Inside the Badger Den: Episode 1 | Software Roadmap & Upcoming Features

Are you feeling the pressure to be on TikTok, Amazon, Shopify, and social media all at once? It’s the "2026 Burnout Trap," and in this episode, Michael and Emma Schermer Tamir break down why trying to be everywhere is actually killing your brand’s growth.If you’re feeling spread too thin and your profits aren't showing the effort you're putting in, this conversation is exactly what you need to hear. We’re moving away from "hacks" and getting back to the business fundamentals that actually scale.We’ll see you in The PPC Den!🦡 Highlights ​​00:00 – Welcome back, Emma! (5th Episode Anniversary)01:39 – Feeling like you have to be everywhere03:45 – The difference between an "Amazon Seller" and an "E-commerce Brand"05:28 – Why single-channel loyalty is now a major risk08:35 – Amazon isn't a "closed system" anymore10:10 – Should you actually be on TikTok? (The "Paper Towel" Test)12:54 – Doing fewer things at a 10/10 level vs. ten things at a 2/10 level16:30 – Why AI content won't give you a defensible brand19:40 – The Mr. Beast Fallacy: Why "virality" can destroy a niche brand24:45 – Total ACOS vs. Bottom Line Profit: What are you actually optimizing for?27:30 – Delegation vs. Abdication: Don’t just "dump" your tasks31:40 – Why 10x is actually easier than 2x (The Dan Sullivan approach)35:50 – Where to find Emma Schermer Tamir🦡 Resources & Links🦡 GET AD BADGER ➡️ Find Michael Erickson Facchin — Ad Badger’s CEO and soul, PPC whisperer, and your go-to guide through the wild world of Amazon advertisingWhere to find Emma, Marketing By EmmaAmazon Product Page Optimization in a Rufus AI WorldIs Your Amazon Listing Stuck in 2016? 11 Things to Fix Right NowHow Do I Create Data-Driven Product Pages on Amazon?Common Mistakes With Amazon Product Listings and How to Avoid Them📚 Unlock our FREE comprehensive Amazon Marketing PlaybookSubscribe to our newsletterTransform your workflow with our comprehensive Amazon Advertising checklistReview all our show notes-Host and Executive Producer: Michael Erickson FacchinGuest Co-Host: Emma Schermer TamirSenior Producer: Nancy Lili GonzalezPodcast Coordinator & Graphic Designer: Sofiia PodashVideo and Audio Editor: Pedro Moreno 

Welcome to the premiere episode of Inside the Badger Den! This series is your backstage pass to Ad Badger, where we bridge the gap between powerful Amazon PPC software and high-level advertising strategy.In this episode, we don't just show you the tools; we show you the "why" behind them. We dive deep into our new Search Trends and Organic Rank Tracking features to help you combat ad cannibalization and claim more market share. We’ll see you Inside the Badger Den!🦡 Highlights ​​0:00 – Intro0:39 – Roadmap Update: Search Trends & Rank Tracking1:14 – Analyzing Market Share & Keyword Demand2:02 – Sales % Relative to Competition3:24 – Analyzing CVR (Conversion Rate) by Product & Keyword4:46 – Understanding Search Query Volume Changes5:20 – Comparing Brand CVR vs. Market CVR6:57 – Organic Rank Tracking9:31 – Finding Campaigns with No Modifiers10:07 – Which Placements Need Higher Bids?11:42 – Feature Demo: How to Use Bulk Placement Edits12:51 – Top Insights from the Past Month17:15 – Sneak Peek: Upcoming Features (Custom Bid Algorithms, PDF Reports, and more)18:30 – Outro🦡 Resources & Links🦡 GET AD BADGER ➡️ Find Michael Erickson Facchin — Ad Badger’s CEO and soulView our Product RoadmapView our pricing📚 Unlock our FREE comprehensive Amazon Marketing PlaybookSubscribe to our newsletterTransform your workflow with our comprehensive Amazon Advertising checklistReview all our show notes-Host and Executive Producer: Michael Erickson FacchinSenior Producer: Nancy Lili GonzalezPodcast Coordinator & Graphic Designer: Sofiia PodashVideo and Audio Editor: Pedro Moreno 

