Long-form thinking,
written by operators.
We write because we have to think, and we publish because we think it might be useful. Essays as record of how we approach the work — not blog posts as content marketing. No 400-word listicles, no SEO filler. Things you might actually want to read.
Recent essays.
The Facebook Ads audit checklist for high-spend accounts.
A Meta Ads audit checklist built for real spend. Signal quality, consolidation, creative velocity and fatigue, Advantage+ discipline, and the measurement honesty that separates reported ROAS from actual profit — grouped so you can run it before anyone else does.
PPC management pricing models, compared.
The four ways PPC management is priced, compared on the only axis that matters: what each model pays the agency to do. The incentives, the failure modes, and the spend tiers where each structure earns its keep.
How much should you spend on ads?
There is a minimum spend below which paid media cannot learn, and a maximum beyond which marginal returns go negative. How to find both numbers for your business, and the cadence for moving between them.
How much does a Facebook Ads agency cost in 2026?
A Facebook Ads agency costs more to run than a search agency at the same spend, because the deliverable is a stream of creative, not a keyword tree. What the market charges, how creative production shows up in the fee, and what to verify before you sign.
How much does a Google Ads agency cost in 2026?
Google Ads management is priced four different ways, and the right one depends almost entirely on your spend tier. A neutral guide to what agencies charge, how each model behaves as you scale, and the pricing structures that predict a bad relationship.
The Google Ads audit checklist for high-spend accounts.
A field-tested Google Ads audit checklist for serious spend. Not the beginner list — the structural, measurement, and bidding checks where six-figure monthly budgets quietly leak, grouped so you can run it yourself before you run it past anyone else.
Dynamic keyword insertion without embarrassing yourself.
Dynamic keyword insertion is either a relevance tool or a nonsense generator, depending entirely on the discipline around it. The mechanics, the failure modes, and where it still earns a place.
Demand Gen campaigns: when to use them (and when not to).
Demand Gen bundles YouTube, Shorts, Discover, and Gmail into one visually-led campaign. Where it fits between Search capture and PMax, and the setups where it earns its budget.
PMax asset groups: how to structure them properly.
Asset groups are where PMax strategy actually lives. How to theme them, how many to run, when to split campaigns instead, and the creative quality bar that decides your reach.
PMax brand exclusions: setup, step by step.
Unexcluded brand traffic is the most common source of inflated PMax performance. The exact setup — brand lists, negatives, verification — and what to expect when the crutch is removed.
Google Shopping ads: the complete operator's guide.
Shopping ads have no keywords and no ad copy — the feed is both. A working guide to matching, structure, bidding, and the discipline that separates profitable Shopping from expensive Shopping.
What is Performance Max? A plain-English guide.
Performance Max is the most misunderstood campaign type in Google Ads. This is the explanation we give clients: what it is, where ads show, what you control, and when to run it.
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