Transparency
What we would tell you in the audit, even if you never hire us
After auditing 75+ ecommerce Google Ads accounts, these are the four findings that appear in almost every single one. You do not need to be our client to benefit from knowing this.
Found in 80%+ of audits
You are paying for your own brand traffic
The problem
Performance Max is cannibalising your branded search. In most accounts we audit, 25-40% of PMax conversions come from people who searched your brand name. They were coming anyway. You are paying Google for traffic you already own.
What we do about it
We measure brand cannibalisation, implement brand exclusions where possible, and restructure campaigns so PMax is used for genuine prospecting, not expensive branded search.
Typical saving: 15-30% of PMax spend redirected to incremental activity
Found in 90%+ of audits
Your search terms report is full of waste
The problem
Broad match keywords are matching to queries that have nothing to do with your products. We regularly find 10-20% of total spend going to completely irrelevant search terms that have never converted and never will.
What we do about it
Weekly negative keyword governance, search term tiering, and query-level profitability analysis. Not just blocking bad terms: actively shaping which queries trigger your ads.
Typical saving: 8-15% of search spend recovered immediately
Found in 70%+ of audits
Your account structure is fighting your business
The problem
Products with 60% margins are grouped with products at 20% margins. The algorithm optimises for volume, pushing budget towards the highest-converting products, which are often the lowest-margin ones. Your bestseller could be your biggest profit leak.
What we do about it
SKU-level role assignment: margin drivers, cash recyclers, stock clearance, gateway products. Each gets its own bid strategy, target, and commercial purpose.
Typical impact: 20-40% improvement in contribution margin within 90 days
Found in 60%+ of audits
Your product feed is holding back Shopping performance
The problem
Missing GTINs, generic titles, no custom labels for margin tiers, inconsistent product types. Google Shopping rewards well-structured product data. Poor feed quality means lower impression share, higher CPCs, and worse placement.
What we do about it
Feed audit covering titles, descriptions, GTINs, custom labels (margin, category, seasonality), product types, and image quality. Structured to support commercial bidding decisions.
Typical impact: 15-25% improvement in Shopping impression share within 60 days
Why are we giving this away?
Because the brands we want to work with are the ones who act on this information. If reading this makes you check your own account and fix it yourself: good. That is a win.
If reading this makes you realise you need someone to fix it properly: we are here.
Either way, you are better off knowing.
Want us to check yours?
Our full commercial audit goes deeper than these four areas. We will show you exactly what is happening in your account, what it is costing you, and what the fix looks like.