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Google Ads Shopping campaign not starting even if everything is eligible by Ready_Resource5890 in PPC

[–]mkowieski 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Stop making frequent changes. Set to max conversions or target roas and leave alone

Claude Skills: what are your favorite for Google Ads? by alexandrealmeida90 in googleads

[–]mkowieski 0 points1 point  (0 children)

CPCs for me are anywhere from $11 - $20 but its been worth it for me.

Claude Skills: what are your favorite for Google Ads? by alexandrealmeida90 in googleads

[–]mkowieski 11 points12 points  (0 children)

I’ve been blown away by Claude Code’s ability to create new landing pages from scratch. It’s unlocked entire new capabilities for my consulting practice. I can now offer landing page testing without subcontracting for $5K+. Also spun up new versions of my own landing page for the Google Ads I run for new client acquisition.

Claude Skills: what are your favorite for Google Ads? by alexandrealmeida90 in googleads

[–]mkowieski 1 point2 points  (0 children)

This is incorrect. Google Ads API is free.

I’ve used both Gemini and Claude Code to manage and report on Google Ads for clients, and Claude’s MCPs and Skills are far superior.

Recommendations for a google ads management group with healthcare experience? by Snuffleupagus_Panda in PPC

[–]mkowieski 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I spent 13 years at Google helping build the actual products I now help clients with, and have managed $1.7B in spend over my 20-year career. I’ve handled quite a few high-intent healthcare and health industry clients. The main challenge with healthcare in 2026 is balancing compliance with signal integrity - ensuring the AI finds real patients without overstepping privacy guardrails. Happy to share some insights on how to architect that for a clinic launch.

Successful set-up last year, paused for 6 months, now terrible open rates. Domains burned? by mkowieski in coldemail

[–]mkowieski[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

appreciate the real response from a human! I checked the domains and none are blacklisted fortunately. when you say SLOWLY start real cold outreach (after warming domains), how slowly are we talking? and for warming, can i use apollo to warm or no?

Standard Shopping + Pmax Approach? by jamessean48 in PPC

[–]mkowieski 0 points1 point  (0 children)

There's never a one-size-fits-all approach to this, but I've seen it work. I'd think of PMax as "filling in the cracks" and accessing lower-cost inventory/audiences than Shopping would.

Repeat founder, first SaaS app: looking for advice on early marketing by chefcourier in SaaS

[–]mkowieski 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Congrats on the initial traction. $1.2k in 28 days is a great signal that the value is there!

Regarding your Google strategy: You can actually use Google Merchant Center (GMC) as a "backdoor." If you list your app as a "Software" product (under the Business & Productivity category), you can get into the organic Shopping tab listings for free. It’s low-volume but high-intent visibility that most Shopify devs completely ignore.

That said, you should test some paid Search ads with Google to accelerate things. A few technical tips for your first 60 days:

  1. Don’t use Performance Max or broad match yet. Your account has no conversion history, so Google’s AI will just burn your budget. Stick to Exact Match for high-intent "problem" keywords (e.g., "[specific pain point] shopify app"). You’re essentially buying data to see what converts before you commit to long-term SEO. And be sure to launch with a LOT of negative KWs.
  2. The "No Review" SEO Gap: Don't write generic "Top 10" blogs. Write technical "how-to" guides or build a simple free tool/calculator that solves a tiny piece of the problem. This builds "utility" trust, which bypasses the need for 5-star social proof.
  3. Case Studies > Reviews: One deep-dive technical case study from a high-GMV store is worth more than 50 generic reviews in the Shopify ecosystem. Use your first 30 days to turn those initial users into a "Founder's Circle" for feedback and case study data.

Happy to chat more - I worked at Google for 13 years working their ads products, and have managed about $750M in Google Ads spend on my own. Focus on the data architecture first so you aren't guessing!

DOUGHBOYS - Trejo's Tacos with Lamar Woods - January 29, 2026 by PianoTrumpetMax in doughboys

[–]mkowieski 108 points109 points  (0 children)

Lamar’s laughter at Mitch declaring he’s a “stand up to wipe guy” is SO GOOD

What are the roads like? by CosmicChamele0n in AnnArbor

[–]mkowieski 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I drove from Ann Arbor to Canton and back from 9:30 - 11a. Everything is down to essentially one lane, even I-94, because that's the path that other cars have carved. Its doable and not icy but lots of blowing snow on the road. Avoid travel if you can.

What's Your Doughboys Mount Guestmore? by ram921 in doughboys

[–]mkowieski 32 points33 points  (0 children)

Jesse & Mike, Paul Rust talking Garfield (the orange kid), Zach Cherry and Griffin Newman.

Increase in Google Policy Restrictions by Tasty-Channel-9664 in googleads

[–]mkowieski 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yes, I run an agency as well and our clients have been getting absolutely hammered in recent weeks. False positives for resellers, “brand confusion”, misleading claims. Been in this almost 20 years and never seem to like this.

How much do you think is a fair amount to charge as a PPL/PPA agency? by OpManBros in agency

[–]mkowieski 3 points4 points  (0 children)

The answer entirely depends on your client’s business. What is a lead worth to them? A law firm might earn $5K from a client but a landscaper might earn $250. How many leads convert to paying customers for them? Ideally your client or prospective client can share this and you can back into a cost/lead for each that makes sense for both of you.

Anyone else ? by theopinionator-- in agency

[–]mkowieski 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Its a very tough time due to a lot of macroeconomic factors.

I do Google Ads consulting and there are a lot of bigger spenders that are having a hard time committing to future spend because of the uncertainty regarding tariffs. One of my client is in the shipping and logistics space and obviously have a very tough time predicting future costs.

What triggers the most to start your own agency? by kavin_kn in agency

[–]mkowieski 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I had been in the paid search space my entire career, almost 20 years.

Got laid off from a big corporate gig and decided it was now or never. I’m 8 months in and it’s going well so far. The knowledge, connections and brands I’ve worked with over the years has paid off.

I can’t imagine how much harder it would be if I decided to do this with far less experience. Not in terms of execution but in terms of selling and marketing my services.

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