If you work in PPC, your browser probably looks like this: twenty+ tabs open, Teams/Slack/Whatsapp messages and LinkedIn screaming “did you see the latest Google PMax update?!” and a calendar full of client calls.
It is what it is, the job is naturally chaotic. Between platform changes, shifting markets, and client demands, it feels like the ground is moving under our feet every single day. Most of us try to keep up by reading everything, following every expert on LinkedIn, and obsessively checking competitor ads.
But the truth is, reading everything is the fastest way to achieve nothing.
When you try to take in every single update, your attention gets spread so thin that you lose the ability to make a decision. You’re busy, but you’re not being strategic (aka laser focused on achieving a goal). You’re reacting to noise instead of driving the results your clients actually care about. To stay ahead, you need to stop indiscriminately consuming and start filtering.
The Foundation: The Incentive Goal
You cannot filter information if you don’t have a destination. In PPC, the platforms and the competition are always changing. If you don’t have a clear goal, you’ll feel forced to monitor everything just in case.
Before you open a single industry blog, ask yourself one question: Do I know what my client’s priorities are for this quarter?
If you can’t articulate exactly what would make your client see you as an indispensable strategic partner, you need to stop reading and start asking. Without a goal, a Google Ads update is just news. With a goal, it’s either a tool to help you win or a distraction you can safely ignore. The goal is your filter.
Mapping the Information
Once you know the goal, you can categorise the information you actually need. You don’t need to know everything, you just need to stay on top of the areas that impact spend efficiency and effectiveness.
- Platform Updates: (The How) How are they bidding? How are they finding customers? This is the core of our job.
- Market Information: (The Who) What are the competitors doing? How are consumer trends shifting?
The Process: From Passive Reading to Active Study
To prevent overwhelm, you need a process that dictates when you dig into the research. If you try to do it 24/7, you’ll be paralysed and won’t know what’s worth implementing first. You also run the risk of seeming scattered as opposed to focused.
I propose setting aside a specific block of time to study. For example, two hours every Friday for platform updates. This isn’t scrolling time, it’s study time. I also suggest setting your Teams status to DND to allow for deep focus (provided you don’t have urgent last minute projects you’re working on).
The Highlighting Method
When you find articles from sources like PPC Live, Search Engine Land, or PPC Hub, save them as PDFs. As you read, highlight interesting information using two colours to force your brain to form an opinion on the utility of the info:
- Blue Highlighting: (Tactical) This is for information directly relevant to your client and their goals right now. These are tactics you should consider presenting or testing immediately. Make a note of them in a spreadsheet or task management tool like Asana and commit to following up on further research or implementation.
- Yellow Highlighting: (Interesting) This is for info that is good to know but not immediately useful. Store it for later. This information might not be directly relevant, but will deepen your knowledge of the wider advertising ecosystem.
This simple act takes you out of a passive reading mode and puts you in an active mode. It helps you commit the info to memory and builds your mental filter to help you determine what actually matters.
Setting a Realistic Cadence
Consistency beats intensity. Use SMART goals to measure if you’re actually staying on top of the right things:
- Bi-Weekly: Scan for platform updates. This is the minimum to ensure you don’t miss a critical change in how ads are served.
- Weekly: Check competitor trends and auction insights.
- Monthly: Review broader consumer trends and market shifts.
It is important to remember that your specific cadence depends entirely on your industry, your capacity, and what works for your routine. While the timing is subjective and flexible, the act of keeping your finger on the pulse and filtering that information is not.
The Result: Becoming a Strategic Partner
The goal of this system is to make sure you aren’t just the person who manages the ads. By using processes and filters, you ensure that every piece of information you retain is tied to your client’s success.
When you stop trying to read everything, you finally have the mental space to act on the things that actually move the needle.
