Most struggling Google Ads accounts don’t have a keyword problem — they have a conversion‑tracking problem. Smart Bidding can only optimize for the signals you feed it, and if those signals are too weak, too noisy, or too rare, the algorithm will steer your budget in the wrong direction. Before you touch a single keyword, you need to fix the fuel powering the machine.

I’m sitting in my living room, riding the high of a late-night content bender, when a quieter fear cuts through the glow of my new laptop: What is constant AI usage doing to our actual capacity for deep thought? In Boston, I could feel my brain again—alone in a hotel lobby, no tools, just me and a blog post, ideas arriving unhurried and whole. Back home, surrounded by three screens and three LLMs, my thinking has grown jumpy and outsourced. In Google Ads, I can now skip days of rigorous analysis with a single prompt—but every time I do, I wonder what I’m trading away: not just time, but the critical thinking that used to live inside the math.

If you’re still seeing +keywords in a Google Ads account, you’re not imagining it. Modified Broad Match was sunset years ago, but legacy data still lives inside old accounts. Here’s what it means today and how to clean it up without destroying your historical performance.

Therapy ads get flagged more than almost any other category in Google Ads — not because you’re doing something wrong, but because you’re operating in one of the most sensitive, human‑centered spaces on the internet. If your campaigns keep getting hit with “Eligible (Limited)” labels, blocked audiences, or restricted targeting, you’re not alone. At SMX Boston last week, this was the number‑one complaint from agency owners.

You can't evaluate Google Ads expertise from a certification, a proposal, or a sales call. Here's what 17 years in paid search has taught me to look for — and the questions that reveal whether someone is actually thinking or just following rules.

I didn’t grow my blog by chasing SEO. I grew it by writing what my ideal client needed to hear — and six months later, Google’s algorithm rewarded the depth, honesty, and voice no one else can copy.

AI already has a version of you — whether you’ve shaped it or not. When I asked Gemini who I am, it pulled a shockingly accurate narrative from my blogs, videos, and interviews. This post breaks down what AI thinks about your brand, why it matters, and why every founder should audit themselves before AI becomes the primary distribution layer of the internet.

I went to grab Skittles at a Chicago airport store and accidentally walked into a live demonstration of where Google Ads is headed. No cashier. No register. No checkout line — just cameras, an identity tap, and a virtual cart that closed the moment I hit the door. If you're running Google Ads right now and you don't understand this architecture, you're flying blind.

Your central hub for all things SMX Boston 2026. I’ll be live‑blogging throughout the day with real‑time notes, quick takeaways, and session insights. Refresh often—this page updates continuously.

This is just a fun post about my day so far coming to Boston for SMX. I will be leading a Mastermind Session Tomorrow afternoon. I came in a day early, wrote an article, explored Boston and I am just posting as much as I can to keep the energy alive.

SMX Advanced feels like the perfect moment to bring predictive PPC into the spotlight. As I head to Boston to lead a mastermind session, I’m diving deep into how Google’s algorithms have shifted from reactive matching to predictive modeling — and I’m bringing a case study that shows the change happening in the data itself. Beyond the work, I’m energized to reconnect with some of the brightest minds in search, learn from the SEO track for my own business, and spend a week sharpening my thinking alongside people who make this industry feel like home.

Missed Opportunity Reporting is Google’s attempt to replace impression share with a more honest view of lost demand. It’s useful, but not perfect. This post breaks down why Google built it, how to read it, and where it falls short — especially for advertisers who need profitability, not just more auction participation.

Should your service brand optimize for micro-moments or go all-in on hyper-personalization? Sarah Stemen breaks down the high-ticket lead gen debate and reveals how Google's brand-new AI Business Agent is forcing both strategies to collide.

Most people have felt that eerie moment when an ad seems to read their mind. For therapists and healthcare providers, that "creep factor" isn't just a nuisance—it’s a major ethical and legal risk. Dive into the mechanics of data collection, the truth about the "microphone myth," and how to build a high-intent marketing strategy that respects patient privacy while filling your practice.

Hardline PPC stances are becoming a branding tactic, not a strategy. They’re often a response to commoditization, not a reflection of real expertise. Here’s how to tell when a so‑called expert is genuinely protecting your P&L — and when they’re simply protecting their positioning.

Absolute top impression share shows how often your ad appears as the very first result in Google Search. Learn how it’s calculated, why it matters more than average position ever did, and how to increase it profitably without overspending.

There's a version of a 'Google Ads audit' that a lot of agencies give away for free. It's a PDF with screenshots. It tells you your Quality Score is low and your CTR could be better. Then it recommends you hire them. That's not an audit. That's a sales pitch in a PDF. Here's the difference.

Ever feel like your business is just another identical gallon of milk in a crowded grocery aisle? When your market is flooded with competitors making the exact same promises, generic marketing claims just don't cut it anymore. So, how do you actually stand out?

This post is another chapter in how I’ve survived the ups and downs of the PPC industry — not by chasing hacks or trends, but by rebuilding myself through tiny, consistent habits that kept me grounded when everything else felt unstable.

Shifting my focus back to blogging taught me valuable lessons about intent, ownership, and strategy—lessons that directly apply to high-performing PPC campaigns. Learn how to transform your Google Ads approach with these insights.