Where profit leaks get fixed
You’re here because you’re probably tired of poor results, sound about right? Truthfully, most paid search accounts aren’t completely broken, they’re just badly built. Revenue looks okay, so does the dashboard data, but the gap between what goes out and what you actually keep gets thinner every month.
The problem is nearly always structural. It won’t show up in a ROAS number, just your bank account. We run both Google ads and Microsoft Ads for ecommerce brands where that gap has started to hurt. We find the leak, fix the build, and set targets based on what your business actually needs to work, not what Google reckons you should spend.
WHAT WE DO BEST
Google Ads
At The Ad Lounge, we’re all about getting your brand noticed with Google Ads. From Performance Max to Paid Search campaigns, we’ll build the right strategy to drive profitable results for your business. Whether it’s driving efficiency or capturing headroom, we build Google Ads campaigns that work for your business. We’ll handle the details, making sure everything is optimised for success and we’ll always run things by you before going live.
Feed Optimisation
The Ad Lounge is a paid search agency that really focuses on feed optimisation. We optimise everything including titles, custom labels, attributes, product details and more to ensure your products get noticed. It’s all about making your feed work harder, bringing in those clicks, and turning browsers into buyers. We’ll fine-tune every detail, so your products pop in Google Shopping. No stress, just more sales.
Microsoft Ads
At The Ad Lounge, we’ve got Microsoft Ads covered. We’ll optimise your campaigns to make sure they hit the right audience with the right message. From targeting tweaks to ad copy that converts, we ensure your Microsoft Ads are on point, delivering results that matter and not just importing from Google ads. We’ll fine-tune every aspect to make sure your ads stand out on the Search Engine Results Page (SERP) and drive more opportunities for clicks and sales.
International Growth Expansion
Looking to expand into another country? We help brands grow into new markets with Paid Search strategies built for each region, without taking anything away from your current market.
From localised campaigns and feed optimisation to cross market reporting, we’ve helped brands grow across the UK, US, UAE and beyond. We know what works and how to make it profitable.
Hear From Our Clients
Richard Pink Boutique & Rowen HomesA pleasure to work with Cam and the team successfully managed our paid search channels, providing both growth and efficiency across the campaigns. A pleasure to work with, they really felt part of our team rather than an external agency and are clearly passionate about what they do for their customers.
Anna OreliaOur brand have worked with Sarah on paid search for years. We’ve always loved how passionate she is, and all of the ideas and insight she has brought to the table. We followed her to The Ad Lounge after working with her at a different agency, and now we have the added benefit of Cam too. They’ve helped restructure our ad account and get it to a really positive place, and the numbers are looking great. They’re super hands on, responsive, and knowledgeable. Thank you both!
Alice Fahey GroupWorking with The Ad Lounge has been an absolute blast! They’re friendly and genuinely fun to work with.
Their creativity and marketing insights have made a real difference to our company, they just get it and they get results.
Highly recommend them if you’re looking for an agency that’s as invested in your success as they are in keeping things fun.
What Makes Us Different?
We go beyond the ad account
It’s not just about managing your Paid Search (PPC) campaigns, it’s about making the whole journey connect. We’ll tell you if your landing page needs work, what creative will actually grab attention and how to streamline the user journey so interest turns into paying customers.
We focus on profitability
We don’t chase vanity metrics. We build Paid Search (PPC) campaigns optimised to your margins, and long term business growth. Unsure of your margins? Our ad profit calculator can do the heavy lifting for you so take a peek.
We get to know your competition
We study your competitors, your industry, and what it takes for your brand to stand out. That way, we’re not just keeping up, we’re keeping you ahead.
Experienced people only.
The people you meet are the ones working on your account. No layers of management or senior managers that dip, just people that are here to stay and understand your business inside and out.
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FAQs
How do you approach paid search for ecommerce brands differently?
Most agencies optimise paid search accounts around platform efficiency metrics. We structure them around commercial efficiency.
There’s a huge difference.
A campaign showing a 6 ROAS can still be commercially weak if:
- branded search is inflating performance
- PMAX is cannibalising existing demand
- high return products dominate spend
- contribution margin is poor
- customer acquisition costs are increasing
- payback windows are extending
We build paid search strategies around:
- blended MER
- contribution margin
- product level economics
- new customer acquisition
- inventory pressure
- cash flow tolerance
- payback periods
The ad account should support the business model and overcome challenges.
How do you stop paid search becoming overly reliant on brand traffic?
This is one of the biggest issues we see in ecommerce.
Many brands think search is scaling well when revenue growth is actually being driven by:
- existing customer demand
- branded Shopping traffic
- PMAX matching branded queries
- organic demand capture
We separate and analyse:
- brand vs non brand intent
- new vs returning customers
- Shopping query quality
- Shopping feed titles and ongoing management
- new customer acquisition trends
- incremental search growth
The goal is understanding whether paid search is genuinely acquiring demand or simply harvesting it.
How do you think about incrementality within paid search?
Not all search revenue is incremental. A lot of ecommerce accounts quietly over credit paid search for conversions that likely would have happened anyway through:
- organic search
- direct traffic
- existing brand awareness
- returning customers
We look at:
- branded dependency
- impression share strategy
- geographic expansion
- query intent quality
- new customer mix
- blended channel impact
The objective is understanding where paid search is truly driving growth versus where it’s simply capturing existing intent.
How do you approach profitability within paid search?
ROAS alone is not a profitability metric so if you’re being told that, push back.
We model paid search performance against:
- gross margin
- fulfilment costs
- shipping
- return rates
- payment processing fees
- discounting
- repeat purchase behaviour
- payback windows
That allows us to understand:
- allowable CAC
- breakeven ROAS
- scaling tolerance
- profitable budget ceilings
A lower ROAS campaign can often produce significantly stronger commercial outcomes than a higher ROAS campaign once business economics are factored in.
Do you optimise paid search differently for high AOV brands?
Completely differently.
Higher AOV ecommerce brands normally require:
- longer consideration windows
- more search touch points
- stronger brand reinforcement
- tighter geographic prioritisation
- lower volume, higher intent search coverage
- more aggressive impression share protection
You can’t manage luxury jewellery, premium furniture and low ticket fashion using the same search strategy.
The economics behave differently.
How important are CAC payback windows in paid search?
Extremely important, especially for ecommerce brands scaling aggressively.
A lot of businesses focus entirely on ROAS while ignoring how long it actually takes to recover acquisition costs.
Two brands can both run at a 4 ROAS, but behave completely differently commercially depending on:
- gross margin
- repeat purchase rate
- fulfilment costs
- refund rates
- payment terms
- inventory cycles
We model paid search around CAC payback periods to understand:
- how quickly ad spend is recovered
- how much cash is tied up during scaling
- whether acquisition is genuinely sustainable
- how aggressively budgets can increase safely
This becomes particularly important for brands carrying large amounts of inventory or operating on tighter cash flow.
How do you approach paid search differently for businesses with tighter cash flow?
Aggressive scaling is not always the commercially correct decision.
For brands with tighter working capital constraints, we often prioritise:
- faster payback acquisition
- higher intent search coverage
- margin protected product segmentation
- geographic efficiency
- reduced low quality volume expansion
- tighter query governance
- controlled PMAX scaling
The objective is building acquisition systems that recycle cash back into the business predictably rather than maximising attributed revenue at all costs.
This is particularly important for ecommerce brands operating with:
- high inventory exposure
- seasonal purchasing cycles
- lower repeat purchase rates
- larger fulfilment liabilities
- supplier prepayment requirements
Paid search should strengthen operational stability, not compromise it.