TPE #123: 7 years of Google Ads experience in 12 high-impact lessons

Read time: 7 minutes

GM, Miles here with The PPC Edge.

I recently celebrated my 7-year anniversary in the PPC industry.

I started my career on January 1st, 2018, with a traineeship at one of the best agencies in The Netherlands. It was the perfect start of my journey to mastering Google Ads.

After 2.5 years, I quit to pursue my freelance dream.

2 years after that, I started PPC Mastery with Bob, which I’ve been doing for nearly 2.5 years now.

In these 7 years, I’ve worked with 100+ clients and trained thousands of Google Ads Specialists all over the world.

Today, I’ll give you 7 years of Google Ads experience in 12 high-impact lessons.

Let’s dive in!

 

1: The fundamentals are the key to success.

Early on in my career, I was always looking for the next big advanced tactic, hoping that would improve my results.

But as I got more experienced, I realized that was the wrong approach. After 7+ years in the game, I concluded that consistently focusing on doing the fundamentals well is the fastest way to results.

Since educating and training Google Ads Specialists is our job, we created a simple 9-step framework to help you drive maximum results.

We call it the Google Ads Success Formula:

 

 

It’s so simple, yet so powerful! In order to drive results with Google Ads, you need:

1. An irresistible offer.
2. Conversion-optimized landing pages
3. Scalable unit economics.
4. Clearly defined goals & KPIs.
5. Crystal clear conversion tracking.
6. A solid campaign structure.
7. Precise targeting.
8. Compelling creatives.
9. Proper bid & budget management.

 

Nail them all, and you'll see success.

Miss one, and you'll fail:

• No irresistible offer = "Useless" (nobody wants your products)
• Poor landing page = "Leak" (throwing money down the drain)
• Bad unit economics = “Unscalable” (low margins & profits lead to issues)
• No goals & KPIs = "Aimless" (no targets to aim for)
• No clear tracking = "Blind" (no useful data for the machine)
• Bad structure = "Fragmented" (can’t let the algo work for you)
• Bad targeting = "Inaccurate" (getting the wrong people)
• Poor creatives = "Unremarkable" (your ads don’t match)
• No bid/budget strategy = "Inefficient" (not properly spending your budget)

 

Most people overcomplicate Google Ads. The fastest way to success, is by relentlessly focusing on the fundamentals.

By following the fundamentals, Bob helped a client grow conversions by 250%, while reducing CPA by -60%. Here’s the full case study.

 

 

2: Fundamental does not necessarily mean beginner.

Many people wrongfully associate the word "fundamental" with "beginner".

But the fundamentals are the main things that provide the solid foundations for all the rest (and are independent of beginner / advanced).

You tackle that first — which makes it seem “beginner”.

But it’s not.

You cannot build on a broken foundation, so doing the fundamentals well is essential for success.

 

❌ Beginners focus on advanced strategies.

✅ Experts focus on the fundamentals.

I often hear people say: “I am experienced, just give me the advanced stuff!”.

But what they fail to understand: you get advanced by doing the “boring” fundamentals well, over and over.

You don’t outgrow the fundamentals.

 

3: Shiny Object Syndrome is your biggest enemy.

After 7+ years, I now know that obsessively focusing on the fundamentals almost guarantees results.

However… The biggest danger is losing discipline and getting attracted to new shiny objects that sound fancy but don’t do much for my results.

I call that ‘Shiny Object Syndrome’ — and it’s my biggest enemy.

I’m not perfect, and I get attracted to new, fancy ideas all the time. But I also try to keep myself focused on the fundamentals, because that’s how you get results.

So stay disciplined and say no to shiny objects.

 

 

4: Looking beyond Google Ads has the biggest impact on results.

AI is simplifying our industry: nearly everything is automated and we have very little control.

And because of that, there’s less we can do to impact results inside of Google Ads.

While that sounds horrible, it might actually be a blessing in disguise.

Why? Because what you do outside of Google Ads often has a bigger impact on your results than what you do inside:

• Creating conversion-optimized landing pages.
• Helping your clients create irresistible offers.
• Help your clients revisit their unit economics.
• Help your clients clearly define goals & KPIs.
• Improving the messaging & positioning.
• Expanding to other countries.
• Etc.

