Stop blaming yourself for a "Black Box" you didn’t build.

Everyone in marketing wants your money.

The platform profits when you waste money. The agency profits when you spend it. You are the only one incentivized to save it.

I wrote this blog to expose the "Black Box" and show you how to protect your business. I don't sell management. I sell the solution you need to stop losing money on ads.

Search all blog posts:

Smart Bidding in Google Ads: How to Use Google’s AI Without Losing Control

Is your Google Ads account ready for full automation? While Smart Bidding offers the power of auction-time signals and machine learning, it only works if your data density is high enough. This guide breaks down the four core strategies—from Target CPA to ROAS—and provides a pre-flight checklist to ensure you don’t lose control of your spend.

Read More

PMax Audience Signals: How to Guide Google’s AI Toward Your Best Customers

Audience signals are the steering wheel of your PMax campaigns. They aren't just "targeting rules" they are the fuel that helps Google’s AI find your next best customer. In this deep dive, I break down how to leverage first-party data, custom segments, and search intent to shorten the learning phase and improve lead quality. Plus, get a step-by-step walkthrough of the interface and the "pre-flight" checklist every account needs.

Read More
Platform Behavior, Google Ads Strategy Sarah Stemen Platform Behavior, Google Ads Strategy Sarah Stemen

Search Isn’t Matching Intent — It’s Matching Predictions: Inside the Predictive Era

I see advertisers with 'perfect' setups failing all the time. The reason? They are still operating under the Old Model. In 2026, the query is no longer the command—it’s just a signal. Welcome to the Predictive Era, where Google trusts its own predictions more than your inputs."

Read More
Google Ads For Therapists Sarah Stemen Google Ads For Therapists Sarah Stemen

Should Therapists Use AI Max? Why I’m Advising My Ohio Google Ads Clients to Say No.

Don’t Let Google’s Automation Compromise Your Clinical Voice. If you’re feeling pressured by a Google Ads representative to "upgrade" to AI Max, you aren’t alone. But for mental health professionals, "keywordless" automation isn't just a tech change—it’s a risk to clinical integrity and ethical boundaries. Learn why choosing manual control over AI automation is the safest move for your Ohio therapy practice.

Read More

About Audience Signals Performance Max: Google Ads Help - The Real Explanation

Audience signals in Performance Max don’t work the way Google Help describes them. They’re not targeting—they’re trajectory. Signals shape the first 10–30 days of learning, determine your early data quality, and decide whether PMax aligns with your economics or drifts into cheap, unprofitable traffic.

Read More

The Small Business Guide to Value‑Based Bidding in Google Ads (Stop Paying For Junk Leads)

Google Ads shouldn’t feel like a gamble for small business owners. Yet too often, campaigns chase the cheapest clicks and flood your pipeline with low‑quality leads that never close. That’s wasted budget — and it’s exactly why Value‑Based Bidding (VBB) matters.

Read More
Google Ads Strategy Sarah Stemen Google Ads Strategy Sarah Stemen

PPC Manager Extinction: Why Your $10K/Month Manager is a Liability in the Age of AI

Google's AI has automated the tactical search job, creating a massive "Strategy Gap" in the consulting world. Most companies spending under $30k/month are stuck between tactical optimization (which the AI does better) and deep, media-agnostic strategy (which they can't afford). This piece defines why true strategy is about cross-channel budget allocation, not bid management, and articulates the unique value of the modern consultant who can build comprehensive, cross-channel growth architecture that integrates with full business goals. If you've hit the tactical ceiling, the button-pusher's job is gone—it's time for strategy.

Read More
AI In Google Ads Sarah Stemen AI In Google Ads Sarah Stemen

The Myth of Perfect Ad Copy: Why AI Needs Your Human Strategy

High-performing Google Ads ad copy is not about technical perfection; it's about strategic relevance and persuasion, which AI alone cannot deliver. This guide breaks down why executive-level strategy must supersede AI's surface-level polish. Learn how to use AI as a high-speed drafting co-pilot, not a replacement for human strategic thinking, to dramatically increase your conversion rates and ensure your ad spend drives true business value.

Read More
AI In Google Ads Sarah Stemen AI In Google Ads Sarah Stemen

AI Can Get Your Google Ads Campaign Close. Here’s Why That’s Dangerous.

AI can generate a Google Ads strategy in seconds — but that speed comes with dangerous flaws. In this article, I break down the four biggest red flags in AI‑generated PPC advice, why outdated structures and bidding strategies can destroy your profitability, and how human vetting protects your brand, your margins, and your legal risk.

Read More
Google Ads Strategy Sarah Stemen Google Ads Strategy Sarah Stemen

I Beta-Tested Google’s New AI Creative Engine (Here’s What It Means for Your Q1 Strategy)

I was selected as one of 10% of accounts globally to beta test Google’s new AI creative engine. Instead of giving it an easy e-commerce shot, I stress-tested it against the hardest environment possible: a complex, messy B2B industrial factory. The result? The 'creative stopgap' that slows down scaling is officially dead. Here is my full breakdown of what’s coming to your account on December 11th.

Read More

The Myth of 'Perfect' AI Ad Copy in Google Ads: Polished vs. Powerful

AI can write polished Google Ads in seconds, but polished doesn’t always mean profitable. In this article, I break down why “perfect” AI ad copy is a myth, how machine‑generated RSAs often miss strategy and persuasion, and the simple 4‑step system I use to guide AI so it produces ads that actually convert. If you’re relying on prompts and getting pretty but underperforming ads, this will show you how to turn polished into powerful.

Read More