Sarah Stemen, MBA's Linkedin Analytics

Is the PPC agency system broken? I'm genuinely asking. If the agency 'strategy' boils down to $30/hour freelancers managing accounts, where is the client's investment going? What are they paying for exactly?

I probably am not auditing your agency's paid search accounts accounts...

You're scrolling through articles, absorbing the latest paid search strategies... You see the insights, the data, the potential for growth... And then the familiar voice creeps in: "But is Smart Bidding really worth it?" "How do I implement it without blowing my budget?" "What if I'm just throwing money away?" Let me stop you right there. Because my latest article, "Your Guide to Google Ads Smart Bidding" on Search Engine Land ....I wrote it for you... For the marketer ready to step into their data-driven, strategic self. For the professional who's been craving real, actionable advice, not just surface-level tips.

Just wrapped up the 11th video on the PPC Gals YouTube channel. Here's what surprised me: 1️⃣ It's actually FUN (who knew?) 2️⃣ Perfection is overrated - people connect with authenticity, not polished scripts 3️⃣ The hardest part? Hitting that "publish" button the first time Truth bomb: Some will love your content, others won't. And that's perfectly fine. My biggest takeaway: Stop waiting for the "perfect moment" to start. That moment doesn't exist. Just hit record and share what you know. The rest will follow. Would love to hear from others who took the leap into video content - what was your biggest surprise?

𝐂𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐬 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐂𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐬 𝐆𝐨 Pete the PPC Manager was setting up a campaign. He had a goal, it was quite plain. To get more clicks, that was his aim, And watch those conversions rise like a flame. 𝐂𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐬 𝐠𝐨. 𝐂𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐬 𝐠𝐨. 𝐇𝐢𝐠𝐡 𝐨𝐫 𝐥𝐨𝐰, 𝐬𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐨𝐫 𝐟𝐚𝐬𝐭, 𝐂𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐬 𝐠𝐨, 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐚𝐥𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐬. Pete launched his ads, with keywords so keen, He watched the numbers, on the digital screen. "Clicks are coming!" he said with a smile, "My ad copy's working, it's worthwhile!" 𝐂𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐬 𝐠𝐨. 𝐂𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐬 𝐠𝐨. 𝐇𝐢𝐠𝐡 𝐨𝐫 𝐥𝐨𝐰, 𝐬𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐨𝐫 𝐟𝐚𝐬𝐭, 𝐂𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐬 𝐠𝐨, 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐚𝐥𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐬. Then, the budget ran out, a sudden surprise, The clicks slowed down, before his very eyes. "Oh no!" cried Pete, with a worried frown, "My clicks are gone, they've all gone down!" 𝐂𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐬 𝐠𝐨. 𝐂𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐬 𝐠𝐨. 𝐇𝐢𝐠𝐡 𝐨𝐫 𝐥𝐨𝐰, 𝐬𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐨𝐫 𝐟𝐚𝐬𝐭, 𝐂𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐬 𝐠𝐨, 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐚𝐥𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐬. But Pete remembered, a lesson so true, PPC is a cycle, always brand new. He optimized his ads, with a thoughtful plan, And the clicks returned, like a well-laid scan. 𝐂𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐬 𝐠𝐨. 𝐂𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐬 𝐠𝐨. 𝐇𝐢𝐠𝐡 𝐨𝐫 𝐥𝐨𝐰, 𝐬𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐨𝐫 𝐟𝐚𝐬𝐭, 𝐂𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐬 𝐠𝐨, 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐚𝐥𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐬. Pete learned that day, with a happy heart, Clicks may vanish, but they'll soon restart. In the world of PPC, it's a constant flow, Clicks come and clicks go, that's how they grow.

Ever wondered how successful businesses dominate Google's first page? The truth about Google might surprise you. When I started my journey as a digital marketer, I was obsessed with SEO. I thought organic traffic was the smartest way. But here's what I learned after almost 20 years in the game: 1. Google is a business first They need to make money Their primary income? Ads 2. Organic reach keeps declining More ads at the top Featured snippets taking space Local pack pushing results down 3. The hard truth Even perfect SEO won't guarantee visibility Your competitors are buying those top spots Users click ads and ads are attractive and prominent 4. The winning strategy Balance organic and paid Start small with ads Test and scale what works Monitor ROI religiously Here's what happens with this approach... • Lead cost decreases • Consistent results, not SEO fluctuations The game has changed over the past 5 years. You can resist it or adapt to it. What's your experience with Google Ads vs. SEO? Drop a comment below - I read and respond to all of them.

