The Wednesday Windup: 40% off the All-Access Pass (24 hours only), 6 Conversion Rate Tips, and The Secrets from A Private Security Client

And we’re back to a normal Wednesday Windup. No more cringey motivational pep talks—those are safely shelved until next January. 😉

Honestly, I’d love to say I’m starting the year with something profound, but I've just been staring at a blinking cursor for way too long, asking myself, What value am I bringing you right now? Because if what I’m sharing doesn’t deliver something real—something that makes you better at what you do—you’ll delete this email, move on, and I wouldn’t blame you.

It’s the same with your work. Whether you’re running an agency, freelancing, working in-house, or actually working at an agency, you’re costing someone money. If you’re not delivering more value than you’re costing, you’re replaceable. Period.

Being good at Google Ads or Meta campaigns isn’t enough anymore.

Platforms are automating, competition is growing, and the person signing the checks doesn’t care about your ROAS or CPC charts. They care about outcomes—real business outcomes. The kind that drive revenue, solve problems no one else saw coming, and prove you’re not just doing the work, but driving the strategy. That’s what makes you indispensable.

So here’s the question you need to ask yourself: are you solving problems that matter? Or are you just crossing things off a to-do list? This year it's about doing the kind of work that proves your expertise, drives growth, and makes you impossible to replace.

And that’s where we come in...

We’ve built the All-Access Pass to the AdVenture Academy to give you everything you need to deliver that kind of value. From the Strategy Lab, where you’ll learn how to think beyond metrics and solve real business problems, to The Modern Google Ads Profit Playbook, taught by yours truly, this is everything you need to make 2025 the year you stay ahead of the game.

Right now, for the next 24 hours, you can grab the All-Access Pass for 40% off. This is your chance to sharpen your skills, challenge yourself, and deliver work that can’t be ignored.

Use code ALLACCESS40 at checkout!

The clock’s ticking. Don’t wait. Let’s go.

"What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make."

— Jane Goodall

New York's Finest

A story from inside the agency...

Back in 2014, Danny and I signed a new private security firm founded by Vince —a recently retired NYPD detective. This guy Vince looked and sounded exactly like you’d imagine, like he could snap your neck by applying the amount of pressure required to strike a match. He had started out in the NYPD as a cop, then worked in the special crimes unit, then eventually became a chief forensic detective. He’d seen it all, he was cool, he was paying us a little bit of money, and I was stoked to have someone like that to call in a pinch.

Back then, we didn’t really know what services we provided, but even if we did, it didn’t matter. We didn’t turn down business. We built him his website from scratch on Squarespace, spending weeks watching YouTube tutorials. At some point, he wanted a logo with a metal textured background. None of the stock imagery was good enough for him, so I had to learn how to create the texture in Photoshop from a blank canvas. First, you render clouds in black and white. Then you apply a radial blur. Then I don’t remember what.

He loved Danny and me. We were helping him get his first few clients, and we never said “no.” You don’t say no to Vince. A while into the relationship, Vince invites Danny and me to some event at the Gansevoort Hotel in downtown Manhattan.

Vince was as big of a detective as they come, so while Danny and me were always ready to drink and act like hooligans, we were always on our best behavior around Vince. At some point during the event, Vince invites us to the rooftop bar. We’re in the elevator when Vince unlatches a metal briefcase and opens the lid. It’s exactly the sort of briefcase you see in the movies … the one that holds the napalm or the launch codes to an atomic bomb.

Inside the briefcase is a panoply of marijuana and drug-delivery devices. “Go ahead,” Vince says. “Take whatever you want.”

I’m pretty sure that at that point in my life, I had never smoked weed (ashamed as I am to admit that), and I couldn’t tell a bong from an ashtray. Besides, what the hell was going on? How the hell did I get here? This was the guy who I was supposed to be able to call when I got pulled over for running a red light. And now we’re in an elevator and he’s asking me to indulge in illicit substances with him? Was this a sting operation? Were Danny and me being setup? Were we going to be framed?
We didn’t take any weed from Vince—but Vince didn’t mind. We were the metal texture in Photoshop guys … irreplaceable.

A week later, I’m at Vince’s apartment downtown, working on the final edits to that video we shot. Vince wraps me in a bear hug after I publish the final edits to the website. I think he broke one of my ribs. Then he brings me downstairs, where a mushroom cloud hangs over the sofas and overlapping rugs. It’s a drug den … and slouched among the Lay-Z-Boys and old Raymour and Flanigan microsuede sectional are more of New York’s Finest: Detectives, forensic psychologists, cops, probably some undercover agents—but of course, I wouldn’t know one way or the other. Like I just walked into a scene from The Departed.

I shake some hands, Vince slaps me on the back hard enough to almost knock me flat and introduces me as his new agency. I don’t indulge in any illicit drugs, but I do make some excuse about my wife needing me home urgently.

They remained a client of ours for a while—a marquee logo on our homepage. I never called Vince for help with a traffic violation.

This Made Me Laugh ...

If Your Google Ads Aren’t Converting, Have You Checked Where You’re Sending People?

CPC is just one piece of the puzzle. The destination, where your traffic is going, is just as critical (if not more).

A great ad can’t save a bad page. Fix the destination first, and you’ll see the downstream impact on every metric you care about—CPC included.

1. Relevance

Does your page match the intent of the ad?
Example: If your ad promises “affordable luxury sofas,” does the landing page feature those sofas prominently, or does it dump users onto a generic homepage?
Is the messaging consistent?
The headline on the page should echo the ad copy. A disconnect here kills trust and conversions.

2. User Experience (UX)

How fast does your page load?
Anything over 3 seconds is too long. Use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights to benchmark your performance.
Is the page optimized for mobile?
Over half of traffic comes from mobile devices. Test your layout, buttons, and forms for mobile responsiveness.
Is navigation intuitive?
If the user needs to hunt for key information, they’ll bounce. Keep it simple and focused on the goal.

3. Call to Action (CTA)

Is your CTA clear and compelling?
Weak: “Submit”
Strong: “Get My Free Quote” or “Shop the Collection Now”
Is the CTA positioned effectively?
It should be above the fold and easy to spot.

4. Conversion Path

How many steps are in your process?
Each additional step increases drop-off rates. Aim for simplicity: fewer clicks, fewer fields.
Is your form user-friendly?
Long forms are conversion killers. Only ask for information you absolutely need.

5. Trust and Credibility

Are there clear trust signals?
- Testimonials or reviews
- Trust badges (secure checkout, money-back guarantees)
- Real photos
Is the content authentic and helpful?
People are skeptical. Ensure your page adds value, whether it’s product details, FAQs, or a unique perspective.

6. Analytics and Optimization

Do you have tracking in place?
Without tools like GA4, you’re flying blind.
Where is the traffic dropping off?
Use heatmaps (Hotjar, Crazy Egg) and funnel reports to pinpoint weak spots.
Are you A/B testing?
Small tweaks—like changing a headline or button color—can dramatically improve performance.

Key Questions to Ask Yourself

Does the page make it immediately clear what I want the user to do and what the hell we offer?
Am I reducing friction at every possible step?
Is this page solving the problem the user had when they clicked the ad?

For a comprehensive approach to running profitable digital advertising campaigns and creating landing pages that really convert, I highly recommend you check out the Ultimate Digital Advertising Library. Just saying.

Isaac Rudansky

Founder, AdVenture Academy
training@adventureppc.com

P.S.

If you’re up for a wild ride through the joys and chaos of creative writing, subscribe to The Scatterplot Chronicles, my LinkedIn series where I spill the beans on my writing and publishing adventures. Check out all the nitty gritty details here.
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