The Ecommerce Playbook Podcast

Hosted ByTaylor Holiday & Richard Gaffin

2020 transformed the world of ecommerce forever. For the modern DTC brand, the rewards have never been greater. But the waters have also never been choppier, and the way forward has never been more uncertain. So how do you navigate this dangerous new reality? No matter how you do it, you’d better not do it alone. That’s where the Ecommerce Playbook Podcast comes in — join Common Thread Collective’s Taylor Holiday & Richard Gaffin as they bring you guiding insights from across CTC’s portfolio of growing DTC businesses. Whether you need a clear view on the macro issues affecting the world.

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The Ecommerce Playbook | Google Ads: CTC’s Complete Playbook

July 21, 2026 The Ecommerce Playbook Podcast 00:13:59
The Ecommerce Playbook Podcast
The Ecommerce Playbook Podcast
The Ecommerce Playbook | Google Ads: CTC's Complete Playbook
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Tony Chopp, VP of Paid Media at Common Thread Collective, breaks down CTC’s Google Ads Canon, the complete framework we use to turn Google into a true demand-harvesting machine for 7-9 figure ecommerce brands. Learn how to expand your search frontier beyond product queries, set incrementality-adjusted ROAS targets, and structure campaigns for maximum profitable growth.

In this episode:

  • Why Google is demand harvesting, not demand creation — and why that distinction changes everything

  • The four-quadrant search term framework: mapping competition vs. volume to find untapped intent

  • Expanding your search frontier into problem and use-case queries (the silicone ring example)

  • Landing page strategy: matching page intent to query intent, not defaulting to generic PDPs

  • The trifecta: smart bidding + broad match + responsive search ads

  • Incrementality-adjusted bidding: Google brand benchmark = 0.27 iROAS, non-brand = 0.6 iROAS

  • Six-campaign structure: Brand Search, Non-Brand Search, and PMax/Shopping split by acquisition vs. retention

  • Brand search defense strategy: when to bid aggressively and when to pull back

  • Feed optimization: complete attributes, optimized titles, daily updates, less than 10% disapproval rate

  • How Statlas normalizes iROAS across all channels for true apples-to-apples budget allocation

Key Stat: Google brand search has an average incrementality benchmark of 0.27 — meaning most of that attributed revenue would have happened anyway. Are you bidding against platform numbers or real incremental numbers?

Show Notes: