Daily emails to boost your Google Ads Performance
I came across a post on Reddit where the OP posted a nice Google Sheet with a comparison of landing page builder tools.
Looking for an alternative to Instapage, Unbounce, or Leadpages? Check this:
Source: https://old.reddit.com/r/PPC/comments/1n4031q/does_anyone_actually_use_instapage_or_unbounce/
– Nils
Here’s a simple trick to increase the CTR of your ads:
Rewrite a description line, add quotes, and pin it to the first position.
This makes it look like a testimonial with social proof.
Here’s an example:
“Finally, cheap and stress-free parking! Saved €40 on my trip. Will definitely book again.”
PRO TIP: Get the quote from real user reviews by analysing customer feedback.
– Nils
How about we start the new year with a list of Google Ads mistakes from 2025 that we need to avoid in 2026?
Let me start.
Top mistakes to avoid in 2026 (based on my 2025 account audits, research, and Strategy Calls):
→ Have your campaign spend $10k in one hour because you accidentally enabled AI Max
→ Copy-paste a faulty URL to Final URL without testing
→ Set audiences to ‘targeting’ instead of ‘observation’ and then wonder where all the traffic went
→ Launch new campaign on Friday afternoon, and then next Monday, find out that it spent the whole month’s budget over the weekend
→ Run PMax without guardrails and be surprised by it doubling spend via non-converting clicks from the Discovery network
→ Forget to change Google’s default location targeting setting and burn $20k on GDN traffic in India for a product only sold in the UK
→ For US advertisers: target the country of Georgia rather than the state of Georgia
→ Forget to hit the Publish button in GTM and then spend >€5000 on clicks only to see zero conversions
→ Import GA4 conversions, forget to set the action as ‘secondary conversion’, and then have to explain why the spend tripled without a corresponding increase in revenue
→ Let PMax auto-expand final URLs on a lead gen site and then see traffic to outdated blog posts explode.
Help me prevent more mistakes by sharing yours? (Hit reply.)
– Nils
Let’s talk about goals.
Unrealistic goals are just a fantasy.
Realistic goals without a strategy are just wishes.
Every strategy is perfectly designed to get the results it gets.
Here’s the thing:
1. Get very clear about what you want
2. Build a strategy to get it
3. Work the strategy
IMPORTANT: Do not skip Step 1.
– Nils
A few weeks ago, I shared some thoughts on how I use vibe coding in my business. (You can read the email here: https://nilsrooijmans.com/daily/ama-what-are-your-thoughts-on-vibe-coding-do-you-use-it)
In response, many of you replied with a question that came down to:
“How exactly do you use vibe coding in your PPC business? Can you show a concrete example?”
So today, I decided to hit record and share a video.
In this 5-minute video, I show how I use vibe coding with Google AI Studio to create custom PPC tools without writing any code myself.
Watch how I create a lead-gen funnel value calculator that assigns values to leads, MQLs, and SQLs for value-based bidding, then deploy it instantly for my team to use. What used to take hours of dev time, or $$$ for outsourcing, now takes a single prompt.
I hope you enjoy, and if you would like to see more videos like this, hit like & subscribe on YouTube and add a comment 🙂
– Nils
“PPC performance has declined more than 50% over the past years!”
Many advertisers complain about the increase in CPCs and decrease in ROI from Google Ads.
Many of those same advertisers haven’t changed their website/product/offer in five years.
Here’s the thing: If you’re not innovating in other areas, like your website and offering, PPC performance is going to eventually decline, no matter how good your campaigns are.
A quick way to fix this is to periodically look at your main competitors and ask yourself: what are they doing that we are not?
– Nils
Today, I am introducing Google Ads for Grown Ups, the podcast that helps PPC advertisers get beyond the basics and boost Google Ads performance. I will be your host, and I am here to share my experiences in optimizing Google Ads.
I hope you enjoy:
https://feeds.transistor.fm/google-ads-for-grown-ups
– Nils
PS: This thing is completely new to me. Please bear with me while I hope to increase my presentation and editing skills 😉
Last week, I shared my thoughts on how to become good at Google Ads for e-commerce (email shared below for your convenience).
