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Boss turned off converting ads and replaced with cheap display ads
Posted by on February 1, 2026 at 4:51 pmMy boss went into the google ads account, turned off all of the converting search ads and replaced them with cheap display ads. He did not consult with me and went over my head, he has no experience with ppc but thinks the traffic we get from search is not enough(keep in mind this is a niche B2B business) and wants to increase number of sessions by paying for cheap display campaigns (with 0.01cpc).
Yes, I showed him that the traffic is coming from shit websites, yes I showed him that the avg time spent on page is 1 second and even showed him the heatmap recordings of bunch of sessions with just the screen and the user not doing anything.
He saw all of that, said I don’t understand what I am doing, went over my head and set up bunch of shit display ads and turned off the search ads that were converting.
I am just appalled. But I am tired of fighting this so I give up. Any advice on how to survive until I find a new job?
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1 Reply
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Give it a few days and show how it’s going. They don’t sound like they’re going to take you seriously until they’re in pain
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Is it possible the client is complaining and your boss is making these changes solely based on that? Unfortunately there are some clients that only care about dumb things like impressions and cheap clicks
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Put it in writing, send it to him and look for a new job.
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Data visualizations. It’s reaaaally hard to argue with a line going down. Use looker studio. It’s free and simple to use.
And make sure you notate when major changes were made. And don’t write “when John turned off search ads and started display ads” instead “strategy pivot to display ads”. Calling people out hurts egos. Give them a chance to retreat without feeling attacked.
Offer to run display ads as a remarketing audience. Present the change as a a/b test. Let the data do the talking. Not ego and vibes.
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Document everything in writing so when revenue tanks in 30 days you have proof you warned him… let the display campaigns run exactly as he set them up without touching anything… when he panics about zero conversions and wasted budget forward him the original emails where you explained this would happen… bosses who override expertise while ignoring data only learn through financial pain… survive by doing exactly what he says then watching him fire himself when the board asks why lead gen disappeared.
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Your boss should be fired, you should be the new boss.
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He is the boss. Don’t worry about it since he made the switch. Agree with him and focus on your own growth.
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Document your advice, if only to prove your boss’ replacement or his/her boss that you flagged it and the consequences were predictable.
Been with clients who “know better” and all the data, visuals or other “proof” in the world won’t move the needle with them. They “know” what they think they know and have already discounted your value / your expertise.
Super frustrating. And, it doesn’t get better, even after the results prove your are right. You never get a “told you so” moment that redeems you or makes you look like the “smart” one. The higher ups are likely to blame the whole “team”.
The documentation only serves as a CYA if someone higher decides they want to “clean house”. But, you are better off looking for your next opportunity.
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Document the before and after performance and keep a report ready
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Huh. Your boss is really dumb. He won’t have money to fund your paycheck soon.
All you can do is follow the employee handbook, document everything, and find a new job. If they do anything illegal you can lawyer up and get compensation later, but the main thing is just finding a new job rn.
Good luck! Sorry your boss is so dumb and self destructive.
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