Posted on November 24, 2025 by Alex Rivera – Head of Paid Search at Patlopa Marketing
2026 is here, and most advertisers are still running 2022 playbooks. While they’re burning budget, our clients are hitting 68% lower cost-per-conversion and 12x+ ROI.
Here are the 7 strategies we’re using right now (and almost nobody is talking about… yet).
1. “Demand Capture + Demand Generation” in the Same Funnel
Forget splitting Search and Performance Max. The winning move:
- Performance Max captures existing demand (high-intent searches).
- The same campaign, with specific asset groups, creates new demand by pushing ads on YouTube Shorts and Discover to people who don’t even know they need you yet.
Real client result (e-commerce fashion brand): CPA dropped from $84 → $31 in 21 days.
(Insert image here: Funnel graphic showing one campaign covering Awareness → Consideration → Conversion)
2. First-Party Data + Customer Match 2.0 = Insane Match Rates
Google now lets you upload hashed phone + email + address in the same list. We’re seeing 92–97% match rates (up from 60–70% last year). That means your best customers see your ads first, everywhere. One SaaS client cut acquisition cost by 41% just by prioritizing Customer Match audiences.
(Insert image here: Screenshot of Google Ads audience manager showing 96% match rate)
3. Broad Match + Smart Bidding + Negative Keyword Sculpting
Yes, broad match actually works in 2026 — if you sculpt it right. We run broad match keywords with:
- Exact-match negative lists (updated weekly via script)
- RSA pinning for headline control
- Value-based bidding (not just tROAS)
Result? 40% more conversions at the same CPA.
4. Video Action Campaigns on Steroids (YouTube Shorts Only)
Forget long-form video ads. We build 7–15 second vertical Shorts with:
- Hook in first 1.5 seconds
- Price + offer on screen
- Direct “Shop Now” CTA
One local home-services client went from 8 leads/month to 87 in 30 days with $1,200 spend.
(Insert image here: Mobile mockup of a 9-second Shorts ad with price overlay and CTA button)
5. AI-Generated Responsive Search Ads (But Human-Edited)
We let Google’s AI write 50 headline variations, then:
- Keep the top 12 performers
- Pin the best 3 in positions 1–3
- Force emotional triggers (urgency, exclusivity, social proof)
Click-through rate jumped from 8.4% to 19.2% on a B2B campaign.
6. Predictive Audience Segments (The New “Similar Audiences” Killer)
Google killed Similar Audiences, but gave us something better: Predictive segments based on first-party data + Google’s 10B-signal model. We create segments like:
- “Likely to spend 3x average in next 7 days”
- “High LTV lookalikes”
One retail client saw +340% ROAS on these segments alone.
(Insert image here: Google Ads predictive audience dashboard with +340% ROAS badge)
7. Zero-Click Conversion Tracking (Yes, It’s Real)
Google now tracks conversions that happen without a click:
- User sees ad → visits site later via organic → converts
- Attribution window up to 90 days
We turned it on for a travel client. Reported conversions doubled overnight. Same spend. Same traffic. Just better tracking.
Your Move in 2026
Stop copying 2023 Reddit threads. Pick one of these strategies, test it this week, and watch your account transform.
Need help implementing any of these? Drop a comment or shoot us an email at admin@patlopa.com — we’ll review your account for free.
Let’s make 2026 the year you stop competing… and start dominating.
Alex Rivera Head of Paid Search – Patlopa Marketing