Ready to master Amazon PPC? Join Michael for a deep dive into N-Gram Analysis. Learn how to decode search terms, streamline your ad budget, and beat the competition with smart data use in this insightful episode.This episode is a rerelease of one of our most popular episodes. Please note the resources and link section for any relevant updates.We’ll see you in The PPC Den!🦡 Highlights ​​00:00 - Intro2:00 - What is N-Gram Analytics?4:21 - What to Do?5:56 - The Big Issue8:11 - Start with Trend Searching9:35 - N-Gram Analysis Steps12:19 - Where to Find the Ad Badger Spreadsheet12:57 - How to Effectively Use N-Gram Analysis13:17 - What are the Benefits?15:48 - The Best Tool for Analytics🦡 Resources & Links🦡⁠⁠ GET AD BADGER⁠⁠ ➡️Find ⁠Michael Erickson Facchin⁠ — Ad Badger’s CEO and soul, PPC whisperer, and your go-to guide through the wild world of Amazon advertising⁠How Do I Implement N-Gram Analysis on Amazon PPC?⁠⁠What Is The Best Way To Fix Low Sales for my Amazon PPC Campaign?⁠⁠What To Do About Low Click - Low Sale Keywords⁠⁠Ad Badger’s Amazon SEO Guide Part 0: Master Keyword List⁠⁠Maximizing Your Search Term Use on Amazon Advertising⁠⁠How Do I Identify and Handle Duplicate Keywords in Amazon Search Term Report?⁠⁠The Secret To Improving Your ACOS and Revenue for your Amazon PPC Campaign⁠📚 ⁠Unlock our FREE comprehensive Amazon Marketing Playbook⁠⁠Subscribe to our newsletter⁠⁠Transform your workflow with our comprehensive Amazon Advertising checklist⁠⁠Review all our show notes⁠-Host and Executive Producer: Michael Erickson FacchinSenior Producer: Nancy Lili GonzalezPodcast Coordinator and Graphic Designer: Sofiia PodashVideo and Audio Editor: Pedro Moreno 

Today, we are talking about a massive misconception in the Amazon advertising world: the hyper-prioritization of Total ACoS.First things first, I will always argue it should be called ACOTS (Ad Cost of Total Sales), but terminology aside, using this metric purely as a PPC goal is fundamentally broken. The biggest flaw we cover in this episode is how product-level Total ACoS ruins your math, specifically because of Other SKU Sales. When you look at paid sales for a product ad, you're actually looking at sales generated for every SKU in your catalog. Instead of making misinformed cuts, we need to think full-funnel. In this episode, I break down exactly how to approach your Amazon PPC strategy for 2026. We discuss why you must track organic visibility alongside PPC visibility, how to use your Search Query Performance dashboard to monitor market share, and why you should be evaluating your Total ACoS at the Parent-Child family level using the Purchased Product Report.We’ll see you in The PPC Den!🦡 Highlights ​​0:00 - The hyper-prioritization of Total ACoS 1:58 - The evolution of Amazon PPC goals (2012 vs. today)3:35 - Why TACoS is a broken metric (and why we should call it ACOTS!) 4:32 - Why a lower TACoS can actually mean LESS profit 8:50 - The absolute worst (but easiest) way to "fix" your ACoS 10:22 - Why product-level TACoS is mathematically broken 12:01 - The "Paid Sales" illusion and how ads actually work 13:25 - How "Other SKU Sales" are completely ruining your product-level data 15:30 - Real account example: What happens when 30% of sales go to other SKUs 17:20 - The Fix, Step 1: Thinking full-funnel & tracking organic rank 18:10 - The Fix, Step 2: Using Search Query Performance (Search Trends) 20:10 - What to do if your ACoS is actually too high 22:01 - The 2026 Solution: Grouping Total ACoS by Parent-Child Families🦡 Resources & Links🦡 GET AD BADGER ➡️ Find Michael Erickson Facchin — Ad Badger’s CEO and soul, PPC whisperer, and your go-to guide through the wild world of Amazon advertisingWhat is the SKU Economics Report and How It Boosts Amazon Ads?How TACoS Relates to Your Ad PerformanceWhen Higher Total ACOS Means More Profit📚 Unlock our FREE comprehensive Amazon Marketing PlaybookSubscribe to our newsletterTransform your workflow with our comprehensive Amazon Advertising checklistReview all our show notes-Host and Executive Producer: Michael Erickson FacchinSenior Producer: Nancy Lili GonzalezPodcast Coordinator & Graphic Designer: Sofiia PodashVideo and Audio Editor: Pedro Moreno

