I've audited accounts for massive fintech giants and scrappy startups alike, from my desk here in Kitchener to boardrooms across North America. And I see the same story play out almost every time.

Most accounts aren't "broken." There are no red warning lights flashing. But they’re often leaking.

Wasted clicks from broad match, bidding strategies that aren’t quite aligned, and Performance Max campaigns overlapping with Non-Brand (and sometimes even Brand). Each issue on its own feels small. Together, they quietly add up to a tax on growth.

In performance marketing, it’s easy to get caught up looking for a “silver bullet” — that one setting or beta feature that will double our ROAS overnight. But the truth I've learned from managing millions in spend is that efficiency isn't a switch you flip; it's a system you architect.

It comes down to making a series of structural changes that compound over time. Below is the framework I use to cut the fat without cutting the muscle.

1. Feed the machine "gourmet" data

Most advertisers are still feeding Google's AI fast food (generic "Thank You" page pixels) and expecting it to run a marathon.

If you tell Google that every lead is the same, it will get you the cheapest leads possible. Usually, that means lower intent and lower quality.

Where possible, it helps to give the system more context (we call this ‘Signal Architecture Overhaul’). Track not just the final submission, but earlier signals like form starts or qualified leads. If revenue can’t be imported in real time, predicted or proxy values can work, as long as they reflect what actually matters downstream.

The Shift: Better signals = better learning = less money wasted on low-intent clicks.

2. Bid like an investor, not a gambler

CPA is still widely used even when the conversion mix is complex, and it’s not inherently wrong. The problem is that it treats all conversions the same.

A $50 CPA can be a great outcome or a poor one, depending on what happens after the initial conversion point tracked on Google. CPA alone can’t tell that story.

When value data is stable and reliable, value-based bidding helps shift optimization toward outcomes that matter more to the business. Moving to tROAS doesn’t have to be abrupt. In many cases, warming the account with Max Conversion Value first makes the transition smoother.

It also helps to look beyond national averages. A single target can hide meaningful differences between regions. In some cases, geo-level value adjustments can help rebalance spend, as long as those differences reflect real business performance and not downstream constraints.

3. Put "guardrails" on Performance Max

Performance Max can be a strong complement to search, but it tends to follow the most predictable paths unless it’s guided.

Left alone, it often leans into brand or near-brand demand. That doesn’t make it useless, but it does make it less incremental.

You can’t fully prevent this behavior, but you can manage it.

• Brand exclusions matter. That includes both keyword-based exclusions and brand lists.
• Creative quality plays a bigger role than it’s often given credit for. Assets influence where ads show and how Google interprets intent, not just how the ads look.
• Equally important is setting the right bidding targets and maintaining a clean, match-type separated Search structure. When Search is properly segmented and bid with intent, Performance Max has less room to overlap with Non-Brand demand and is more likely to drive true incremental value.

4. The "hygiene" habits that save millions

The unsexy work is usually the most profitable. This is where the discipline comes in.

• Match Type Strategy: Broad match is powerful now, but only if you pair it with strategically calculated tROAS & extensive negative keyword lists. Without those guardrails, it scales inefficiency just as effectively as opportunity.
• Creative is a Targeting Lever: Ad copy isn't just text; it's a Quality Score lever. Better RSAs (Responsive Search Ads) with relevant headlines combined with relevant landing pages in a clean structure lower your CPCs.
• Suppression: Continuing to show ads to users who already converted rarely adds value. It sounds obvious, but budgets are often burned on users who submitted a lead yesterday. Syncing CRM data to suppress these audiences helps prevent that waste.

The "top tier" mindset

Here is the reality: None of these steps will double your performance overnight on their own.

But when you improve your signal quality by 10%, tighten your geo-adjustment by 10%, and clean up your PMax waste by 10%... you don't get a 30% improvement. You get a compounding effect that shifts the entire operating state of your account.

You stop fighting the algorithm and start optimizing the environment in which it learns. That is how you win.

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