The Endgame Entrepreneur podcast, hosted by Kassie, explores the journeys of business owners and the strategies they use to achieve meaningful success. In this episode, Kassie interviews Kelsey Flannery, owner of KaeRae Marketing, who specializes in Google Ads and SEO. Kelsey explains the power of Google over social media for business growth, highlighting the importance of audience behavior, keyword strategy, and leveraging Google tools like Google Business Profile and Google Analytics. She also shares insights on AI in content creation, advising business owners to use it as a tool rather than a replacement for original content. Kelsey encourages listeners to explore her services, free resources, and YouTube channel for further education, while Kassie wraps up by inviting listeners to connect through her newsletter and continue working toward their entrepreneurial goals.

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Google Ads Chat: Transcript Summary

Introduction to the Podcast (0:00 – 0:42)

Kassie, the host of The Endgame Entrepreneur podcast, introduces the show, explaining that it focuses on the journeys of business owners. She highlights that the conversations will cover their motivations, major turning points, and ambitious goals. The podcast also touches on broader topics, including pop culture and personal fulfillment, reinforcing that success is about more than just financial gain. Kassie encourages listeners to subscribe, emphasizing that their entrepreneurial journey should be meaningful.

Introducing Kelsey Flannery and K-Ray Marketing (0:43 – 2:22)

Kassie welcomes Kelsey Flannery, the owner of K-Ray Marketing, calling her a “unicorn” in the field of Google and SEO. Kelsey shares that her company specializes in helping businesses improve their visibility on Google, whether through Google Ads, SEO, or other Google tools. She has been Google-certified for a decade, continuously renewing her certification to stay updated on new developments. Kassie expresses surprise at the existence of Google certification and asks Kelsey how she became involved in this field.

Kelsey explains that when she graduated from college in 2012, there were no dedicated courses on Google marketing. She learned about Google Ads while working at an ad agency, studied independently, took the certification exam, and passed. She then began working with clients, gaining hands-on experience and learning the most effective strategies over time.

Strategic Approach to Google Ads and SEO (2:22 – 7:36)

Kelsey elaborates on her experience with Google’s tools and consultations. While Google representatives often recommend increasing ad budgets and adopting broad strategies, she takes a different approach. She focuses on specificity, ensuring that every dollar spent is impactful. Her method balances Google Ads and SEO, using SEO to build organic reach while leveraging paid ads for immediate visibility.

Kassie asks what types of clients seek Kelsey’s services, and Kelsey explains that most businesses come to her after trying various marketing methods—social media, email marketing, billboards—without clear success. Google provides measurable data that helps determine whether a business should prioritize SEO or paid ads. Some businesses lack the time to wait for organic growth and opt for Google Ads, while others prefer a long-term strategy through SEO.

Kelsey clarifies that Google visibility is achieved through two main methods: paid ads and organic SEO. Paid ads appear at the top of search results, while organic rankings take time to develop. She advises using both strategies together to maximize reach. Her focus is always on ensuring a return on investment, often prioritizing high-margin services in ad campaigns to reinvest revenue into growth.

Determining a Google Ads Budget (7:36 – 8:37)

Kassie asks how much money businesses need to run successful Google Ads campaigns. Kelsey explains that it depends on the market and competition. For example, if the average cost per click is $5, and a business wants 30 leads per month, they would need around 600 clicks, equating to a $3,000 ad budget. Highly competitive industries, like roofing, require larger budgets, while virtual businesses or niche markets can succeed with smaller investments.

Kelsey offers free consultations to help businesses determine whether Google Ads are worth the investment. She typically recommends a minimum ad budget of $1,000 to $2,000 per month, along with a three-month trial period to test effectiveness.

Alternative Options: Audits and DIY Strategies (8:38 – 9:46)

Recognizing that not all businesses can afford a large Google Ads budget, Kelsey provides alternative solutions. She offers audits to give businesses a clear direction for the next six to twelve months. Additionally, she has created courses and an online community for small business owners, side hustlers, and entrepreneurs who lack the revenue for full-scale ad campaigns. These courses guide users through DIY Google marketing strategies, empowering them to understand and leverage Google’s tools.

Kelsey stresses that Google is a powerful, free resource that many business owners underutilize simply because they aren’t familiar with it. She is passionate about educating entrepreneurs, helping them navigate the digital landscape and make informed marketing decisions.

Kelsey’s Journey from Ad Agency to Entrepreneurship (9:47 – 19:05)

Kassie asks about Kelsey’s transition from working at an ad agency to running her own business. Kelsey shares that she initially saw marketing as a way to connect businesses with their audience. However, she soon realized that her agency prioritized its own financial goals over clients’ success. She was overworked, underpaid, and responsible for managing 100 clients simultaneously, leading to stress and frustration.

Despite being told by her bosses that she wouldn’t succeed independently, Kelsey took the leap into entrepreneurship. Initially, she offered a broad range of marketing services, but five years ago, she decided to specialize exclusively in Google marketing. This decision allowed her to refine her expertise and work with fewer clients, ensuring a personalized approach to strategy and execution.