Fellow member of the list, Roger Cooney (name shared with permission), replied:
“I loved the list of recommendations for becoming really good at ecomm. Could you do the same for Lead Gen?”
Thanks Roger, and sure.
Here’s a short list of things I recommend to become really good at Google Ads for Lead Generation:
1. Obviously, you need to master the foundations of Google Ads and move beyond them. Anyone can learn the interface. Very few study Google’s “New features & announcements” and the Beta’s to understand what changed, why it changed, and how it could benefit their account.
2. Master conversion tracking for lead gen. Anyone can track a form-submit. Very few dedupe leads, track spam leads, and communicate the value of MQLs, SQLs, Prospects, and Sales to Google Ads.
3. Master landing page optimization. Anyone can send clicks to generic landing pages. Very few know how to optimize for lower conversion rates and increased lead quality. Form friction is a feature, not a bug.
4. Master value-based bidding for lead gen. Anyone can set a target CPA. Very few switch the bidding algorithm from Cost Minimization (cheapest leads possible) to Revenue Maximization (highest value leads possible).
5. Master CRM audiences. Anyone can target the general public. Very few treat CRM as a source of first-party data that enables Google Ads to support the lead nurturing funnel.
6. Master the art of scaling. Anyone can increase budgets and spend. Very few factor in sales capacity, response-time decay, geographic saturation, and diminishing marginal lead quality.
– Nils
PS: Here’s the email mentioned earlier: https://nilsrooijmans.com/daily/ama-how-do-i-become-swedens-best-google-ads-specialist-for-e-commerce
Human error, website outages, broken tracking, clicks to out-of-stock items… Google’s Smart Bidding can’t fix these by itself.
That’s where Google Ads scripts step in:
Read my thoughts on why every account should run Google Ads Scripts (including some personal stories):
https://www.searchenginejournal.com/why-every-google-ads-account-needs-to-run-scripts/562922/
– Nils
Failure is an inherent part of the PPC optimization process.
Good clients know that.
Good clients also deserve an explanation when failure happens.
Here’s what I send them when this happens:
– Nils
Sometimes, the best sales move is telling a prospect not to hire you.
A few months ago, I had a guy call me up.
“Need a Google Ads manager.”
Cool. I ask for his website.
Holy shit. Worst site I’d seen in years. Looked like it was built during the pre-WiFi era… by someone who hates money.
I told him straight up: running PPC for this site would be like pouring premium fuel into a Deux Chevaux with a hole in the tank.
He’d waste money. He’d probably quit Google Ads after a month. And I’d hate myself for taking the work.
So, I sent him away. I told him to fix the site first.
Then, last week, he called back.
“Nils, I’ve got the new website. Let’s get started with the ads.”
Good.
Here’s the thing: instead of pitching harder, send prospects a path to becoming a better client. Here are examples for how to do this:
Why? You repel bad fits. You attract serious operators.
And the ones who come back? They close faster and stick longer.
My philosophy is: better clients > more clients. Always has been.
– Nils
PS: Are you a serious prospect who wants to be sent away with my Loom video? Hit reply. The first 5 respondents will get a “fix this before ads” PDF next week.
Fellow member of the list, Simon Kassab (name shared with permission), asked:
“I want to become Sweden’s best Google Ads specialist focusing on ecommerce, what areas of knowledge would you recommend me to master within ecommerce?”
Two-part answer here.
First, I think there’s a lot of value in restating your goal.
Second, to become a really good Google Ads specialist for your e-commerce clients, here are a few things I would recommend:
1. Obviously, you need to master the foundations of Google Ads and move beyond them. Anyone can get a Google Ads certificate. Very few study the support docs on a weekly basis.
2. Master conversion tracking for e-commerce. Anyone can add a conversion tracking tag to a thank-you page. Very few communicate returns, cLTV, and profit to Google Ads.
