AI + Google Ads strategist | Performance media expert
Founder, Big Click Co. | Speaker | SEJ contributor
✉️ The Paid Media Mix → bit.ly/3EbTXoI
Articles by Lisa Raehsler
Paid Search Is Uncoupling From the Keyword
Welcome to The Paid Media Mix, where I cover AI-driven paid media strategy, Google Ads insights, and real-world analysis on PPC. This edition is about another search shift. Technical changes are speeding up the breakup with keywords. People stopped typing short words and started typing full questions that a keyword list can’t keep up with. Google and OpenAI now read intent from the language itself. While you’re here, subscribe to the newsletter so the next edition lands in your inbox.
Google Ads Bidding Strategies: Where To Spend Your Time In 2026
Your bid strategy is a critical lever for PPC success, and the right bid type tells Google’s AI exactly how to spend your budget to hit your specific business goals. Bidding technology has evolved fast, and adapting to each shift can be a competitive advantage in 2026. Google Ads bidding has moved from manual, keyword-by-keyword control to auction-time bidding that reads millions of real-time signals the moment a search happens.
Google Ads Budget Misallocation Is More Common Than You Think – And Harder To Spot
Every advertiser, from small businesses to enterprises, can struggle with knowing if their budget is allocated for the best results. Budget allocation used to be more straightforward, but campaign spend has shifted, and a lot of accounts could use a second look. Performance Max has disrupted how budget flows through accounts in new ways over the past few years.
Building An In-House PPC Team: Why A Hybrid Model May Protect Your Ad Spend
AI and automation in ad platforms are well established. Google Ads and Microsoft Advertising are heavily invested in automated features, and the technical barrier to entry has never been lower. However, that accessibility comes with a tradeoff. • Campaigns are easier to launch than they are to explain and analyze. • Machine-driven decisions risk going unquestioned without an outside perspective.
The 10 Best PPC Ad Networks
Choosing the right pay-per-click (PPC) ad network is a core strategy impacting the success of your advertising program. Each network reaches distinct audiences, offers different ad formats, and suits different campaign objectives, from capturing high-intent search demand to driving awareness through video and social feeds. With AI-powered automation now embedded across most major platforms, understanding what each network does well (and where it falls short) matters more than ever.
PPC Budget Rebalancing: How AI Changes Where Marketing Budgets Are Spent
In paid media, many advertisers default to budgeting by ad platform, with a percentage to Google Ads, a percentage to LinkedIn Ads, etc., largely based on habit. Now, AI technology presents new opportunities to marketing leaders to decide where to spend their paid media dollars.
The Future of PPC: Conversational Search
Welcome to The Paid Media Mix— your source for real-world insights on AI, ad strategy, and what’s driving performance in today’s digital ad landscape. I was inspired to write this after reviewing yet another campaign filled with irrelevant keyword lists. You know, the kind clients hand over, convinced this is what people search for. After seeing this pattern so many times, it’s clear that too many campaigns are still built around what brands think people type, instead of how people actually search.
Stop Letting AI Waste Your Ad Budget
Welcome to The Paid Media Mix— your source for real-world insights on AI, ad strategy, and what’s driving performance in today’s digital ad landscape. This edition is landing just after a busy (and inspiring) stretch of travel and conference talks where I had the chance to speak about how AI is reshaping the way we approach campaign strategy. The frameworks I’m sharing today are the same ones I presented live at Hero Conf 2025.
AI PPC Strategies For Business Growth
Yet, the mid-funnel stage is where prospects actively weigh options and is crucial for sustained growth and profitability. Overlooking this critical stage can reduce revenue potential. Using AI-driven paid media for nurturing and retargeting can bridge this gap, converting high-quality leads into profitable customers. Prospects in the mid-funnel have already expressed interest and are ready to move to action.
AI PPC Strategies For Business Growth
Marketers tend to prioritize top-of-funnel awareness and bottom-funnel conversion efforts. Yet, the mid-funnel stage is where prospects actively weigh options and is crucial for sustained growth and profitability. Overlooking this critical stage can reduce revenue potential. Using AI-driven paid media for nurturing and retargeting can bridge this gap, converting high-quality leads into profitable customers.
The Strategy Gap: Social Video Is Not PPC Video
Video is dominating online across PPC ads and social media channels. Unfortunately, many advertisers still repurpose social videos for paid campaigns. What works organically on TikTok or Instagram often falls flat in performance-driven environments like YouTube Ads or Performance Max. This could lead to low engagement and poor conversions. To compete in today’s attention economy, PPC video needs its own strategy that is built from the ground up with performance in mind.