 

❌ Beginners only look inside of Google Ads.

✅ Experts know real impact is made outside of Google Ads.

Get out of the Google Ads tunnel vision and look beyond Google Ads to make real impact for your clients.

Here’s a complete case study of how Bob’s longest-standing client has been with him for 7+ years, while 3X-ing his rate, getting a €50K bonus… All because he challenged himself to look beyond Google Ads.

 

 

5: The future of PPC belongs to T-Shaped Google Ads Specialists.

AI and automation are completely leveling out the PPC playing field, so it’s harder and harder to find an edge inside of Google Ads.

And because of this, I foresee that many Google Ads Specialists, performance marketers, and agencies are going to struggle in the upcoming years to stay relevant.

In my opinion, the only way to stay relevant, future-proof yourself, and thrive in the upcoming years is by becoming a T-Shaped Google Ads Specialist.

As a T-Shaped Google Ads Specialist, you combine:

• Deep knowledge of 1 core expertise (Google Ads in our case).
• With broad knowledge of many essential business skills that stack on top of your core Google Ads expertise (for example: channel expertise, optimizing sales funnels, human psychology, persuasive copywriting, lead scoring/nurturing/follow-up, CRO, etc.)

 

 

We developed this framework because simply being a ‘Google Ads Button Pusher’ is no longer enough (the playing field is leveling out, which means it’s harder and harder to find your edge inside of Google Ads).

If you want to thrive (especially in the current landscape that’s driven by AI and automation), it’s essential to become a business partner for your clients.

And you do that by developing broad knowledge of topics that stack on top of your existing Google Ads skillset.

Remove your blinders and start looking beyond Google Ads, so you can serve your clients better by:

• Spotting new opportunities or bottlenecks they may not see themselves.
• Optimizing their offers, pricing, funnels, and positioning.
• Increasing AOV/CVR/LTV.
• Optimizing their sales processes (to increase lead-to-sale ratios).
• Challenging them on the inefficiencies in their business.

 

This does not mean you have to do everything yourself (it’s quite the opposite).

Let other specialists do the heavy lifting and implementation of things outside of your core expertise (Google Ads).

Your job is to develop a broad understanding of high-impact topics so you know how to spot opportunities and identify growth bottlenecks.

In the end, the best Google Ads Specialists look beyond Google Ads and help clients grow their businesses holistically.

But… Never lose sight of your core expertise: Google Ads. Keep your axe sharp at all times.

We are Google Ads Specialists first and foremost… But we have to evolve if we want to stay relevant in the upcoming years.

 

6: Google Ads can’t scale a broken offer.

Another reason why it’s so crucial to look beyond Google Ads: your campaigns can’t scale a broken offer.

Your client’s offer is the foundation for everything. Your campaigns are just a way to promote and sell this offer.

But everything you do inside of Google Ads becomes useless without an irresistible offer and healthy unit economics.

So open the conversation and challenge your clients on these things.

 

7: Striking a balance between consolidation and segmentation is key to success.

I have always loved thinking about campaign structures: it’s just so much fun.

With Search campaigns, consolidation is the way to go (as of right now):

 

For a complete breakdown of why consolidation is so effective, check out this article.

For Performance Max and Shopping campaigns, segmentation tends to work better and gives you more control (if you have enough conversion data).

Here’s a guide with 10 advanced segmentations you can test in your accounts.

 

 

8: You MUST set boundaries when working with clients.

Early on in my career, I learned how important it is to set boundaries when working with clients. Because when you don’t, they run you over.

When I was a trainee at my former agency job, I had a client who kept calling me at night and during my holiday (yes, really).

One time I was at the club, at 2:00 in the morning… Who calls at 2:00 in the morning?!

Anyways… That moment taught me to set clear boundaries — because without them, clients will not respect you.

So I told her I was only available during work hours and didn’t like her calling me at random times.

After that, the relationship got better and she stopped calling me outside of office hours.

Just because someone is your client doesn’t mean they can step over your boundaries or disrespect you. Always remember that.

