Why Most Google Brand Spend Is Waste And What To Do Instead

Hey Founder,

Setting up Google Ads isn’t that hard.

Running them profitably? That’s where most brands bleed, and often without even realising it as their Google-reported numbers look so good.

I recently sat down with Colin Slattery, founder of Taikun Digital on my podcast, someone who bootstrapped his way from $127 to running high-ROI campaigns for 9 figure brands like Jones Road. We unpacked where Google Ads actually drives growth and where it’s quietly draining your budget.

Here’s what you need to know:

🚨 Brand Keywords: Wasted Spend 90% of The Time

Colin’s data is brutal - in 90% of cases, brand keyword spend does nothing incremental. You’re paying for clicks you would’ve gotten anyway. Unless you’re in a cutthroat space or defending against competitors bidding on your name, that spend is dead weight. Better to double down where clicks convert incremental customers.

📊 Forget Attribution. Do Incrementality Testing

Multi-touch attribution tools are helpful, but they’re still models. If you want truth, run holdout tests by geography. It’s the clearest way to see what impact your Google Ads are actually having. This alone can save or redirect thousands in monthly spend.

🛍️ Shopping Campaigns Win or Lose in the Feed

Most of your Google Shopping performance comes down to feed quality. Not ad copy. Not bid strategy. Your Merchant Center feed is your silent killer or secret weapon. Clean up your titles. Get your categories right. Add more product attributes. That’s where the scale is.

🧪 Don’t Blindly Trust Performance Max

PMax is seductive—it promises scale with automation. But unless you dissect the traffic, you’ll never know what’s working. Colin suggests using manual CPC on brand terms and scripts to manage bids on Shopping. Keep control where it matters.

🛠️ Scripts = Scale Without Hiring

If you’re not using scripts, you’re either micromanaging or burning cash. Smart scripts can adjust bids, pause poor performers, and adapt to auction pressure in real-time. Your ROAS will thank you.

🧠 Use Real-World Data, Not Just Platform Metrics

You sometimes don’t need bigger budgets, you need sharper execution.
And if your Google Ads aren’t giving you new customers at profitable rates, something’s off.

Get the full low-down on the podcast!

👉 Find the podcast here https://www.ecommerceimpactpodcast.com/

Or check it out on Spotify

Until next time: optimize hard, waste nothing.

Jessie