PPC Ponderings Podcast

In this episode, we sit down with the self-described ROAS Queen to dig into anything from multiple languages (Kirk knows one), ROAS, and Reach. Ana is particularly enthusiastic about the concept of Reach, and how it is an under appreciated metric in the world of PPC... so listen in and learn!

Want to be a guest on the PPC Ponderings Podcast? Apply here!

Interested in PPC help for your business?

Check out ZATO (over $10K/mo in ad spend) Check out MAKROZ (under $10K/mo in ad spend) Check out ZATO's PPC consulting & setup service(get a team of smart PPCers, each with over a decade of PPC experience on the phone to ask us anything about your account)

Miles McNair is a PPCer many in Europe and around the world know about, but who is lesser known in the community of US PPCers. We're here to help change that! Miles is one of my favorite PPC people to follow because he has two strengths that he uses well: (1) deep PPC knowledge and experience, (2) incredible content creation skills. Miles came from nowhere and has been working towards establishing a massive PPC online community... much of that around Performance Max. This is a longer episode, as Kirk and Miles chat all things from PS5 games, to PMax strategies, to LinkedIn content sharing. 

So sit back, grab a cup of coffee and enjoy our conversation with Miles. 

Want to be a guest on the PPC Ponderings Podcast? Apply here!

Interested in PPC help for your business?

Check out ZATO (over $10K/mo in ad spend) Check out MAKROZ (under $10K/mo in ad spend) Check out ZATO's PPC consulting & setup service(get a team of smart PPCers, each with over a decade of PPC experience on the phone to ask us anything about your account)

Today we join Kirk as he has a conversation with one of ZATO’s very own Senior Paid Search Strategists, Sarah Vlietstra. Sarah was formerly a TTEC employee representing Google to agencies, and thus has a *lot* of experience learning how to connect with clients, and then communicate well. Listen in as Sarah and Kirk chat customer service and how important client communication is to a successful PPC Agency. So sit back, grab a cup of coffee and enjoy our conversation with Sarah.

Want to be a guest on the PPC Ponderings Podcast? Apply here!

Interested in PPC help for your business?

Check out ZATO (over $10K/mo in ad spend) Check out MAKROZ (under $10K/mo in ad spend) Check out ZATO's PPC consulting & setup service(get a team of smart PPCers, each with over a decade of PPC experience on the phone to ask us anything about your account)

Ever wondered whether click fraud tools are worth it? Us too! So we had Ekta on to meet her, and quickly learned of her international experience with click fraud tools so thought we would take advantage of that knowledge and share it with you. Come listen to Kirk meet PPCers he doesn't know and chat about their expertise! We chat click fraud, how PPC is like gambling, and even a little about attribution. 

Want to be a guest on the PPC Ponderings Podcast? Apply here!

Interested in PPC help for your business?

Check out ZATO (over $10K/mo in ad spend) Check out MAKROZ (under $10K/mo in ad spend) Check out ZATO's PPC consulting & setup service(get a team of smart PPCers, each with over a decade of PPC experience on the phone to ask us anything about your account)

Christopher is a brilliant Ecommerce PPCer based in the UK. He works for Kelkoo Group, and works in Google Merchant Center more than your average joe! In this episode, Kirk and Christopher chat all things about PMax tactics and Google Merchant Center (we even discuss "Next" the... well, next, iteration of the GMC UI). Kirk also learns a little more about Football (but not the American kind) and why Ted Lasso kinda gets it right. Listen in on this chat between two PPCers!

Want to be a guest on the PPC Ponderings Podcast? Apply here!

Interested in PPC help for your business?

Check out ZATO (over $10K/mo in ad spend) Check out MAKROZ (under $10K/mo in ad spend) Check out ZATO's PPC consulting & setup service(get a team of smart PPCers, each with over a decade of PPC experience on the phone to ask us anything about your account)

In this episode, Kirk chats with the Head of PPC Affiliates at Lounge Underwear, Hannah Lewis. Hannah is a razor sharp PPCer who is also a self-acclaimed outdoor activities enthusiast. Hannah’s job at Lounge Underwear means she is always looking for a new way to target the right person through PMax, while handling the inevitable ad suspension sure to haunt her work. How does one utilize PMax with creative limitations? Listen on for some tips!