The Paid Media Mix
This site requires JavaScript to run correctly. Please turn on JavaScript or unblock scripts
How To Use Paid Search & Social Ads For Promoting Events
Paid media offers one of the fastest ways to promote a business event and get the right people to take action. Event campaigns are not just regular ads with a date added. They need a dedicated strategy, setup, budget, and audience targeting to succeed. From webinars and product launches to open houses and local promotions, you’ll get better results by treating your event like a stand-alone campaign. Here’s how to approach it with paid search and social ads that drive participation.
Why Your Ad's Success Metrics Are Already Obsolete (And What Savvy Advertisers Are Doing Instead)
Welcome to The Paid Media Mix— your source for real-world insights on AI, ad strategy, and what’s driving performance in today’s digital ad landscape. In this edition, I’m breaking down how AI is reshaping the way we measure success in paid campaigns and why surface-level metrics like CTR are no longer enough. If you’re still using click-through rates and impressions to guide strategy, you’re only seeing a fraction of the full picture.
The Paid Media Mix
This site requires JavaScript to run correctly. Please turn on JavaScript or unblock scripts
How To Write Better Ad Copy When Google Ads Uses AI-Assisted Features
Almost every major ad platform now offers some form of AI-generated copy. While these tools can speed up the process of launching campaigns, they often create headlines and descriptions that lack the creativity or relevance needed to get results. In this article, we will focus on how to get the most from Google Ads AI-assisted features without letting automation take over your messaging.
The Paid Media Mix
This site requires JavaScript to run correctly. Please turn on JavaScript or unblock scripts
How AI Is Changing The Way We Measure Success In Digital Advertising
Success in PPC has historically been measured using performance indicators like click-through rates (CTR), cost per acquisition (CPA), and return on ad spend (ROAS). However, with the rise of AI, new technologies are having an impact on how we approach and measure performance and success, causing a major change in customer behavior.
Remarketing Strategies with Automated Nurturing Sequences in Google Ads
Remarketing can be a winner for your ad strategy, but too many businesses use outdated tactics. Most remarketing campaigns rely on basic audience segmentation and generic messaging. That might have worked a few years back, but it doesn’t cut it today. It’s time to modernize your remarketing campaigns and try something different. Automated nurturing sequences are a more strategic approach.
The Paid Media Mix
This site requires JavaScript to run correctly. Please turn on JavaScript or unblock scripts
The Paid Media Mix
This site requires JavaScript to run correctly. Please turn on JavaScript or unblock scripts
From Generative AI to ROI: Smarter Ads Win
Microsoft just released its first generative AI guide for SEM and SEO pros—but with years of PPC experience, here’s my expert take on what matters most for driving results with paid ads. If you’re still managing ad campaigns the old way, you’re leaving money on the table. AI is already transforming paid advertising, helping brands create campaigns faster, with smarter personalization and stronger ROI.
Layering Success: How To Target High-Intent Users In Google Ads
In an increasingly data-driven advertising world, getting your ads in front of the right people can make all the difference. One powerful way to achieve that is through audience layering in Google Ads. By stacking multiple audience signals like remarketing lists, in-market segments, and more, you can deliver highly relevant ads and zero in on high-intent users. Audience layering can be complicated.
Google Signals: Shaping Ads, Search & Personalization
Welcome to The Paid Media Mix, your go-to source for AI-powered paid media insights. Today, I’m pulling back the curtain on how Google seems to know exactly what ads to show you. If you find this interesting, subscribe for more cutting-edge strategies and insights! When it comes to delivering targeted ads, Google’s use of signals is well-documented. But signals power ad targeting and they fuel the entire Google ecosystem.
The Paid Media Mix
This site requires JavaScript to run correctly. Please turn on JavaScript or unblock scripts
Layering Success: How To Target High-Intent Users In Google Ads
In an increasingly data-driven advertising world, getting your ads in front of the right people can make all the difference. One powerful way to achieve that is through audience layering in Google Ads. By stacking multiple audience signals like remarketing lists, in-market segments, and more, you can deliver highly relevant ads and zero in on high-intent users. Audience layering can be complicated.
How to Transform Your Ad Performance in 5 Days
Discover more from The Paid Media Mix Master the Paid Media Mix with AI, Google Ads, and PPC strategies. Get expert insights and actionable tips to elevate your digital marketing results. Ready to Stop Wasting Ad Spend? Join our self-directed 5-day challenge and implement proven optimization tactics that increased one client’s ROAS by 40%.
Solve PPC Ad Challenges with AI
Discover more from The Paid Media Mix Master the Paid Media Mix with AI, Google Ads, and PPC strategies. Get expert insights and actionable tips to elevate your digital marketing results. For digital marketers, staying ahead in PPC (pay-per-click) advertising means adapting quickly to evolving tools and strategies. AI has become a critical component, offering smarter, faster ways to tackle everyday challenges in campaign management.
