Axley PPC Campaign Pause Protocol
Overview
During the 2025 year-end review, Axley and Asymmetric agreed on a formal protocol for pausing Google Ads campaigns when a practice area reaches maximum intake capacity. The goal is to protect ROI by avoiding spend on leads the firm cannot service, while ensuring the client retains visibility and approval authority over any campaign changes.
This protocol was established in response to a specific incident where Madison Family Law capacity was constrained during a long trial — the first such occurrence in roughly a decade.
Decision Framework
When to Consider Pausing
A campaign pause is appropriate when a practice area attorney or team is at maximum intake capacity — meaning they cannot take on new clients even if qualified leads arrive. This is distinct from low search volume or poor campaign performance.
Capacity risk by practice area, as assessed in the meeting:
| Practice Area | Capacity Risk | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Madison Family Law | Primary risk | Can max out during long trials |
| Criminal Defense | Low | Rarely turns down cases |
| Personal Injury | Low | Will take cases if quality is sufficient |
| Academic Misconduct | Low | Rarely maxes out |
Approval Requirement
No campaign may be paused without prior email approval from Nicole Hadaway (nmh).
The process:
1. Sebastian identifies a practice area approaching or at capacity
2. Sebastian emails nmh with a pause recommendation and rationale
3. nmh responds with approval or an alternative direction
4. Sebastian implements the change only after written approval is received
This ensures nmh can present ROI data to firm leadership with full context, and that no spend decisions are made unilaterally.
"I do want to be made aware before you make any changes. So just shoot me an email, and then I'll respond with whatever your recommendation is." — Nicole Hadaway
Rationale
- ROI accountability: Firm leadership reviews marketing spend against client intake. Spend on leads that cannot be converted reflects poorly on the marketing investment.
- SEO as a long-term buffer: As organic rankings improve, the firm will be less dependent on PPC for lead generation, making it easier to pause campaigns without risking pipeline gaps.
- Infrequent trigger: The capacity scenario is expected to be rare. The Madison Family Law situation in 2025 was the first time in approximately a decade that capacity was genuinely constrained.
Related Context
- The Waukesha Family Law PPC spend was already reduced following the prior in-person meeting; this protocol governs future pauses going forward.
- PPC budget thresholds and spending levels for 2026 are to be finalized at the January 16 meeting.
- A separate issue with irrelevant leads caused by Google's AI optimization feature was resolved by disabling that feature; this is distinct from the capacity-based pause protocol.
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