In the past, you could profit from dirt-cheap advertising online.

Most of those arbitrage opportunities have dried up. 

Sure, it’s still possible to find email newsletters where you can negotiate for sponsorships ads or get good prices on niche websites/blogs. 

But those ads are risky. Each newsletter or website is a test in and of itself.  

Some can pay off big while others are like throwing money into a black hole. 

And good independent ad sources are often limited in a market. 

So, most people default to buying ads from the 800lb gorillas like Google and Facebook. 

On Google, I have clients running both tiny niche campaigns and those with large monthly ad budgets. 

There used to be a whole bag of ‘tricks’ you could use to minimize your cost per click. 

Of course, there are still ways to maximize your results. For example, even though Google discourages it, you can run highly targeted exact match campaigns on buyer intent keywords and run placements on Youtube ads. 

You can test different ads, calls-to-action, and offers. You can split test your landing pages. You can create more engaging videos for Youtube ads. 

But Google is doing everything they can to ‘equalize’ the playing field. 

Today phrase match is closer to what broad match used to be. 

Google’s bots automatically suggest additional ads. 

They recommend new keywords, always broad, to maximize their own revenue. And because of this, even if you’re targeting a specific exact match phrase, you’re going to be bidding in the same auction against all those big companies running broad match. 

Google has also pushed PerformanceMax campaigns down our throat for the past few years.   

I hated those campaigns initially, because you’re giving up almost all your control to Google. You provide headlines, descriptions, images, sitelinks, callouts, etc. and the conversions you want to track. Then you let Google go to town for you. 

But now some of our best performing campaigns are PerformanceMax.  

Bonus Tip: Study the insights on your PF campaigns because they reveal the best performing keywords, the demographics most likely to convert, audience segments, and ad copy that you can use in your other ads as well. 

Because Google uses all this automation to expand your ad’s reach (and increase the auction price for their ad inventory), it means you and your competitors are showing to the same audience. 

Your unique promises and your irresistible offers are your core leverage. 

Knowing your customers is key. 

Customers will see your fiercest competitors side-by-side with you.  

How will you stand out in an ultra-competitive environment like that? 

Often the real difference comes after the click…and after the first sale. 

You’re doing well if you’re breaking even on the frontend. 

It’s about maximizing the lifetime value of each customer. 

That means your messaging must be on point.  

One of my clients promotes an annual membership through Google Ads. 

His real profits aren’t even in the first year. 

His game is about retention…which means delivering on the promise, getting customers to stick, and keeping them long-term. 

This is why I emphasize the importance of creating clear, persuasive messages with impact

You need a website that stands out in an ocean of me-too competitors.

You must communicate consistently with your prospects and customers. 

And you need to connect with them on a deeper, more emotional level.

That’s where my proven Golden Glove Persuasion Map™ comes into play.

It gives you a proven step-by-step system to create high-converting websites, videos, emails, and more.


Terry Dean
Terry Dean

Terry Dean has been in full-time internet business since 1996 and has helped thousands of entrepreneurs get started online through his articles and products. He lives in Ocala, Florida with his wife and 2 dogs. Find out more about how his book How to Sell Without Selling on Amazon today.