The Ultimate Guide to Audiences in Google Ads
Audiences are at the core of successful Google Ads campaigns. They allow you to go beyond targeting keywords and focus on who you’re advertising to. By using audiences, you can show relevant ads to people who are most likely to convert by clicking, engaging, or making a purchase. This guide will walk you through what audiences are, the different types available, and how to use them to drive meaningful results.
Insights From Microsoft Ads Partners: Copilot And PMax
Microsoft released several updates on Copilot and ads in October this year. Following that, at the recent Microsoft Advertising Partner Pulse meeting*, Microsoft dove deeper into the updates, including results of research, enhanced Copilot ad integration, and optimization best practices for Performance Max campaigns, among others. These updates mark more steps forward in Microsoft’s effort to refine the AI search experience and integrate the ad platform into conversational search.
PPC And Paid Media Budget Planning Tips for 2025
One of the most common questions in PPC management is how to determine the “right” budget and investment for campaigns. As a business leader investing in paid media, your PPC budget isn’t just about how much you spend. It’s about how strategically you use those resources to grow your business. For small to medium-sized businesses (SMBs) investing between $2,000 and $50,000 monthly, every dollar has to count.
5-Day Paid Ads Optimization Challenge
5-Day Paid Ads Optimization Challenge Lisa Raehsler Lisa Raehsler PPC Strategy Consultant • Digital Marketing • Google Ads • GA4 Customization 🔥🎸• Columnist, Search Engine Journal • 🗣 International Speaker • YouTube Ads Published Oct 31, 2024 In this 5-day challenge, we’ll cover quick, impactful strategies that you can implement across paid digital advertising channels to expand reach, engagement, and conversions.
Why Connected TV Ads Are A Power Play For A Successful Ad Strategy
Entertainment viewing habits have changed dramatically in recent years, leading search ad platforms to introduce connected TV (CTV) video ad opportunities alongside standard video and display ads. Both Google Ads and Microsoft Ads provide advertisers with convenient access to a wide range of inventory and scale through their platforms. What’s especially useful is that CTV ads can be managed within the same platform as search PPC ads, making it easy for advertisers to streamline their campaigns.
2025 Digital Marketing Must-Have Skills
As someone who's lived and breathed digital marketing and pay-per-click ads (PPC) for years, I’ve experienced firsthand what it takes to succeed in this ever-changing world. Here's the inside scoop on the essential skills needed: 1. Advertising Knowledge Foundation Yes, the “Mad Men” era is long gone, but the fundamentals of advertising are timeless. Understanding how to define goals, product positioning, branding, and CTAs is still at the heart of successful PPC campaigns.
How To Get Ad Creative AI-Ready In Search Ads
PPC ads are at the core of many marketers’ digital media mix, so it is critical to stay on top of new features and ad tech advancements. The hot topic and major changes involve AI to automate and improve the efficiency of pay-per-click campaigns. However, it’s unsurprising that AI is not replacing the marketing strategist or PPC manager. On the contrary, the marketing team is more important than ever to provide high-quality manual creative ad assets to the ad platforms to inform the AI machine.
The 8 Best PPC Ad Networks
Choosing the right pay-per-click (PPC) ad network is a core strategy impacting the success of your advertising campaigns. Each network offers unique features, reaches distinct audiences, and shines in different areas, making it crucial to understand their strengths and demographics to select the one that best aligns with your marketing goals.
10 Tips on How to Rock a Small PPC Budget
Many advertisers have a tight budget for pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, making it challenging to maximize results. One of the first questions that often looms large is, “How much should we spend?” It’s a pivotal question, one that sets the stage for the entire PPC strategy. Read on for tips to get started or further optimize budgets for your PPC program to maximize every dollar spent. With a smaller budget, managing expectations for the size and scope of the account will allow you to keep focus.
10 Paid Search & PPC Planning Best Practices Original
Whether you are new to paid media or reevaluating your efforts, it’s critical to review your performance and best practices for your overall PPC marketing program, accounts, and campaigns. Revisiting your paid media plan is an opportunity to ensure your strategy aligns with your current goals. Reviewing best practices for pay-per-click is also a great way to keep up with trends and improve performance with newly released ad technologies.
12 Hidden PPC Features You Should Know About Original
Skip to content Advertisement Explore hidden PPC features for Google and Microsoft Ads. Discover features & opt-outs to upgrade your campaigns & ensure maximum efficiency. Deep in the PPC ad platforms, there are plenty of hidden features that can improve performance and ease the management of ad campaigns. Some features are “opt-outs” that are valuable for optimizations and campaign efficiency.
