Something I keep running into on audits:
By elizabeth-greene-junglr · September 18, 2026 · Curated by George's Blog
Something I keep running into on audits:
the non-branded ACoS has never been pulled out separately.
They know their blended number cold. 12%.
They'll tell you that before you ask.
But split the search terms into branded and non-branded and the non-branded side is often running triple that.
The account feels stuck even though the dashboard says it's fine.
The way we check is boring.
Pull the search term report.
The keyword list will lie to you here, because branded terms sneak in through broad and phrase whether you meant them to or not.
Then add up spend on the terms that contain your brand name and look at that number on its own.
On the accounts where I've done this, the branded side is usually carrying a lot more of the spend than anyone
expected.
The blended 12% was real.
It was measuring how cheaply they could buy back shoppers who already knew the product.
You can run that for years and stay flat, and every report you get will look like a win.
So when you're looking at efficiency, honestly, ask which half of the spend it's coming from.
What's your non-branded ACoS sitting at right now, on its own?