The Ad Spend

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Notes on running an account that remembers

Field notes and research on paid media, memory, and the difference between a number and a decision.

AllGuides & ResearchReferenceProduct
A person carrying a bundle of yellow document folders under one arm
ReferenceMay 29, 2026

Cost Per Mille (CPM)

Cost per mille (per 1,000 impressions). 2026: Meta ~$14.19, LinkedIn ~$33.80, Google Display ~$3. Used for reach and awareness.

2 min read
A man at a desk holding a pen, seen across the shoulder of a colleague reading a document
ReferenceMay 25, 2026

Google Ads Benchmarks for Auto Repair 2026

2026 Google Ads benchmarks for auto repair: CPC $4.35, CTR 5.56%, CVR 15.51%, CPL $29.96 — strong conversion at low cost.

2 min read
A man seated in an office chair lighting a cigarette in a dark room
ReferenceMay 22, 2026

Click-Through Rate (CTR)

Click-through rate explained. 2026: Google Search 6.64%, Meta e-commerce 2.19%, LinkedIn ~0.45-0.65%.

2 min read
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ReferenceMay 18, 2026

Google Ads Benchmarks for B2B Services 2026

2026 Google Ads benchmarks for B2B services: CPC $5.87, CTR 6.10%, CVR 4.85%, CPL $93.69.

2 min read
A woman in round glasses pressing a beige handset to her ear with the cord wrapped around her wrist
ReferenceMay 15, 2026

Return on Ad Spend (ROAS)

Return on ad spend explained. 2026: Google e-commerce ~3.68x, Meta ~1.86x, LinkedIn 121% (B2B, company-level).

2 min read
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Guides & ResearchMay 13, 2026

Inside the ChatGPT Ads Auction

OpenAI opened ChatGPT Ads to all US businesses with CPC bidding and no minimum spend. How the relevance-weighted auction works — and whether you're ready.

7 min read
A woman in glasses reacting with disbelief while holding a phone handset
ReferenceMay 11, 2026

Google Ads Benchmarks for Dental 2026

2026 Google Ads benchmarks for dental: CPC $8.00, CTR 5.66%, CVR 10.67%, CPL $72.97.

2 min read
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ReferenceMay 8, 2026

Conversion Rate (CVR)

Conversion rate (CVR) explained. 2026: Google Search 8.18%, Meta e-commerce 1.57%, LinkedIn Lead Gen Forms ~6.1%.

2 min read
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Guides & ResearchMay 6, 2026

Agentic Ad Buying vs. the Agency Model

AI agents are starting to run strategy-to-execution end to end, with a standards fight over OpenRTB and VAST underway. What survives the agency reckoning.

8 min read
Heels resting on a desk beside a headset and scattered notes while a hand writes
ReferenceMay 4, 2026

Google Ads Benchmarks for E-commerce 2026

2026 Google Search benchmarks for e-commerce: CPC $4.14, CTR 8.28%, CVR 4.01%, CPL $49.40.

2 min read
A woman resting her head on one hand while working at a dark terminal late at night
ReferenceMay 1, 2026

Impressions (Impr)

Learn what impressions mean and how they differ from reach. Understand when impressions matter.

2 min read
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ReferenceApril 27, 2026

Google Ads Benchmarks for Real Estate 2026

2026 Google Ads benchmarks for real estate: CPC $3.22 (+27% YoY), CTR 7.61%, CVR 3.70%, CPL $102.51.

2 min read

The record

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