The Execution System
How we run performance marketing week-over-week. The same diagnostic sequence, weekly rhythm, and constraint-based thinking we apply to every account, whether it runs on Google, Meta, or both.
The Five-Step Sequence
Most agencies jump straight from data to action: "CPA is high, lower bids." That's not thinking. That's reacting. We follow a deliberate sequence, regardless of channel:
Every step must be completed before moving to the next. This applies to Google, Meta, and any channel.
Step 1: DIAGNOSE
Before touching anything: What is actually constraining this account's growth? Not "what metrics look bad". What is the binding constraint?
The Four Constraints
These four constraints apply across every performance marketing channel. The symptoms differ, but the framework is universal.
Traffic
Symptoms: Low impressions, limited reach, few clicks
Google: Low impression share, budget-limited campaigns
Meta: Small audiences, low reach, frequency too high
Conversion
Symptoms: Clicks but no sales, high bounce rate, low add-to-cart
Google: High CPC with low conversion rate
Meta: Thumb-stopping creative but no landing page follow-through
Economics
Symptoms: Sales happening but CPA/ROAS doesn't work
Google: Positive ROAS but negative CM3 after costs
Meta: Scaling increases CPA faster than revenue
Scale
Symptoms: Good results but can't increase spend without degrading
Google: Audience exhaustion, diminishing returns on budget increases
Meta: Creative fatigue, frequency walls, audience overlap
The Diagnostic Rule
If conversion rate is below 2% (ecom) or 5% (lead gen): stop optimizing ads. The problem is downstream. No amount of ad spend or creative testing fixes a broken landing page or weak offer.
Step 2: CONSTRAIN
The most valuable thing a strategist does is say no. This applies equally to Google campaign structure and Meta audience targeting.
The Fragmentation Problem
Over-segmentation is the #1 structural mistake in performance marketing. It looks like control. It's actually data starvation.
Google: The Death Spiral
- Split campaigns into many small ad groups
- Each gets insufficient data
- Smart bidding can't learn
- Performance drops, response: "segment more"
Test: Any ad group below 5,000 impressions/month is fragmented.
Meta: The Audience Trap
- Create 15 ad sets with narrow interests
- Audiences overlap, compete in auction
- CPMs rise, delivery becomes inconsistent
- Performance drops, response: "add more targeting"
Test: Check audience overlap. If it's above 30%, consolidate.
Step 3: ANGLE
Different traffic temperatures need different messages. The angle must match where the person is in their awareness journey.
The Six Message Angles
"Do you understand my struggle?"
"What do you offer?"
"Why you over alternatives?"
"What else do I get?"
"Can I trust you?"
"What if it doesn't work?"
On Google: These angles map to RSA headline slots. Hot traffic (brand search, remarketing) leads with social proof and risk removal. Cold traffic (problem/symptom search) leads with pain.
On Meta: These angles drive creative briefs. The first 3 seconds of a video need to match the audience's awareness level. Wrong angle = scroll past.
Full angle extraction guide →Steps 4-5: BUILD & MEASURE
Once you've diagnosed, constrained, and angled, now you build. And then you measure with patience.
BUILD: Structure Rules
- Split campaigns only when budget, bid target, conversion goal, or geo differs
- Google: each ad group = one creative theme = one RSA
- Meta: consolidate ad sets, let Advantage+ find the audience
- Ecom priority: Brand → Shopping → Non-Brand → Remarketing → Awareness
MEASURE: Patience Rules
- Don't judge changes before the conversion window closes
- One change at a time so you know what caused what
- Report decisions, not metrics: "we did X, which caused Y"
- Compare to target first, then to last week
The Weekly Rhythm
Every Monday, per client, 30 minutes. The same sequence, regardless of which channels are active.
Constraint Check (10 min)
Run through the four constraints. Which one is binding right now? Write one sentence: "This week, [client]'s binding constraint is [traffic/conversion/economics/scale] because [reason]."
Channel Review (10 min)
Google: Pull the Search Term Report (7 days, sorted by cost). Add negatives for irrelevant spend above €5. Meta: Check frequency, CPM trends, and creative performance. Flag anything with frequency above 3 in prospecting.
Performance Snapshot (5 min)
Revenue vs last week, key metric vs target, CM3 trend. One sentence: good week or soft week, and why. This becomes your client update.
Constraint-Driven Actions (5 min)
Your next actions MUST address the binding constraint. Not random optimizations. If the constraint is conversion, don't fiddle with bids. Fix the landing page.
Constraint-Driven Action Map
| Constraint | Google Actions | Meta Actions |
|---|---|---|
| Traffic | Increase budgets, add keywords, expand geo | Broaden audiences, increase budget, test new placements |
| Conversion | Flag LP issues, test new ad copy, check mobile UX | Test new creative angles, improve hooks, review LP match |
| Economics | Tighten targeting, pause underperformers, negotiate margins | Consolidate ad sets, cap CPAs, review AOV strategy |
| Scale | New campaign types, expand audiences, test broad match | Fresh creative volume, new formats, expand lookalikes |
Key Thresholds
| Metric | Threshold | What It Means |
|---|---|---|
| Conv. rate (ecom) | 2% | Below: fix landing page, not ads |
| Conv. rate (lead gen) | 5% | Same principle |
| Google: Smart bidding (tCPA) | 30 conv/month | Below this, bidding is unreliable |
| Google: Smart bidding (tROAS) | 50 conv/month | Higher threshold for value-based |
| Google: RSA labels | 5,000 impr/month | Below this, Google can't optimize assets |
| Google: Search term waste | >20% irrelevant spend | Tighten match types, add negatives |
| Meta: Frequency (prospecting) | >3x per week | Audience fatigue, refresh creative or broaden |
| Meta: Audience overlap | >30% | Consolidate ad sets, wasting budget on self-competition |
Common Traps
"I'll just optimize a few things"
If it doesn't address the constraint, it's busywork
"ROAS dropped, lower bids"
Check WHY first. Traffic, conversion, or competition?
"Let's test 10 new creatives this week"
Are they testing different angles or different thumbnails? Volume without variation is waste.
"The client wants us to test X"
Does X address the constraint? If not, explain why something else matters more
"Google is not performing, move budget to Meta"
Different channels serve different roles. Demand capture vs demand creation. Diagnose the actual problem.
The CMO Lens
Most teams optimize in silos. The Google person tweaks bids. The Meta person tests creative. Nobody asks: what is the actual constraint on this business right now? A CMO connects the diagnostic to the execution across every channel. That weekly constraint check is the difference between busy and effective. We run this same rhythm for every client, every Monday. It takes 30 minutes. It prevents 30 hours of wasted optimization.
Want This System Applied to Your Account?
We'll diagnose your binding constraint, map out the first 90 days, and show you exactly what to prioritize across Google and Meta. 30 minutes. No pitch.