Author: Susan Yen

  • Retention Is the New Acquisition: Why PPC Pros Need to Think Beyond the Click

    Clicks and impressions are easy to get. True growth comes from retention, quality conversions, and delivering real value after the click. Here’s why PPC pros need to think beyond acquisition and focus on the full customer journey.

  • Why Responding to Google Reviews Impacts Both Organic and Paid Performance

    PPC and SEO are often treated like separate strategies — different metrics, different dashboards, different teams. But customers don’t experience your brand in silos. They see your ad, Google your name, read your reviews, and decide whether you feel trustworthy before they ever convert. I learned this firsthand after moving to a new state and…

  • The PPC Accountability Checklist: Questions Every Marketing Leader Should Be Asking

    Let me tell you something I’ve learned after years of managing PPC accounts, fixing messy builds, and walking into accounts that looked “fine” at first glance… Sometimes campaigns look great on the surface, but underneath? And the wild part? Most of these issues aren’t the result of bad intentions; they happen because no one’s asking…

  • Avoiding Bold Tests in PPC: When “Stable” Becomes Stagnant

    In PPC, stability feels good. Your campaigns are hitting goals, conversions are steady, and the account is “healthy.” It’s tempting to leave well enough alone. After all, why fix what isn’t broken? Stability can easily slip into stagnation, especially in an industry that changes as fast as PPC. Algorithms evolve, audiences shift, and new tools…

  • How to Figure Out Your Starting Budget for Paid Search

    Told Through a Thanksgiving Story Every Thanksgiving, there are two types of people:The ones who show up with a color-coded plan for the menu……and the ones who say, “Let’s just wing it,” then burn the rolls, under-season the turkey, and somehow forget the mashed potatoes entirely. Paid search budgets?Same energy. When you first launch a…

  • Why Your Equipment Company May Be Wasting Thousands on Paid Search (And How to Fix It)

    If you’re running paid search campaigns for your equipment company—Kubota, Bobcat, or any other heavy machinery brand—you know it’s not as simple as throwing money at Google or Bing and hoping for leads. Yet, too many equipment companies end up spending far more than they should, often with disappointing results. Here’s the hard truth: your…

  • Stop Guessing! When to Use Target CPA in Google Ads (and When to Back Off)

    So your Google Ads campaign is flopping. Clicks are coming in, but conversions? Crickets. You’re staring at the screen, thinking, “Maybe I should just switch to Target CPA and let Google do the heavy lifting.” Slow down there, tiger. Before you flip the bidding switch, let’s get real about when Target CPA actually works—and when…

  • Stop Auto-Importing: How to Make Microsoft Ads Actually Work for You

    If you’re a PPC marketer, you’ve probably been tempted by that glorious “Import from Google Ads” button in Microsoft Ads. It’s shiny, it’s fast, and let’s be real—it’s lazy. But here’s the catch: what works in Google, Meta, or Pinterest doesn’t automatically work in Microsoft. Microsoft Ads isn’t a carbon copy of other platforms—it has…

  • How to Handle Client Issues Like a Pro: Turning Frustration Into Progress

    If you’ve managed client accounts for any length of time, you know the drill: you hop on a call and the client sounds frustrated. Maybe performance isn’t where they expected it to be. Maybe you’re recommending a new strategy, but they’re not on board. Maybe you’re asking for more budget, and they’re pushing back. These…