Rokas Golcas

Blogging gives me a chance to share my extensive experience with <a href="https://ppcdigest.com/">Google Ads</a>. I hope you will find my posts useful. I try to write once a week, and you're welcome to join my newsletter. Or we can connect on <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/golcas/">LinkedIn</a>.

Why does the audience size in GA4 not match Google Ads?

google ads audiences

The audience size in Google Analytics 4 (GA4) often differs from what’s shown in Google Ads due to a range of technical, consent, syncing, and eligibility differences. While GA4 may include users based on analytics data, Google Ads only counts users who meet specific remarketing and personalization criteria.   Table of Contents How does user Why does the audience size in GA4 not match Google Ads?

Still Using Default Goals in Google Ads? You’re Wasting Spend.

default goals in google ads

Let’s talk about one of the easiest ways to lose money in Google Ads: sticking with account-default conversion goals. Sounds harmless, right? One goal across the whole account. Clean, simple, scalable. Except it’s not scalable. It’s generic. And generic = waste. If you’ve been running Google Ads for more than five minutes, you know nothing Still Using Default Goals in Google Ads? You’re Wasting Spend.

Integrating PMax and Search Campaigns: Synergy Strategies for Large E-Commerce

pmax and search synergy

Large-scale e-commerce advertisers are discovering that Google’s Performance Max (PMax) campaigns and traditional Search campaigns work best as complementary parts of an integrated strategy. PMax is an AI-driven, goal-based campaign type that runs across all Google channels (Search, Shopping, YouTube, Display, Gmail, etc.), while Search campaigns focus on keyword-targeted text ads on search results. When Integrating PMax and Search Campaigns: Synergy Strategies for Large E-Commerce

What is the minimum amount to run Google Ads?

There’s no official minimum spend required to run Google Ads, but practically, you’ll need at least $5–$10 per day to generate any meaningful data. Google only requires a valid payment method to start; you set your own budget based on your goals and industry.   Is there a minimum spend for Google Ads? Technically, no. What is the minimum amount to run Google Ads?

What is the $500 threshold in Google Ads?

The $500 threshold in Google Ads refers to a billing trigger where your account is automatically charged once your spend reaches $500. It’s part of Google’s monthly invoicing or threshold-based billing system, helping advertisers manage payment frequency and avoid service disruption. You can read more about how Google Ads billing works here.   How does What is the $500 threshold in Google Ads?

Is $5 a Day Good for Google Ads?

Yes, $5 a day can work for Google Ads, especially if you’re targeting a niche audience with focused keywords. While it’s a modest budget, it’s a good starting point for testing, learning, and optimizing without overspending. Can you actually get results with $5 a day? Yes, but it depends on your goals, niche, and execution. Is $5 a Day Good for Google Ads?

Are YouTube Shorts Ads Personalized?

Yes, YouTube Shorts ads are personalized using user data such as watch history, search activity, demographics, and behavior across Google platforms. This targeting helps advertisers deliver more relevant and engaging short-form video content to specific audiences.   How does YouTube personalize Shorts ads? YouTube leverages Google’s advertising platform to deliver personalized Shorts ads based on Are YouTube Shorts Ads Personalized?

How Does YouTube Shorts Advertising Work?

Promoting a YouTube Short through paid advertising typically costs between $0.05 and $0.30 per view, depending on factors like your target audience, industry, and competition. This translates to a CPM (cost per 1,000 impressions) of approximately $4 to $10. For instance, a $50 budget might yield around 7,000 views, equating to a CPM of about How Does YouTube Shorts Advertising Work?

