New Course from ZATO

From Strategy to Execution:
The First Google Ads Course Built for the Busy DTC Operator

Stop memorizing Google Ads buttons you'll never use. Learn the exact ecommerce Google Ads playbook a 16-year PPC veteran (and his team) deploys for paying agency clients — distilled into minimum viable complexity for maximum profit.

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The Ultimate Google Ads Ecommerce Course for DTC Operators by Kirk Williams
31
Video Lessons
9+
Hours of Content
16+
Years PPC Expertise
$599
Lifetime Access
Sound Familiar?

Google Ads Is Costing You Time, Money, or Both

You're a DTC brand operator wearing twelve hats. Google Ads shouldn't require becoming a full-time media buyer to get right.

You're drowning in settings you don't understand

Google Ads has hundreds of buttons, toggles, and recommendations. Most of them don't matter for your business — but which ones do? Other courses walk through every single one. This course tells you which ones actually move the needle.

You're chasing ROAS and strangling your growth

Platform ROAS is directional, not gospel. Brands that obsess over in-platform metrics often miss the forest for the trees — and leave real revenue on the table. You need a North Star metric that tells you what's actually happening in your business.

You're spending money but can't tell if it's working

Small budgets mean small data. And small data means you're often making decisions blindfolded. You need a framework for making smart calls with limited information — not a course that assumes you have enterprise-level spend.

Google keeps auto-applying "recommendations" that hurt you

Google's AI optimizes for Google's revenue, not yours. If you don't know which auto-applied recommendations to disable on day one, you're likely bleeding budget without realizing it.

You've tried other courses and still feel lost

Most Google Ads courses are built for aspiring media buyers and agency people, not brand operators. They teach you how to memorize the platform, not how to use it as a revenue engine within a broader business strategy.

You're not sure if Google is even the right channel right now

Maybe Meta is a better fit for your stage. Maybe Amazon is cannibalizing your D2C. This course gives you the honest framework to answer that question — even if the answer is "not yet."

Why This Course Is Different

Built for Brand Operators,
Not PPC Technicians

Most Google Ads courses teach you how to be a media buyer. This one teaches you how to build a revenue engine — with the minimum amount of platform complexity required to get profitable results.

Your instructor, Kirk Williams and his agency teams (ZATO & MAKROZ SMB PPC), have managed Google Ads for brands like Purple, Traeger, The Ridge, and KURU Footwear... and a host of small budget accounts. This course distills 16 years and 30,000+ hours of PPC expertise into the specific playbook his agency, MAKROZ, uses for paying ecommerce clients.

  • Business strategy first, platform buttons second
  • Honest about when Google Ads isn't the right move
  • Real client examples with real data, not theory
  • Our exact Google Ads campaign setup playbook — no secrets held back
  • Frameworks for making smart decisions with limited data
  • No "hacks" — just infrastructure that compounds over time
  • Satisfaction Guarantee — If you hate the course, you get your money back!
Start Learning Today
Kirk Williams, PPC Expert and Founder of ZATO PPC Marketing, and MAKROZ Marketing for SMBs

Kirk Williams

@PPCKirk · Founder, ZATO & MAKROZ

16+ year Google Ads veteran. Author of "PPC Ponderings." International PPC speaker. Has managed Google Ads for top DTC brands including Purple, Traeger, The Ridge, Groove Life, and KURU Footwear. Named a Top 25 PPC Expert 11 years in a row.

Full Curriculum

31 Lessons Across 5 Modules

Every lesson is designed to give you the "why" and the "when" — not just the "where to click."

