Ads for Breakfast

The ledger

Thirty-three posts, newest first, with the number each one turns on. If a row's figure doesn't hold up in your account, that's the email I want.

2026

21 posts
20% lower CPCs Essay 20 Jul 2026 CSS partners for Google Shopping: 20% off your CPCs Same ad, same position, roughly 20% less per click. Where that margin comes from, and how you move off the default. 20 Jul 2026 · 7 min 7 min 3.33 break-even ROAS, 30% margin Essay 20 Jul 2026 How to calculate ROAS: the formula, break-even and why POAS matters The same ROAS of 4 is profit for one shop and a loss for the next. Work out your break-even before you set a target. 20 Jul 2026 · 8 min 8 min 1 in 10 accounts Essay 17 Jul 2026 Performance Max: when it works — and when it doesn't Set-and-forget works in about one account in ten. What the tenth has that the other nine don't: a shopping feed. 17 Jul 2026 · 7 min 7 min 4 consent signals Essay 16 Jul 2026 Consent Mode v2 setup: mandatory for your Google Ads data Four signals decide whether Google sees your conversions at all. The CMPs I actually use, and the test step everyone skips. 16 Jul 2026 · 7 min 7 min <30 min per new ad network Essay 15 Jul 2026 Setting up the LinkedIn Insight Tag via GTM — step by step Partner ID in, All Pages on — then hang the conversions off the triggers your Google Ads tags already fire on. 15 Jul 2026 · 7 min 7 min 100% of setups need a page ping Essay 14 Jul 2026 Enhanced conversions: a setup guide for Google Ads and GTM Hashed form data buys back conversions your tracking loses — but only if the page itself still fires the first ping. 14 Jul 2026 · 7 min 7 min 1 UET tag per account Essay 12 Jul 2026 Bing conversion tracking: the UET tag, step by step Same tags, same triggers, a worse interface. One UET tag per account, then a goal for every conversion you already track. 12 Jul 2026 · 7 min 7 min Essay 11 Jul 2026 GA4 remarketing for Google Ads: wiring your audiences up properly Build the non-converter lists in GA4, staggered by recency — then the Data Manager link, without which none of them arrive. 11 Jul 2026 · 7 min 7 min <1 hour to a working pixel Essay 10 Jul 2026 Meta Pixel setup: step by step with GTM and the Conversions API The pixel takes under an hour. The Conversions API is the part that decides your data quality — three routes, in order. 10 Jul 2026 · 7 min 7 min €1,000 monthly ad budget, minimum Essay 9 Jul 2026 Server-side tracking with GTM: what it does and when it pays Adblockers and Safari quietly delete your conversions. What a tagging server fixes, and the budget where it starts to pay. 9 Jul 2026 · 7 min 7 min Essay 8 Jul 2026 Google Tag Manager for Google Ads: what your container needs Three blocks belong in every container; three more depend on your budget and market. What each one actually does. 8 Jul 2026 · 7 min 7 min Business 6 Jul 2026 Performance marketing pricing: the billing models in practice Fixed fee plus percentage, pay per lead, "no leads, no invoice" — and why a guarantee from outside your niche is a warning sign. 6 Jul 2026 · 7 min 7 min 90 days click-conversion window Essay 3 Jul 2026 Offline conversion import: optimise lead gen for real revenue Google only knows the click, never the close. Feed the CRM value back and bidding stops chasing form spam. 3 Jul 2026 · 8 min 8 min Business 30 Jun 2026 Google Ads freelancer instead of an agency: 7 reasons to switch Most companies don't leave over price. They leave over juniors, churn and answers that take days. 30 Jun 2026 · 8 min 8 min €700–2k a month, typical retainer Business 27 Jun 2026 What a Google Ads freelancer costs — and when it pays off Three ways a specialist bills you, and the one question that beats comparing rates: how much of it reaches your account. 27 Jun 2026 · 8 min 8 min 5x ROAS, a loss at 20% margin Essay 24 Jun 2026 E-commerce profit tracking: optimise for profit, not revenue 5x ROAS can still lose money on every unit. Send back contribution margin instead of revenue and the bidding follows. 24 Jun 2026 · 8 min 8 min Business 21 Jun 2026 Finding a Google Ads freelancer in DACH: the 5 criteria that matter What separates a senior specialist from an expensive generalist — and why wanting someone local isn't one of them. 21 Jun 2026 · 7 min 7 min €80/day for 2 conversions a day Essay 18 Jun 2026 What does Google Ads really cost — and what daily budget do you need? The click price answers nothing. CPC divided by your conversion rate gives the CPA, and the daily budget follows. 18 Jun 2026 · 7 min 7 min 65% optimisation score Essay 15 Jun 2026 The 5 lies Google Ads tells you — what I only saw as an ex-Googler Optimisation score, auto-apply, the free strategy call. Five defaults that grow Google's revenue, not yours. 15 Jun 2026 · 9 min 9 min €5,000 job, counted as one click Essay 10 Jun 2026 Call tracking: do you know which call really came from Google? The phone lead is the most valuable one and the most invisible. How dynamic numbers close the gap. 10 Jun 2026 · 8 min 8 min 15 min to an answer Essay 9 Jun 2026 Conversion tracking health check: 15 minutes to know if Google Ads measures properly Eight checks you can run yourself, no developer. The honest one: yesterday's real enquiries against what Google reports. 9 Jun 2026 · 9 min 9 min

