🎙 Introducing the PPC Ponderings Podcast 🎙

Listen on Google Podcasts.
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We're delighted to share with you our first podcast episode, and we thought we'd start it off with a bang.

In my book, I start the first chapter by talking about the PPC Keyword. Really, I sing its praises.

But the purpose of this podcast, is to look at assumptions, best practices, and philosophies of PPC (especially around the theme of my PPC Ponderings book chapters), and question whether we should still see them the way we did in the past.

In this episode, we look at the evolution of the keyword by interviewing three brilliant guests, and thinking through what the keyword is, how it has changed, and how we should think about its place in PPC moving forward.

You'll be challenged, and possibly a little perturbed at times, but hopefully it will make you think.

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🎙 Episode 1 is finally here! 🎙

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EPISODE 1 GUESTS

Aaron Levy of Tinuiti
Amy Bishop of Cultivative Marketing
Brad Geddes of Adalysis

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EPISODE 1 RESOURCES

‍The concerning future of the resilient keyword - Article on Search Engine Land

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🎙Episode 2 - PPC Pondering Podcast - Attribution Concerns & Pitfalls

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Listen on Google Podcasts.
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The next main episode of our PPC Ponderings Podcast is out, and it's a big one! Well, not in terms of length. After putting dozens of hours of interviewing and editing and producing into it, we ended up with a tight 30 minutes. We mean, big in terms of topic and questions.

Attribution is something we need to understand better, so in this episode, we interview four PPC/Analytics experts on what attribution is, and then I (Kirk) discuss my ponderings on digital marketing attribution I think need to be weighed into anyone's understanding of attribution.

Because of the length of the topic, we decided to spread out our four guest interviews across two separate episodes.This first episode focuses primarily on questions and concerns with attribution that should be kept in mind, while the next core episode will take a look at how we can practically use attribution in our PPC accounts. Just like in my book full of various PPC Ponderings, we'll start with the philosophy, and then move to the practical.

Huge thanks to our four guests for the next two episodes (and stay tuned for their full interviews to be released as bonus episodes over the next few weeks):

Amanda Farley - AimClear
Heather Aeder - Seer Interactive
Mike Ryan - SMEC
Nechama Teigman - AdVenture Media

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🎙 Episode 2 on Attribution is here! 🎙

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EPISODE 2 GUESTS

Amanda Farley - AimClear
Heather Aeder - Seer Interactive
Mike Ryan - SMEC (Smarter Ecommerce)
Nechama Teigman - AdVenture Media

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EPISODE 2 RESOURCES

These aren't the only resources we used for this show, but they're helpful ones we wanted to share.

The History and Future of Marketing Attribution on Digital Marketing Institute
The new dot com bubble is here: it’s called online advertising on The Correspondent
Digital advertising is not the dot com bubble, improper attribution is on MarTech
Modeling marketing attribution on DBT
As Big Tech Squares Off, Ad Measurement Is A Familiar Weapon on AdExchanger

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🎙Episode 3 - PPC Pondering Podcast - Beginner's Guide to PPC Attribution Models

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This episode is purposefully geared towards the PPC Newb or Student.

In this brief (seriously, it's only 15 minutes long) Class 101 on Digital Attribution, Kirk & his four returning guests, takes a look at the attribution models that can be used in PPC and when they can/should be used.

This isn't an advanced episode, but you might learn something anyway, and as usual... we hope you enjoy the production quality!

Heck, even better, please share this with those you know just getting into PPC as they contemplate the potential models out there and how to think about using them. It may be just the bite-sized introduction to digital attribution models that a PPC intern needs to hear as they learn their craft from you, the expert.

