The paid media lab

Google has dominated the digital advertising landscape for a long time now, and despite increasing legal scrutiny, it remains the ad platform of choice amongst marketers, with studies showing that advertisers spend more on Google Ads than both Meta and Amazon Ads combined. ...But do they still deserve the majority of your ad spend in 2026 and beyond? To find out, we spoke to Matt Shenton (Biddable Director at Croud and host of the Paid Search NYC podcast) to find out whether you should divert more of your paid media spend towards other platforms - and how to do it in a way that's both effective and low-risk. Timestamps: 0:00 - Coming up0:15 - Intro2:09 - Matt’s insights from Paid Search NYC3:31 - US vs. UK: Marketing mindsets4:22 - Key advice for platform diversification10:52 - Budget reallocation mistakes13:44 - Ad platforms with the most potential19:17 - Matt’s thoughts on Perplexity / AI ads21:17 - Testing channels/platforms fairly & cheaply25:15 - Marketing efficiency ratio & MMMs26:10 - Maintaining marketing spend efficiency 29:06 - Testing brand campaign value effectively31:12 - Matt’s attribution strategy36:35 - Will Google still dominate PPC in 2 years? 39:29 - Final thoughtshttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtyJASw15BD_E_aq6hX-FJAGet more free PPC tools, webinars, and resources at: https://www.lunio.ai/resource-library

Sales and marketing alignment is essential for slick lead generation at B2B and SaaS businesses. According to Hubspot’s 2025 State of Sales report, 41% of salespeople say sales and marketing alignment improves lead quality, while 29% say it can increase revenue and improve customer experience. To help leaders and teams bridge the gap between marketing and sales, we spoke to B2B marketer, speaker, and author Pam Didner.In this episode, Pam spoke about how marketing metrics determine lead quality, how to make marketing content more sales-friendly, and how to adapt your paid media strategy to capitalize on top-of-funnel opportunities as well as bottom-of-funnel conversions. Plus, get some bonus marketing insights from Pam - including some brilliant ways to optimize your content for AI.Timestamps:0:00 - Coming up0:10 - Intro2:15 - How does Pam rank so highly in LLMs? (Icebreaker question)11:34 - Why is there a disconnect between marketing and sales?13:50 - Key Sales/Marketing alignment mistakes17:13 - How Marketing can help Sales use content19:52 - Structuring paid media to speak to top/mid funnel24:24 - What should count as an MQL?26:24 - Should you automate lead vetting?31:19 - Marketing’s role after the initial sale36:23 - The key ABM mistakes40:22 - How many companies should you target with ABM?43:56 - Final thoughtsDon't have time to listen? Get the written highlights from the session here: https://www.lunio.ai/blog/align-marketing-and-sales-teamsFollow Pam on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pamdidner/Get deeper insights from Pam by checking out her series of books: https://pamdidner.com/books/Subscribe to the Lunio YouTube channel to make sure you don't miss an episode of the paid media lab podcast - or find us wherever you get your podcasts:Watch on YouTube: ‪@lunio_ai‬ Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5K858fJ...Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... Listen on Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.co.uk/podcasts/7...Get more free PPC tools, webinars, and resources at:https://www.lunio.ai/resource-library

TikTok is currently the fifth largest social platform in the world, and certainly one of the fastest growing - especially amongst younger audiences. With TikTok’s exponential growth comes massive advertising opportunities. Statistics show that TikTok has more than 3.5 times the ad reach of X, with potential ad reach of almost 2 million users every month. To help marketers capitalize on this, we caught up with Fiona Bradley (Founder of FB Comms) on the Paid Media Lab podcast to get her insights on what makes TikTok advertising tick(tok), mastering UCG, and more. Timestamps:0:00 - Coming up0:13 - Intro3:58 - Meta’s ‘No Ads’ subscription6:38 - ‘AI enhanced’ Facebook ads8:13 - Fiona’s approach to Black Friday9:13 - What are TikTok Search Ads?10:36 - What are GMV Max campaigns?11:44 - The big opportunities for marketers12:59 - Keyword targeting on TikTok14:29 - How people search on TikTok16:03 - Will TikTok Search overtake Google?17:27 - Measurement & attribution in TikTok Search18:43 - Common TikTok marketing mistakes20:27 - Working with creators on TikTok23:34 - Brand guideline advice for TikTok26:34 - Does B2B / Lead Gen work on TikTok?27:38 - Do YouTube Shorts work for B2B / Lead Gen?28:53 - Key advice for marketers using TikTok30:55 - Final thoughts & adviceDon't have time to watch? Get the written highlights from the session here: https://www.lunio.ai/blog/master-tiktok-adsFollow Fiona on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fiona-content-marketing/  Subscribe to the Lunio YouTube channel to make sure you don't miss an episode of the paid media lab podcast - or find us wherever you get your podcasts:Watch on YouTube: ‪https://youtu.be/jQcJERO-_DEGet more free PPC tools, webinars, and resources at:https://www.lunio.ai/resource-library

Rand Fishkin, Co-founder/CEO of SparkToro and former Moz founder, dives into the buzzing world of AI in marketing. He discusses the reality behind AI hype, comparing it to the dot-com bubble, and reveals how Google still dominates over ChatGPT. Rand sheds light on the causes behind declining organic traffic and emphasizes the importance of websites despite zero-click trends. He also critiques broken attribution methods and shares strategies for brands to gain visibility in AI systems, offering a candid view on embracing practical marketing in an AI-driven landscape.

