Diagnostic guide · For owners running Google or Meta Ads

Is it the ads, or your business? Find out in one afternoon.

A step-by-step decision tree that shows you exactly where your ads are breaking: the ads, the offer, the landing page, the tracking or the follow-up.

Stop changing ads, agencies and budgets without a diagnosis Pinpoint the one branch that's broken, then fix only that Get the exact questions to ask your agency or freelancer
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Madalina Gherman
Written by Madalina, performance marketer since 2018 · €1M+ in ad spend managed
Why Your Ads Aren’t Working – free PDF workbook by Madalina Gherman
PDF decision treeDiagnostic worksheetInstant download

Does this sound familiar?

"My ads get clicks, but nobody buys."
"We changed the creatives three times. Nothing changed."
"I fired the agency. The next one didn't do better."
"I don't know if I should raise the budget or stop everything."

When ads don't bring customers, most owners change the most visible thing: the ad. But in most accounts I review, the ad isn't the problem. Without a diagnosis, every fix is a guess, and every guess costs another month of budget.

The method

The No-Sales Decision Tree

Answer one yes-or-no question at a time. Each answer sends you down one branch, until you land on the real problem, with a fix list attached.

1 Can you trust the numbers? If tracking is wrong, nothing below is reliable. Check this first, in 10 minutes.
2 No clicks? Ads problem. Targeting, keywords, creative, budget. The ad side of the tree.
3 Clicks, no leads? Offer & page. Your offer, your price, your landing page. Traffic arrives and leaves.
4 Leads, no sales? Follow-up. Speed of reply, sales process, lead quality. Money lost after the ad did its job.
5 Sales, no profit? The math. Cost per customer against your margin. When ads work, but the numbers can't.
What's inside

Everything you get today

Plain language. No jargon without an explanation. Built to be used with your own numbers open next to it.

01
Start here: can you trust your numbers?The quick tracking check before any diagnosis.
02
Branch A: the adsSearch terms, audiences, creative fatigue, budget too thin to learn.
03
Branch B: offer and landing pageThe 7 reasons visitors leave, and how to spot yours.
04
Branch C: follow-up and salesReply speed, lead quality, what to do with leads that go cold.
05
Branch D: the mathBreak-even cost per customer, calculated for your business.
06
Your fix planOne page: the broken branch, the three fixes, the date you re-check.
Bonus: "Ask your agency" question list12 questions that show you in one call whether the person running your ads knows where the problem is.
This is for you if —You run Google or Meta Ads (yourself or through someone) and results are poor—You're about to raise the budget, pause, or switch agency—You want to understand the problem before paying someone to fix it—You don't want to become a media buyer
Not for you if —You've never run ads yet (start with "Your First €500 on Google Ads")—You're an experienced media buyer—You want done-for-you management
Madalina Gherman
Who's behind this

Hi, I'm Madalina. I've been inside the accounts since 2018.

Every account audit I do follows the same order: numbers first, then ads, then offer, then follow-up. Clients are often surprised the fix wasn't in the ads at all. This guide is that audit order, turned into a tree you can follow yourself.

8+years running paid ads
€1M+ad spend managed
12.32×ROAS, eCommerce case study

What clients say

Clients I’ve run Google Ads, Meta Ads & SEO for
★★★★★
“We were getting calls for $200 repairs when our sweet spot is $15k+ projects. A multi-step estimate form tied to filtered Search campaigns fixed it — consultation quality soared within three weeks.”
Dan · Hardscapes & patios · Columbus, USA
★★★★★
“Our creatives kept fatiguing and sales plateaued. A weekly creative testing framework plus catalog carousels stabilised ROAS at 3.4× while we scaled — predictable revenue, no panic.”
Amanda · eCommerce, sustainable apparel · San Diego, USA
★★★★★
“We optimised our Google Business profile and ran mobile search ads for drivers heading to the terminal. Bookings climbed immediately, and reporting focused on filled bays — not vanity metrics.”
George · Airport parking · Ilfov, Romania
Read all client reviews

Free. Cheaper than one wasted day of ad spend.

A month of ads running on the wrong fix can cost more than any course. This decision tree is free, and it tells you where not to spend your next euro.

Hiring someone to run your adsfrom 449 € / month
1:1 consulting session249 €
Guessing for another 3 monthsyour budget
Why Your Ads Aren't WorkingFree
Get it free
Free. Really. Download it, use it, keep it. All I ask for is your email address, so I can send you the link and the occasional practical ads tip. Unsubscribe with one click whenever you like.

Questions, answered

Does it work for Google and Meta Ads?

Yes. The tree is platform-neutral, with platform-specific checks for Google Ads and Meta Ads inside each branch.

I don't manage the ads myself. Is it still useful?

Yes. It’s written for owners whose ads are run by someone else too. The bonus list gives you 12 questions to ask the person running your ads, so you can check their work without doing it yourself.

How long does the diagnosis take?

Usually one afternoon. You only follow the branch that applies to you, so you don’t have to work through everything.

Do I need technical skills?

No. You need access to your ad account and your website stats. Every step is a yes-or-no question in plain language.

How do I receive it?

Enter your first name and email on this page and the download link arrives in your inbox right away. The link stays active for 30 days, so save the PDF somewhere you’ll find it again. Nothing in your inbox? Check spam, or write to info@amgads.com.

What if it's not for me?

Then it cost you nothing. You can unsubscribe from the emails with one click. And if you’d rather talk through your own situation, I offer 1:1 consulting and mentoring.

Stop guessing. Diagnose first, then fix.

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