Insights
Google Ads strategy & paid media insights
Guides, first-party tests and paid media analysis from the Kick Ads team, covering Google Ads, Meta Ads, GA4, tracking and AI search.
Meta Ads Manager: The Complete 2026 Tutorial for Hong Kong
A hands-on Meta Ads Manager tutorial: the Campaign, Ad set and Ad structure, how to build your first campaign step by step, reading the reporting columns, and the common Ads Manager settings that can affect campaign performance.
How to Make AI Video Ads With Seedance 2.5
Two reference photos and three prompts, run through Seedance 2.5 to make a 20-second video ad. Two finished ads, ten industry prompts, and what each cost in credits.
Seedance 2.5 BytePlus Lumina: HK$18 Per AI Video
First-party Seedance 2.5 test from Hong Kong: Lumina pricing (HK$18 per 10s Reel), copy-paste ad prompts, and where AI video works for Meta ads.
Google My Business Hong Kong: 2026 Business Profile Guide
Google My Business is now Google Business Profile and the app is gone. Where to manage it, the name and description rules, services, posts and reviews.
GA4 Channel Grouping Explained: All 19 Default Channels
Master GA4 Channel Grouping and its 19 default channels — including the new AI Assistants channel that captures ChatGPT, Gemini and other AI-search referrals — for accurate marketing attribution.
Google Demand Gen Campaigns: The Complete 2026 Guide
What Google Demand Gen campaigns are, how they differ from PMax and GDN, audience and creative strategy, plus first-party results from a HK account.
Google Ads in Hong Kong (2026): The Complete SEM & PPC Guide
The complete 2026 Google Ads guide for Hong Kong (SEM/PPC): real CPC benchmarks, campaign setup, match types, bidding and what to fix first.
Google Display Network (GDN): The Complete Guide
How GDN works in 2026 — formats, custom segments, optimized targeting, Demand Gen vs classic Display, plus setup steps and optimisation tips for HK advertisers.
Google Ads Bidding Strategies: The 2026 Guide
Target CPA, Target ROAS, Maximise Conversions or manual? A 2026 breakdown of every Google Ads bidding strategy, plus a framework to pick the right one by goal.
YouTube Ads Complete Guide 2026: Formats, Costs & Strategy
The complete 2026 YouTube ads guide: every format incl. Shorts, HK cost benchmarks, targeting, bidding and a step-by-step campaign setup.
Digital Marketing Glossary 2026: 46 Terms Explained
46 essential digital marketing terms explained simply — SEM, GA4, PMax, Demand Gen, AI Max and more, in one plain-language 2026 glossary.
Google Ads Broad Match + Smart Bidding: Does It Work? First-Party Data (2026)
Google Ads broad match with Smart Bidding, tested on our own accounts: in ecommerce it returned about a third of exact match's ROAS. First-party data, ratios only.
Google Responsive Display Ads: The Complete Guide
How Responsive Display Ads work, best practices for headlines, descriptions and images, plus tips to improve performance. The complete RDA guide.
Generative Engine Optimization (GEO): How to Get Cited in Google AI Overviews, ChatGPT & Perplexity (2026)
Generative Engine Optimization (GEO): an evidence-based approach to being cited in Google AI Overviews, ChatGPT and Perplexity, plus myths Google says to skip.
Performance Max Search Themes: Best Practices
Search themes let you steer Performance Max towards audiences Google AI misses. When to use them, the 50-theme limit per asset group, and setup best practices.
Performance Max (PMax) 2026: Strengths, Traps & Best Practices
A 2026 Performance Max guide covering current features, suitable use cases and why lead-gen accounts should keep Search as the main channel.
Threads Ads: What Hong Kong Advertisers Need to Know (2026)
Threads ads are live via Meta Ads Manager. How the placement works, what it costs, and whether Hong Kong businesses should spend on it yet .
Performance Max vs Standard Shopping: The Ecommerce Verdict (2026)
Performance Max vs Standard Shopping for ecommerce: first-party account data on conversions and ROAS, why in ecommerce accounts a large share of PMax traffic and conversion value may come from Shopping inventory, and when to prioritise Performance Max and when to keep Standard Shopping.
Instagram Ads in Hong Kong: Costs, Formats & Placements (2026)
What Instagram ads cost in Hong Kong, which businesses suit them, the ad formats and placements that make IG different, and and the formats worth running on Instagram.