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Listen on Google Podcasts.
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Big thanks to our four guests for these two attribution episodes, and make sure to listen to their full interviews to dig into attribution more deeply:

EPISODE 3 GUESTS

Amanda Farley - AimClear
Heather Aeder - Seer Interactive
Mike Ryan - SMEC (Smarter Ecommerce)
Nechama Teigman - AdVenture Media

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EPISODE 3 Resources

The Complete Guide to Direct Traffic in Google Analytics by Tom Bennet on Moz
What’s the best attribution model For PPC? by Aaron Levy on Search Engine Land
Ponderings of a PPC Professional Book by Kirk Williams

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🎙 Episode 4 - The Supply Chain Crisis Explained. Why Did It Break, and How Did It Impact Ecommerce? - PPC Pondering Podcast

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Two years ago, the pandemic started a chain of events that would break the supply chain in various and sundry ways. The hits just kept (and still keep) coming, and in this episode, we dig into how this hit DTC brand owners and Ecommerce / Retail agency people. We'll look at what happened, why it happened, and how we can better prepare ourselves for continued supply chain difficulties.

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Listen on Google Podcasts.

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Episode Guests:

In this episode, we interview four people who deal with this on a daily basis:

Mike Beckham, CEO of Simple Modern
Elizabeth Marsten, Senior Director of Marketplace Services at Tinuiti
Sean McGinnis, President of KURU Footwear
Chris Johnson, Director of Strategy at Common Thread Collective

And, make sure to watch for each of these interviewee's individual episodes, as these were masterclasses in ecommerce, thinking far beyond the supply chain!

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Episode Resources:

Here is a list of resources we either consulted, or think would be helpful in continuing to inform your understanding of the things we discussed on the supply chain crisis.

Covid-19 Timeline by the CDC
Coronavirus: impact on U.S. e-commerce - statistics & facts by Statista
Ten Most Significant World Events in 2021 by the Council on Foreign Relations
Visual timeline of the day that changed everything: March 11 by ESPN

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China Power Issues

China’s Power Shortfalls Begin to Ripple Around the World by the Wall Street Journal (WSJ)
Twitter Thread on China Power Issues by Mike Beckham

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Supply Chain Disruption

Why the Pandemic Has Disrupted Supply Chains by the White House
How the Supply Chain Broke, and Why It Won’t Be Fixed Anytime Soon by the NYTimes (NYT)
Here’s Why Supply Chains Are So Broken—And Aren’t Really Getting Better by Forbes

Amazon’s 2020 Prime Day Is Full Of Unknowns. Here’s How Brands Are Approaching It. by Forbes
Biggest U.S. Retailers Charter Private Cargo Ships to Sail Around Port Delays by the WSJ
Twitter Thread on FBA Aggregator Struggles due to Supply Chain by Bill D'Alessandro
Retail Brands Gear Up For Second ‘Shippageddon’ by Forbes
‘Like a Third World country’: Gov. Newsom decries rail thefts amid push to beef up enforcement by LA Times

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Shipping Container

Where are all the containers? The global shortage explained by Hillebrand
FACT SHEET: Lowering Prices and Leveling the Playing Field in Ocean Shipping by the White House
Fewer boots, more slippers: How a shortage of shipping containers is changing what shows up on shelves by The Washington Post
The history of the metal box that’s wrecking the supply chain by Vox

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🎙 Episode 5 - Privacy, Security, & Digital Ecosystem Confusion - PPC Ponderings Podcast 🎙

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Let's throw caution to the wind and wade into the giant, legally confusing territory of digital privacy. In this episode, we talk with two privacy experts. While neither is an attorney (they both wanted us to point that out), both have extensive experience pondering the reality of digital privacy, as well as privacy's lesser known but more important sibling, digital security.

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Listen on Google Podcasts.

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We talk data rights, privacy definitions, and why the ecosystem that is the internet has to stop being ignored in this debate as zero-data enthusiasts push for increased legislation. How did Apple's iOS14.5 impact businesses and privacy? We'll hit these questions and more in this important episode.
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Episode Guests:

In this episode, we interview two people who deal with this on a daily basis:

Bethany Singer-Baefsky , Director of Privacy at iRobot
Simon Poulton, VP of Digital Intelligence at Wpromote

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And, make sure to watch for each of these interviewee's individual episodes, as these were masterclasses in privacy!