 

9: Conversion tracking is the absolute foundation for success with Google Ads.

I am shocked by how often I see suboptimal tracking setups (and suboptimal is me being kind).

And I have to be honest: before we started working together with Bob, I didn’t pay too much attention to my conversion tracking and data quality.

I thought it was my client’s responsibility.

But now, thanks to Bob, I understand it’s actually my job to ensure we have crystal-clear conversion tracking.

Tracking conversions with Google Ads becomes technical very fast. To prevent overwhelm, here’s our PPC Mastery Measurement Maturity Framework.

Use it as your blueprint to track as many conversions as possible!

 

 

10: In the beginning, new features suck. But they always become better.

When I started my PPC career in 2018, Google had just launched Smart Bidding and we were heavily testing manual vs. automated bid strategies at my former agency.

In the beginning, manual outperformed by a mile. Smart Bidding was just bad.

But over time, it started to outperform out manual bid strategies.

I’ve seen a similar trend with almost all of Google’s new key features: they suck in the beginning but always become better.

Don’t believe me? Think about:

• Broad Match.
• Responsive Search Ads.
• Dynamic Search Ads.
• Smart Shopping.
• Performance Max.

 

These key features/products all sucked in the beginning, but they’re pretty good now.

Google is allocating tons of resources to make its flagship products better.

So the lesson I learned: if something doesn’t work well today, I will test it again in 3-6 months.

By that time, it will probably perform a lot better.

So no matter what Google throws our way (Search Max, keyword-less campaigns, Demand Gen, etc.), we just have to test and adapt!

 

11: Automation isn’t your enemy, it’s simply a means to an end.

I’m surprised by how many posts I see on LinkedIn from people who still think Google’s automations are all evil, suggesting we should fight the algorithm:

• Never use broad.
• Never use Performance Max.
• Use single keyword ad groups.
• Use manual bidding strategies.

 

But with that line of thinking, you are stuck in the past.

The right question is not “how do I beat Google?”.

The right question is “how do I leverage Google’s automation and make it work FOR me, instead of AGAINST me?”.

Google’s algorithms are extremely sophisticated.

Thousands of invisible data points are used to show your ads to the right person at the right time, with the highest chance of getting a conversion.

And no, the system is not perfect. You have to set up everything with the right constraints (like for example excluding brand from pMax, only using broad match with smart bidding, using the right targets, consolidating data where possible, solid campaign structures, etc.)…

But please stop fighting the algorithm — and instead learn how to leverage it so it works FOR you.

Because when you do that, you’re very likely to see much better results.

 

12: I mastered Google Ads faster by specializing early on (in Ecom).

True mastery of Google Ads takes time.

But there is one thing I did in my career that enabled me to get to mastery faster than most people: I specialized in 1 client type (Ecommerce).

By specializing, I was able to:

• Master Google Ads faster.
• Productize my service delivery (and get results faster).
• Make more money as a Google Ads Specialist.

 

 

Specializing in Ecom is one of the best decisions I made for my career, as it accelerated my learning curve (and it became easier for potential clients to find me).

Here’s my complete story in case you’re interested.

 

There you have it: 7+ years of Google Ads experience in 12 high-impact lessons!

To recap, here’s the complete list:

1. The fundamentals are the key to success.
2. Fundamental does not necessarily mean beginner.
3. Shiny Object Syndrome is your biggest enemy.
4. Looking beyond Google Ads has the biggest impact on results.
5. The future of PPC belongs to T-Shaped Google Ads Specialists.
6. Google Ads can’t scale a broken offer.
7. Striking a balance between consolidation and segmentation is key to success.
8. You MUST set boundaries when working with clients.
9. Conversion tracking is the absolute foundation for success with Google Ads.
10. In the beginning, new features suck. But they always become better.
11. Automation isn’t your enemy, it’s simply a means to an end.
12. I mastered Google Ads faster by specializing early on (in Ecom).

 

If you want to take your Google Ads career to the next level, feel free to join The PPC Hub.

Inside, you’ll gain total clarity on what it takes to deliver the best possible results to your clients.

I hope that was helpful — see you again next week!

Cheers,

Miles (& Bob)