When Best Practices Backfire: Aashna Makin’s Story
▼ Summary
– Aashna Makin shared a costly PPC mistake where excluding “meet up” as a negative keyword in a dating events campaign caused a sharp drop in leads and performance.
– She learned that blindly following best practices without considering the client’s unique context can be harmful and stresses the importance of understanding each industry.
– Aashna emphasizes owning mistakes immediately to build trust and accelerate recovery, rather than hiding errors from managers or clients.
– Common PPC pitfalls include landing page mismatches, outdated promotions, and over-reliance on automation, which require careful monitoring and structured testing.
– She believes discussing mistakes openly helps the PPC community grow, as hidden errors are damaging but shared ones become valuable lessons for all.
Navigating the complex world of paid advertising requires more than just following a checklist; it demands a deep understanding of each client’s specific needs and audience. This point was powerfully illustrated during a recent podcast conversation with Aashna Makin, a senior paid ads specialist with over eight years of experience managing multi-million dollar monthly campaigns. She shared a candid story about a time when rigidly applying a so-called “best practice” led directly to a significant performance drop.
Aashna recounted an early career error involving a dating events campaign. In an effort to refine targeting, she added “meet up” as a negative keyword. The impact was immediate and severe, leads plummeted and overall campaign performance tanked. Fortunately, a client success manager identified the problem quickly. Rather than making excuses, Aashna took full responsibility. She promptly removed the negative keyword, which allowed the campaign to recover. This incident marked a pivotal shift in her professional approach to pay-per-click advertising.
The primary takeaway from this experience is that best practices aren’t universally applicable. Aashna learned that blindly adhering to industry norms without considering a client’s unique context can be counterproductive. She now invests considerable time understanding the specific industries she serves, ensuring her strategies align perfectly with client objectives and actual customer search behavior. She also emphasizes the critical importance of accountability, immediately informing managers or clients about errors builds trust and facilitates a faster resolution.
Beyond her personal story, Aashna identified several recurring issues she frequently encounters in PPC accounts. These include landing pages that don’t match ad messaging, outdated promotional offers still running in ads, and an over-dependence on automated tools. While she acknowledges the utility of checklists and automation, she cautions against surrendering complete control to platforms, particularly concerning ad copy and campaign architecture. She believes the real value in campaign management comes from diligent oversight, methodical testing, and a genuine sense of ownership, as if the advertising budget were your own money.
Reflecting on the broader industry, Aashna stressed why discussing failures openly is so vital. Many PPC specialists face similar challenges in isolation, and sharing these experiences helps the entire community advance. In her view, mistakes only become truly damaging when they are concealed; when shared, they transform into valuable lessons for everyone.
Ending the discussion on a lighter note, Aashna was asked what she would title the movie of her PPC career. She suggested “Answer the Universe,” explaining that in this field, you are constantly providing answers, to clients, to advertising platforms, and to the unforeseen obstacles that inevitably arise.
(Source: Search Engine Land)
