Derek VaalEcommerce PPC Consultant
I help ecommerce brands clean up Google Ads accounts that have become expensive, messy, or hard to trust. My work stays focused on the parts that actually move the needle: Google Ads, Shopping, Performance Max, feed health, and reporting.
Currently accepting new client conversations
- Paid search only
- Built for ecommerce brands, not generic lead-gen accounts
- Margin, measurement, and account control before vanity metrics
- Private client portal for reporting, files, and shared resources
Accounts that are spending real money but still feel messy, inefficient, or unclear.
Common issues include poor query control, branded search distorting Performance Max, Merchant Center problems, unreliable reporting, and not enough visibility into what is actually happening.
Active clients get a private workspace for live reporting, spend monitoring, feed health alerts, shared files, and reviewed recommendations. It is there to make the consulting work easier to understand, not to turn the engagement into software.
I focus on Google Ads for ecommerce, so the work stays specialized instead of being spread across a dozen services.
Clients get reporting, files, and published next steps in one place, while internal recommendation drafting stays behind the scenes.
The work is built around margin, product mix, and measurement quality, not vanity metrics or cherry-picked screenshots.
About Derek
7 years in paid search, $150M+ managed, and a narrow focus on ecommerce Google Ads.
I have managed Google Ads accounts across agency and freelance work, with experience in ecommerce brands where Shopping, Performance Max, Merchant Center, feed quality, and measurement discipline all matter. The offer is intentionally narrow so you work directly with the person doing the thinking.
Google Ads SearchGoogle ShoppingPerformance MaxApp Campaigns
Services
See all servicesI help brands fix the account structure, reporting, and day-to-day management problems that hold performance back.
Google Ads management
Ongoing Google Ads management for ecommerce brands that want a cleaner account, better query control, and stronger performance.
Shopping and PMax diagnostics
Hands-on support for Shopping and Performance Max, with a focus on feed health, Merchant Center issues, and cleaner product-level visibility.
Reporting and client communication
Clear reporting, shared resources, and Cardinal recommendation cards so next steps are easy to review.
How I approach a new account
Request a free auditA structured process before the account gets rebuilt.
Audit and diagnose
I map the account structure, feed health, query patterns, and tracking gaps before making campaign changes. The first output is a clear problem list and priority order.
Restructure and optimize
Campaign architecture, negative keyword systems, asset-group discipline, and bidding are rebuilt around what the data actually shows.
Report and communicate
You see what changed, why it changed, and what I am watching next. Cardinal supports the work with reporting, recommendations, and shared files.
Case Studies
Explore case studiesAnonymized examples of the problems, the fixes, and the results.
DTC Apparel$45k / mo
Shopping and PMax restructure
Brand leakage, campaign overlap, and weak query control were hiding inefficient non-brand performance.
Tighter spend control and traceable query attribution across brand and non-brand.
Home Goods$80k / mo
Merchant Center recovery and PMax cleanup
Product disapprovals, poor asset-group structure, and weak reporting discipline had turned growth into constant troubleshooting.
Feed health restored, PMax rebuilt by product logic, and the account became easier to trust again.
What clients say
View on LinkedInFeedback from brands I have worked with directly.
"Derek is a PPC ninja. He is driven and calm under pressure, even when you throw several projects at him at once. Derek provides proactive recommendations and is always looking to test different methods to increase ROI."
LM
Lauri MakikalliMarketing Director, Delwest Management | December 2023
Reporting
See reportingClients do not just get campaign management. They get reporting that is easy to follow.
Reporting that is easy to read
ROAS, spend efficiency, tracked revenue, feed coverage, and reporting freshness are easy to review without digging through a bloated dashboard.
Private client portal
The portal keeps reporting, files, account resources, and reviewed recommendations in one place so the work is easier to discuss and approve.
How I work
See how I workA simple client experience built around clarity, communication, and accountability.
Reporting stays easy to review
Clients get a reporting-first portal with dashboards, files, shared resources, and source health in one place.
Recommendations live in Cardinal
Clients see reviewed recommendations inside Cardinal, with email used when a separate send helps move a decision forward.
Files and agreements stay organized
Audits, exports, shared documents, and signed agreements stay easy to find instead of getting buried in inboxes.
Tools behind the work
Why work with me
Why brands hire me instead of a broad agency model.
You work with me directly
No junior handoff, no generic channel bundle, and no pressure to buy services you do not need.
Built for ecommerce operators
The work is grounded in merchandising, margin, feed health, and what the store actually needs to scale.
Clarity over dashboard noise
The goal is to make the account easier to trust, not just busier to look at.
Insights
Visit the blogPractical PPC insights for ecommerce brands that want to make better decisions.
How to separate branded demand from PMax
One of the fastest ways to misread account quality is letting brand-heavy demand sit inside Performance Max unchecked. This framework fixes that.
The audit checklist behind healthier Shopping performance
Feed quality, SKU coverage, disapprovals, and title logic are often the hidden layer behind poor Shopping results. This is how I review them.
Common questions
Ask something elseWhat brands usually want to know before reaching out.
What kinds of brands are the best fit?
Shopify or Shopify Plus brands with meaningful Google Ads spend, catalog complexity, and a real need for cleaner Shopping, Performance Max, feed, and reporting control.
Do you offer free audits?
Yes. Free audits are available for qualified ecommerce brands where a real account review would be useful. If the fit is not there, I will say that clearly.
Is Cardinal a software product I buy separately?
No. Cardinal is part of the client experience. It supports the consulting engagement with reporting, recommendations, files, and source visibility.
What happens after I reach out?
I review the account context, confirm fit, and either point you toward a strategy call or a focused audit request.
Start here
Send me the account problem, your spend range, and what you want to fix first.
If it looks like a fit, I will tell you quickly what kind of engagement makes sense and how I would approach the account.