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Episode Resources:

Here is a list of resources we either consulted, or think would be helpful in continuing to inform your understanding of the things we discussed on the supply chain crisis.

Avast’s Shutdown of Jumpshot Will Harm the Web and the World by Rand Fishkin
Jumpshot Profile on Crunchbase
Avast CEO message on Jumpshot (January 2020)
Chris Johnson's Full Bonus Interview on ZATO
Follow Eric Seufert on Privacy Updates
John Oliver on Data Brokers by Last Week Tonight
What is GDPR?
American Data Privacy and Protection Act Bill Draft from the US Senate
What the FLoC is the Privacy Sandbox? by Kirk Williams

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Bonus Episodes - In-Depth Interviews with the Guests

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Listen to Amy Bishop's Bonus Episode

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Come listen to Amy and Kirk chat about her take on the keyword’s past, present, and future.

In this first bonus episode since our first core episode was released, we give you the full interview with Amy Bishop.

Amy was one of our guests on the first Ponderings episode, and we’re excited to share our full conversation here!

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If you haven't already, make sure to catch the first full length episode here: Episode 1 - The PPC Keyword, Past, Present, & Future

In this podcast, we are getting away from an interview approach, and come from more of an investigative journalism format. Enjoy!

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Guest Information

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Amy has built and implemented multichannel digital strategies for a variety of companies of all sizes from start-ups and small businesses to Fortune 500 and global organizations spanning several industry verticals. Her expertise includes e-commerce, lead generation, and localized site-to-store strategies. Amy owns Cultivative Marketing, a PPC agency. When not working, you can find her speaking at industry events across the US and Europe and talking shop on Twitter at @Hoffman8.

Subscribe To Amy's Newsletter (cultivativemarketing.com)

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Listen to Brad Geddes' Bonus Episode

Our next bonus episode of the PPC Ponderings Podcast is now live, and the amount of knowledge shared by our guest is remarkable!

Brad Geddes is the co-founder of Adalysis, has written one of the most trusted PPC books in existence, and is well-known for his insightful takes on PPC (since, ya know, he's been doing it longer than the rest of us!).

Come listen to Brad and Kirk chat about his take on the keyword’s past, present, and future. Brad goes into so much more detail than we had time to include on our original episode, so make sure you get the rest of his hot takes here.

Brad was one of our guests on the first Ponderings episode, and we’re excited to share our full conversation here!

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If you haven't already, make sure to catch the first full length episode here: Episode 1 - The PPC Keyword, Past, Present, & Future

In this podcast, we are getting away from an interview approach, and come from more of an investigative journalism format. Enjoy!

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Brad Geddes has been involved in PPC since 1998. He is a co-founder of AdAlysis, a PPC recommendation engine. Brad is the author of Advanced Google AdWords, the most advanced book ever written about Google's advertising program.

Brad has worked with many of the world's leading companies in managing and perfecting their PPC management and workflows.

One of his trademarks has been demystifying the complicated aspects of SEM. Not one to hold secrets, Brad prefers to educate marketers on the various aspects of crafting successful marketing campaigns to ensure the success for all parties involved.

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Listen to Aaron Levy's Bonus Episode

Our bonus episode of the PPC Ponderings Podcast is now live!

Come listen to Aaron and Kirk chat about his take on the keyword’s past, present, and future. In this episode, Aaron challenges many preconceptions about the role of the keyword as Google changes things in the PPC world (ready or not), and whether you agree or disagree vehemently with Aaron, you won't help but be challenged to think more about the changing nature of the PPC Keyword.

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If you haven't already, make sure to catch the first full length episode here: Episode 1 - The PPC Keyword, Past, Present, & Future

In this podcast, we are getting away from an interview approach, and come from more of an investigative journalism format. Enjoy!

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Aaron Levy is the Head of Paid Search at Tinuiti. He has developed strategies for clients ranging from F500 beasts & internationally recognized retailers, fast-growth Series A startups, a few local plumbers, & regional adoption agencies here and there. Over his career he has overseen a few billion in media spend (yes, with a B). He's spent time in just about every channel online, from media buying and email campaigns to affiliate and beyond, but found his "home" in SEM (when he's not in his physical home of Philadelphia).