You optimize. You target. You craft the perfect ad copy. You build the landing page. You set up your conversion tracking. You do everything "right." And then… the campaign tanks. Or never works. The CPA skyrockets. The clicks dry up. Just like that. We're told PPC is about control. Controlling the budget. Controlling the clicks. Controlling the conversions. And what happens when the numbers don't respond? When the clicks don't convert? Frustration. Stress. Doubt. We increase the bid. We tweak the keywords. We add negatives. We copy someone else's strategy. We ask for help. But just like in life, people don't like to be controlled. They don't like to be told what to click, what to buy, or how to feel. And yet, we keep trying. Because we believe as marketers that if we just do everything right, we'll get the outcome we want. But PPC doesn't work that way. You can optimize every aspect of your campaign and still miss your targets. You can do everything "right" and still face unexpected results. Especially with external forces in the world right now. We can't change the algorithm, we can't change the world and we definitely can't stop the pressure to hit our ROAS goals. But we 𝘤𝘢𝘯 change how we respond. We can attach ourselves to the ROAS or conversions and suffer, or we can start providing clients with the facts and make decisions along side our clients. We can talk to our clients and explain how we see the situation in the ad platforms. And let the rest unfold. There's power, confidence, and peace in that mindset. There is power in being transparent. It's all you can do. It's madness to focus on controlling what you don't control. It is madness to assume the client will fire you if you talk to them about the data. Some conversions will never happen. Keep testing, keep learning, and keep talking to your clients.

🚩 𝐒𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐬 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐏𝐚𝐢𝐝 𝐒𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝐂𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐬 𝐀𝐫𝐞 𝐁𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐏𝐨𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐲 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐝 🚩 I talk about poorly paid search accounts all the time. I feel badly that I have to talk about them but I find time and time again that when I am talking to a business owner they are frustrated and questioning their own decision making. So here is a list of what I see.. 🔥 1. 𝐅𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐒𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬: If your agency or consultant frequently criticizes your ad copy but offers no clear alternatives, that’s a problem. Worse, if they dismiss your concerns by saying, “𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘥𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘢,” they’re dodging accountability. ✅ 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘸𝘢𝘵𝘤𝘩 𝘧𝘰𝘳: You should receive constructive feedback with clear recommendations—not condescension. 💸 2. “𝐇𝐞𝐥𝐩𝐟𝐮𝐥” 𝐁𝐮𝐝𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐩𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: Are you being 𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘭𝘺 pushed toward overly conservative decisions or more aggressive decisions? If your campaign manager frequently expresses “𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘳𝘯” about wasted spend or needs more spend and then micromanages keywords under the guise of “𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘣𝘶𝘥𝘨𝘦𝘵,” you might be unknowingly limiting your growth or pushing spend in the wrong places. ✅ 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘸𝘢𝘵𝘤𝘩 𝘧𝘰𝘳: Healthy PPC strategies involve calculated risks and testing. Being too conservative or too aggressive stunts performance. 🔗 3. 𝐆𝐨𝐚𝐥𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐒𝐡𝐢𝐟𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: Does your agency or consultant keep changing what success looks like? For example: You agree on a specific CPA target. When you hit it, they suddenly shift to focusing on ROAS instead. They promise conversion tracking fixes “𝘯𝘦𝘹𝘵 𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘬”—but next week never comes. ✅ 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘸𝘢𝘵𝘤𝘩 𝘧𝘰𝘳: Consistent moving of the goalposts often signals a lack of strategy or accountability. 📊 4. 𝐔𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐑𝐞𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐫 𝐍𝐨 𝐑𝐞𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐭 𝐀𝐥𝐥: If you’re receiving vague, unhelpful reports—or worse, none at all—it’s a major red flag. Reports should clearly outline performance, wins, and areas for improvement. Lack of timely responses or failure to implement your requested changes is a sign of negligence. ✅ 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘸𝘢𝘵𝘤𝘩 𝘧𝘰𝘳: Demand detailed, actionable reports that tie performance to business goals. 💡 𝐃𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐋𝐞𝐭 𝐏𝐨𝐨𝐫 𝐏𝐏𝐂 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐃𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐁𝐮𝐝𝐠𝐞𝐭. You deserve transparency, clear communication, and measurable results. If you’re noticing these red flags, it might be time for a second opinion—or a new partner. 🚀 Also if you like my emojis that is because I used AI to format this. That is how you use AI in a good way, not in a bad way. I left the rocket in to show everyone that AI can be great and obvious and still useful.