Kelsey explains that there aren’t many professionals solely focused on Google marketing, which makes her services unique. She keeps her client list small to maintain strong relationships and deliver high-quality strategies. She also aims to support marketing professionals and small business owners through her courses, enabling them to understand and implement Google marketing techniques.

Kassie notes that Google is the dominant player in online search, yet few people highlight Google certification as a credential, making Kelsey’s expertise stand out. Kelsey confirms that her clientele mainly consists of home service businesses—plumbers, roofers, landscapers—because their customers rely on Google searches when they need immediate solutions.

Google vs. Social Media Advertising (19:05 – 21:55)

Kassie asks Kelsey if she also works with Facebook ads, to which Kelsey responds that she personally dislikes social media, both for personal use and business. She explains that Facebook and other social platforms are passive environments where people consume content rather than actively seeking solutions. In contrast, Google users are in an “action mode”—they are typing in searches, clicking on links, and looking for specific solutions to their problems.

Kassie has an “aha” moment, realizing that social media advertising often targets people who aren’t necessarily ready to buy, whereas Google searches indicate a user is actively looking to make a purchase. Kelsey emphasizes that while social media marketing is valuable for storytelling and audience engagement, Google marketing is more effective for direct revenue generation. She points out that many business owners focus heavily on social media because they assume their audience is always on it, but they fail to consider where their potential customers are actually searching for solutions.

Understanding Audience Behavior and Keyword Strategy (21:56 – 24:30)

Kelsey explains that one of the most crucial aspects of Google marketing is understanding audience behavior. Instead of guessing, business owners should analyze how their customers search for solutions. The first step is identifying the right keywords—words and phrases potential customers use in Google searches. These keywords should be strategically placed in a website’s SEO tags, content, and messaging.

Kelsey advises thinking beyond just obvious keywords. She encourages business owners to consider customer questions, common search phrases, and even queries that indicate early stages of a buying decision. She gives an example: someone searching for “How do I set up a Google Business Profile?” may not yet be looking for marketing help, but once they realize they need more assistance, they could become a potential client.

Kassie asks if keywords should always be single words or if they can be full questions. Kelsey explains that keywords can take different forms—single words, short phrases, or even longer search queries. Shorter keywords are more frequently searched, but longer ones are more unique and targeted. She recommends extracting the most relevant words from longer search queries and ensuring content is optimized around those phrases.

The Role of AI in Google and Content Creation (24:31 – 28:01)

Kassie shifts the conversation to artificial intelligence (AI) and how it impacts Google marketing. She asks if Google covers AI in its certification process. Kelsey admits she hasn’t taken this year’s exam yet, but she believes AI is currently in a “chaos era.” Google is experimenting with AI-generated responses in search results and assessing its impact.

Kelsey warns against relying too heavily on AI for content creation, as Google will likely develop ways to detect AI-generated content and deprioritize it. She advises business owners to use AI as a brainstorming tool rather than copying and pasting AI-generated text. Kassie agrees, sharing that she was an early adopter of AI but was always cautious about Google’s ability to detect duplicated or overly generic content.

Kelsey points out that AI-generated content often sounds repetitive and lacks originality. She highlights that Google prioritizes unique, expert-driven content rather than generic or duplicated text. This means businesses should focus on providing valuable, firsthand knowledge in their blog posts, website content, and marketing materials. Kassie adds that she frequently sees AI-generated captions in social media marketing, and they are easy to spot because they lack personal touch and authenticity. She believes small business owners should focus on their unique perspectives and approaches rather than relying on AI to generate content for them.

Where to Find Kelsey and Next Steps (28:02 – 28:25)

As the conversation comes to a close, Kassie asks Kelsey to share where listeners can find her online and what steps they can take if they’re interested in her services. Kelsey directs listeners to her website, kaeraemarketing.com, which provides detailed information about her services and includes an option to schedule a free call. Additionally, she mentions a second website, kaeraeeducation.com, which offers educational resources, a free Google Business workshop, and an online community for business owners looking to improve their Google marketing strategies.

Kelsey also highlights her newsletter and YouTube channel, where she shares weekly videos and updates on Google marketing trends, common questions, and industry insights. She encourages listeners to subscribe and reach out with any questions via social media or email. For her, understanding what people genuinely don’t know about Google marketing is key to providing the most valuable information.

The Importance of YouTube for SEO (28:26 – 28:37)

Kassie reflects on the conversation, noting that Kelsey has inspired her to consider starting a YouTube channel. Kelsey affirms that YouTube is a Google product, meaning any content created there contributes to SEO and online visibility. This realization excites Kassie, who acknowledges that she has a lot to explore when it comes to optimizing for Google.

Closing Remarks and Podcast Wrap-Up (28:38 – 29:06)

Kassie thanks Kelsey for joining the podcast and confirms that all relevant links and resources will be included in the episode show notes. They part with a lighthearted remark that they’ll “see each other on Google.” Kassie then concludes the episode by thanking listeners for tuning into The Endgame Entrepreneur and expressing hope that the discussion has provided new ideas or motivation for their business growth. She invites listeners to connect via her newsletter at kassielayne.com/notes and encourages them to email her with their own newsletter links. She signs off with a positive note, urging entrepreneurs to keep moving toward their ultimate goals.