group, and what is an audience signal?
An asset group is a set of creative assets built around one theme or audience; Google combines them into ads for each channel. An audience signal is a hint about who is likely to convert, such as your customer list or people who searched certain terms. It guides learning but does not restrict targeting to only that audience.
11. If a Search campaign and Performance Max could both serve on a query, which wins?
Google says that when a query exactly matches an exact match keyword in a Search campaign, the Search campaign is prioritised over Performance Max.
12. What is AI Max for Search campaigns?
A set of features you switch on inside a Search campaign, not a separate campaign type. It includes search term matching (expanding beyond your keywords using broad match and keywordless technology), text customisation and final URL expansion. Interviewers may ask how you would control it: review search terms, add negatives and check landing pages it chooses.
What keyword and match type questions come up?
13. Explain broad, phrase and exact match.
| Match type | Syntax | Shows on | Example keyword and a possible match |
|---|---|---|---|
| Broad (default) | running shoes | Searches related to the keyword, which may not contain its words | running shoes: "best shoes for marathon training" |
| Phrase | "running shoes" | Searches that include the meaning of the keyword | "running shoes": "running shoes for women under 3000" |
| Exact | [running shoes] | Searches with the same meaning or intent | [running shoes]: "shoes for running" |
Google recommends pairing broad match with Smart Bidding, since bidding then uses conversion signals to decide which broad matches are worth paying for.
14. What are negative keywords? Give an example.
Terms that stop your ads showing on searches you do not want. An institute selling paid courses might add "free", "pdf" and "jobs" as negatives. You find most negatives by reviewing the search terms report regularly.
15. What is the difference between a keyword and a search term?
A keyword is what you add to the account. A search term is what the person actually typed. The search terms report shows which real searches triggered your ads.
Practise on campaigns, not just definitions
The ISS Marketing & Growth program covers paid media, including Google and Meta ads, inside a 16-week live curriculum ending in a portfolio capstone. Download the brochure on the program page for the week-by-week plan.
View Marketing & Growth curriculum →What bidding strategy questions come up?
16. What bidding strategies does Google Ads offer?
| Strategy | What it optimises for | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| Maximize conversions | Most conversions within budget | Tracking works; you want volume and have no firm CPA target yet |
| Target CPA | As many conversions as possible at your target cost per action | Stable lead or sale values and enough conversion history |
| Maximize conversion value | Highest total conversion value within budget | E-commerce or leads with different values |
| Target ROAS | Most conversion value at your target return on ad spend | Reliable revenue tracking and clear margin targets |
| Maximize clicks | Most clicks within budget | Traffic goals, or a brand-new account building data |
| Target impression share | Showing at the absolute top, top, or anywhere on the page | Brand terms or visibility goals |
| Manual CPC | Bids you set yourself | Tight control, small tests, very low data |
The first four are Smart Bidding strategies. Google also lists Target CPC for Demand Gen and a pay-for-conversions option for Display.
17. What is Smart Bidding?
Automated bid strategies that optimise for conversions or conversion value, setting bids for each auction using signals such as device, location, time and audience. It depends on accurate conversion tracking; bad tracking means bad bidding.
18. Why did performance drop after you changed the bid strategy?
Smart Bidding strategies go through a learning period after significant changes. Avoid judging results or making further large changes during it. Also check whether the target you set was realistic compared with past performance.
19. How would you set a Target CPA for a new campaign?
Start from the business: how much can we afford to pay for a lead or sale? Then compare with actual historical CPA. Setting a target far below what the account achieves usually cuts volume sharply. Move targets in small steps.
What Quality Score questions come up?
20. What is Quality Score?
A keyword-level diagnostic from 1 to 10 that estimates the quality of your ads compared with other advertisers. It has three components: expected clickthrough rate, ad relevance and landing page experience, each rated Above average, Average or Below average based on the last 90 days.
21. Is Quality Score used in the auction?
No. Google states that Quality Score is not an input in the ad auction. It is a diagnostic tool. The auction uses real-time quality measures, which Quality Score summarises. This is a common trick question.
22. How would you improve a Quality Score of 3?
Check which component is Below average. For ad relevance, tighten the ad group so keywords share one theme and use the search language in headlines. For expected CTR, improve the offer and add assets. For landing page experience, match the page to the query, make it fast on mobile and make the next step obvious.
What conversion tracking questions come up?
23. How do you set up conversion tracking in Google Ads?
Create a conversion action in Google Ads (for example, a lead form submission or purchase), install the Google tag on the site, and fire the conversion event on the thank-you page or on the form's success event. Alternatively, import key events from a linked GA4 property. Then test with a real submission and check the conversion status. Our GA4 tutorial covers the GA4 side.
24. What are enhanced conversions?
A feature that improves conversion measurement by sending hashed first-party data, such as email or phone number entered on your site, to Google. Data is normalised and hashed with SHA256 before it is sent, then matched to signed-in Google accounts. There is a version for web conversions and one for leads that convert offline.
25. How would you track leads that close offline, for example over a sales call?
Use offline conversion imports or enhanced conversions for leads, so the sale in your CRM is sent back to Google Ads. That lets bidding optimise for leads that become customers, not just form fills. This matters a lot for Indian education, real estate and B2B businesses where most sales close by phone.
26. What is the difference between clicks in Google Ads and sessions in GA4?
A click is counted by Google Ads when someone clicks the ad. A session is counted by GA4 when the page loads and the tag fires. They differ because of slow pages, users leaving before load, blocked tags, consent choices and different attribution rules. Large gaps are worth investigating.
What metric and calculation questions come up?