Google Marketing Live 2025 – Key Announcements

Google Marketing Live 2025

Performance Max Transparency & New Controls Google announced significant updates to Performance Max (PMax) campaigns to address advertisers’ calls for more visibility and control. PMax, which automatically runs across all Google channels, will now provide channel-level performance reports and a full search terms report, similar to standard Search campaigns. Advertisers can also finally add negative Google Marketing Live 2025 – Key Announcements

Google Ads Launches AI Max — Here’s What You Should Know (And Watch Out For)

AI Max campaigns

Google just rolled out something called AI Max for Search campaigns — and, as expected, the PPC world has a lot to say. On the surface, Google’s pitching AI Max as a performance-boosting, optional setting. But for many advertisers, the announcement raised more questions than answers. Is this another shiny tool with real potential — Google Ads Launches AI Max — Here’s What You Should Know (And Watch Out For)

Conversion cycles, learning period, conversion delays: why it’s important for your campaigns

Conversion cycles, learning period, conversion delays

Your campaigns might be working—but the results don’t show it yet. Between the click and the conversion, time distorts performance. Delayed data, bidding adjustments, and shifting strategy all play a part. And if you don’t account for them, you’re optimizing in the dark. Here’s what you need to know about conversion cycles, learning periods, and Conversion cycles, learning period, conversion delays: why it’s important for your campaigns

More insights with new PMax update

new Pmax updates

Google’s rolling out new reporting tools that break down how each channel contributes to your PMax campaign. If you’ve ever felt like PMax is a black box, this update is a step in the right direction. However, there is always a “however”.   What’s new in this PMax update? Channel-level reporting You’ll now be able More insights with new PMax update

Shopping Ads vs. Performance Max: Which One Should You Choose?

Shopping Ads vs. Performance Max

What Are Shopping Campaigns? Shopping campaigns promote individual products on Google Search and Google Shopping, using data from your product feed. They focus heavily on your feed quality (title, description, image, price) rather than keyword targeting.   Key features: Manual control over bidding, structure, and negatives. tROAS is also available, but the key is that Shopping Ads vs. Performance Max: Which One Should You Choose?

What Is the dataLayer (And Why It Makes Tracking So Much Easier)

what is the datalayer

If you’ve ever tried to set up tracking with Google Tag Manager (GTM), Google Analytics, or ads tools like Facebook Pixel or Google Ads—you’ve probably come across something called the dataLayer. It sounds technical, but it’s actually just a simple way to help your tracking tools understand what’s happening on your site. Let’s walk through What Is the dataLayer (And Why It Makes Tracking So Much Easier)

Latest Google Ads Updates — And What They Mean for You

With all the updates coming in from Google Ads it’s easy to get lost. Most of them don’t really impact you, and the others are in beta. But let’s take a few recent updates that, in my opinion, can help you out a lot. You might have heard about them; at least, I hope you Latest Google Ads Updates — And What They Mean for You

How Pros Write Google Ads (and You Can Too!)

how to write google ads

Most people try to write better Google Ads by adding more lines, more keywords, more everything. But that’s not what actually works. Strong ads are built on clarity. Relevance. A bit of psychology. And knowing when less is more. Here’s a breakdown of what really makes Google Ads click—and how to write them without guessing. How Pros Write Google Ads (and You Can Too!)

How to Use Email Marketing to Lower Your Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC)

lower your cac

Getting new customers costs money. And advertising costs keep rising constantly. You can’t do anything about it. But what you can do is make sure you’re using all the means you can to reduce the customer acquisition cost. This is where email plays a big part.     What Really Drives Up CAC CAC (customer How to Use Email Marketing to Lower Your Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC)

In Short: Where do Demand Gen ads actually show?

If you’re running Demand Gen campaigns and wondering where the hell your ads are showing up, you’re not alone. It’s one of those questions that sounds simple, but Google doesn’t make the answer super clear. The problem? You can’t optimize what you don’t fully understand. If you don’t know where your ads are being served, In Short: Where do Demand Gen ads actually show?

Scaling Paid Ads: The Difference Between Growth & Profitability

Scaling paid ads can feel exciting and daunting. You might see big numbers in your analytics or watch costs rise and wonder if it’s all worth it. Ads can help your business stand out, especially when the market is crowded. Yet, it’s easy to get stuck. Some people chase growth at any cost. Others focus Scaling Paid Ads: The Difference Between Growth & Profitability

In Short: What Are Demand Gen Ads?

