DTC Podcast Ep 544: How to Break Through Scaling Ceilings in Google Ads & Unlock Incremental Growth
Sep 19, 2025
In this engaging discussion, Dougie, the Google team leader at Pilothouse, shares his expertise on scaling DTC brands using Google Ads. He delves into recognizing when brands hit impression share ceilings and offers strategies to overcome them. Dougie emphasizes the significance of blending demand generation with search tactics and the importance of prioritizing hero products. Listeners will also learn about maximizing growth through YouTube and content, avoiding common bid mistakes, and getting ready for Q4 with effective keyword strategies.
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Search Is Population‑Limited
- Search and shopping are population-limited channels and can hit saturation on intent-based queries.
- Once impression share nears 100%, increasing budget rarely finds new users and efficiency drops.
Check Impression Share First
- Check keyword planner and impression share to detect ceilings before raising budget or loosening targets.
- Improve ad rank or expand keyword clusters, or build demand off‑platform when impression share is maxed.
Marin Skincare's 'Lobster Lotion' Example
- Marin Skincare created a branded association called "lobster lotion" through creative work to generate more intent.
- That content increased awareness for terms they previously couldn't compete on organically.