3. Master product feed management and Google Merchant Center. Anyone can upload products. Very few know how to optimize product attributes, use supplemental feeds, and use feed rules to their advantage.
4. Master Standard Shopping vs PMax architectures. Anyone can “launch PMax.” Very few can control it.
5. Master P&Ls. Anyone can read Google Ads metrics. Very few consider unit economics, contribution margin vs gross margin, and cashflow management.
6. Master the art of scaling. Anyone can increase budgets and spend. Very few take these into account: inventory constraints, diminishing returns, and seasonal demand (Nordics can be extreme here).
(*) Notice the stress on the “my” part. Being very selective in what clients I take on makes it a lot easier to be “the best for my clients.”
– Nils
PS: Wednesday is ‘Ask Me Anything’ day. If you’ve got a question to which my answer would benefit a larger part of the community, send it my way, and I’ll try to answer it 🙂
Google Ads scripts are amazing… when you use them for the right things.
Automating boring and repetitive tasks that support a process that creates real value? Perfect. That’s what scripts were born for.
For example: checking for redirects on your landing page URLs.
But automating a process that destroys value? That’s how you turn a helpful robot into a chainsaw on a whiskey + Coke diet.
Case in point: using a script to constantly tweak campaign budgets or the targets on Smart Bidding (e.g., multiple times a week). If you change inputs faster than the algorithm can adapt, you’re not “optimizing.” You’re forcing Smart Bidding to relearn, and then blaming it for constant volatility.
Use scripts to scale good processes. Never to automate bad habits.
– Nils
This morning, I started a new client engagement with a deep search term analysis as part of the account audit.
The client sells products that aren’t readily available, but usually take 3-7 days to deliver.
Buried in the search term data was a small and easily-missed pattern driving unnecessary spend:
How I fix this:
So there you have it: a clean opportunity to cut waste without sacrificing performance 🙂
Now go check your account(s), it only takes 2 minutes!
– Nils
Wow. Yesterday’s email about “my thoughts on vibe coding” initiated quite a response.
Many of you responded with your thoughts on the topic and questions about how I use vibe coding and AI agents to run my remote PPC agency.
Thanks for all the emails!
How about you?
Would you like me to share more content on my experiences with vibe coding and AI agents?
If so, email me at nils@nilsrooijmans.com and tell me what you’d like to read about.
– Nils
Long-time member of the list Stephan Meyer (name shared with permission) asked:
“I am curious about your view on vibe coding. Do you use it?”
Thanks for asking, Stephan. This question opens up a rabbit hole of tactics, opinions, and mild existential crises.
I have many thoughts on vibe coding. Too many for a single email 🙂
For those not familiar with the term, “vibe coding” is essentially creating software by exploring ideas with an AI, having the AI create the code, rather than writing all the code yourself. You basically describe what you want in natural language, review what the AI builds, give feedback, and iterate until it matches your vision.
Do I use it?
For sure.
I think vibe coding is great for rapid prototyping of software applications.
It is also great for creating relatively simple web-based tools, browser plugins, and lightweight utilities that don’t need a full backend.
It is also great for writing Google Ads Scripts!
–> Check out my Google Ads Scripts Sensei to help you with vibe coding Google Ads Scripts.
Just hit the ‘Dictate’ button, speak out, and share your idea. The Script Sensei will take it from there.
Does vibe coding save you time compared to “the old” way of building things?
Sometimes.
BUT, is it good enough to build reliable, scalable, secure software? No, not yet, in my experience. You still need to know what that requires and be able to read the code for more complex applications.
Here’s a short list of other vibe coding tools I like to use these days: v0.dev, Google AI Studio, Cursor, and Claude Code.
– Nils
PS: Wednesday is ‘Ask Me Anything’ day. If you’ve got a question to which my answer would benefit a larger part of the community, send it my way, and I’ll try to answer it 🙂
Our PPC friends at Marketing O’Clock had me on their podcast to answer the question:
“Do scripts still have a place in our Google Ads accounts?”
