The PPC questions clients actually ask.

These are the questions that come up in almost every discovery call. We've answered them honestly here so we can spend the first call on your specific situation, not on PPC 101.

Should I run Performance Max?

Probably yes, eventually. But not as your first campaign. Build out branded search + non-branded search + Shopping (if e-com) first so PMax has signal to learn from. Then add PMax as your scaling layer with deliberate asset groups and audience signals.

What ROAS should I expect?

Anyone telling you a number without seeing your account is making it up. ROAS depends on your margin, your customer LTV, your competitive set, your funnel quality. The right question is "what ROAS makes my business work?" not "what ROAS is normal?"

Should I have separate campaigns for branded and non-branded?

Yes. Branded converts at 3-10x non-branded ROAS and should never be optimized together. Branded also gets cannibalized by non-branded if you let it, so separation is also a measurement integrity move.

How much should I spend on Google Ads to get started?

Minimum useful test budget is ~$3K/month for 60 days. Below that, you don't generate enough data for Google's bid algorithms to learn. If you have less than that, focus on organic + GBP + 1 high-intent search campaign at $20-30/day, hyper-targeted.

Is AI taking over PPC?

AI does the wrangling — bid adjustments, search-term mining, asset variations, performance summaries. It does NOT do strategy, judgment, or creative direction yet. Human strategist + AI agent is the winning combo for now. We built Buddy because we wanted that combo on every account.

Should I trust Performance Max's reporting?

Trust it for direction, not for absolute numbers. PMax over-reports conversions vs Search and under-reports vs Display. We always reconcile against GA4 + first-party data before believing the bottom-line.

What's the difference between Google Ads and Microsoft Ads?

Microsoft = cheaper CPCs (often 30-50% less), older + more affluent audience, less search volume. For most B2B and luxury B2C, running both is a win. For pure-volume e-commerce, lead with Google and add Microsoft once Google is dialed.

How do I pick an agency?

Three signals: (1) Will they share the underlying data with you, or just polished reports? (2) Do they have specialists or generalists? (3) Will they say "no" to a campaign they don't believe in? If yes on all three, you have a real partner.

Should I use an in-house team or an agency?

If you spend >$100K/month and have 2+ paid-media specialists in-house, you can probably run it in-house with consulting support. Below that, agency math usually wins because the senior expertise is too expensive to hire full-time.

More questions? Send them →