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Imputation, Predictive Models, and Emotions. Listen to Heather Aeder's Full Interview - PPC Ponderings Podcast

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Our next bonus episode of the PPC Ponderings Podcast is now live!

Come listen to Heather and Kirk chat about her take on attribution, statistics, imputation (what?! just listen to the episode...), emotional impact on attribution, and more. Whether you agree or disagree vehemently with Heather, you won't help but be challenged to think more about the the role of attribution in our digital marketing.

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If you haven't already, make sure to catch the first full length episode here: Episode 2 - Attribution Concerns & Pitfalls

In the PPC Ponderings Podcast core episodes, we depart from a more traditional "interview approach", and come from more of an investigative journalism format. Enjoy!

Heather is the VP of Analytics at Seer Interactive. She has over 20 years of experience in product and data & analytics as a statistician, health economist, digital analytics product manager, systems integrator and digital analytics consultant. Heather’s expertise spans both B2C and B2B marketing analytics, web analytics and attribution measurement. She has her BS in Mathematical Sciences from Clemson University and a MA in Economics from Duke University.

Outside of the office, Heather enjoys hiking, snowboarding, watching her daughters’ soccer games, and trying new recipes on her forgiving family. Heather is also the Co-Lead for the Salt Lake City Chapter of the Digital Analytics Association, the leading professional association for digital nerds.

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Shapley Models & Attributive Common Sense with Nechama Teigman Full Interview - PPC Ponderings Podcast

It's been awhile!

The Q4 holiday season is officially over and we're back to the podcast.

I'm really excited to share this next interview with you, because like the last one (Heather's, check it out here if you missed it: Imputation, Predictive Models, & Emotions in Attribution), it was with someone who taught me about attribution from beginning to end of the interview.

Grab some coffee so you can keep up (faster talker alert!), and ponder each and every word Nechama shares about attribution in this can't miss episode.

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In this episode, you'll hear the rest of the conversation Nechama and I had that we couldn't fit into our full Core episode on attribution as we all ponder digital attribution together.

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If you haven't already, make sure to catch the first full length episode here: Episode 2 - Attribution Concerns & Pitfalls

In the PPC Ponderings Podcast core episodes, we depart from a more traditional "interview approach", and come from more of an investigative journalism format. Enjoy!

Nechama Teigmna is the Senior Paid Search Data Analyst at AdVenture Media based in New York City.

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Mike Ryan on Google Predictive Models, Lookback Windows, and Directional Decision-Making - PPC Ponderings Podcast

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I'm excited to share this next interview with you, because I always enjoy chatting with my friend, Mike Ryan. If you haven't already, make sure to catch the first full length episode here: Episode 2 - Attribution Concerns & Pitfalls

One of the things I love about this conversation with Mike, is how clearly he thinks through ramifications of technology, as a pro-tech person working at a software company. Give this episode a list, and ponder not simply the attribution models that can be used in your Google Ads account, but the ramifications of utilizing them incorrectly... and the ramifications of Google making decisions in an increasingly black box world.

In this episode, you'll hear the rest of the conversation Mike and I had that we couldn't fit into our full Core episode on attribution as we all ponder digital attribution together.

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Article Mike References in the post: Want to improve your measurement? Get a grip on incrementality

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Mike Ryan is Portfolio Strategist at Smarter Ecommerce (smec). Mike combines years of retail operations experience with expertise in digital marketing to deliver insights with a bias toward business outcomes rather than campaign outcomes. Mike has additional experience in data visualization, automation technology, and leading innovation projects.

Catch Mike on Twitter or LinkedIn.

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Amanda Farley on Attribution & the Client - PPC Ponderings Podcast

Our final guest interview bonus episode on attribution is up! Be watching for our second (and final) Core episode on Attribution to go live before move on to the next ponderings topic.

