For many small businesses, digital advertising can feel like gambling with their budget—high stakes, unclear odds, and no guarantee of return. Google Ads, in particular, offers powerful reach, but success isn’t just about setting up campaigns; it’s about understanding buyer behavior, refining strategy, and making every click count. The difference between wasted spend and a winning strategy often comes down to who’s managing the account. That’s why partnering with the right Google Ads expert isn’t just helpful—it’s a competitive edge.
That edge is precisely what Chris Fawcett has built with Third Marble Marketing. Under his leadership, the company has become a trusted name in results-driven advertising for small businesses that can’t afford to guess. Known for cutting through industry noise with clarity, precision, and process, Third Marble blends disciplined execution with genuine care for its clients’ growth. It’s not about hype—it’s about hard-won results from a team that knows exactly how to make every ad dollar work harder.
Humble Beginnings
Before founding Third Marble Marketing, Chris Fawcett had already built a solid foundation with over three decades of direct marketing experience and nearly three decades in internet marketing. A long-standing figure in the digital space, Chris Fawcett had been part of the industry since its earliest days.
The idea for Third Marble was sparked by a simple favor. A local pizza shop owner, a friend of Chris’s, asked him to build a website for his business. Chris gladly helped, and the site was launched. However, a few months in, the owner mentioned that the website wasn’t bringing in new customers. Chris Fawcett pointed out the common misconception — just having a website isn’t enough; it also needs visibility. He explained it plainly: “Having a website without advertising is like printing business cards and not handing them out.”
Not long after, the same pizza shop owner reached out again — this time with concerns about an expensive $1,200/month contract from a well-known advertising firm. Given the limited search volume for pizza in that small geographic area, Chris Fawcett knew the offer didn’t make sense. Instead, he offered to run a few Google Ads campaigns himself.
The results spoke for themselves. Google Ads drove over 80% of the site’s traffic and new customers. Based on this success, Chris paused all other marketing channels and focused the budget entirely on Google Ads — with excellent returns.
Recognizing a broader need in the market, Chris Fawcett decided to take the leap. He left his job and started Third Marble Marketing with a clear mission: to help small and local business owners grow through affordable, effective digital marketing strategies that prioritize customer acquisition — not just website traffic.
Vision in Action
In recent years, the team at Third Marble has seen that success with Google Ads and SEO isn’t just about running great campaigns. Business owners often face a web of interconnected challenges — from outdated websites and third-party lead forms that can’t be tracked, to broader shifts like the phase-out of third-party cookies. These technical details directly affect marketing outcomes, and clients often need help understanding how it all fits together.
To bridge that gap, Third Marble expanded its offerings. The team introduced Help Sessions, Free Workshops, and content writing services to guide clients beyond just ads and SEO. They also stepped into more consultative roles, helping clients optimize websites and lead tracking processes — all to ensure their Google marketing efforts deliver real results.
Process Over Projects
What truly sets Third Marble Marketing apart in the crowded world of Google Ads and digital advertising is its process-driven approach. Unlike many agencies that operate on a project basis — offering piecemeal consultations, custom plans, and inflated service models — Third Marble applies a proven, streamlined process to every client engagement.
Inspired by the efficiency of Henry Ford’s assembly line, the team didn’t set out to reinvent digital marketing. Instead, they refined a repeatable system that makes expert-level Google Ads and SEO services accessible and affordable for small businesses. Clients pay a predictable monthly rate for this structured approach, eliminating the need for expensive one-off strategies or consultations.
Flexibility is another key differentiator. Where many agencies lock clients into six-month or year-long contracts, Third Marble offers fully month-to-month plans. Clients can pause, scale, or adjust their service level at any time. For example, many start with a Growth Plan — which includes a dedicated Account Manager — and later shift to a more budget-friendly Starter Plan once their campaigns are running smoothly.
Built for Any Industry
Third Marble Marketing began by serving home service businesses — HVAC, lawn care, roofing, plumbing, and similar trades. These industries were a natural fit, with strong local demand and clear intent behind customer searches.
Over time, however, the company’s reach has grown far beyond its original niche. Today, Third Marble serves a wide range of industries, from professional services to e-commerce and beyond. What makes this possible is the adaptability of their process. As long as there’s meaningful search volume for a product or service, their method — grounded in sound keyword research and practical strategy — can deliver results. Rather than relying on industry-specific templates, Third Marble tailors each Google Ads strategy to reflect the client’s goals, audience behavior, and budget.
Most Successful Campaign
One of Third Marble Marketing’s most effective Google Ads campaigns was for Metro Offices in the DC Metro area—a long-time client in a highly competitive commercial real estate market. As ad auctions became increasingly expensive and cost-per-clicks surged, the team at Third Marble identified a smarter path forward.
They implemented a dual strategy: combining Google’s traditional Search campaigns with a Performance Max campaign. Performance Max allows ads to be displayed across multiple Google networks—Search, Display, YouTube, and more—while automatically optimizing for conversions. However, this campaign type also brings added complexity and less control, making expert handling critical.