Demand Gen ads are Google’s latest swing at helping advertisers drive demand before people actively search for something. They combine Google’s AI with rich creative formats and placements across YouTube, Discover, and Gmail to spark interest and push people down the funnel. You’re probably relying too much on search campaigns. But what about those who In Short: What Are Demand Gen Ads?

How to Use Heatmaps & Session Recordings to Improve Conversions

heatmaps and sessions recordings

Heatmaps and session recordings are powerful tools for understanding user behavior. They let you see how people move, click, and scroll across your website. These insights reveal hidden obstacles that stop visitors from converting.   Running great ads is not enough. It was never enough, but today, it’s even more important to focus on your How to Use Heatmaps & Session Recordings to Improve Conversions

The Perfect Retargeting Ad Frequency: How Often Is Too Much

You visit the website and then see their ads everywhere all the f**** time. Even worse, you buy from them and still see their ads for the same product.   This is retargeting done badly. I don’t think I can call it “done” in any way.   Retargeting is great; few could argue that. But The Perfect Retargeting Ad Frequency: How Often Is Too Much

Landing Page vs. Home page: Why Your Ads Need a Dedicated Page

Landing Page vs. Home page

Dedicated landing pages are a game-changer in digital advertising. Unlike the home page, which covers everything about a brand, landing pages focus on one goal—conversion. This post breaks down why they’re essential, not just useful, in paid campaigns. We’ll cover their structural, psychological, and technical advantages over the standard home page, backed by data on Landing Page vs. Home page: Why Your Ads Need a Dedicated Page

What’s More Important: Landing Page Design or Copy?

landing page design or copy

The debate is over—data shows that copy has twice the impact of design on landing page conversions. A machine-learning analysis of over 36,000 landing pages across 16 industries proves that while design supports user experience and brand perception, it’s the copy that drives action. For marketers with limited resources, focusing on copy optimization delivers bigger What’s More Important: Landing Page Design or Copy?

In Short: How Do YouTube Ads Work?

YouTube ads work through Google Ads, letting businesses pay to show videos to targeted audiences on YouTube.   The Problem Many advertisers waste money because they don’t understand how YouTube Ads work—leading to poor targeting, low engagement, and a bad ROI.   The Answer Here’s a simple breakdown of how YouTube Ads work: 🎯 1. In Short: How Do YouTube Ads Work?

In Short: Can YouTube Ads Be Blocked?

Yes, but it depends on how you’re watching.   The Problem YouTube ads can be annoying—especially when they interrupt your favorite videos. Some people just want an ad-free experience.   The Answer Here’s how you can block YouTube ads: 1️⃣ YouTube Premium (Official Way) Paid subscription removes all ads. Works on all devices, including mobile In Short: Can YouTube Ads Be Blocked?

Why ROAS Alone Won’t Tell You If Your Ads Are Profitable

Why ROAS Alone Won’t Tell You If Your Ads Are Profitable

Many digital marketers see a high ROAS (Return on Ad Spend) as the ultimate sign of success—after all, making $5 for every $1 spent sounds great. But ROAS only gives a basic view of performance and doesn’t consider deeper financial and strategic factors.   Relying on it alone is like steering a ship without a Why ROAS Alone Won’t Tell You If Your Ads Are Profitable

In Short: Can YouTube Ads Have Viruses?

Technically, yes—but it’s rare.   The Problem No one wants to click on an ad and end up with malware on their device. Some shady advertisers try to sneak in harmful ads, tricking users into downloading viruses or phishing their data.   The Answer Google has strict ad policies and uses advanced AI to detect In Short: Can YouTube Ads Have Viruses?

In Short: Are YouTube Ads targeted?

Yes, YouTube ads are highly targeted—and that’s what makes them so powerful.   The Problem A lot of advertisers waste money on broad, irrelevant audiences. Without proper targeting, your ad could be shown to people who don’t care at all about your offer.   The Answer YouTube ads use Google’s advanced targeting options, allowing you In Short: Are YouTube Ads targeted?

