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Paid AdsTactic2026-02
Google Ads Reality Check: High Blended ROAS Often Just Means You're Paying for Your Own Brand Name
Finlay Williams (@ItsFinlayW)
Example blended3.4xResults
3.4x
Example blended
6.8x ROAS
Example branded
2.1x ROAS
Example non brand
Key tactics
- Always separate branded vs non-branded performance
- Test turning branded search off for a week to see true incremental impact
- Do not celebrate blended ROAS that is mostly brand traffic
Summary
Common account audit finding: £18k/month spend looked healthy at 3.4x blended ROAS, but £14k of it was branded search converting at 6.8x while non-brand sat at 2.1x. Much of the 'success' was simply capturing existing demand rather than creating new customers.
Validate this tactic
Check live US search demand for this entry's topics: paid ads, google ads, branded search, measurement