We cut the waste.
We don’t guess.
Black X Marketing optimizes your paid search ads and the rest of your media with a written forecast before a dollar is spent, powered by Cheeky Merlin, the predictive advertising platform our team built. Then we’re measured against that number.
Revenue generated for clients through paid media
Of Google Ads campaigns built, audited and optimized
Blended ROAS, La Mesa Oktoberfest 2026
Running paid media across six ad platforms since 2021
Most ad budgets leak. We find the leak, then we model the fix before you pay for it.
Agencies tend to report what happened after the money is gone. We work the other way around: a written prediction, a disciplined account, and a monthly comparison against what we said would happen.
We cut the waste
The fastest ROI in paid search is usually money you stop spending.
- Search-term audits and negative keyword architecture
- Custom Google Ads scripts that flag runaway spend
- Placement, audience and geo exclusions
- Budget moved off campaigns past diminishing returns
We don’t guess
Every campaign starts with a number we put in writing.
- Forecasted leads, cost per lead and revenue before launch
- Buyer-intent scoring with Cheeky Merlin
- Forecast vs. actual reported every month
- Models that recalibrate as real results arrive
We optimize relentlessly
Ads, bids and landing pages are tuned as one system.
- Smart bidding with clean, verified conversion tracking
- Ad copy testing built on buyer psychology
- Landing page and CRO fixes that lift conversion rate
- Leads followed up in minutes, not days
Drag the budget. Watch the forecast move.
This is a simplified version of how we forecast before launch: leads ramp as campaigns learn, and the uncertainty band tightens as real data arrives.
Uses illustrative cost-per-click, conversion and close-rate assumptions for each industry, not a promise of results. Your real forecast uses your market data. Adjust every input in the full calculators →
$19,189 in ads. $108,395 in ticket sales.
return on ad spend for La Mesa Oktoberfest 2026. We were handed roughly $20K in ad spend with two jobs: sell VIP tickets and build overall traffic for the festival across Greater San Diego.
Tickets sold in a 96-day window
Ad cost per ticket sold
Impressions across Meta and Google
Google Search click-through rate
Blended ROAS = net ticket revenue (excl. taxes) ÷ total Meta and Google spend, Jul 1 – Oct 4, 2026. Source: Meta Ads Manager, Google Ads and the festival’s ticketing platform.
Meet Cheeky Merlin, the predictive engine behind every campaign.
We built Cheeky Merlin so we’d never have to guess in front of a client. It scores buyer psychology (pain, urgency, social proof and channel fit) into a predicted conversion rate before budget is spent, then checks itself against real results and recalibrates.
The Strategy Seer
Forecasts leads, cost per lead and revenue for your market before launch, and shows the error band honestly.
Full-funnel paid media, built around one number: what it returns.
Hover or tap a service to explore.
Paid Search Advertising
Google Ads management that cuts wasted spend first, then scales what converts.
- Search, Performance Max, Shopping and local
- Negative keyword architecture and daily scripts
- Verified conversion tracking before launch
Predictive Advertising
Leads, cost per acquisition and revenue forecast in writing before launch, then reported against actuals every month.
- Forecast vs. actual reporting
- Diminishing-returns budget modeling
- Powered by Cheeky Merlin
Paid Social
Meta, TikTok and LinkedIn campaigns built on emotional and behavioral triggers.
- Creative tested against the forecast
- Audience scoring by buyer intent
- Retargeting that respects frequency
Amazon Advertising
Sponsored Products, Brands and Display managed to profitability, not just ROAS.
- TACoS and margin-based bidding
- Search term harvesting
- Listing and conversion fixes
OTT / CTV
Streaming TV with geo-fenced, household-level targeting, measured with lift, not impressions.
- Household and zip-level targeting
- Lift and attribution measurement
- Creative built for the big screen
Landing Pages & CRO
The cheapest lead is the visitor you already paid for.
- Message match to every ad group
- Core Web Vitals and speed fixes
- Psychology-driven page structure
Predict. Prove. Deliver. Guarantee.
Predict
We model volume, cost per outcome and the point of diminishing returns for your market, and write the projection down before launch.
Prove
Tracking is verified by a person before a dollar runs. You own the ad accounts and see the same data we see.
Deliver
We cut waste, shift budget to what converts and report forecast vs. actual every month, in plain English.
Guarantee
We guarantee the work will be performed as promised. Read our guarantee.
Run the numbers yourself before you talk to anyone.
Our free predictive advertising calculators show what your budget should return, what a lead should cost, and how much of your current spend is likely wasted.
The playbooks we use internally. Free.
Enter your email and we’ll send the guide instantly. Plus a short monthly note on what’s working in paid media.
Built for businesses where every lead has a dollar value.
Service Businesses
Home services, automotive, retail and specialty trades. Booked jobs, not form fills.
Learn more →Franchise & Multi-Location
Location-level forecasts and budgets that roll up to one brand view.
Learn more →Events & Destinations
Ticket sales on a hard deadline. Concours d’Elegance, HarborFest, La Mesa Oktoberfest and more.
Learn more →Questions we get asked
What is a paid search advertising agency?
A paid search agency plans, builds and manages ads on search engines like Google and Bing, where you pay when someone clicks. Black X Marketing manages keyword strategy, bidding, ad copy, conversion tracking and landing pages, with a focus on cutting wasted spend before scaling budget.
What is predictive advertising?
Predictive advertising uses historical performance, market data and buyer-intent signals to forecast what a campaign will produce (leads, cost per lead, revenue) before the budget is spent. We write that forecast down, launch, and report actual results against it every month.
What is Cheeky Merlin and how is it connected to Black X Marketing?
Cheeky Merlin is a predictive marketing platform created by the Black X Marketing team. It scores buyer-psychology signals into a predicted conversion rate and recalibrates its forecasts as real campaign results arrive. We use it on client accounts, and other agencies license it at cheekymerlin.com.
How do you cut wasted ad spend?
We start with a search-term and placement audit, build negative keyword lists, exclude poor-quality audiences and locations, fix conversion tracking, and run Google Ads scripts that flag runaway costs. Budget is then moved toward the campaigns with the best forecasted return.
How much should I spend on Google Ads?
It depends on your cost per click, conversion rate and how many leads you need. Our free Google Ads budget calculator works it out from your numbers. For our Free 30-Day Sprint the minimum ad spend is $1,500.
Who owns the ad accounts?
You do. Every account is in your name, and you keep full access and all historical data if you ever leave.
How fast will I see results?
Paid search can produce leads within days of launch. Most accounts improve significantly in the first 30 to 90 days as waste is removed and the forecast model recalibrates on real data.
See the number before you spend a dollar.
Tell us about your market and budget. We’ll send a written projection of what paid search and paid social should return, free and with no obligation.
Prefer to talk? Call or text (970) 236-8076