In this episode, you'll hear the rest of the conversation Amanda and I had that we couldn't fit into our full Core episode on attribution as we all ponder digital attribution together. If you haven't already, make sure to catch the first full length episode here: Episode 2 - Attribution Concerns & Pitfalls

You'll enjoy this conversation with Amanda, because she so clearly keeps the client in mind as she discussed the ramifications of utilizing attribution correctly. Her agency heart comes out in a great way as she strives to balance Google best practices with client expectations. Give this episode a list, and ponder the attribution models that can be used in your Google Ads account and how they may influence your clients.

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Train Robberies, Shipping Conglomerates, and Giving Your Employees Purpose with Mike Beckham - PPC Ponderings Podcast

What do water bottles, train robberies, inventory management, 7x increases in shipping containers, employee purpose and the great job exit, have to do with one another? They're all topics of today's fascinating conversation with Simple Modern CEO, Mike Beckham. From Mike's first reactions to Covid, to his company's purpose and how that translates into keeping employees around, you won't want to miss this next interview!As a reminder, Mike was interviewed in our last Core episode on the Supply Chain crisis, so if you haven't caught that one yet, make sure to give it a listen!

I'm excited to share this next interview with you, because Mike schools us all on inventory businesses and the challenges of the supply chain. If you haven't already, make sure to catch the first full length episode here: The Supply Chain Crisis Explained. Why Did It Break, and How Did It Impact Ecommerce? - PPC Pondering Podcast - Ep 4

In this episode, you'll hear the rest of the conversation Mike and I had that we couldn't fit into our full Core episode on attribution as we all ponder digital attribution together.

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Mike Beckham is co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Simple Modern, a leading producer of premium drinkware and lifestyle products. Founded in 2015 and based in Oklahoma, Simple Modern currently generates a nine-figure annual revenue and is committed to generosity, donating at least 10% of annual profits to nonprofit organizations. Under Mike’s leadership, the company has grown into a category leader for Amazon, Target, and Sam’s Club. In addition, Simple Modern will be launching in Walmart stores nationwide in spring 2022.

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Prior to founding Simple Modern, Mike spent over a decade working for the worldwide Christian ministry CRU. Equipped with a deep understanding of the nonprofit sector, Mike transitioned into the business world and helped found and operate several e-commerce businesses, which cumulatively generated more than $1 billion in revenue. Mike graduated with a degree from the University of Oklahoma Price College of Business, where he currently serves as the senior entrepreneur-in-residence.

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Follow Mike:

Twitter: @mikebeckhamsm
LinkedIn: Mike Beckham
Blog: mikebeckhamblog.com

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Prepping for Worst Case Scenarios, Should Manufacturing Move to the US and More with Sean McGinnis of KURU Footwear - PPC Ponderings Podcast

There is a reason Sean McGinnis has moved up to President in a very short time at KURU Footwear. With a quick-wit and quicker brain, Sean tells us of KURU's handling of the Pandemic response, supply chain issues, inflation, and even iOS14.5. You'll hear about prepping your own brand for worst case scenarios and more in this valuable bonus episode.

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As a reminder, Sean was interviewed in our last Core episode on the Supply Chain crisis, so if you haven't caught that one yet, make sure to give it a listen first. The Supply Chain Crisis Explained. Why Did It Break, and How Did It Impact Ecommerce? - PPC Pondering Podcast - Ep 4

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In today's bonus episode, you'll hear the rest of the conversation Sean and I had that we couldn't fit into our full Core episode on attribution as we all ponder digital attribution together.

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Sean McGinnis is President and Integrator at KURU Footwear a direct-to-consumer shoe brand that makes stylish shoes for foot pain.

Sean has been a digital marketing leader and business executive since 2006 and has led customer acquisition and lead gen for Fortune 50 and Startup companies across a wide breadth of products and services.

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Follow Sean:

Twitter: @seanmcginnis
LinkedIn: Sean McGinnis

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Cause You Know It's All About That Retail (Media) - Elizabeth Marsten PPC Ponderings Podcast Bonus Interview

In this episode, we pick the big brain of Tinuiti's Senior Director of Strategic Marketplace Services: Elizabeth Marsten.