Want to be a guest on the PPC Ponderings Podcast? Apply here!

Interested in PPC help for your business?

Check out ZATO (over $10K/mo in ad spend) Check out MAKROZ (under $10K/mo in ad spend) Check out ZATO's PPC consulting & setup service(get a team of smart PPCers, each with over a decade of PPC experience on the phone to ask us anything about your account)

In this first episode of the PPC Ponderings Podcast, Kirk chats with Ben Kruger. Ben is a Googler with an opinion. After connecting on Twitter and LinkedIn for months, Kirk and Ben decided to have *the* conversation about Google's relationship with advertisers, the Google Rep Program, advertiser adoption hesitancy, and more. We think you'll enjoy this one since it's a candid, yet respectful conversation. Look at it as a discussion between two new friends with some major differences, but who are open to learning from each other. 

Want to be a guest on the PPC Ponderings Podcast? Apply here!

Interested in PPC help for your business?

Check out ZATO (over $10K/mo in ad spend) Check out MAKROZ (under $10K/mo in ad spend) Check out ZATO's PPC consulting & setup service(get a team of smart PPCers, each with over a decade of PPC experience on the phone to ask us anything about your account)

This interview will challenge what you thought you knew about digital privacy as Bethany Singer-Baefsky, the Director of Privacy and DPO at iRobot schools us all on the complex nature of digital privacy and security. 

Make sure to listen to this one with your pondering cap on, because there is a ton to think through! If you missed it, go listen to our Core episode on Privacy where Bethany is one of the guests we interview as we ponder the deeper concepts of digital privacy, and how that specifically impacts digital advertising. 

Want to be a guest on the PPC Ponderings Podcast? Apply here!

Interested in PPC help for your business?

Check out ZATO (over $10K/mo in ad spend) Check out MAKROZ (under $10K/mo in ad spend) Check out ZATO's PPC consulting & setup service(get a team of smart PPCers, each with over a decade of PPC experience on the phone to ask us anything about your account)

In this bonus interview with Simon Poulton of WPromote, we go deeper into the concept of digital privacy, digital security, user permission, GDPR, and how this all impacted Simon's wedding day.  

Simon is Vice President of Digital Intelligence at Wpromote and oversees the Data Strategy & Marketing Science teams. He has worked with an array of global brands to guide their approaches to data-driven marketing including Forever 21, NBC Peacock & Whirlpool.

If you missed it, go listen to our Core episode on Privacy where Simon is one of the guests we interview as we ponder the deeper concepts of digital privacy, and how that specifically impacts digital advertising. 

Want to be a guest on the PPC Ponderings Podcast? Apply here!

Interested in PPC help for your business?

Check out ZATO (over $10K/mo in ad spend) Check out MAKROZ (under $10K/mo in ad spend) Check out ZATO's PPC consulting & setup service(get a team of smart PPCers, each with over a decade of PPC experience on the phone to ask us anything about your account)

Let's throw caution to the wind and wade into the giant, legally confusing territory of digital privacy. In this episode, we talk with two privacy experts. While neither is an attorney (they both wanted us to point that out), both have extensive experience pondering the reality of digital privacy, as well as privacy's lesser known but more important sibling, digital security. 

We talk data rights, privacy definitions, and why the ecosystem that is the internet has to stop being ignored in this debate as zero-data enthusiasts push for increased legislation. How did Apple's iOS14.5 impact businesses and privacy?  We'll hit these questions and more in this important episode. 

Episode Interviewees:

Bethany Singer-Baefsky , Director of Privacy at iRobotSimon Poulton, VP of Digital Intelligence at Wpromote

Want to be a guest on the PPC Ponderings Podcast? Apply here!

Interested in PPC help for your business?

Check out ZATO (over $10K/mo in ad spend) Check out MAKROZ (under $10K/mo in ad spend) Check out ZATO's PPC consulting & setup service(get a team of smart PPCers, each with over a decade of PPC experience on the phone to ask us anything about your account)

In this episode, we pick the brain of Tinuiti's Elizabeth Marsten. I've (Kirk) known Elizabeth for years back when we both dug into Google Shopping, and now she's gone over to the dark side of retail media. Or the light side. However you look at it, retail media is here to stay and there's nobody better to think it through than Elizabeth. Crank this episode up while waiting for your Target Pickup, but don't forget to listen to the Core episode on the Supply Chain crisis first. 

