One of the biggest friction points when hiring a Google Ads consultant is the 'Black Box.' You often don’t know what the engagement looks like until you’ve already signed a contract. I believe in radical transparency—from day one. Here is a behind-the-scenes look at my 'anti-sales' workflow designed to save you time and get straight to the ROI.

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.

Everyone feels the pressure to "fix it now" when they see a keyword with high spend and zero conversions. But I'll be direct: that urge is the single biggest destroyer of profitability in premium paid search accounts, whether you're selling software or generating qualified B2B leads.

Making a decision to pause or change a keyword after just 20 or 30 clicks is an act of emotion, not optimization. You're actively sabotaging the machine learning algorithm you paid Google to run. The solution is the Rule of 100 Clicks—a non-negotiable threshold that forces you to wait for actual, significant data.

You have to trust the process.

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.

The Black Friday rush is over, requiring an immediate shift in Google Ads strategy from acquisition to conversion capture. The consumer is now a selective, high-intent shopper focused on budget and specific products. Stop running outdated campaigns and analyze key signals like ultra-specific search term clarity and usage of BNPL affordability signals. To ensure your e-commerce business capitalizes on these predictable shifts, schedule a predictive strategic audit with Sarah Stemen, your expert Google Ads consultant.

The most expensive mistake in 2025 is paying premium Search prices for top-of-funnel browsers. I call this the "Cost-Intent Mismatch." If you feel like your CPAs are climbing for no reason, you might be paying steak dinner prices for a window shopper who just wanted a water. Here is how to audit your architecture and align cost with intent.

Paid search is deceptively simple to start, but incredibly difficult to scale profitably. You don't need just another media buyer to fix the friction; you need a veteran operator to stabilize the ship.

After 15 years in the trenches, I know that you cannot scale a premium service on the back of junior talent or disjointed communication. I partner with agencies to transfer knowledge, install proven infrastructure, and move teams from 'defending data' with jargon to owning the holistic business picture.

It’s time to turn Paid Search from your biggest headache into your most powerful retention tool.

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.

AI Max is Google’s newest search add‑on — but early adoption comes with real business risks. In this article, I break down what AI Max actually does, why it’s still in the early adopter phase, how it can quietly disrupt your strategy, and what smart marketing teams should do before flipping the switch.

More traffic doesn’t mean more profit — especially when Google’s defaults are designed to spend your budget, not protect your margins. In this article, I break down the three biggest leaks inside most Google Ads accounts, why broad targeting leads to low‑intent clicks, and how to build an exclusion architecture that turns your traffic from a leaky bucket into a predictable revenue engine.

Being named a Top 100 PPC Influencer is an honor — but it doesn’t mean what most business owners assume. In this article, I break down what “influence” actually looks like behind the scenes, why public accountability makes you safer with your marketing budget, and how my network, transparency, and anti‑sales approach directly benefit your business.

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.

A Google Ads certification won’t make you a profitable specialist — and it won’t protect business owners from low‑quality management. In this article, I break down why certification is only a starting point, why true PPC expertise requires emotional burden, strategic thinking, and full‑funnel marketing knowledge, and how real specialists protect clients from costly mistakes that certified beginners never see.

If your Google Ads costs are rising, Google isn’t always the villain. In this article, I break down the real reason many advertisers overspend: a Cost‑Intent Mismatch. You’ll learn how intent tiers impact CPC, why non‑brand search is becoming an expensive trap in 2025, and the exact multi‑stage strategy I used to take a retail client from a ROAS of 2 to 8 by shifting spend into smarter, intent‑aligned campaigns.

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.

The traditional Google Ads agency model is breaking down — especially for small businesses that can’t afford high fees or survive low‑quality management. In this article, I explain why the economics no longer work, why “button‑pusher” agencies are becoming obsolete, and why Google Ads coaching is the future for business owners who want control, clarity, and real results.

Not all Google Ads management is real management. In this article, I expose three common tactics that look like “optimization” but actually waste your budget — from fake change‑history activity to meaningless bid tinkering to agencies charging premium fees for basic automation. If you want to protect your ad spend and understand what real PPC strategy looks like, this breakdown gives you the clarity you need.

CTR looks like a success metric, but it’s not your North Star — qualified clicks are. In this article, I break down why high CTR can actually hurt performance, how to align your ads with real search intent, and the exact strategies that lift CTR without attracting the wrong traffic. If you want more relevant clicks, better ad alignment, and stronger conversions, this guide shows you how to do it the right way.

Paid search isn’t hard because of the platform — it’s hard because doing it well requires strategy, judgment, and real expertise. In this article, I break down why building campaigns is the easy part, why managing them well is the real skill, and what small teams need to know before offering paid search as a service. If you’ve ever wondered why PPC feels overwhelming or why clients churn, this explains the real reasons behind it.