On this episode of PPC Reside The Podcast, I sit with Veronika Höller to unpack a real-world PPC mistake — from campaigns that regarded good on the floor to the deeper points that had been quietly killing efficiency.
From “good” campaigns to zero income
Veronika Holler didn’t stroll right into a damaged account. Fairly the other. Every part regarded proper — clear construction, sturdy creatives, strong budgets, conversions coming in. On paper, it was a high-performing PPC setup.
However there was one drawback: it wasn’t driving income.
That disconnect compelled a deeper look past surface-level metrics. As a result of whereas impressions, clicks and conversions had been ticking up, the campaigns weren’t truly delivering enterprise influence — and that’s the place issues began to unravel.
The actual concern: nothing stood out
The turning level didn’t come from contained in the account. It got here from wanting exterior it.
Throughout competitor analysis, Veronika realised the model sounded similar to everybody else. The messaging blended into the market. There was no clear purpose for a consumer to decide on them over rivals.
From a consumer perspective, the adverts weren’t improper — they had been simply forgettable. And in a crowded class, “good” isn’t sufficient.
That perception reframed your entire drawback: it wasn’t a efficiency concern. It was a positioning concern.
Beginning once more — from scratch
As an alternative of tweaking the prevailing campaigns, Veronika made a daring name: rebuild the whole lot.
That meant new messaging, new creatives, and a brand new strategic basis. One key shift was defining not simply ideally suited clients, but additionally who they didn’t wish to goal — utilizing anti-ICPs to sharpen the messaging.
In addition they launched stronger localisation, tailor-made touchdown pages by market, and platform-specific methods as a substitute of copying campaigns throughout channels.
It wasn’t optimisation. It was a reset. And it labored.
The error that just about broke the whole lot
However earlier in her profession, Veronika made a much more painful mistake — one which many PPC entrepreneurs will recognise.
She utilized a really useful goal CPA… with out growing the finances.
The consequence? Campaigns stopped delivering. Efficiency tanked. And worst of all, it went unnoticed over a weekend.
By Monday, the harm was clear — and the consumer was not comfortable.
Proudly owning the error — and fixing it quick
There was no hiding from it.
Veronika instantly admitted the error, defined what occurred, and took duty. That honesty modified the end result. Whereas the consumer was initially annoyed, the state of affairs de-escalated rapidly as a result of there was no deflection — only a clear plan to repair it.
The lesson caught: don’t blindly apply suggestions, and at all times perceive the total context earlier than making modifications.
Why failure is a part of getting good
For Veronika, errors aren’t one thing to keep away from — they’re important.
“You’ll be able to solely be good when you fail,” she mentioned.
That mindset now shapes how she works and the way she mentors others. Errors aren’t an indication of incompetence — they’re an indication that work is being carried out, examined, and improved.
And extra importantly, sharing these errors helps others keep away from repeating them.
The most important concern she nonetheless sees in the present day
Regardless of all of the modifications in PPC, one drawback retains displaying up: monitoring.
Damaged implementations, over-reliance on micro conversions, and poor setup in instruments like Google Tag Supervisor are nonetheless widespread.
In a world of sensible bidding and automation, unhealthy information doesn’t simply restrict efficiency — it actively misleads it.
With out clear monitoring, even the very best campaigns will fail.
AI received’t repair common advertising and marketing
Veronika is obvious on one factor: AI just isn’t a shortcut to raised efficiency.
If you happen to feed it common information, you’ll get common outcomes.
Too many entrepreneurs depend on AI instruments to analyse accounts with out first understanding what must be improved. However AI can’t create differentiation — it might solely optimise what’s already there.
Standing out nonetheless requires human considering, technique, and creativity.
The mindset that issues now
The most important takeaway isn’t tactical — it’s psychological.
Don’t goal for perfection. Don’t blindly observe suggestions. And don’t assume instruments will do the considering for you.
As an alternative, belief your instincts, take a look at your concepts, and settle for that errors are a part of the method.
As a result of in efficiency advertising and marketing, the true danger isn’t failing — it’s enjoying it protected and mixing in.
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