1
Strategy & Philosophy
7 lessons · The foundation most courses skip entirely
▾
▶ Demand Capture vs. Demand Generation — Where Google Actually Fits
▶ Using Keyword Planner to Estimate Budget Before You Spend a Dollar
▶ The "North Star" Metric — MER vs. ROAS vs. POAS (and Which to Use)
▶ Pre-Click, Click, Post-Click: Diagnosing Where Problems Actually Live
▶ The Statistical Significance Problem (and How to Beat It on Small Budgets)
▶ Platform Decisions: Should You Start with Google or Meta?
▶ We're on Amazon — Should We Start Google Ads?
2
Account Setup & Infrastructure
5 lessons · Getting the train on the right tracks from day one
▾
▶ Google Ads Account Settings, Structure & Critical Setup
▶ Crash Course in Conversion Tracking (Primary, Secondary, Server-Side)
▶ Crash Course in Google Merchant Center
▶ Google Ads Campaign Types Overview (Search, Shopping, PMax, YouTube & More)
▶ Attribution & Incrementality Ponderings
3
Product Feed & Merchant Center Mastery
4 lessons · Your feed is either garbage or gold
▾
▶ Sending Products to Merchant Center (Feed Providers & Methods)
▶ Feed Construction and the All-Important ID Attribute
▶ Attribute Deep Dive (Titles, Descriptions, Images, GTINs & More)
▶ Custom Labels — Segmenting Products for Smarter Bidding
4
The MAKROZ Ecommerce Campaign Playbook
5 lessons · The exact agency playbook for paying clients
▾
▶ Brand Search Campaigns — Defending Your Name Profitably
▶ Non-Brand Core Search Campaigns — Capturing High-Intent Demand
▶ Shopping Campaigns — Product Organization, Bidding & Query Sculpting
▶ Performance Max Campaigns — Using the "Bottom Feeder" Wisely
▶ Search Campaign Setup & Pro Tips
5
Ongoing Optimization
2 lessons · A repeatable system, not random button-pushing
▾
▶ The Optimization Schedule — Daily, Weekly, Monthly & Quarterly Cadence
▶ Ad Testing, Assets, Audiences & Advanced UI Optimization
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The Real Cost of Alternatives

This Course vs. Your Other Options

You have four paths to Google Ads proficiency. None of them are "wrong", but they may be wrong for you. Here's how this course can fit into your PPC learning plan:

This Course Hire an Agency Hire an Employee DIY / Free Resources
Cost 3 Payments of $229, or $599 Lifetime Access $2,000–$10,000+/mo $6,000–$9,000+/mo
(salary + benefits based on expertise)		 Your valuable time figuring out what to learn
Time to Value Days to first campaign 2–4 week onboarding Months to hire + ramp 3-12+ months of trial & error
Wasted Ad Spend Risk Lower - nothing is perfect, but Kirk helps point you in a profitable direction early on It depends — varies by agency quality (+ cost) It depends — varies by employee quality (+ cost) Very high potential — you're learning a new skill over time on your dime
Built for DTC Operators Yes — the entire focus N/A - you get no ongoing learnings N/A - you get no ongoing learnings No — PPC courses are always targeted to the practictioner
You Understand Your Own Ads Yes — you learn the "why" so even if you hire in the future, you know the basics for better management No — your agency is hired to manage, not train No — your employee is hired to manage, not train Eventually/maybe/possible — after expensive mistakes & time
Agency-Level Strategy Yes — the MAKROZ SMB account playbook Varies wildly Unlikely at junior level No — fragmented tips and hacks
Ongoing Help No Yes - that's what agencies are for Yes - if the math makes sense No

The smartest DTC operators learn first, then hire. This course gives you the knowledge to manage Google Ads yourself now — and to hold any future agency or employee accountable later.

Start for Only 3 Payments of $229
Trusted by Brands & Experts

What People Say About Kirk & ZATO

Kirk has been the go-to Google Ads expert for top DTC brands and industry leaders for over a decade.

★★★★★
"Kirk is my first thought when approached by someone looking for Google Shopping help. He has proven himself over and over to be a humble and helpful resource who is truly the best at what he does."
John Doherty
Founder & CEO, GetCredo.com
★★★★★
"ZATO gave us the best SEM audit we've gotten from any outside firm. It was insightful, thorough, actionable, and delivered in a clear professional way."
Connor MacDonald
CMO, The Ridge
★★★★★
"Kirk possesses the ability to make clear headed analysis of marketing data and turn that analysis into a targeted plan of action based on a customer's targeted audience. His skills in this area has proven to yield substantial ROI. He's a pleasure to work with and has a knack for communicating marketing industry talk in laymen's terms to his co-workers and clients. "
Matt Galyon
Manager, Prima Coffee
Questions & Answers

Frequently Asked Questions

Everything you need to know before enrolling.

