Field notes from the
marketing stack.
Practical takes on PPC, call tracking, AI agents, first-party data, and everything we wish someone had told us five years ago.
Starting October 1, Google Will Charge You for LSA Calls You Never Answered
A missed Local Services Ads call during business hours becomes a paid lead on October 1 if the caller stays on the line 20 seconds. About five rings. Every unanswered ring now costs you twice, and the fix is not in your budget settings.
64 posts in All. Page 1 of 8.
Local Services Ads Are Moving Into Google Ads. Two Decisions Get Made for You If You Don't Make Them First.
Local Services Ads are being folded into Google Ads, and the first wave is already underway for plumbing, HVAC, and pest control. You still pay per lead. What changes is who sets your bids and how your budget gets converted, unless you decide first.
AI Max for Shopping Is Coming. Test It on One Campaign, Not Your Account.
AI Max for Shopping is sitting in a small number of Google accounts right now, and most advertisers have not heard a word about it. Here is what it changes, where it actually fits, and how to test it without betting the whole account.
AIO, AEO, GEO: What the Alphabet Soup Actually Means
AIO. AEO. GEO. Someone has pitched you at least one of them in the last six months, usually with "SEO is dead" attached. Here is the plain version of what each means - and the part the pitches leave out.
Is Your Ad Account Ready for August 17?
One week out. On August 17, budget-limited Target CPA and ROAS campaigns stop quietly beating their targets and start delivering at them. Here is the 15-minute check to run before Monday.
Google Is Rumored to Be Testing a New Search Ads Format
Google is rumored to be testing a new Search ads format in which parts of the ad description behave as links. Here is what has been reported, and the long list of things nobody has confirmed.
New to Google Ads? Google Will Match Up to $20,000 in Ad Spend
Google will match up to $20,000 in new-advertiser ad spend - but the credit comes with a 60-day spend clock, an expiration date, and traps for the unprepared. Here is how to actually collect.
Google Clarifies the August Smart Bidding Update: What Actually Changes
Google's August 17 Smart Bidding change ends the era of budget-limited campaigns quietly beating their targets. Here is what Google clarified after the backlash - and the audit to run before rollout.
Google: Canonical Re-Evaluation Can Take Up to Two Weeks
Google put a number on a question SEOs ask constantly: after you fix duplicate content, re-evaluation can take up to two weeks. Here is how to work with that window instead of against it.
Strategies to Dominate AI Search in 2026
Dominating AI search is not SEO with the dial turned up. Here is a practical six-part playbook for earning citations and visibility inside AI answers in 2026.