2025

11 posts
120 clients Talk 1 Dec 2025 Million Dollar Clicks: digital ads that deliver — my Nomad Fest talk Nomad Fest 2025: the three pillars behind campaigns that bring money in — tracking, structure, scaling. 1 Dec 2025 · 7 min 7 min Talk 15 Nov 2025 GTM tracking live setup: Google Tag Manager and GA4, step by step A real container built live with Chris Cerra — dataLayer, GA4 events, enhanced conversions, debugging. 15 Nov 2025 · 8 min 8 min €1m ad budget managed Talk 15 Nov 2025 Million Dollar Clicks — the ads mastermind on Nomad Cruise NC15 A working session, not a slide marathon: what a million euros of managed budget teaches you about profit. 15 Nov 2025 · 5 min 5 min 7 in 10 split tests the ugly ad won Talk 20 Oct 2025 Why ugly ads outperform expensive productions Phone video and screenshots beat studio productions in most split tests. Why, and five formats to copy. 20 Oct 2025 · 7 min 7 min 6 tags in the container Template 10 Apr 2025 GTM template: funnel step tracking in GA4 — free download Six funnel steps as GA4 custom events, tags and triggers already built. Push the dataLayer events and drop-off shows up. 10 Apr 2025 · 5 min 5 min 5 tags in the container Template 20 Mar 2025 GTM template: Consent Mode v2 for Webflow with Finsweet For Webflow sites on Finsweet's cookie banner: Consent Mode v2 in advanced mode. Import it and it runs, nothing left to fill in. 20 Mar 2025 · 6 min 6 min 7 vars in the container Template 5 Mar 2025 GTM template: Perspective funnel tracking with Google Ads & GA4 Perspective funnels already collect email and phone. This wires them into Google Ads as conversions, hashed and enhanced. 5 Mar 2025 · 5 min 5 min 12 tags in the container Template 15 Feb 2025 GTM template: lead-gen container with enhanced conversions For lead-gen sites: phone and email clicks, form submits, enhanced conversions. It also catches copied numbers. 15 Feb 2025 · 6 min 6 min 2 tags in the container Template 1 Feb 2025 GTM template: track Calendly bookings as GA4 events Calendly sends GA4 nothing. A postMessage listener fixes that, plus the one condition that stops widget views counting as bookings. 1 Feb 2025 · 4 min 4 min 18 vars in the container Template 20 Jan 2025 GTM template: WordPress e-commerce tracking with GTM4WP & GA4 GTM4WP fills the dataLayer and nothing picks it up. This is the missing GTM half: one GA4 event tag, 18 variables. 20 Jan 2025 · 5 min 5 min 13 vars in the container Template 10 Jan 2025 GTM template: Shopify conversion tracking with Google Ads Shopify's own tracking isn't enough for Google Ads. Purchase conversions, enhanced conversions and remarketing, via a custom pixel. 10 Jan 2025 · 5 min 5 min