About Mike Kowieski
I've spent 20 years in paid search, 13 of them at Google, and managed more than $1 billion in ad spend for over 75 clients. Lighthouse Growth Consulting is where I do that work myself, for a small number of clients at a time.
I started in paid search before smart bidding, back when match types actually meant something, and before Google Ads was even called that. At Google I spent 13 years working with advertisers on their search and video strategy, from early-stage companies to brands like State Farm, H&R Block, Rolex and Universal Studios. I saw the inside of a lot of accounts, and I saw what separated the ones that worked from the ones that just spent.
It was rarely the strategy deck. It was whether someone experienced was actually in the account, every week, paying attention.
Why I started Lighthouse
Most agencies sell you a senior person in the pitch and give you a junior one on the account. I wanted to build the opposite: a practice where the person you talk to on the first call is the person doing the work for as long as you're a client. That means keeping the client list short, and it means saying no to work that isn't Google Ads.
The name is about the job. A lighthouse doesn't steer the ship. It shows you where the rocks are, clearly, so you can.
What I believe about Google Ads
- Google's AI is the same for everyone. The difference is the data you feed it and the person watching it.
- Conversion tracking is the foundation. Get it wrong and every other decision is built on sand.
- Search terms are the truth. Read them every week.
- Budget should follow results, not be divided evenly to keep everyone comfortable.
- A good report is short, honest and written in sentences.
Credentials and where to find me
- Google Partner. The badge in the footer links to the Partner profile, which Google verifies.
- 13 years at Google working with advertisers on search and video.
- More than $1 billion in ad spend managed across over 75 clients.
- On LinkedIn, where I write about Google Ads for the people who pay for it.
Find out what your Google Ads budget is really buying.
A free call, and you'll talk to me.