Amy Hebdon discusses the PPC decision that cost her a good client relationship

On episode 337 of PPC Live The Podcast, I speak to Amy Hebdon, an international paid search expert and founder of Paid Search Magic. The show focuses on the real stories behind paid media work, including mistakes, surprises, and lessons learned, rather than just tactical advice. Amy’s breadth of experience spans multiple industries and digital marketing disciplines, making her insights particularly valuable for marketers navigating complex campaigns.

Early career mistakes and learning experiences

Amy shares a formative experience early in her career managing a fitness client’s creative assets that were incompatible with Google Ads. Despite her intention to protect the account and comply with platform policies, her approach—particularly in a high-stakes meeting with leadership—led to friction with the creative team. She reflects that, while the decision was correct for the account, she could have handled the communication more tactfully to preserve relationships and maintain future collaboration.

Accountability and oversight in campaign management

Amy recounts another early mistake where she failed to manage a low-touch account after being temporarily assigned sole responsibility. The account ran inactive for several weeks due to an expired insertion order, highlighting the importance of personal accountability, proactive check-ins, and structured processes—even when managing seemingly minor campaigns. She notes that both her own oversight and the client’s lack of internal checks contributed to the problem.

Stakeholder management and communication

Throughout her stories, Amy emphasizes the importance of understanding stakeholders’ perspectives and managing relationships carefully. She reflects on how decisions that seem right from a tactical perspective can carry relational consequences, reinforcing the need for empathy, objectivity, and strategic communication when navigating conflicts or escalations.

Lessons on team support and leadership

Amy highlights the value of having a supportive team and managers who focus on shared objectives rather than blame. Effective leadership, she says, involves fostering collaboration, redistributing workload when needed, and creating an environment where mistakes can be acknowledged and corrected without fear. For managers, encouraging accountability and openness in their teams ensures both performance and professional growth.

Strategic focus over tactics

Amy stresses that paid media success requires a strategic mindset rather than purely tactical execution. Focusing only on bid settings or platform features often misses the broader goal of conversion optimization and audience alignment. She warns that even technically flawless campaigns can fail if they lack alignment with overall objectives, emphasizing the need to step back and evaluate strategy rather than just “chopping down the nearest tree.”

Navigating AI and automation in PPC

With AI increasingly integrated into digital marketing, Amy warns that over-reliance on automated outputs can be risky. AI may produce outputs that “feel” correct but lack accuracy, and marketers need a strong foundational knowledge to evaluate results critically. Strategy, judgment, and subject matter expertise remain essential for distinguishing meaningful insights from noise generated by automation.

Reflections and career philosophy

Amy concludes that mistakes are an inevitable and valuable part of a career in PPC. Distance over time allows marketers to contextualize errors, learn from them, and avoid being defined by them. She likens her career to “practical magic,” blending technical precision with strategic insight to achieve results, while acknowledging that true success requires both patience and methodical planning.