New Performance Max features in 2025

New Performance Max features

Since Performance Max is probably Google’s favorite campaign type, it’s no surprise that more updates are coming in this year. The most exciting one to me, and probably many others, is the Campaign’s negative keywords. But let’s explore everything.   Here’s what’s coming in PMax First, here’s the full list of updates that are coming New Performance Max features in 2025

In Short: Can YouTube Ads Increase Subscribers?

Yes! YouTube Ads can grow your subscribers, but only if done right. You’re running YouTube Ads but not seeing your subscriber count move? That’s because not all ads are designed to get subs—many focus on views or clicks instead.   How to Use YouTube Ads to Get More Subscribers Use the Right Campaign Goal – In Short: Can YouTube Ads Increase Subscribers?

In Short: Why Aren’t Your Google Ads Showing?

Your ads aren’t showing? Don’t panic—it’s usually an easy fix. You’ve set up your campaign, but when you search for your keywords, nothing. No impressions, no clicks, no traffic. What’s going on?   Common Reasons Google Ads Aren’t Showing Budget Issues – Your daily budget is too low or ran out early. Low Ad Rank In Short: Why Aren’t Your Google Ads Showing?

5 Landing Page Mistakes That Are Killing Your Conversions (And How to Fix Them!)

5 Landing Page Mistakes

A high-converting landing page can make or break your paid ad campaigns. You might be spending money on Google Ads, Facebook Ads, or other paid traffic sources, but if your landing page isn’t optimized, you’re leaving money on the table.     Google Ads or Landing Page? Many still believe that Google Ads is this 5 Landing Page Mistakes That Are Killing Your Conversions (And How to Fix Them!)

In Short: Why Google Ads is Better Than Facebook Ads

Google Ads targets intent, while Facebook Ads creates demand—and intent wins when people are ready to buy.   The Pain Point You’re running ads, but they’re not converting. Facebook Ads are great for engagement, but are you actually reaching people actively searching for what you offer?   Why Google Ads Wins Search Intent = Higher In Short: Why Google Ads is Better Than Facebook Ads

In Short: How Long Until Google Ads Work?

Google Ads can start driving traffic immediately, but real, profitable results? That depends. The Pain Point You launch a campaign, get clicks, but… no sales. Frustrating, right? Google Ads isn’t just set and forget—it needs time to optimize.   What to Expect First 1-7 days – Ads go live, but performance fluctuates as Google gathers In Short: How Long Until Google Ads Work?

In Short: When Should You Use Google Ads?

Use Google Ads when you need fast, targeted traffic that converts—especially if SEO or organic efforts aren’t cutting it. Waiting months for SEO to rank? Struggling to get consistent sales or leads? Google Ads puts you right in front of people searching for what you offer.   When Google Ads Makes Sense: You Need Immediate In Short: When Should You Use Google Ads?

Why you need Callouts in your ads? + 179 examples you can copy

callouts

Callouts are ad assets, formerly known as ad extensions in Google Ads, that let you add extra text to your search ads to highlight key information about your business, products, or offers—without additional cost. Think of them as quick, attention-grabbing tidbits that make your ad stand out. I will share my list of 179 callout Why you need Callouts in your ads? + 179 examples you can copy

In Short: What Is Search Ads in Digital Marketing?

Search Ads in digital marketing are paid advertisements that appear on search engine results pages (SERPs), like Google. They let you target people actively searching for specific products, services, or information.   Pain Point Reaching your ideal audience can feel like throwing spaghetti at the wall—especially when organic strategies take time. You need a way In Short: What Is Search Ads in Digital Marketing?

In Short: Why Are Search Ads Important?

Search Ads are one of the most effective ways to grow your business online. They help you connect with people actively searching for your products or services.   Pain Point Relying solely on organic traffic is slow and uncertain. If your website isn’t ranking well, you’re missing out on potential customers ready to convert. Search In Short: Why Are Search Ads Important?

In Short: How Google Search Ads work?