Want to be a guest on the PPC Ponderings Podcast? Apply here!

Interested in PPC help for your business?

Check out ZATO (over $10K/mo in ad spend) Check out MAKROZ (under $10K/mo in ad spend) Check out ZATO's PPC consulting & setup service(get a team of smart PPCers, each with over a decade of PPC experience on the phone to ask us anything about your account)

In this episode, we dive deep... and I mean Marianas Trench deep, into the brilliant brain of Chris Johnson (of Common Thread Collective). A common name, for an uncommon guy, Chris showed a mastery on a multitude of Ecommerce topics and we dig into them in this bonus guest episode with him. We discussed iOS14.5 and how brands may have overreacted to reporting issues, thoughts on inventory management during a supply chain crisis, and the importance of recognizing where specific ad channels are in the buyer journey. 

As a reminder, Chris was interviewed in our last Core episode on the Supply Chain crisis, so if you haven't caught that one yet, make sure to give it a listen first.

Want to be a guest on the PPC Ponderings Podcast? Apply here!

Interested in PPC help for your business?

Check out ZATO (over $10K/mo in ad spend) Check out MAKROZ (under $10K/mo in ad spend) Check out ZATO's PPC consulting & setup service(get a team of smart PPCers, each with over a decade of PPC experience on the phone to ask us anything about your account)

There is a reason Sean McGinnis has moved up to President in a short time at KURU Footwear! Enjoy listening him talk about their handling of the Pandemic response, supply chain issues, inflation, and iOS14.5. You'll hear about scenario prepping and more in this valuable bonus episode. 

As a reminder, Sean was interviewed in our last Core episode on the Supply Chain crisis, so if you haven't caught that one yet, make sure to give it a listen first.

Want to be a guest on the PPC Ponderings Podcast? Apply here!

Interested in PPC help for your business?

Check out ZATO (over $10K/mo in ad spend) Check out MAKROZ (under $10K/mo in ad spend) Check out ZATO's PPC consulting & setup service(get a team of smart PPCers, each with over a decade of PPC experience on the phone to ask us anything about your account)

What do water bottles, train robberies, inventory management, 7x increases in shipping containers,  employee purpose and the great job exit, have to do with one another? They're all topics of today's fascinating conversation with Simple Modern CEO, Mike Beckham. From Mike's first reactions to Covid, to his company's purpose and how that translates into keeping employees around, you won't want to miss this next interview!

As a reminder, Mike was interviewed in our last Core episode on the Supply Chain crisis, so if you haven't caught that one yet, make sure to give it a listen!

Want to be a guest on the PPC Ponderings Podcast? Apply here!

Interested in PPC help for your business?

Check out ZATO (over $10K/mo in ad spend) Check out MAKROZ (under $10K/mo in ad spend) Check out ZATO's PPC consulting & setup service(get a team of smart PPCers, each with over a decade of PPC experience on the phone to ask us anything about your account)

Two years ago, the pandemic started a chain of events that would hit the supply chain in ways it had never before been impacted in the more global economy of Ecommerce. We're talking to DTC brand owners and Ecommerce / Retail agency people to get an idea of what happened, why it happened, and how we can better prepare ourselves for continued supply chain difficulties. 

In this episode, we interview four people who deal with this on a daily basis: 

 Mike Beckham, CEO of Simple ModernElizabeth Marsten, Senior Director of Marketplace Services at TinuitiSean McGinnis, President of KURU FootwearChris Johnson, Director of Strategy at Common Thread Collective

Make sure to watch for each of these interviewee's individual episodes, as these were masterclasses in ecommerce, thinking far beyond the supply chain! 

Want to be a guest on the PPC Ponderings Podcast? Apply here!

Interested in PPC help for your business?

Check out ZATO (over $10K/mo in ad spend) Check out MAKROZ (under $10K/mo in ad spend) Check out ZATO's PPC consulting & setup service(get a team of smart PPCers, each with over a decade of PPC experience on the phone to ask us anything about your account)

This episode is purposefully geared towards the PPC Newb or Student.

In this brief Class 101 on Attribution, Kirk & his four returning guests, takes a look at the attribution models that can be used in PPC and when they can/should be used. 