You're reviewing the paid search reports your agency just sent over. You're analyzing performance metrics, perhaps reading their accompanying analysis. You see the spend, the clicks, the impressions... and then the doubt creeps in: 'Are they truly maximizing my ROAS?' 'Could I be getting better results elsewhere?' 'Are they being transparent and aligned with my goals?' I understand that feeling. In a recent audit, I encountered a paid search account that initially appeared healthy. However, a deeper dive into the change history revealed a significant issue: the systematic deletion of a substantial portion of the client's non-serving keywords. (by Google) This discovery raises critical questions: 1. What was the original purpose of these keywords? 2. Was there a strategic intent to utilize them for expanding into new service lines? 3. Was the client fully informed about their removal? 4. And most importantly, what steps could have been taken to make these keywords effective? My analysis suggests a few potential solutions: 1. implementing a Dynamic Search Ads (DSA) campaign to capture searches 2. broadening the match types of the existing keywords 3. or refining the keywords to be less long-tail to capture searches These are the kinds of actionable insights I define during audits, demonstrating the importance of thorough scrutiny and proactive optimization of your paid search accounts.

What happens when you learn something new for 30 mins every single day... You start to understand that... Growing is hard. But that's what makes it worth it. Here's what nobody tells you about growth: • It's uncomfortable • It's painful • It requires sacrifice • It means letting go • It forces you to change • It pushes your limits • It tests your patience Whether you're: → Building revenue → Getting stronger → Developing mentally → Scaling PPC campaigns The pain is universal. But here's the truth: The harder it gets, the closer you are to breaking through. Keep pushing. Like if you're on a growth journey right now 👊

When I find a job listing for a PPC Manager who also does social media and email and Facebook Ads and I remember that... These 10 skills are required for just the PPC side... 1️⃣ Keyword Discernment: Understanding intent and uncovering the best opportunities for your campaigns. 2️⃣ Ad Copywriting: Crafting ads that genuinely move your target audience and inspire action. 3️⃣ Bid Strategy Optimization: Knowing when to choose manual or automated bidding—and selecting the right strategy to match your goals. 4️⃣ Data Analysis: Turning performance metrics into actionable insights that give brands clear next steps and meaningful learnings. 5️⃣ Audience Targeting: Using demographics, interests, and behaviors to enhance your campaigns—or exclude audiences you don’t want to reach. 6️⃣ A/B Testing: Testing ad creatives, landing pages, and strategies effectively. With RSAs and AI changing the game, it’s vital to interpret test data clearly and recommend actionable next steps. 7️⃣ Campaign Structuring: Creating organized account structures that scale efficiently. This is a common challenge for agencies, so sharpening this skill is critical. 8️⃣ Conversion Tracking: Setting up and troubleshooting pixel tracking to ensure your data is accurate and actionable. 9️⃣ Landing Page CRO: Optimizing pages to improve lead quality and reduce bounce rates. You don’t need to be an expert, but collaborating with a CRO specialist is essential to align with the PPC team. 🔟 Budget Management: Allocating spend to maximize ROI while avoiding over- or underspending. Communicating budgeting concepts—like daily budgets and the 2x spend rule—is key to building client trust. My mind is blown! For 45K a year too...no wonder you are struggling...

There's a fatigue around influencers. I know it and we all know it and the day Ameet Khabra found out we made the PPC Top 50 we decided to talk about it openly without reservation. In this episode we talk about how we got to be influencers, what to do if you are afraid to put yourself out there, and the responsibility that goes with influence and much more... Hope you enjoy our honesty!

Let's be real about PPC optimization I am seeing the same issues coming up time and time again in my audits. Want to know what actually moves the needle? 🎯 1️⃣ Match user intent with landing pages (Stop sending everyone to your homepage) 2️⃣ Test ad copy variations aggressively (But give them enough time to gather meaningful data) 3️⃣ Stop cross-pollinating across platforms (What works in Google shouldn't just be blindly implemented in Bing) 4️⃣ Focus on search term reports (They tell you what people actually want) 5️⃣ Bid adjustments aren't "set and forget" (Review them weekly, at minimum) I've seen accounts waste thousands by ignoring these basics. Actual picture of me auditing a paid search account... Yeah I am a unicorn...

Being good at Google Ads isn't even close to enough these days. Here's the painful truth ads in 2025: You need: • Deep understanding of customer psychology • Solid landing page optimization skills • Perfect tracking setup The market is too competitive for one-trick ponies. Your competitors are all doing this... While you're still tweaking bids and adding negatives.

Let's talk about dumb metrics in PPC Ever notice how some agencies obsess over impressions, clicks and easy conversions? ✅ Impressions without context are meaningless 100,000 impressions sound great until you realize they're from the display network or kids channels on YouTube ✅ High CTR means nothing if conversions are dead Congrats on that 10% CTR. But where are the sales? ✅ Easy conversions like "time on page" or "scroll depth" is just a number 10,000 unengaged website visitors that can't find stuff on your website < 100 passionate customers Real metrics that actually matter: • Revenue generated • Customer acquisition cost • Customer lifetime value • Return on ad spend • Lead quality score Your clients aren't paying you to make pretty charts with big numbers. They're paying you to grow their business. Because at the end of the day, your client's bank account doesn't care about dumb metrics.