Google Search Ads are the lifeblood of many businesses’ online marketing strategies. They allow you to show ads to people actively searching for what you offer. If you’re new to Google Ads, the system can feel overwhelming. Without understanding how it works, it’s easy to waste money targeting the wrong audience or bidding inefficiently.   In Short: How Google Search Ads work?

In Short: What Are Dynamic Search Ads?

Dynamic Search Ads (DSAs) are a Google Ads feature that automatically generates ads based on your website content. Think of it as a shortcut to reaching customers searching for products or services you already offer.   Pain Point If your site has a large inventory or constantly changing products, creating and maintaining ads for every In Short: What Are Dynamic Search Ads?

Remarketing with Search Ads

remarketing with search ads

If you haven’t heard about Remarketing for Search Ads, commonly known as RLSAs (Remarketing Lists for Search Ads), you’re in for a big surprise. If you have, then kudos to you. RLSAs are a great way not only to optimize but also efficiently scale your Search campaigns. I will share a few strategies that helped Remarketing with Search Ads

In Short: What are Responsive Search Ads?

Responsive Search Ads (RSAs) are a smarter, more flexible way to run search ads on Google. Instead of creating one static ad, you provide multiple headlines and descriptions, and Google automatically tests combinations to find what works best.   Pain Point Manually testing ad variations is a time-suck, and guessing which message resonates with your In Short: What are Responsive Search Ads?

In Short: What are Search Ads?

Search Ads are those text-based ads you see at the top (or bottom) of Google’s search results when you look something up. They’re labeled as “Sponsored” and appear because advertisers are bidding to show their offer when someone searches for specific keywords. Search Ads let you pay to get in front of your target audience In Short: What are Search Ads?

How to exclude money-wasting IP addresses in Google Ads? [+ a list of 389 IPs]

exclude ip addresses in google ads

Running a successful Google Ads campaign requires more than just creating great ads and targeting the right audience. It’s equally important to ensure that your budget isn’t wasted on irrelevant or fraudulent traffic. This is where excluding money-wasting IP addresses comes into play. By identifying and excluding problematic IP addresses, you can protect your campaigns, How to exclude money-wasting IP addresses in Google Ads? [+ a list of 389 IPs]

6 things that might be killing your PMax campaigns

PMax has been around for some time now, and it seems that a lot of people talk about it. But I still see some common mistakes being made. So, let’s review some easy-to-fix mistakes that could be affecting your PMax performance.     Negative keywords Trust me, you need to add negative keywords. Otherwise, you 6 things that might be killing your PMax campaigns

In Short: How Does Google Ads Use AI?

Google Ads heavily relies on AI to optimize ad performance, targeting, and bidding, making your campaigns smarter and more efficient. It’s like having a digital marketing assistant working behind the scenes. The Pain Point Without understanding how AI works in Google Ads, you might feel like you’re losing control over your campaigns—or worse, letting the In Short: How Does Google Ads Use AI?

In Short: How Does Google Ads Charge You?

Google Ads charges you based on the actions people take with your ads, but the specifics depend on the campaign type and your bidding strategy. It’s not as random as it might seem!   The Pain Point Many advertisers feel unsure about how costs are calculated, leading to surprise bills or a fear of overspending. In Short: How Does Google Ads Charge You?

In short: How Does Google Ads Bidding Work?

Google Ads bidding can feel like a confusing game, but once you get it, it’s a powerful tool to control your ad costs and performance.   The Pain Point If you don’t understand how bidding works, you might overspend without seeing results—or worse, lose out to competitors who do. It’s frustrating to feel like you’re In short: How Does Google Ads Bidding Work?

In short: Can Google Ads Be Profitable?

Yes, Google Ads can be insanely profitable—but only if you know what you’re doing. If you’ve ever felt like you’re just throwing money into a black hole, you’re not alone.   The Pain Point Many people struggle to make Google Ads work because they don’t fully understand how to target the right audience, set realistic In short: Can Google Ads Be Profitable?

In Short: How Google Ads works?

