Key takeaways
- Structure is strategy
- The negative-keyword economy
- Feed quality beats campaign settings
Structure is strategy
Account structure encodes strategy: branded defense isolated from generic conquesting, shopping segmented by margin tiers, PMax constrained by brand exclusions and asset-group themes. Accounts rebuilt around intent tiers routinely drop wasted spend 20-40% before any creative work begins.
The rebuild sequence matters: keep winning campaigns running while structure reconstructs in parallel, then cut over cleanly - zero dark days, no learning-phase resets on proven performers.
The negative-keyword economy
Search terms reports hide pure margin: job seekers, students, parts-only queries, competitors' brand fishing expeditions. Weekly negative sweeps against broad-match expansion recover 10-15% of spend in early phases - pure profit with no demand sacrificed.
Feed quality beats campaign settings
Shopping and PMax performance ceilings are set upstream in Merchant Center: titles carrying real search language, images that win comparison clicks, availability accuracy, GTIN hygiene. Feed audits typically unlock more than any bid adjustment ever will.
The weekly operating rhythm
Mondays: search-term sweep and negative additions. Wednesdays: bid and budget checks against marginal return. Fridays: creative refresh decisions and next-week tests queued. Monthly: incrementality sanity check and structural review. Compounding comes from cadence, not heroics.
