What happens when the world’s biggest ad platform in the world starts hiding the receipts?

In this episode of The Skeptical Marketer, Jake sits down with Ed Leake, founder of God Tier Ads and one of the world’s leading Google Ad’s experts and trainers, to get under the hood of how Google Ads is working in the wild. Ed’s seen it all: the wins, the faceplants, and the dashboards that look brilliant right up until your actual sales tank.

With a healthy distrust of platform defaults and a background in building tools that challenge them, Ed brings a sharp, unfiltered POV on where ad automation is heading — and what marketers need to do right now to stay in control.

Key takeaways & lessons:

The Performance Max paradox: Ed explains how PMax often “performs” beautifully on the surface, while quietly spending on irrelevant or low-intent placements that never convert.

Measurement, redefined: From data gaps to delayed conversions, the conversation explores how the way platforms report success is often disconnected from what actually drives business outcomes.

The Google Ads black hole: Hear why seasoned media buyers are flying blind in Google’s current ecosystem — and how even smart brands are falling for shiny reporting without asking the right questions.

Client education is survival: Ed shares why agencies and marketers need to do a better job of setting expectations, showing real value, and pushing back on baked-in platform bias.

The future of tools and transparency: Jake and Ed chat about the rise of micro SaaS for marketers, and why more independent tools — not fewer — might be the antidote to over-trusting Big Tech.

Ed Leake’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/edleake

God Tier Ads: https://www.godtierads.com

AdEvolver: https://www.adevolver.com

This episode is brought to you by clearmotive marketing, in partnership with Ptak & Co. If you enjoyed the episode, make sure you subscribe to the show and give us a five-star review on your preferred platform. It really helps the show!