The Master Google Ads Interviews Questions, Real Life Examples & Cheat Sheet
Whether you’re preparing for a high-stakes interview or refining your PPC roadmap, these practical scenarios and technical insights will help you think like a true performance marketer.
Section 1: Strategic & Scenario-Based Questions
1. The Budget Split (Search vs. Display vs. YouTube)
The Challenge: How do you allocate a limited budget across different networks?
The Strategy: Prioritize Search for high-intent "pull" marketing. Use Display and YouTube for "push" marketing (awareness and retargeting).
The Logic: For a new launch, start with a 70/20/10 split. 70% goes to Search to capture existing demand, 20% to Remarketing (Display) to close the loop, and 10% to YouTube for top-of-funnel reach.
Pro-Tip: Emphasize that budget is fluid. "I start with this baseline and reallocate weekly based on which channel hits the target ROAS first."
2. High CTR, Low Conversions
The Challenge: The ads are getting clicks, but no one is buying. What’s wrong?
The Strategy: Audit the Post-Click Experience.
The Fix: 1. Tracking: Is the conversion tag firing correctly?
2. Relevance: Does the landing page headline match the ad copy?
3. Friction: Is the page load speed slow, or is the checkout form too long?
Pro-Tip: Mention "Negative Keywords." You might be getting high CTR on irrelevant "junk" searches that don't intend to buy.
3. Scaling to New Markets
The Challenge: How do you move into a new geographic region?
The Strategy: Localize, don't just "copy-paste."
The Fix: Create separate campaigns for new regions to control budget and bid adjustments. Use Location Extensions and local vernacular in ad copy.
Example: A brand moving from New York to London should swap "Apparel" for "Clothing" and "Sneakers" for "Trainers."
Section 2: Technical Deep-Dive
4. Automated Bidding: tCPA vs. tROAS
Target CPA (Cost Per Acquisition): Best for lead gen. You tell Google, "I want a lead for $20," and it optimizes for volume within that cost.
Target ROAS (Return on Ad Spend): Best for eCommerce. You tell Google, "For every $1 I spend, I want $5 back."
The Nuance: Automated bidding requires data. Don't switch to tROAS until the campaign has at least 30-50 conversions in the last 30 days.
5. The Evolution of Attribution
The Shift: Google has moved away from "First Click" and "Linear." The gold standard is now Data-Driven Attribution (DDA).
Why it matters: DDA uses machine learning to value every touchpoint. If a user sees a YouTube ad, then a Display ad, then clicks a Search ad, DDA gives credit where it actually influenced the sale.
6. Quality Score Essentials
Quality Score isn't just a number; it's a discount on your CPC. It is driven by:
Expected CTR: How likely is a click?
Ad Relevance: Does the ad match the search query?
Landing Page Experience: Is the page fast, mobile-friendly, and useful?
Section 3: Behavioral & Results-Oriented
7. Handling Underperformance
The Answer: "I lean on data, not gut feelings."
Process: Identify the "bleeding" ad groups, perform A/B split tests on headlines, and audit the Search Terms Report to find wasted spend.
8. Reporting to Stakeholders
The Answer: Focus on Business Outcomes, not "Vanity Metrics."
Bad Reporting: "Our CTR went up by 2%."
Expert Reporting: "We reduced the Cost-Per-Acquisition by 15%, allowing us to generate 20 more leads within the same monthly budget."
Google Ads Interview Cheat Sheet
| Category | Key Concepts to Mention |
| Match Types | Broad (Reach), Phrase (Balance), Exact (Control) |
| Bidding | Maximize Conversions (Spending budget), tCPA/tROAS (Efficiency) |
| Ad Extensions | Sitelinks, Callouts, Structured Snippets (Essential for CTR) |
| Optimization | Negative Keyword Lists, Quality Score, Impression Share |
| Audiences | Affinity (Interests), In-Market (Buying soon), Remarketing (Past visitors) |
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