Why Google Ads Keeps Finding Bargain Hunters (And How to Fix It in 2026)

Sarah Stemen discusses the death of the discount and the importance of a value-first approach in paid search strategy. She emphasizes the shift from a sales and discount flywheel to a trust economy, highlighting the significance of consumer preferences, ad creative as targeting, and the role of generational behavior in PPC strategy. Sarah also provides insights on PPC budget allocation, value-first experimentation, and applying a value-first PPC strategy, along with a value-first ad creative checklist.

Takeaways

Value-first approachCreative as targeting

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Authority Declaration07:27 The Role of Creative Signals in PPC13:21 Applying Value-First PPC Strategy