Third Marble’s strength lay in seamlessly integrating Performance Max into their proven process. Their team didn’t just adopt the tool—they fine-tuned it to work hand-in-hand with their search strategies, ensuring performance gains without compromising targeting precision.
The outcome spoke volumes:
- 77% drop in cost-per-click
- 72% reduction in cost-per-lead
- 365% increase in lead volume within just three months
With this dramatic improvement, Metro Offices confidently increased their ad spend by 33%, knowing they were getting results.
Smart Automation in Action
Long before automation and AI became industry buzzwords, Third Marble Marketing was already incorporating these tools into their workflow. Their approach wasn’t just about adopting the latest tech—it was about pairing intelligent tools with human insight to deliver better results.
Recognizing the need for efficiency and consistency, the team built a custom internal platform designed to manage every aspect of their Google Ads process. This proprietary system automatically populates account tasks, tracks campaign performance, assigns responsibilities, and ensures every client stays on course within their proven methodology.
The result? A highly efficient operation that allows their team to stay focused on what really matters—strategy, creativity, and client outcomes. While automation handles the heavy lifting, it’s the team’s experience and attention to nuance that turn these tools into results.
Adapting to Rising Costs
One of the major challenges Third Marble Marketing has faced in recent years is the steady rise in cost-per-click across most industries. This trend has made it increasingly difficult for smaller businesses with limited budgets to stay competitive in the digital ad space. Rather than letting these clients fall behind, the team responded by refining their strategies to work more effectively with Google’s evolving ad models—maximizing performance without requiring bigger spends.
To further support newer and budget-conscious businesses, Third Marble also began offering foundational workshops. These sessions are designed to help entrepreneurs lay the right groundwork in SEO and Google Ads from the very beginning. By doing so, businesses are better prepared to scale their digital efforts and seamlessly transition into full-service campaigns when they’re ready to invest more seriously.
Navigating Market Shifts
In recent years, Third Marble Marketing has seen a consistent rise in cost-per-click rates across nearly every industry—a shift that’s gradually making digital advertising less accessible for small businesses with limited budgets. Rather than letting these clients fall behind, the team has responded by rethinking and refining their internal processes to work more effectively with Google’s evolving systems. The goal has been clear: deliver measurable results without forcing clients to overspend.
To support early-stage businesses, the team also launched introductory workshops focused on SEO and Google Ads fundamentals. These sessions help new business owners lay a solid foundation so that, when they’re ready to scale, they don’t need to go back and fix costly missteps.
By the Numbers
Consistent growth, industry recognition, and client-first performance—here’s a snapshot of the impact behind the process.
| Metric | Value |
| Annual Growth Rate | 20% (Consistent over last 5 years) |
| Client Retention Rate | 95% |
| Google Review Rating | 4.9 Stars |
| Industry Awards | 15+ Awards (Past 3 Years) |
| Google Partner Status | Premier Partner (Top 3% Globally) |
Balancing AI with Insight
Chris Fawcett believes the future of Google Ads and paid search is being shaped largely by the continued integration of AI. While automation is rapidly evolving, he emphasizes the importance of combining it with human judgment and strategy.
At Third Marble Marketing, the team focuses on feeding ad algorithms with high-quality data—clear conversions, well-researched keywords, and precise targeting. According to Chris Fawcett, relying solely on Performance Max campaigns often results in a flood of irrelevant leads. Instead, the company takes a balanced approach, often launching more controlled campaign types first and sometimes running them in parallel with Performance Max to fine-tune results.
A Space of Our Own
One of Chris Fawcett proudest milestones at Third Marble Marketing was establishing their dedicated office space. More than just a workplace, it was intentionally designed to reflect the company’s collaborative spirit and core values. The environment is warm and personalized—with artwork created by team members during internal events and thoughtfully designed work areas that encourage teamwork. It’s become a space where the team genuinely enjoys gathering, collaborating, and building the culture that sets Third Marble apart.
Expanding Digital Education
Looking ahead, Third Marble Marketing is focused on expanding its Google Education Center—an initiative designed to empower small businesses with foundational digital marketing knowledge. The team is developing a series of free webinars to help entrepreneurs build a strong digital presence, even before they’re ready to invest in professional SEO or Google Ads services. These sessions will cover essential topics such as optimizing a Google Business Profile, beginner-friendly SEO techniques, and evaluating if a business is ready for Google Ads.
Advice to New Entrants
Chris Fawcett offers direct and practical advice for newcomers stepping into the world of Google Ads and digital marketing. His first recommendation: find a mentor with real-world experience. The industry is flooded with self-taught practitioners treating Google Ads like a side hustle—often learning on the fly at the client’s expense. Clients can usually tell when they’re being misled, and trust, once lost, is hard to regain.
He also stresses the importance of not overlooking the client’s website. Even the most well-targeted traffic won’t convert if the landing page fails to make a compelling case. Without a strong conversion funnel, ad dollars go to waste. For Chris, successful advertising is as much about the post-click experience as it is about the campaign strategy.