This course is specifically built for DTC ecommerce brand operators and owners who are managing (or about to start managing) their own Google Ads. If your goal is to spend roughly $1,000–$6,000/month on Google Ads — or haven't started yet — and you're running your business alongside your ad account, this was made for you. It's not built directly for agency people or career PPC specialists, though they will undoubtedly still find value in the strategic frameworks.
Most courses are built for people who want to become full-time media buyers. They walk you through every single setting in the interface. This course is different: it starts with business strategy and teaches you the minimum viable complexity needed to run profitable Google Ads as a busy operator. You'll learn whether to push a button, and most importantly, which button — not just where it is. And you'll get the exact agency playbook that Kirk's MAKROZ Marketing for SMBs team uses for paying clients.
Yes. The course starts with foundational strategy and works through account setup, conversion tracking, Merchant Center, product feeds, and campaign building step by step. No prior Google Ads experience is required. That said, you'll get more out of it if you already have an ecommerce store (preferably on Shopify) and products to sell.
Module 1 (Strategy & Philosophy) alone is worth the price of admission for operators who are already running ads but not seeing the results they want. The frameworks around MER vs. ROAS, demand capture vs. generation, and the Pre-Click/Click/Post-Click diagnostic model will likely change how you think about your entire marketing stack — not just Google Ads.
The course is primarily geared toward Shopify store owners, since that's the most common platform for DTC brands. However, the strategic frameworks, campaign playbook, feed optimization, and optimization processes apply regardless of your ecommerce platform. Some specific setup steps (like the Shopify Google & YouTube app) are Shopify-specific, but alternatives are discussed for other platforms.
The course specifically addresses the challenges of small-budget accounts ($1,000–$6,000/month). Kirk covers statistical significance problems unique to smaller spenders and teaches strategies like narrowing your targeting to maximize the data you can get from limited budgets. You don't need a large budget to benefit — in fact, the course will help you avoid wasting the budget you do have.
There's an entire lesson dedicated to this exact question. The short answer: it depends on your DTC presence, your pricing parity between channels, and your conversion rate expectations. Kirk gives you an honest framework for making that decision, including the reality that you may be bidding against yourself and that D2C conversion rates are typically lower than Amazon. The course helps you navigate this transition strategically.
Another question with a dedicated lesson. Kirk's framework: Google captures existing demand (like a vacuum cleaner), while Meta generates new demand. The right starting point depends on whether people are already searching for what you sell. This course gives you the honest framework to answer that — even if the answer is "start on Meta first."
Full access to all 31 video lessons (9+ hours of training) across 5 modules, including the complete MAKROZ Ecommerce Campaign Playbook. Kirk also plans to add bonus lectures over time. You're getting the same strategic approach that MAKROZ applies for paying agency clients.
That's actually the goal. Kirk is transparent about this: the course is designed to help you build and manage your own Google Ads, grow your brand, and eventually reach the point where you're too busy to do it yourself. At that point, you can hire an agency (like MAKROZ Marketing for smaller budgets or ZATO PPC Marketing for larger ones) with the knowledge to evaluate whether they're actually doing a good job. Learning first means you'll never be in the dark about your own ad spend again.
The goal of this course is to offer value to you. Sure, Kirk would love to get paid for the value he offers... but if you don't find value in the course, then he's not here to rob you blind! Simply reach out to Kirk in the course or through ZATO and ask for your money back, and you'll get it back, guaranteed.
Full Course Access

Start Building Your
Google Ads Revenue Engine

$229 for 3 Months (or $599 1-Time)
No Ongoing Subscriptions, Get the Course For Life.
  • 31 video lessons across 5 structured modules
  • The Ecommerce MAKROZ SMB Google Ads Campaign Playbook
  • Strategy frameworks most courses never teach
  • Real client examples with real data
  • Optimization schedule and ongoing management system
  • Bonus lectures added over time
  • Satisfaction Guarantee — If you hate the course, you get your money back!
Enroll Now — 3 Payments of $229

Less than half a month of agency fees. Far less than wasted ad spend from not knowing what you're doing!

You Don't Need to Master Every Button.
You Need to Build a Revenue Engine.

This course gives you the exact playbook, strategic frameworks, and hands-on setup guides to run profitable Google Ads as a DTC brand operator — without becoming a full-time media buyer.

Start Learning Now
Kirk Williams
Kirk Williams Founder of ZATO & MAKROZ · @PPCKirk