The best part of being my own boss, 40+ and being in the paid search industry over 20 years... I know that I don't owe anyone an explanation for living my best life and middle of the day workouts.

Imagine paying a premium for PPC management, only to find out your account is being handled by someone earning $30/hour. It's a frustrating reality for many businesses. You pay a premium to someone good at sales who is just going to Upwork...

Words can't fully express how honored and humbled I am to be included at number 21 on the Top 50 Most Influential PPC List 🤯. Knowing that my online contributions resonate with so many of you is 🔥 While I hesitate to tag people (because truly, so many have shaped my journey!), I want to acknowledge as many as I can: Navah Hopkins - your dedication to giving everyone a voice, especially newcomers, is truly one of a kind, you have helped me find my north star many times. Kirk Williams -  your humility and willingness to challenge conventional wisdom have taught me the importance of intellectual honesty in PPC. Amy Hebdon - you've shown me that humor and expertise can go hand-in-hand, making learning so much more enjoyable. Jyll Saskin Gales - your work ethic and friendship are a constant source of positivity in this world. Julie Friedman Bacchini - your understanding of the business side of PPC is invaluable, and your friendship is deeply cherished. Ameet Khabra - your honesty and willingness to have tough conversations have been incredibly impactful for PPC. If I need advice you are always on my short list. Andrea Cruz -  your kindness and expertise in B2B PPC are truly remarkable and it has been so nice seeing you in person the past few years. Greg Finn - your hilarious rants on Marketing O'Clock are a weekly highlight and my therapy! Christine Zirnheld - your humor and candid stories about motherhood bring so much joy on the Marketing O'Clock Podcast...I love it when you talk about what you see in your accounts with so much humor... Menachem Ani Ⓜ️ - your dedication to your team and focus on e-commerce are are so useful especially when I am not a Shopify expert at all. Brooke Osmundson - it was a pleasure meeting you at HeroConf; your humor and speaking skills are top-notch Sophie Logan -  I cherish our conversations across the ocean one mom to another Susan Wenograd - your witty observations on the evolution of paid search always make me smile Akvile DeFazio - your artistry and professional content are my favorite - I love your website so much! Melissa Mackey -  I'm always grateful for your relatable insights and quotable wisdom for SEL articles! Anthony Higman - Your deep knowledge of local search ads and willingness to help are invaluable. To everyone on the list – congratulations! Your contributions to the PPC community are invaluable. And to everyone who has supported me, thank you for being part of this journey. This past year has been incredibly challenging. I lost my best friend, my longest and dearest friend, on New Year's Eve. Navigating this year and now these past few months has been about simply going through the motions. This recognition, and the support of this community, means even more during this time. Here is the link: https://lnkd.in/eiYKkTja I also encourage everyone to read the tribute to Mark Irvine and take a moment to reflect on his approach to life.

Why PPC managers fail at strategic thinking... Saw an interesting question on Reddit's PPC forum today that sparked some thoughts on the difference between "doing" and "understanding." Someone asked if their Google Ads strategy was missing anything major, listing a series of standard tasks: keyword trimming, search term reviews, budget management, ad extensions, and negative keyword maintenance. All important "whats," but I couldn't help but wonder about the "why." I included the original post for reference with the user name blocked out... It's easy to get caught up in the day-to-day tasks of PPC. We check reports, adjust bids, and add negatives – all crucial actions. But what truly separates a technician from a strategist is the ability to understand the 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘰𝘯 behind each action. Instead of just asking, "What keywords are expensive?" we should be asking, "Why are these keywords expensive, and what business goals are they supporting?" Instead of simply adding high-performing search terms, we should be asking, "Why are these terms performing well and what user intent do they represent?" When we focus on the "why," we move from reactive management to proactive optimization. We align our PPC efforts with overarching business objectives, make data-driven decisions, and communicate our strategies more effectively. For example, the person mentioned they don't do much A/B testing. This is a huge missed opportunity to learn the "why" behind the performance of your ads. A/B testing allows you to understand what resonates with your audience and why. It’s not to say the "whats" aren't important. They are the foundation. However, the "why" is the framework that elevates our work from task execution to strategic impact. What are your thoughts? How do you ensure you're focusing on the "why" in your PPC strategies? Let's discuss in the comments!

That account manager that has 150 other paid search accounts probably isn't losing sleep over your business... But you are... That isn't fair. But that is what agencies who have more sales staff than PPC managers are doing to the industry...