6 Ways To Optimize Your PPC Performance Original
Skip to content Advertisement PPC optimizations are critical to improve your paid search advertising campaigns' performance. First, what exactly is PPC optimization? PPC optimizations are critical to improve your paid search advertising campaigns’ performance. Before we get into our top tips, what exactly is PPC optimization? After paid search campaigns are launched, running, and collecting data, optimizations begin.
6 PPC Strategies To Focus On Now Original
What are the PPC areas you should focus on right now? Explore these strategies to craft the most effective PPC campaigns. VIP CONTRIBUTOR Lisa Raehsler 29 seconds ago ⋅ 7 min read PPC has many components, constantly evolving with new technologies, feature enhancements, and tactical tips. Today, our recommendations focus on the following key concepts for a fresh perspective or next-level optimizations. Measurement: Conversion goals and analytics tracking. Automation: Managing smart settings.
How To Use Paid Search & Social Ads For Promoting Events
In the last few years, COVID has changed how businesses host special events and interact with customers and the community. Special events have changed, and time-sensitive activities have a more flexible, virtual perspective. Generating awareness and earning participation perfectly aligns with promotion through paid search and social advertising. Consider business events promotion as a separate strategy from your ongoing campaigns, so it has a dedicated budget and set-up.
PPC Ad Extensions You Should Be Using Today
Ad extensions maximize your visibility in search engine results. Here’s how Image Extensions, Structured Snippets, Price Extensions, and Call Extensions can help. Not all ad extensions are created equal and they serve different marketing purposes. Whether it’s on Google Ads or Microsoft Ads, ad extensions can help maximize your visibility in the search results and improve ad performance.
Beginner’s Guide To YouTube Video Advertising
Today’s advertiser is looking for ways to use video content in ads to increase visibility, engage, and convert leads. The good news is that getting started with video ads is easier than ever. Video ads appear on many websites and apps across the web as well as on YouTube, which has over 2 billion active users per month. YouTube enables advertisers to target specific audiences, behaviors, or intentions, making it an effective way to get results throughout the stages of the customer buying cycle.
6 PPC Strategies To Focus On Now
Advertisement What are the PPC areas you should focus on right now? Explore these strategies to craft the most effective PPC campaigns. VIP CONTRIBUTOR Lisa Raehsler 10 seconds ago ⋅ 7 min read PPC has many components, constantly evolving with new technologies, feature enhancements, and tactical tips. Today, our recommendations focus on the following key concepts for a fresh perspective or next-level optimizations. Measurement: Conversion goals and analytics tracking.
10 Paid Search & PPC Planning Best Practices
Reviewing best practices for pay-per-click is a great way to keep up with trends and improve performance. Especially now, as the advertising world is dealing with more change than ever. As your business strategies and goals have evolved over the past 18 months, revisiting your paid media plan is an opportunity to ensure your strategy aligns with PPC best practices. As you review, you’ll find new strategies and features to incorporate into your paid search program, too.
Getting Started With Your First Pinterest Ads Campaign: Step-by-Step
Pinterest Ads is a paid media platform unique from all others. Learn how to use Pinterest audiences, targeting opportunities & more for paid social success. Pinterest is different from other paid media platforms in that it is a visual discovery engine. If you’re one of the many companies that still have not leveraged the opportunity to connect with audiences using Pinterest Ads, this article is for you.
How to Set Up Your First Campaign
Millions of advertisers use LinkedIn Ads campaigns to reach their B2B audience. If you are one of the many companies that still have not leveraged the opportunity to connect with audiences on this platform, this article is for you. Even seasoned advertisers among us can benefit from a quick refresher on LinkedIn basics. First, LinkedIn is home to the world’s largest professional network with 706+ million members in over 200 countries. Who Will You Find on LinkedIn?
What People Search For - Most Popular Keywords
IndustryWhat People Search For – Most Popular Keywords What People Search For - Most Popular Keywords Billions of searches are conducted each day on popular search engines and social websites by people all around the world. A number of major search engines provide a way to discover the most popular search trends, keywords, and topics.
6 Things I Wish Someone Told Me When I Was New to PPC
When I was new to PPC, it was interesting and challenging. But I did not completely understand the depth and breadth of what it was and what it would evolve into. What follows are a few things I wish someone had told me when I was new to PPC. 1. Take Advantage of Learning Opportunities In the past, learning opportunities were scarcer, and a new PPC manager had to be an ambitious researcher to locate programs. Now, PPC platforms offer a lot of sophisticated training.
Show More
loading
Actions
Is this you?
As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.Get in touch with Lisa
Contact Lisa, search articles and posts on X, monitor coverage, and track replies from one place.
Learn more about Muck Rack