If you’ve ever wondered how those ads pop up right when you’re searching for something, you’re about to find out. Google Ads runs on a simple idea: you pay to appear in front of people actively looking for what you offer.   How It Works:   Auction System Every time someone searches on Google, an In Short: How Google Ads works?

In Short: Can Google Ads make money?

If you’re skeptical, I get it. You’ve probably heard horror stories about people losing money on Google Ads. But here’s the truth: Google Ads is a tool. Whether it makes or loses money depends on how you use it.   Why People Struggle to Make Money: Wrong targeting: If your ads show to the wrong In Short: Can Google Ads make money?

In Short: Are Google Ads expensive?

Google Ads can feel expensive, but whether they actually are depends on how you manage them and what you’re trying to achieve.   Why People Think Google Ads Are Expensive: Clicks add up fast: If you’re not watching your budget, a few high-cost clicks can drain your wallet quickly. Poor targeting: Ads shown to the In Short: Are Google Ads expensive?

In short: Are Google Ads effective?

Google Ads are incredibly effective—if you use them right. Here’s the deal:   The Pain Point Many businesses waste money on ads that don’t convert, thinking Google Ads are to blame. The truth? It’s not the platform—it’s poor strategy.   The Answer Yes, Google Ads are effective, but their success depends on: Targeting: Reaching the In short: Are Google Ads effective?

In Short: Are Google Ads Free?

Nope, Google Ads aren’t free—but you’re in full control of how much you spend.   The Pain Point: You might think you can just create ads and start generating leads for free. Unfortunately, without understanding the costs, it can quickly become expensive and disappointing. The Answer: Cost structure: Google Ads work on a pay-per-click (PPC) In Short: Are Google Ads Free?

In Short: Are Google Ads Worth It?

Yes, but only if you know what you’re doing. They can deliver amazing ROI, but it’s easy to burn through cash if you’re not careful.   The Pain Point: Many businesses try Google Ads, spend a ton of money, and see little to no return. It’s frustrating and leaves you questioning if it’s even worth In Short: Are Google Ads Worth It?

Why Google Ads audiences not populating?

google ads audiences not populating

Last week, I was working on one of the accounts and noticed that Google Ads audiences were not populated. The client told me that he created them several months ago. So I started looking into it and found the reason. It took me a while, as there are plenty of things that can affect that. Why Google Ads audiences not populating?

How to develop Google Ads testing strategy for 2025

PPC testing strategy for 2025

Best practices suck! OK, most of them don’t. I just wanted to be dramatic. However, with best practices, you’re only halfway there. They help a lot at the start when you don’t know what to do and want to make as few mistakes as possible. Later, it would be best if you focused on what’s How to develop Google Ads testing strategy for 2025

How to prepare Google Ads for Black Friday?

prepare google ads for black friday

BFCM or Black Friday, Cyber Monday craziness is just around the corner. Everyone is already gearing up for the biggest weeks of the year in terms of sales and revenue. But should you do the same? Or maybe you should hold back and watch it from the sidelines? I will try to help you answer How to prepare Google Ads for Black Friday?

Search Themes in PMax: what you need to know

search themes in pmax

Search Themes are still in beta but they are widely adopted and it seems they are here to stay. But do you really understand how they work and how they impact your Search campaigns? Apparently most people don’t.   In this post I will explain what Search themes are, how they work, best practices, differences Search Themes in PMax: what you need to know

10 Custom columns to enhance your campaign optimization

custom columns in google ads

Most of your time with Google Ads you spend in the account looking at data. So it is very important to have all the data that can help you optimizing your campaings. There are many default columns, which you might be familiar, but what truly kicks it up a notch is the custom columns. So, 10 Custom columns to enhance your campaign optimization

How to fix organic Google Ads campaign name in GA4?

fix organic campaign name in ga4

You may have noticed (organic) and (not set) values showing up where your Google Ads campaign name should be. According to Reddit and some Google help forums I’ve read, this started around June. Some say it has something to do with Google deleting old Universal Analytics accounts, updates to attribution models, etc. So, let’s see How to fix organic Google Ads campaign name in GA4?