PPC Ramblings
Google Ads tips, strategies, and lessons from managing real campaigns.
Google Ads Conversion Tracking Audit: Quarterly Checklist
A 10-point conversion tracking audit I run on every Google Ads account every quarter. The checks that catch silent breakage before Smart Bidding does.
Google's AI Max for Search: What It Is and Whether You Should Use It
AI Max for Search is being switched on across eligible Google Ads accounts. Here's what it does under the hood, and whether you should let it.
What Does a Google Ads Audit Include? A Complete Breakdown
Most people asking what a Google Ads audit includes are trying to work out what they're actually paying for. Here's every section a proper one covers.
The Custom Audience Signal That Makes Performance Max Cheaper
PMAX audience signals are the fastest way to shorten the learning phase and cut early CPA. Most accounts leave them half-configured and pay for it. Here's the setup that works.
Why Your Performance Max Campaign Hates Your Brand Terms
If your PMAX campaign looks like a superstar, check where its conversions are actually coming from. Nine times out of ten, it's quietly stealing them from your brand Search campaign.
Google Ads Match Types in 2026: A Specialist's Decision Framework
Broad, phrase, exact - which match type wins depends on your account, not on which one is theoretically 'best'. A practitioner's framework for 2026.
How to Write Google Ads Copy with ChatGPT (Without Sounding Like a Bot)
ChatGPT will happily spit out 15 Google Ads headlines in ten seconds. Most sound like a bot wrote them. Better prompts fix that.
Google Ads Agency vs Freelancer: An Honest Comparison
The honest answer isn't "always hire a freelancer" or "always hire an agency". It depends on your spend, your team, and what you want the person doing every week.
Performance Max vs Search Campaigns: When to Use Each
Should you run Performance Max or Search campaigns? Wrong framing. Here's how to work out which one fits your account, and how to run both without burning budget.
What to Look for in a Google Ads Audit
Most 'audits' you'll pay for are templated PDFs. Here's what a real Google Ads audit should actually find, with examples from real client accounts.
Getting Your Google Ads Account AI Ready: A Diagnostic Framework
Google's forced AI Max migration starts September 2026. Here's the six-layer diagnostic I use to score whether a Google Ads account is actually AI ready.
Why Your Google Ads Cost Per Lead Keeps Rising
Your Google Ads cost per lead has been creeping up and you're not sure why. Here are the five things actually causing it - and how to stop the slide.
Google Ads Conversion Tracking: The Complete Setup Guide
Most accounts I audit have conversion tracking that looks fine on the surface and is quietly broken underneath. This is how to set it up properly.
5 Google Ads Mistakes That Waste Budget (And How to Fix Them)
Most Google Ads accounts I audit are wasting 20-30% of their budget on things that are straightforward to fix. Here are the five I see most often.
How to Read Your Google Ads Search Term Report (And Actually Use It)
Your search term report is probably the most underused tool in your Google Ads account. Here's how to actually read it and stop bleeding budget.