Blog
Field notes and research on paid media, memory, and the difference between a number and a decision.
Google holds ~90% of global search (StatCounter, Feb 2026); Microsoft Ads offers 30-60% cheaper CPCs (vendor data) on a fraction of the volume. The 2026 play: max out Google first, then extend to Microsoft for cheap incremental reach.
4 min read
The dated H1 2026 changelog: Google's AI Max exit from beta and August 17 bidding change, Meta's March 3 attribution overhaul, ChatGPT Ads launching, and AI Mode ad formats. Every date sourced.
5 min read
Google Search converts higher-intent demand ($5.42 CPC, 8.18% CVR); Meta creates demand cheaper ($14.19 CPM, 1.86x ROAS for e-commerce). In 2026 the split is intent capture vs. demand generation — most businesses need both.
5 min read
GEO is optimizing content to be surfaced and cited inside AI-generated answers. AI-referred traffic converts about 4.4x organic (Semrush).
3 min read
AEO is structuring content to be the direct answer engines return. 68.01% of US searches ended without a click in early 2026 (SparkToro/Similarweb).
2 min readShare of Model is the AI-era share of voice: how often a brand appears in, or is recommended by, the outputs of AI models.
2 min read
AI Mode ads are Google's formats inside AI Mode — Conversational Discovery ads and Highlighted Answers — introduced at Google Marketing Live on May 20, 2026 (US testing).
2 min read
AI Max for Search is Google's opt-in upgrade to Search campaigns — query expansion, auto-created assets, and broad-match improvements. It exited beta April 15, 2026.
2 min read
Smart Bidding Exploration lets Google pursue relevant queries beyond a campaign's historical conversion patterns to find incremental conversions. It reached all feed-less PMax campaigns globally around June 15, 2026.
2 min read
Engage-through is a Meta attribution bucket added March 3, 2026 that credits a 1-day conversion after ad engagement (a 5-second video view) without a click.
2 min read
ChatGPT Ads are OpenAI's in-chat ad placements. A pilot launched January 16, 2026; a self-serve Ads Manager beta with CPC bidding and a Conversions API followed May 5, 2026.
2 min read
Meta's automated rules can notify you about overspend, but they're threshold-based, email-only, and single-platform. What's native and what's missing.
4 min readThe record
Stop running an account that forgets.
Every decision written down, with its reason and its result. That is the whole product.