Stop touching bids first. It makes you feel productive. It keeps you stuck. B...
By Elizabeth Greene · February 3, 2026 · Curated by George's Blog
Stop touching bids first.
It makes you feel productive.
It keeps you stuck.
Bids are a multiplier.
They are not a diagnostic tool.
Here’s the exact order we run.
Every single week.
Step 1: Read the scoreboard
Sales.
Spend.
TACoS.
Ad CVR.
Week over week.
Not day to day.
Step 2: Find the driver SKU
Not the campaign.
Not the keyword.
The SKU.
That’s where reality lives.
Step 3: Label the problem
Traffic problem:
Impressions down.
CTR stable.
CVR stable.
Ads moves:
Expand reach with intent.
Shift budget to proven queries.
Fix the match type mix.
Conversion problem:
CTR okay.
CVR down.
Ads moves:
Open search terms.
Cut click-no-sale traffic.
Tighten to converting intent.
Mix / price problem:
Sales moved.
Ads didn’t.
Ads moves:
Reallocate to what still converts.
Stop funding dead velocity.
Step 4: Now touch bids.
With a reason.
If you adjust bids before this,
you’re guessing.
Question:
What moved this week?
Sales up or sales down?