Most marketers worship their brand guidelines. Lewis Kemp thinks you should burn them.In the first episode of Season 3 of the Paid Media Lab, Lewis Kemp (founder of Lightbulb Media and The University of Creative Idiots) joins us to explain why strict brand rules kill creativity, and reveals how to rebuild a system that drives actual, meaningful results. We cover:• Why almost every small businesses doesn't actually have a “brand” yet• How ego kills performance (and what to do about it)• The banned ads that made Lewis’s clients millions• How to work with the brand police — and win• Why creative variety is the secret to scaling paid campaignsTimestamps0:00 - Coming up01:04 - Who is Lewis Kemp?03:02 - What is a ‘gimpfluencer’?06:43 - Why most brand guidelines are pointless09:22 - Defining what a real brand actually is10:30 - What businesses lose sign of 12:35 - Examples of ads ruined by brand guidelines14:50 - Lewis’s banned ads and controversial campaigns17:12 - How to work with the ‘brand police’20:30 - The importance of the hook23:54 - Channel-specific tips for Meta, YouTube, and Google Ads26:11 - The psychology behind ads27:05 - When brand guidelines actually matter28:30 - Final thoughts & The University of Creative IdiotsFollow Lewis Kemp on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lewis-kemp-manchester/Brohemian Rhapsody: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/lewis-kemp-manchester_freddiemercurypoisoning-activity[…]m=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAACFEGBsBRwvmUu5KZhW-4iarWDuWYKRbRxEThe University of Creative Idiots: https://joinuci.com/Prefer reading? Read the episode recap here: https://www.lunio.ai/blog/ignore-the-brand-guidelinesSubscribe to the Lunio YouTube channel to make sure you don't miss an episode of the paid media lab podcast - or find us wherever you get your podcasts:Watch on YouTube: ‪@lunio_ai‬ Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5K858fJ...Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... Listen on Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.co.uk/podcasts/7...Get more free PPC tools, webinars, and resources at:https://www.lunio.ai/resource-library

In this insightful discussion, Ed Leake, founder of God Tier Ads and PPC expert with extensive experience, tackles forecasting pitfalls in Google Ads. He highlights why Google’s built-in tools often fall short and shares strategies for better projections tied to business outcomes. Ed emphasizes the significance of understanding seasonality and impression share while navigating the complexities of automated advertising. His actionable advice empowers marketers to adapt and thrive in an evolving PPC landscape, making this a must-listen for anyone involved in digital advertising.

In this episode of the Paid Media Lab podcast, we speak to Sofia Akritidou - founder of ThinkWise Digital and seasoned B2B PPC strategist - to explore what’s really broken in B2B lead generation and how to fix it using smarter paid media strategies.With over seven years of hands-on experience across Google Ads, LinkedIn, and paid social, Sofia shares actionable insights on improving lead quality, avoiding junk conversions, aligning keyword intent, and building campaigns that drive actual revenue, and not just vanity metrics.Whether you’re running PPC campaigns for a SaaS startup, scaling paid media for a fintech platform, or trying to align marketing and sales on what a “qualified lead” really looks like, this episode is packed with tips to help you turn ad spend into closed-won deals.Timestamps:0:00 - Intro 2:07 - How Sofia became a B2B specialist3:16 - What makes B2B Lead Gen different to B2C?6:15 - Generating qualified leads from PPC9:19 - Examples of key lead gen mistakes10:43 - How to filter out unqualified leads12:40 - Predicting when campaigns will bring poor leads15:03 - Keyword intent classification tips17:24 - Gated vs. Ungated content in B2B20:00 - Moving prospects through the funnel21:36 - Optimizing campaigns for qualified leads24:01 - Which KPIs should you pay attention to?25:17 - Lead Scoring advice28:08 - LinkedIn Lead Gen campaign tips32:05 - Final thoughts / outroPrefer watching over listening? Subscribe to Lunio's YouTube channel to get full-length video episodes:https://www.youtube.com/@lunio.aiGet more free PPC tools, webinars, and resources at:https://www.lunio.ai/resource-library