Expect to calculate on the spot. Worked example: a campaign spends ₹50,000, gets 80,000 impressions, 2,000 clicks, 100 conversions and ₹2,00,000 in revenue.
| Metric | Formula | Result |
|---|---|---|
| CTR | Clicks ÷ impressions | 2,000 ÷ 80,000 = 2.5% |
| Average CPC | Cost ÷ clicks | ₹50,000 ÷ 2,000 = ₹25 |
| Conversion rate | Conversions ÷ clicks | 100 ÷ 2,000 = 5% |
| CPA | Cost ÷ conversions | ₹50,000 ÷ 100 = ₹500 |
| ROAS | Revenue ÷ cost | ₹2,00,000 ÷ ₹50,000 = 4 (400%) |
| CPM | Cost ÷ impressions × 1,000 | ₹50,000 ÷ 80,000 × 1,000 = ₹625 |
27. Is a ROAS of 4 good?
It depends on margin. If gross margin is 25%, break-even ROAS is 1 ÷ 0.25 = 4, so a ROAS of 4 only breaks even before other costs. With a 50% margin, break-even is 2 and a ROAS of 4 is profitable. Always tie ROAS to margin.
28. What is impression share, and what do "lost to budget" and "lost to rank" mean?
Impression share is the impressions you got divided by the impressions you were eligible for. Lost to budget means the budget ran out; lost to rank means your Ad Rank was too low, so improve quality or bids.
What scenario questions do interviewers ask?
29. CPA doubled last week. What do you check?
Work from tracking outward: (1) Is conversion tracking still firing, or did a site change break it? (2) Did anyone change bids, budgets, targets or ads? (3) Check the change history. (4) Did CPCs rise because of new competition or a seasonal event such as a sale period? (5) Did conversion rate fall because of a landing page, price or stock issue? (6) Look at search terms for new irrelevant traffic. State what you would fix first and why.
30. A client in Bengaluru has a ₹30,000 monthly budget for a dental clinic. How would you set it up?
A Search campaign targeting a radius around the clinic, with ad groups by service (implants, braces, root canal) using phrase and exact match, local negatives such as "course" and "jobs", call and location assets, and conversion tracking for calls and form fills. With that budget, start with Maximize conversions or Maximize clicks while data builds, and review search terms weekly.
31. Impressions are high but clicks are very low. What would you do?
Low CTR usually means the ad does not match the searcher's intent or the keywords are too broad. Check search terms and add negatives, tighten ad groups, rewrite headlines to reflect the query and the offer, and add assets.
32. Clicks are fine but leads are low. What next?
The problem is probably after the click. Check the landing page on mobile, load speed, whether the form works, whether the offer matches the ad, and whether tracking records submissions. Also check whether the traffic is from the right locations and search terms.
33. The client wants to bid on a competitor's brand name. What do you advise?
It is allowed to bid on competitor terms as keywords in many cases, but using another company's trademark in ad text can be restricted, so check Google's trademark policy. Conversion rates on competitor terms are often low and CPCs can be high, so test with a small budget and clear targets.
How can you prove your Google Ads skills beyond answers?
Get the free Google Ads certifications on Skillshop (see our Google Ads certification guide), and build a campaign plan for a real business with keywords, ads, negatives, budget and a tracking plan. Our performance marketing portfolio guide shows how to present it, and how to learn Google Ads in India compares training routes. For broader rounds, see digital marketing interview questions.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the most common Google Ads interview questions for freshers?
Freshers are usually asked about account structure, campaign types, keyword match types, Quality Score and its three components, bidding strategies, and basic metrics such as CTR, CPC, CPA and ROAS. Expect at least one simple calculation.
Is Quality Score part of the Google Ads auction?
No. Google states that Quality Score is not an input in the ad auction. It is a 1 to 10 diagnostic based on expected clickthrough rate, ad relevance and landing page experience. The auction uses real-time quality signals instead.
What is the difference between Performance Max and Search campaigns?
Search campaigns show text ads on Google search results for the keywords you choose. Performance Max is goal-based and uses your assets to serve across all Google Ads inventory, including Search, YouTube, Display, Discover, Gmail and Maps, from one campaign.
How do I answer scenario questions in a Google Ads interview?
Work step by step. Check tracking first, then recent changes, then costs, conversion rate and search terms. Say what you would fix first and why. Interviewers care more about a clear process than a single right answer.
Do I need a Google Ads certification to get a PPC job?
It is not required, but the free Skillshop certifications show basic knowledge. A campaign plan or real account results in your portfolio usually matter more to hiring managers.
Sources and methodology
All Google Ads definitions and limits were checked on Google Ads Help in September 2026. Features change often; confirm on the help page before an interview.
- Google Ads Help, Choose the right campaign type and About Demand Gen campaigns (checked September 2026).
- Google Ads Help, About Performance Max campaigns (checked September 2026).
- Google Ads Help, About AI Max for Search campaigns (checked September 2026).
- Google Ads Help, About Ad Rank (checked September 2026).
- Google Ads Help, About Quality Score (checked September 2026).
- Google Ads Help, About keyword matching options (checked September 2026).
- Google Ads Help, About responsive search ads (checked September 2026).
- Google Ads Help, About automated bidding (checked September 2026).
- Google Ads Help, About enhanced conversions (checked September 2026).
- ISS curriculum: Marketing & Growth program page.
The worked metrics example, the dental clinic scenario and the suggested approaches to scenario questions are the ISS Editorial Team's illustrations and recommendations, not sourced data or Google guidance.
Next steps
Pick ten questions from this list and answer them aloud, then build one campaign plan you can walk an interviewer through. If you want live practice running paid media alongside SEO, content and analytics, review the Marketing & Growth curriculum and download the brochure there.
Applying is free, and you pay only after accepting an offer. Apply here.