Client communication
How do you explain a bad month to a Google Ads client?
Updated 1 November 2026
Say it first, with the number, in the first line of the report. Then give the cause with one piece of evidence, separate what was in your control from what wasn't, and say what you are changing next month and when you'll check whether it worked.
Send it before the client asks. A drop the client finds on their own looks hidden; the same drop explained in your report looks managed.
The order that works
- The result, plainly. "Leads fell from 84 to 61 this month, and cost per lead rose 38%." No softening, no burying it on page four.
- The cause, with evidence. One chart or one table that shows it: the day tracking stopped, the CPC rise, the impression share lost to a competitor.
- What was in your control, and what wasn't. A competitor entering the auction isn't your fault; a budget that ran out on the 20th might be. Clients can tell the difference, so say it first.
- What changes next month. A specific change, not "we're optimising": which campaigns, how much budget, what test.
- When you'll know. A date and a number: "If cost per lead isn't back under ₹1,600 by 16 November, we'll talk about the budget."
Find the real cause before you write
Most bad months have one main cause. Check these before you reach for "the market was slow":
| Check | What it looks like |
|---|---|
| Tracking | Conversions drop to zero, or by half, on one day while clicks carry on. A site change or a tag that stopped firing |
| Spend | Spend fell because a budget was lowered, a campaign was paused, or the budget ran out early in the day |
| Competition | CPC up, impression share lost to rank up, a new name in auction insights |
| Season | The same month last year was also down. Compare year on year, not just month on month |
| The site | Conversion rate fell while clicks held: a new landing page, a price change, stock running out |
| Changes you made | A new bid strategy or a big target change can send smart bidding back into a learning period, and results wobble for a week or two |
| Late conversions | The month isn't finished counting. See why figures change after you send |
An example note
A note like this goes at the top of the report, beside the headline numbers:
October: leads fell from 84 to 61 (−27%) while spend held at ₹1.2 lakh, so cost per lead rose from ₹1,430 to ₹1,970.
Why: from 14 October two new advertisers bid on our main keywords. CPC on "teak dining table" rose 38%, and impression share lost to rank went from 12% to 31% (auction insights on page 3).
What we're changing: moving ₹20,000 from the broad campaign into the two keywords still converting under ₹1,500, and testing a new landing page headline from 5 November.
When we'll know: cost per lead for the week of 16 November. If it isn't back under ₹1,600, we'll talk about the budget.
Four short paragraphs, every claim backed by a figure the client can find in the report. The client and the figures are fictional.
Phrases that make it worse
- "The algorithm changed." Maybe, but without evidence it sounds like an excuse. Show what changed: CPC, impression share, conversion rate.
- "It's normal fluctuation." Only if you can show it: the same dip last year, or a range the account usually moves within.
- "We're optimising." Say what you're changing. "Optimising" tells the client nothing they can check next month.
- Blaming the client's site without a number. If conversion rate fell, show it, and offer to help.
When it was your mistake
A budget set wrong, a campaign left paused, a tag broken in a site update you didn't check: say so in the first line, say what it cost, and say what you've changed so it can't happen again. Clients forgive mistakes far more readily than they forgive finding out on their own. If the mistake cost them money, offering something back, such as fee credit for the month, usually costs you less than the client.
Where the explanation goes
In the report, beside the chart it explains, not in a separate email. An email gets read once and lost; the report is what the client opens again when their own manager asks why leads dropped. A short note on each page ("CPC rose from the 14th: see auction insights") does more than a long summary at the end.
For a large drop, call before the report lands, then let the report carry the detail.
Questions
- Should I tell the client about a bad month before the report?
- For a large drop, yes: a short call or message before the report arrives, so the report confirms what you said rather than surprising them. For a normal dip, the note in the report is enough.
- What should I compare a bad month against?
- Last month and the same month last year. Month on month shows the change; year on year shows whether it is seasonal. Compare against the client's target too, if they have one.
- What if I don't know the cause yet?
- Say so, say what you are checking, and give a date for the answer. "We're checking whether the tracking change on the 12th explains it, and will confirm by Friday" is better than a guess you have to take back.