The First 90 Days Playbook
Success in month 6 is determined by decisions made in month 1. This playbook outlines the structured onboarding process that builds the foundation for commercial success, rather than rushing to scale on broken infrastructure.
Phase 1: Foundation (Weeks 1-6)
Primary Objective: Truth & Transparency
We do not scale until the feed reflects commercial reality. This phase builds the data model that makes intelligent optimisation possible.
Weeks 1-2: Discovery & Audit
Week 1: Discovery & Data Request
- • Stock reports, margin tables, cash position, LTV cohorts
- • Tracking audit initiated
- • Access to GA4, Ads, Merchant Centre, CRM, Inventory system
Week 2: Feed Audit & Taxonomy Design
- • Plan conversion hierarchy (Primary vs Secondary)
- • Map product types to intent
- • Identify feed gaps and data quality issues
Weeks 3-4: Tracking & Feed Rebuild
Week 3: Implement Tracking Fixes
- • GA4, Enhanced Conversions, Value accuracy
- • Clean Merchant Center errors
- • Server-side tagging where possible
Week 4: Feed Rebuild & Optimisation
- • Rewrite titles: Brand + Core Keyword + Variant + Attributes
- • Implement Custom Labels (0-4) for SKU segmentation
- • Deepen product_type to 3-5 levels
Risk: Scaling into Chaos
If we skip Week 4 (Feed), every bid strategy in Month 3 will fail. The feed is the foundation; skipping it guarantees broken optimisation.
Weeks 5-6: SKU Mapping & Pilot
Week 5: Map SKU Roles & Pilot
- • Assign roles: Profit, Acquisition, Clearance, Learning, Demand Capture
- • Launch role-segmented campaigns on a subset (e.g., Best Sellers)
- • Validate structure before full rollout
Week 6: Reporting Baseline
- • Establish Contribution/Payback dashboards
- • Prepare initial QBR data
- • Success metric: Back-office revenue matches ad platform value within 5%
Phase 2: Optimisation Active (Weeks 7-12)
Moving from structural setup to commercial optimisation and alignment.
| Week | Focus | Deliverable |
|---|---|---|
| Week 7 | Structural Rollout | Role-based PMax, Shopping & Search live |
| Week 8 | Bid Calibration | Role-specific targets, value rules applied |
| Week 9 | Commercial Guardrails | LTV/Payback modeller live, efficiency caps set |
| Week 10 | Incrementality Testing | Brand holdout or geo-split test designed |
| Week 11 | Ops/Finance Alignment | Cash cadence synced, stock plans confirmed |
| Week 12 | First QBR | Structure validated, next 90-day plan agreed |
The First QBR
Week 12: The Decision Point
Based on contribution and cash impact, not just platform ROAS: Scale, Maintain, or Pivot?
Deliverable:
Next 90-day commercial plan aligned with upcoming stock landings and seasonal peaks.
"Risk Check: Are we funding the right jobs? Ensure 'Acquisition' spend isn't accidentally 'Profit' spend."
Risks of Skipping Steps
Pressure to show quick results leads agencies to skip foundation steps. The consequences:
- • Skip tracking fixes: Optimising against wrong data, permanent algorithm corruption
- • Skip feed rebuild: Every bid strategy misfires, wrong products get budget
- • Skip SKU mapping: Blended metrics hide profit leaks, margin destruction invisible
- • Rush to scale: Scaling broken structure amplifies problems, not results
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