Lessons from 1000+ Google Ads Tests

What We’ve Learned So You Don’t Have To

Running Google Ads isn’t a set-it-and-forget-it game. Over the years, our team has run thousands of structured tests across search, shopping, YouTube, and Performance Max to uncover what actually moves the needle.

Here are some of the biggest takeaways:

? AI is powerful, but guardrails matter. Letting Google optimize everything on its own? Risky. But when we pair intelligent automation with human oversight (structured testing, audience layering, exclusions), we see performance gains without runaway costs.

? First-party data is a game-changer. We’ve tested it. Brands leveraging their customer lists and signals are seeing higher conversion rates and stronger ROAS, especially as cookies phase out.

? Creative fatigue is real. Many advertisers throw in one ad and hope for the best. We’ve seen brands consistently refreshing ad copy, visuals, and YouTube creatives outperform stagnant campaigns every single time.

? Brand vs. Non-Brand—The Debate Isn’t Over. Some brands don’t want to “waste” money on brand campaigns. But we’ve tested what happens when you turn them off, and let’s just say...your competitors love when you do. Believe me, it's usually ugly.

This is just the tip of the iceberg. We’ve spent years testing, optimizing, and proving what works in Google Ads. And if you’re running your campaigns like it’s 2022, you’re already behind.

Drop a comment if you’d like us to dig into a specific test we’ve run!

#GoogleAds #PaidSearch #PerformanceMarketing #YouTubeAds #EcommerceMarketing