LISTEN NOW »
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MM9hihtSWWc
Some talking points:
– How scripts prevent costly mistakes
– The importance of monitoring conversion tracking
– Sending clicks to out-of-stock products
– Third-party tools that change value tracking parameters
– Do we still need other software?
Sharing is caring!
If you enjoyed this episode, please consider sharing it with a few friends who might find it useful. Thanks!
– Nils
I came across this LinkedIn post from Sarah Stemen today. The post clearly illustrates why we can’t simply trust Google to deliver the best results for our clients:
“My client had a record-breaking Black Friday. They were popping champagne.
I was looking at the search terms crying a little inside…
My client was ecstatic. Sales were up, ROAS was high, and they were ready to declare victory on Q4. They looked at the bottom line and said, “We crushed it.”
But I looked inside the “Black Box” of Performance Max…
Even though we had requested Brand Exclusions, PMax is a creature of least resistance. It found a way to sneak Brand traffic back in. It was claiming credit for sales from people who were already searching for the company name.
On top of that, I found about 5% of their Non-Brand budget burning on completely irrelevant terms.
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭’𝐬 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: “𝘚𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘩, 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘴? 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘶𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵. 𝘓𝘦𝘵’𝘴 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘤𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦.”
𝐌𝐲 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐞… It matters because 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐚𝐧’𝐭 𝐬𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐞 𝐚 𝐥𝐢𝐞.If you think PMax is driving new customers at a 10x ROAS, you will pour more money into it next month. But once PMax runs out of “Brand” traffic to harvest, that performance will fall off a cliff. We weren’t seeing “Growth.” We were seeing “Efficiency” on traffic we already owned…
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐧: Google 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘴 you to look at the blended ROAS and feel happy. But if you don’t audit your PMax Insights tab, you don’t know if you are acquiring customers or just taxing your own brand.
𝐁𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐲 𝐩𝐨𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐫. Check your search term insights today. If PMax is taking credit for your brand name, your “growth” might be an illusion.
𝐏.𝐒. 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐏𝐌𝐚𝐱 𝐜𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐝𝐢𝐝𝐧’𝐭 𝐝𝐨? I check for PMax Cannibalization in every 𝐃𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐃𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐕𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐨 𝐀𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐭. Let’s see what’s actually driving your sales.“
Source: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/sarahstemen_image-share-7402455177099894784-WJ5M
“You can’t scale a lie” — love this!
PMax sneaking brand traffic back in: that is exactly why I recommend to always use a negative keyword list for your BRAND keywords (including popular typos), and to attach that list to all your non-brand campaigns. Especially PMax campaigns!
– Nils
Conversation in a private PPC community today:
Person A: “Which Google Ads feature feels like the ultimate dream to master like a pro?”
Person B: “AI Max”
Person A: “I said dream, not nightmare.”
– Nils
Friend-of-the-list Kevin Montel (name shared with permission) asked:
“This (*) is an incredibly valuable breakdown of how to manage brand campaigns alongside PMax.
I have yet another tiny follow-up question. What about brand inclusion and exclusion settings available inside PMax campaigns? Do you consider this in your setup?
According to a recent article (although Google retracted it), this option should also become available in Standard Shopping campaigns.”
(*) The setup Kevin is referring to is the setup I recommend for targeting brand searches via Standard Shopping. (See last week’s AMA newsletter for the details.)
Another great question. Thanks for asking, Kevin!
To start with, the options to use brand inclusions/exclusions in standard shopping: last I heard, this was a bug by Google. Brand inclusions/exclusions are not supported in standard shopping campaigns.
Then the real question: Do I use brand inclusions/exclusions in PMax campaigns?
Yes, and no.
Yes, when Google recognizes the Brand, I use brand exclusions in PMax to prevent PMax from taking credit for branded searches.
However, no, that’s not enough:
So, I always like to exclude my brand and competitor brands, including all spelling variants and typos (via negative keywords), just to be sure.
– Nils
PS: Wednesday is ‘Ask Me Anything’ day. If you’ve got a question to which my answer would benefit a larger part of the community, send it my way, and I’ll try to answer it 🙂