I've (Kirk) known Elizabeth for years back when we both dug into Google Shopping (we even co-presented one of the greatest presentations of all time in our "Fantastic Feeds and How to Mind Them"), and now she's gone over to the dark side of retail media. Or the light side.

However you look at it, retail media is here to stay and there's nobody better to think it through than Elizabeth.

Crank this episode up while waiting for your Target Pickup, but don't forget to listen to the Core episode on the Supply Chain crisis first. As a reminder, Elizabeth was interviewed in our last Core episode on the Supply Chain crisis, so if you haven't caught that one yet, make sure to give it a listen first. The Supply Chain Crisis Explained. Why Did It Break, and How Did It Impact Ecommerce? - PPC Pondering Podcast - Ep 4

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In today's bonus episode, you'll hear the rest of the conversation Elizabeth and I had that we couldn't fit into our full Core episode on attribution as we all ponder digital attribution together.

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Elizabeth is the Senior Director of Strategic Marketplaces Services at Tinuiti, where she works with teams in advancing cross-functional strategic enterprise services through partner development, advertising and sales support on retail media channels, such as Walmart, Target, Instacart, Kroger, Criteo Retail Media and more. With more than 15 years of ecommerce and digital marketing experience, Elizabeth is a noted industry expert and has spoken at many of the leading marketing conferences in North America and is also a regular contributor to AdWeek on retail media.

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Follow Chris:

Twitter: @ebkendo
LinkedIn: Elizabeth Marsten

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Do You Know The Difference Between Digital Privacy & Digital Security? Simon Poulton Interview - PPC Ponderings Podcast Bonus Episode

In this bonus interview with Simon Poulton of WPromote, we go deeper into the concept of digital privacy, digital security, user permission, GDPR, and how this all impacted Simon's wedding day. Simon is Vice President of Digital Intelligence at Wpromote and oversees the Data Strategy & Marketing Science teams. He has worked with an array of global brands to guide their approaches to data-driven marketing including Forever 21, NBC Peacock & Whirlpool.

If you missed it, go listen to our Core episode on Privacy where Simon is one of the guests we interview as we ponder the deeper concepts of digital privacy, and how that specifically impacts digital advertising.

In today's bonus episode, you'll hear the rest of the conversation Simon and I had that we couldn't fit into our full Core episode on attribution as we all ponder digital privacy together.

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Simon Poulton is an experienced digital marketer with a passion for utilizing data to guide decisions. As the Vice President of Digital Intelligence at Wpromote, Simon oversees the Data Strategy & Marketing Science teams & has worked with an array of global brands to guide their approaches to data-driven marketing including Forever 21, NBC Peacock & Whirlpool.

In addition to his role at Wpromote, Simon frequently speaks at various digital marketing conferences on topics related to measurement & digital privacy and has been featured by the Wall Street Journal, Reuters, AdAge, FastCompany, AdWeek, Wired, Moz, Search Engine Land & more.

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Follow Simon:

Twitter: @SPoulton
LinkedIn: Simon Poulton

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It's All About User Consent - Digital Privacy Interview with Bethany Singer-Baefsky of iRobot

Speaking to the Director of Privacy and DPO at iRobot will teach you a thing or two. At least, that was my experience in this fascinating interview with Bethany Singer-Baefsky.

This interview will challenge what you thought you knew about digital privacy as Bethany schools us all on the complex nature of digital privacy and security. While you definitely want to take a listen, I can give you a hint as to the conclusion of this episode: privacy laws are complicated for a reason. People have different opinions about what consent and privacy actually are! Bethany helps us think through these things together in our final episode on digital privacy.

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Make sure to listen to this one with your pondering cap on, because there is a ton to think through! If you missed it, go listen to our Core episode on Digital Privacy & Security where Bethany is one of the guests we interview as we ponder the deeper concepts of digital privacy, and how that specifically impacts digital advertising.

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