Welcome back to the PPC Den podcast! Today we’re catching up with Francis Leger, co-owner of GS Plant Foods, to talk about the harsh realities of selling on Amazon in 2026.Let's be honest, the days of easily launching a profitable product from your bedroom with fifty bucks are long gone. Francis gets totally real about why Amazon has become such a frustrating and expensive barrier to entry, complete with random listing suspensions and endless bureaucratic headaches. Because of this margin squeeze, his two-person team is actively pivoting to build out their own independent D2C website.Instead of just playing around with trendy AI tools, Francis shares a brilliant, practical approach: look at your daily workflow and hand the tedious stuff over to a computer. He even shares a great story about how they built a custom script to automatically check their Amazon Buy Box across all 50 states to catch sneaky account issues instantly. Grab a coffee and join us for a really honest, refreshing conversation about surviving and thriving in e-commerce today.We’ll see you in The PPC Den!🦡 Highlights ​​0:00 - Intro02:40 - Why building a Shopify D2C website is now an absolute must04:02 - Why you can no longer start on Amazon with just $5006:30 - The nightmare of arbitrary Amazon delistings 15:21 - How we built a custom AI script to check our Buy Box in all 50 states19:47 - Stop asking "What can AI do?" and look at your org chart instead25:25 - The danger of building yourself a job instead of a business30:44 - How to get a business to run itself 33:23 - The one thing you can never outsource to AI36:47 - Why the fundamentals of business haven't changed in 100 years42:10 - Outro🦡 Resources & Links🦡 GET AD BADGER ➡️ Find Michael Erickson Facchin — Ad Badger’s CEO and soul, PPC whisperer, and your go-to guide through the wild world of Amazon advertisingCheck out Francis Leger and GS Plant Foods at gsplantfoods.com — where healthy plants (and smart business decisions) are always in season.Successful Ecommerce Entrepreneur On Business, Scaling 10x, and Finding the Right PartnersHow to Find Products That Sell OrganicallyHow To Use Psychology To Master Amazon PPC (Classic)Who to hire for your Amazon Growth Team  (Classic)What’s the Best Way to Manage an Amazon Brand? Exploring Agency Strategies📚 Unlock our FREE comprehensive Amazon Marketing PlaybookSubscribe to our newsletterTransform your workflow with our comprehensive Amazon Advertising checklistReview all our show notes-Host and Executive Producer: Michael Erickson FacchinGuest Co-Host: Francis LegerSenior Producer: Nancy Lili GonzalezPodcast Coordinator & Graphic Designer: Sofiia PodashVideo and Audio Editor: Pedro Moreno 

Have you ever scaled your Amazon PPC campaigns only to watch your organic sales completely drop off? In this episode, Michael and Amazon advertising expert Brent Zahradnik tackle a fantastic listener question where a brand's ad sales tripled, but their organic sales actually decreased year-over-year.They dive deep into the real reasons behind this frustrating scenario, exploring whether aggressive ad spend is truly cannibalizing organic placements or if there are other hidden factors at play, such as shrinking overall search volume or overspending on highly dominant branded keywords. It is a common fear for Amazon sellers and PPC managers alike, but the reality of how the algorithm balances paid and organic traffic is rarely straightforward. To help you navigate this exact problem, the guys break down the actionable strategies and metrics you need to measure true ad incrementality.We’ll see you in The PPC Den!🦡 Highlights ​​00:00 - Intro01:50 - Listener Question: Ad Sales Tripled, Organic Dropped04:05 - What is a "Healthy" Organic vs. Paid Sales Ratio?06:00 - Defining PPC Cannibalization & Incrementality08:10 - Scenario A: Overspending on Branded Keywords10:20 - Scenario B & C: Did PPC Save the Brand or Did the Market Shrink?15:30 - How to Fix It Step 1: Track Organic vs. Paid Percentage16:44 - Why Historic Rank Tracking Still Matters19:10 - Step 2: Using Search Query Performance Data22:15 - Step 3: Running a Holdout Test with AMC26:24 - Final Verdict: Does PPC Actually Cannibalize 100% of Sales?27:50 - Where to Find Brent🦡 Resources & Links🦡 GET AD BADGER ➡️ Find Michael Erickson Facchin — Ad Badger’s CEO and soul, PPC whisperer, and your go-to guide through the wild world of Amazon advertisingWhere to find Brent Zahradnik of SellerPlexManaging Amazon Ads in Tough Times to Protect Your Organic SalesHow to Find Products That Sell OrganicallyHow Can I Grow My Organic Sales Percentage For Amazon PPC Campaigns?📚 Unlock our FREE comprehensive Amazon Marketing PlaybookSubscribe to our newsletterTransform your workflow with our comprehensive Amazon Advertising checklistReview all our show notes-Host and Executive Producer: Michael Erickson FacchinGuest Co-Host: Brent ZahradnikSenior Producer: Nancy Lili GonzalezPodcast Coordinator & Graphic Designer: Sofiia PodashVideo and Audio Editor: Pedro Moreno 