Google Ads AI Max for Search: When to Turn It On, When It's Costing You (First-Party Data)
AI Max does not automatically improve Search campaign performance. Our first-party portfolio data shows it dilutes ROAS wherever your Exact coverage is already good, and only produces a return where that coverage is genuinely weak or mismatched. Here is the match-type evidence, the brand-campaign trap, and how to measure it properly.
Facebook Ads in Hong Kong 2026: Costs, Targeting & Setup
Hong Kong Facebook ad budgets under about HK$200-300 a day are too thin to test. Objectives, targeting after iOS 14.5, creative testing and the WhatsApp-first setup.
Google Ads vs Meta Ads: Which Should a Hong Kong SMB Choose?
Google Ads vs Meta (Facebook/Instagram) ads for Hong Kong SMBs: demand capture vs demand generation, which wins for ecommerce vs lead-gen, and how to split budget — built on Kick Ads first-party data.
Google Ads Keyword Match Types: The Complete Guide
Broad, phrase and exact match explained — how Google matches keywords in 2026, and the phrase + exact combination we use at Kick Ads to control CPA.
Google Analytics 4 (GA4): The 2026 Essential Guide
A plain-English 2026 guide to GA4: what it is, key events vs conversions, a 6-step setup, and how to read the reports that actually matter.
Google Shopping Ads: The Complete 2026 Guide
What Google Shopping ads are, where they show, and how to set up and optimise them in 2026 — plus Standard Shopping vs Performance Max.
11 Google Ads Assets (Extensions) That Boost Your CTR
Add sitelinks, callouts, structured snippets and more. Learn which Google Ad assets improve CTR and Ad Rank across your campaigns.
Google Ads Attribution Models: DDA vs Last Click
Google Ads and GA4 now offer only data-driven and last-click attribution. See how DDA works, what replaced the retired models, and which to pick.
GA4 Conversions Lower Than Google Ads? Here's Why
GA4 and Google Ads conversion numbers rarely match — by design. Understand counting methods, attribution scope and conversion windows, and how to align them.
GA4 Event Tracking with Google Tag Manager: Full Guide
Track user actions using GA4 and Google Tag Manager. Step-by-step guide to custom events, triggers and variables in GTM — no coding needed.
GDN Display Ad Formats: JPEG, GIF or HTML5?
Compare JPEG, GIF and HTML5 formats for Google Display Ads. Which file type delivers better CTR and performance? The complete banner format guide.
Google Ads Cost in Hong Kong (2026): Budgets, CPCs & Agency Fees
How much does Google Ads cost in Hong Kong? How the auction sets your CPC, realistic budgets by goal, agency fee models, and the hidden costs to plan for.
Google Tag Manager (GTM): Beginner's Guide
Google Tag Manager tutorial for 2026: containers, tags, triggers, variables and GA4 setup — deploy all your tracking without touching site code.
Google Analytics 4 Tutorial: Step-by-Step for Beginners
Set up Google Analytics 4 from zero: create a property, install the tag, configure key events, link Google Ads and read the reports that matter.
Naver Advertising: Complete Guide for HK Businesses
The complete Naver advertising guide from a Hong Kong agency that runs it: formats, account setup, costs and what actually works in the Korean market.
Why Is Your Brand Keyword CPC So High?
Brand keywords should be your cheapest clicks — four reasons your brand CPC is high, and the fixes that bring it back down.
Ecommerce Ads: 4 Always-On Campaigns Every Store Must Run
The 4 always-on ads every ecommerce store needs in 2026 — Search with remarketing lists, Shopping, dynamic remarketing and PMax — and how to run them.
Google Ads Headlines: 7 Tips to Get More Clicks
Boost your Google Search Ads CTR with better headlines. 7 proven tips for writing ad copy that captures attention and drives more clicks to your site.
Click Fraud in Google Ads: Detection & Protection Guide (2026)
How click fraud works, what Google already refunds, DIY detection steps, IP exclusions, and when third-party tools like CHEQ Essentials are worth it.
Google Ads Quality Score: Check & Improve It
What Google Ads Quality Score is, its three components, why it drives Ad Rank and CPC, how to check it, and six proven ways to improve it in 2026.
Google Ads Conversion Tracking: Complete Setup Guide
Set up Google Ads conversion tracking properly in 2026 — native tag vs GA4 key events import, enhanced conversions, and the settings that feed Smart Bidding.
Gmail Ads in 2026: How to Reach the Gmail Inbox Today
Standalone Gmail (GSP) campaigns are gone. Gmail ads now run through Demand Gen and Performance Max — what changed, how to set up, and how to measure it.