This isn't an advanced episode, but you might learn something anyway. Better yet, share this with those you know just getting into PPC as they contemplate the potential models out there and how to think about using them. 

Big thanks to our four guests for these two attribution episodes, and make sure to listen to their full interviews to dig into attribution more deeply:

Amanda Farley - AimClearHeather Aeder - Seer InteractiveMike Ryan - SMECNechama Teigman - AdVenture Media

Want to be a guest on the PPC Ponderings Podcast? Apply here!

Interested in PPC help for your business?

Check out ZATO (over $10K/mo in ad spend) Check out MAKROZ (under $10K/mo in ad spend) Check out ZATO's PPC consulting & setup service(get a team of smart PPCers, each with over a decade of PPC experience on the phone to ask us anything about your account)

Our last bonus guest interview of our Attribution episodes is here. Then we move on to the next topic! Today, we chat with Amanda Farley of AimClear (based in frigid Duluth, MN!) about her take on all things attribution. In this episode, you'll hear the stuff we couldn't include in our full Core episode on attribution as we ponder attribution together.  If you haven't heard that full episode yet, make sure to go check it out first.  

Want to be a guest on the PPC Ponderings Podcast? Apply here!

Interested in PPC help for your business?

Check out ZATO (over $10K/mo in ad spend) Check out MAKROZ (under $10K/mo in ad spend) Check out ZATO's PPC consulting & setup service(get a team of smart PPCers, each with over a decade of PPC experience on the phone to ask us anything about your account)

One of the things I love about this conversation with Mike, is how clearly he thinks through ramifications of technology, as a pro-tech person working at a software company.  Give this episode a listen, and ponder not simply the attribution models that can be used in your Google Ads account, but the ramifications of utilizing them incorrectly... and the ramifications of Google making decisions in an increasingly black box world. In this episode, you'll hear the stuff we couldn't include in our full Core episode on attribution as we ponder attribution together.  If you haven't heard that full episode yet, make sure to go check it out first.  

Want to be a guest on the PPC Ponderings Podcast? Apply here!

Interested in PPC help for your business?

Check out ZATO (over $10K/mo in ad spend) Check out MAKROZ (under $10K/mo in ad spend) Check out ZATO's PPC consulting & setup service(get a team of smart PPCers, each with over a decade of PPC experience on the phone to ask us anything about your account)

Do you know the machine learning algorithms driving your attribution models? Nechama does! Grab some coffee so you can keep up, and ponder each and every word Nechama shares about attribution in this can't miss episode. In this episode, you'll hear the stuff we couldn't include in our full Core episode on attribution as we ponder attribution together.  If you haven't heard that full episode yet, make sure to go check it out first.  

Want to be a guest on the PPC Ponderings Podcast? Apply here!

Interested in PPC help for your business?

Check out ZATO (over $10K/mo in ad spend) Check out MAKROZ (under $10K/mo in ad spend) Check out ZATO's PPC consulting & setup service(get a team of smart PPCers, each with over a decade of PPC experience on the phone to ask us anything about your account)

What do Imputation, Predictive Models, and Emotions have to do with attribution? I don't know, but Heather does! Check out this brilliant full interview episode with Heather Aeder, VP of Analytics at SEER Interactive. In this episode, you'll hear the stuff we couldn't include in our full episode on attribution as we ponder attribution together.  If you haven't heard that full episode yet, make sure to go check it out now. 

Want to be a guest on the PPC Ponderings Podcast? Apply here!

Interested in PPC help for your business?

Check out ZATO (over $10K/mo in ad spend) Check out MAKROZ (under $10K/mo in ad spend) Check out ZATO's PPC consulting & setup service(get a team of smart PPCers, each with over a decade of PPC experience on the phone to ask us anything about your account)

Attribution is something we all think we understand, but perhaps there are questions we haven't answered yet? In the next core episode of the PPC Ponderings Podcast, Kirk interviews four experts about Attribution to better understand what it is, and how we can mess it up... or rather, how we can mess up our understanding and usage of the models. 

This episode focuses primarily on questions and concerns with attribution that should be kept in mind, while the next core episode will take a look at how we can practically use attribution in our PPC accounts. We'll start with the philosophy, and then move to the practical. 