Are your Amazon sales dropping and your ACoS skyrocketing? Before you take a sledgehammer to your PPC campaigns, you need to look under the hood of your business.In this episode, Michael sits down with Elizabeth Greene from Junglr to discuss why the biggest threats to your Amazon advertising performance usually have nothing to do with your ads. They break down the exact weekly "push-pull" diagnostic report they use to uncover 5 hidden operational issues that are secretly draining your ad budget and killing your profit margins.We’ll see you in The PPC Den!🦡 Highlights ​​00:00 - Intro02:15 - Why Non-PPC Issues Are Your Biggest Ad Problem 04:00 - The "Push-Pull" Report: Junglr’s Weekly Diagnostic Flow 12:27 - Issue #1: Inventory & The "45-Day Coverage" Sweet Spot 18:43 - Issue #2: Hidden Buy Box & Regional Shipping Problems 22:51 - Agency Scope of Work: Should Ad Agencies Fix Operations? 27:34 - Issue #3: How Pricing Changes Destroy Sales Velocity 33:12 - Issue #4: Catalog Chaos & Variation Splits Wasting Ad Spend 35:00 - Issue #5: Why High Return Rates Secretly Kill Your Profitability🦡 Resources & Links🦡 GET AD BADGER ➡️ Find Michael Erickson Facchin — Ad Badger’s CEO and soul, PPC whisperer, and your go-to guide through the wild world of Amazon advertisingWhere to find Elizabeth Greene from Junglr10 Steps to Maximize Amazon FBA Inventory LimitsHow Do I Evaluate Amazon Buyers’ Activity After Black Friday-Cyber Monday?Tackle 70% Wasted Spend with N-Gram Laddering in Amazon Ads📚 Unlock our FREE comprehensive Amazon Marketing PlaybookSubscribe to our newsletterTransform your workflow with our comprehensive Amazon Advertising checklistReview all our show notes-Host and Executive Producer: Michael Erickson FacchinGuest Co-Host: Elizabeth GreeneSenior Producer: Nancy Lili GonzalezPodcast Coordinator & Graphic Designer: Sofiia PodashVideo and Audio Editor: Pedro Moreno 

In this episode, I talk about how Amazon sellers can go beyond just looking at sales and start using PPC and search query data to understand their true market share. I show how you can track changes in search volume, impressions, clicks, conversions, and your share of purchases to see if your ads are actually helping you grow compared to the rest of the market. By grounding your PPC data with market insights, you can make smarter decisions, adjust campaigns when needed, and stay ahead of competitors.We’ll see you in The PPC Den!🦡 Highlights ​​0:05 – Most PPC managers check only sales0:17 – Better question: Did PPC grow your market share?0:27 – Comparing sales vs. market trends1:00 – Using search query data to track performance2:05 – How to access search query data in AdBadger3:22 – Tracking search volume and impressions over time5:00 – Measuring brand impression and click share6:55 – Comparing market vs. brand conversion rate8:04 – Understanding purchase share and market impact10:44 – Combining search data with ranking data11:57 – How to tell your PPC story with market context12:12 – Using this data to make smarter Amazon decisions🦡 Resources & Links🦡 GET AD BADGER ➡️ Find Michael Erickson Facchin — Ad Badger’s CEO and soul, PPC whisperer, and your go-to guide through the wild world of Amazon advertisingTraining PPC Managers Who Can Train OthersHow do I Increase My Amazon Market Share?Unlock Your Business’s Growth Potential With Amazon’s Market Analysis Tools📚 Unlock our FREE comprehensive Amazon Marketing PlaybookSubscribe to our newsletterTransform your workflow with our comprehensive Amazon Advertising checklistReview all our show notes-Host and Executive Producer: Michael Erickson FacchinSenior Producer: Nancy Lili GonzalezPodcast Coordinator & Graphic Designer: Sofiia PodashVideo and Audio Editor: Pedro Moreno 