Performance Max campaigns are everywhere - but most advertisers are still flying blind when it comes to controlling spend and cutting waste.To help marketers take back control, we spoke to Guillaume Devinat, CEO of PPC optimization platform Optmyzr, and uncovered the ultimate PMax negative keyword strategy.In the session, Guillaume reveals the findings of a huge study into how advertisers use (or don’t use) negative keywords in PMax - and shares a practical, step-by-step framework to cut waste, reduce junk traffic, and improve efficiency.Expect to learn:• Why 68% of PMax campaigns are running with zero negative keywords• The most common search terms and placements that waste budget• How to proactively identify and exclude bad traffic with n-gram analysis• Early indicators of low-quality traffic (before conversions suffer)• How to use ChatGPT to uncover wasteful keyword themes at scale• Key settings in PMax that quietly drain spend if left unchecked• How to estimate the ROI impact of negative keyword and placement exclusions• Tips on geo targeting, content suitability, and URL expansion• The case for lead gen advertisers to rethink their use of PMaxTimestamps: 0:00 - Intro1:36 - Guillaume’s key focuses at Opteo2:07 - How marketers are using negative keywords4:02 - Why are negative keywords so underutilized?7:16 - Which search terms waste the most ad spend?10:18 - Finding the best negative keywords14:55 - Competitor keywords as negative keywords16:06 - Biggest sources of waste in PMax campaigns21:48 - Managing ad placements23:58 - Key metrics to track after making changes28:14 - Final thoughts / outroPrefer watching over listening? Subscribe to Lunio's YouTube channel to get full-length video episodes:https://www.youtube.com/@lunio.aiGet more free PPC tools, webinars, and resources at:https://www.lunio.ai/resource-library

AI Max is here - but getting the right information about it, and what it means for your campaigns, can be hard to find. To help marketers get a clear view on how to prepare for AI Max, we spoke to Google Ads Expert Jyll Saskin Gales. Jyll is a former Google employee, top PPC consultant, and author of Inside Google Ads - a fitting book title, given that very few people know what goes on inside Google's Ads than her. In this extended episode of the Paid  Media Lab, we spoke to Jyll about all-things AI Max, as well as how Broad Match ties in (and how to use Broad Match effectively). Expect to learn: • What AI Max is and how it evolved from Search Max • Key AI Max features: text customization, keyword list targeting, final URL expansion • New transparency and control options in AI Max • Shift from keyword matching to intent prediction in Google Ads • Opportunities and risks of keywordless PPC • Best practices for using broad match effectively • Jyll’s three C’s: conversion tracking, customer lists, creative • The truth about audience signals in AI/Performance Max • How to test AI Max responsiblyDon't have time to listen to the whole thing? Find our written recap of the session here: www.lunio.ai/blog/google-ads-ai-max-explainedTimestamps:0:00 - Intro2:36 - ‘Inside Google Ads’ book discussion4:08 - Why ‘the house always wins’ in Google Ads6:45 - AI Max vs. Search Max8:45 - What is AI Max?9:57 - How transparent is AI Max?11:34 - Is AI Max just broad match + DSA?12:59 - Is this the ‘keywordless future’?15:29 - Final URL Expansion + audience signals22:20 - Should you test AI Max?25:07 - Using Broad Match effectively29:00 - Where Jyll uses Broad MatchPrefer watching over listening? Subscribe to Lunio's YouTube channel to get full-length video episodes:https://www.youtube.com/@lunio.aiGet more free PPC tools, webinars, and resources at:https://www.lunio.ai/resource-library

Download Aaron Young's Google Ads Optimization Checklist (for free) here: https://www.definedigitalacademy.com/optimiseLooking for a repeatable, structured way to optimize your Google Ads campaigns without burning out or flying blind?In this episode of the Paid Media Lab, we’re joined by PPC expert Aaron Young - founder of Define Digital Academy, and one of the most trusted and popular voices on YouTube when it comes to paid search.Aaron walks us through his updated 2025 Google Ads Optimization Checklist - a practical, spreadsheet-based framework that breaks campaign management into clear, actionable steps using his unique S.T.A.B. method: • Spending & segmentation • Targeting • Ads & landing pages • BiddingWhether you’re managing Search, Shopping, PMax, Display, Demand Gen or YouTube campaigns, this checklist will help you eliminate guesswork, reduce wasted spend, and scale performance with confidence.Timestamps:0:00 - Intro + checklist overview1:53 - Aaron’s main PPC focuses3:31 - ‘Golden rule’ for Demand Gen + PMax6:36 - ‘Optimized targeting’ in Demand Gen8:26 - How to use the optimization checklist11:11 - Understanding the S.T.A.B method14:47 - How to prioritize ad optimization actions16:12 - How to operationalize & action ad optimizations18:57 - Actions you shouldn’t overlook20:01 - Additional tips to enhance ad optimization 22:41 - How to identify & action additional optimizations27:53 - Final thoughts / outroPrefer watching over listening? Subscribe to Lunio's YouTube channel to get full-length video episodes:https://www.youtube.com/@lunio.aiGet more free PPC tools, webinars, and resources at:https://www.lunio.ai/resource-library