Big thanks to our four guests for the next two episodes (and stay tuned for their full interviews to be released as bonus episodes over the next few weeks):

Amanda Farley - AimClearHeather Aeder - Seer InteractiveMike Ryan - SMECNechama Teigman - AdVenture Media

Want to be a guest on the PPC Ponderings Podcast? Apply here!

Interested in PPC help for your business?

Check out ZATO (over $10K/mo in ad spend) Check out MAKROZ (under $10K/mo in ad spend) Check out ZATO's PPC consulting & setup service(get a team of smart PPCers, each with over a decade of PPC experience on the phone to ask us anything about your account)

In this bonus episode, Kirk and Aaron Levy chat about common misconceptions PPCers have with the keyword as we release the full length interview.  You may disagree with him, but you can't help but be challenged by Aaron's thoughts on why the keyword has changed, and why PPCers need to adapt their strategies along with these changes.

In our first Core Ponderings episode, we chatted with Brad Geddes, Amy Bishop, and Aaron Levy about the past, present, and future of the keyword. In these bonus episodes, we'll be releasing (most of) the full length interviews for each of them. 

We thought their ponderings and insights were too good to let go, and we had to leave out most of their interviews from our main episode. We trust you will enjoy Aaron's ponderings in this full episode!

Want to be a guest on the PPC Ponderings Podcast? Apply here!

Interested in PPC help for your business?

Check out ZATO (over $10K/mo in ad spend) Check out MAKROZ (under $10K/mo in ad spend) Check out ZATO's PPC consulting & setup service(get a team of smart PPCers, each with over a decade of PPC experience on the phone to ask us anything about your account)

In this bonus episode, Kirk and Brad Geddes chat about the keyword as we release the full length interview.  The knowledge Brad has not only received, but retained over his decades in Paid Search is truly remarkable, and you can't help but learn from him here.

In our first Core Ponderings episode, we chatted with Brad Geddes, Amy Bishop, and Aaron Levy about the past, present, and future of the keyword. In these bonus episodes, we'll be releasing (most of) the full length interviews for each of them. 

We thought their ponderings and insights were too good to let go, and we had to leave out most of their interviews from our main episode. We trust you will enjoy Brad's ponderings!

Want to be a guest on the PPC Ponderings Podcast? Apply here!

Interested in PPC help for your business?

Check out ZATO (over $10K/mo in ad spend) Check out MAKROZ (under $10K/mo in ad spend) Check out ZATO's PPC consulting & setup service(get a team of smart PPCers, each with over a decade of PPC experience on the phone to ask us anything about your account)

In this bonus episode, Kirk and Amy Bishop chat about the keyword as we release the full length interview. In our first Core Ponderings episode, we chatted with Brad Geddes, Amy Bishop, and Aaron Levy about the past, present, and future of the keyword. In these bonus episodes, we'll be releasing (most of) the full length interviews for each of them. We thought their ponderings and insights were too good to let go, and we had to leave out most of their interviews from our main episode. We trust you will enjoy Amy's ponderings!

Want to be a guest on the PPC Ponderings Podcast? Apply here!

Interested in PPC help for your business?

Check out ZATO (over $10K/mo in ad spend) Check out MAKROZ (under $10K/mo in ad spend) Check out ZATO's PPC consulting & setup service(get a team of smart PPCers, each with over a decade of PPC experience on the phone to ask us anything about your account)

Welcome to the PPC Ponderings Podcast!

In this inaugural episode, ZATO Owner, Kirk Williams investigates key questions surrounding the keyword. How did the keyword get it's start? How much can we trust keyword bidding now? What will the future of keyword bidding look like? We discuss all these questions and more in today's show.

The PPC Ponderings Podcast takes an investigative journalism approach to encourage PPCers to dig more deeply into familiar topics. Using the latest releases from Google, articles, and special guest interviewees, Kirk takes a hard look at the keyword in today's episode. 

Episode 1 special guests: Aaron Levy, Amy Bishop, and Brad Geddes.

Want to be a guest on the PPC Ponderings Podcast? Apply here!

Interested in PPC help for your business?

Check out ZATO (over $10K/mo in ad spend) Check out MAKROZ (under $10K/mo in ad spend) Check out ZATO's PPC consulting & setup service(get a team of smart PPCers, each with over a decade of PPC experience on the phone to ask us anything about your account)