Humans vs. AI?! Marketing by Emma’s Emma Schermer Tamir sits down with Michael to discuss how to elevate your copywriting. They talk about the rise of AI, finding humility in your writing, premium A+ content, and more! A great episode for those looking to boost efficiency and quality in their marketing and copywriting. This episode is a rerelease of one of our most popular episodes. Please note the resources and link section for any relevant updates.We’ll see you in The PPC Den!🦡 Highlights ​​0:00 - What to expect in this episode3:10 - What’s New With Emma11:05 - The Journey Through AI17:45 - Has AI Changed Your Process?24:06 - Thinking About Goals26:22 - How Can I Elevate My Copywriting?32:35 - First Steps47:15 - Where You Can Find Emma🦡 Resources & Links🦡 GET AD BADGER ➡️ Find Michael Erickson Facchin — Ad Badger’s CEO and soul, PPC whisperer, and your go-to guide through the wild world of Amazon advertisingWhere to find Emma, Marketing By EmmaHow Can I Use ChatGPT To Advance My Amazon PPC Campaign?12 Free Amazon Features Every Brand Should Be Using!How To Use Bulk Operations On Amazon To Crush Your CompetitionBalancing Amazon PPC Optimization And ExpansionHow Do I Create Data-Driven Product Pages On Amazon?📚 Unlock our FREE comprehensive Amazon Marketing PlaybookSubscribe to our newsletterTransform your workflow with our comprehensive Amazon Advertising checklistReview all our show notes-Host and Executive Producer: Michael Erickson FacchinGuest Co-Host: Emma Schermer TamirSenior Producer: Nancy Lili GonzalezPodcast Coordinator & Graphic Designer: Sofiia PodashVideo and Audio Editor: Pedro Moreno

Is your Amazon strategy spread too thin? In this episode, Michael is joined by Noemi Bolojan (CEO of ScaleWave) to cut through the noise of 2026. After a chaotic few years, the biggest trend for successful sellers isn't doing more—it's doing fewer things at a 10/10 level.We’re diving deep into the "5+1 Essential Skills" you need to master to actually move the needle this year. From the "lifeblood" of your business (Inventory Management) to the hidden goldmine in your Brand Analytics, we break down exactly where to focus your energy so you can stop guessing and start growing.Stop being an "inch deep" in a hundred activities. Tune in to learn how to go miles deep on the metrics that matter.We’ll see you in The PPC Den!🦡 Highlights ​​00:00 - Intro: The Art of Simplification in 202605:10 - Top 5 Skills to Grow on Amazon06:03 - Skill #1: Inventory Management (The Lifeblood)12:50 - Skill #2: Aligning PPC with Business Goals22:45 - Skill #3: SKU-Based Profit Analytics29:25 - Skill #4: Tracking Non-Converting Spend36:05 - Skill #5: Masterful Bid & Budget Management42:25 - Bonus Skill: Decoding Search Query Data46:50 - Where to Find Noemi🦡 Resources & Links🦡 GET AD BADGER ➡️ Find Michael Erickson Facchin — Ad Badger’s CEO and soul, PPC whisperer, and your go-to guide through the wild world of Amazon advertisingWhere to find  Noemi BolojanScale WaveHow Do I Perfect My Amazon Inventory Management?How to align team goals using Amazon PPC data tools?What is the SKU Economics Report and How It Boosts Amazon Ads?Non-Converting Spend: Misunderstood or Mismanaged? A Closer Look at Your PPC CampaignsAdvanced Amazon PPC Bid Optimization5 Ways Search Query Data Boosts Sales📚 Unlock our FREE comprehensive Amazon Marketing PlaybookSubscribe to our newsletterTransform your workflow with our comprehensive Amazon Advertising checklistReview all our show notes-Host and Executive Producer: Michael Erickson FacchinGuest Co-Host: Noemi BolojanSenior Producer: Nancy Lili GonzalezPodcast Coordinator & Graphic Designer: Sofiia PodashVideo and Audio Editor: Pedro Moreno