Top 7 Paid Search Podcasts for Marketers in 2026

If paid search keeps changing faster than marketers can document it, why are so many still learning from static blog posts alone? A good paid search podcast gives you something different, a live feed of how practitioners think about platform changes, account structure, measurement, and budget decisions while the channel keeps moving. That matters in Ireland too, where digital advertising is a major demand-capture channel, search accounts for roughly 47% of total digital ad spend, and mobile devices drive most web activity, which keeps Google Ads and Microsoft Advertising at the centre of practical lead generation (Ireland PPC market data). Podcasting has also moved into mainstream media planning in Europe, with podcast ad spend rising from $1.8 billion in 2024 to $2.9 billion in 2026, a 61% increase, so the format now sits inside a broader performance-marketing ecosystem rather than a niche learning habit (European podcast statistics).

Table of Contents

• 1. Paid Search Podcast - Best for fundamentals and account decisions - What works and what doesn't

• 2. The Google Ads Podcast Solutions 8 - Best for timely tactics and operating systems - Where it fits in a learning routine

• 3. PPC Town Hall Optmyzr - Best for advanced strategy and automation - What it's good at

• 4. Marketing O'Clock - Best for staying current without drowning in headlines - Where it falls short

• 5. PPC Live The Podcast formerly PPCChat Roundup with Anu Adegbola - Best for candid operator insight - Who should skip it, or at least pair it with something else

• 6. The PPC Den Ad Badger - Best for retail media and commercial discipline - What to watch out for

• 7. Inside Google Ads with Jyll Saskin Gales - Best for concise, actionable takeaways - How to use it well

• Top 7 Paid Search Podcasts Compared

• Your Next Step Integrate Continuous Learning into Your Strategy

1. Paid Search Podcast

The Paid Search Podcast is the safest default pick if you want one show that keeps returning to the mechanics that move accounts. Chris Schaeffer keeps the tone plain, practical, and close to the work, which makes it strong for advertisers who still need a clean framework for search terms, campaign structure, budget allocation, and troubleshooting.

Best for fundamentals and account decisions

This is the show I'd put in front of a junior PPC hire, a founder managing their own account, or an in-house marketer who wants a more grounded view of Google Ads than platform documentation usually gives. The listener Q&A format is especially useful because it surfaces the kinds of messy questions that appear in real accounts, not just polished case studies.

A useful way to pair it with your own work is to keep one campaign open while listening, then test whether the advice would change your structure, negatives, ad groups, or bidding plan. That habit keeps the podcast from becoming background noise. It also fits well with a broader strategy mindset, which is why I'd connect it with a deeper read like this paid search strategy guide when you want to turn ideas into an account plan.

Practical rule: use this podcast to sanity-check your Google Ads structure, not to chase novelty. If a recommendation sounds clever but won't improve query quality, budget control, or lead quality, park it.

Standout episode type: the Q&A episodes where a real advertiser describes a specific account problem. Those are the closest thing this format has to a live troubleshooting clinic.

What works and what doesn't

Its strength is clarity. You don't have to decode agency jargon, and that makes it easy to action ideas quickly. The limitation is obvious too, because it stays largely inside Google Ads and won't give you much Microsoft Advertising depth.

It's also better for small-to-mid spend thinking than for extremely complex, enterprise-level search operations. That's not a flaw, it's a scope choice. For Irish SMEs, professional services, and SaaS teams that need disciplined fundamentals, that scope is often exactly right.

2. The Google Ads Podcast Solutions 8

The Google Ads Podcast from Solutions 8 is the one to follow when you want fast-moving, agency-shaped guidance on what's changing in Google Ads and what it means for live accounts. It's especially handy for practitioners who need a steady stream of tactical updates on Performance Max, measurement, search, and team processes.

Best for timely tactics and operating systems

The biggest advantage here is the mix of formats. Tutorials, live Q&A replays, and campaign examples give you a better shot at understanding how an idea behaves in practice. That matters because many marketers don't need another abstract debate about automation, they need a clear operating pattern they can test in their own account.

This show is also useful if you manage multiple clients or a small internal team and need repeatable SOP-style guidance. The agency lens keeps the advice commercial rather than theoretical. If you want the same mindset applied to broader marketing structure, the internal resource at digital marketing explained helps place paid search inside the wider channel mix.

Use it like this:

• Scan for feature updates first. Focus on episodes tied to product changes, tests, or measurement.

• Take one framework per episode. Don't try to absorb everything. Pull one SOP, one checklist, or one testing idea.

• Archive useful replays. Some older episodes will age out as the platform changes, so keep only what still maps cleanly to your current setup.

Where it fits in a learning routine

This is a strong “mid-week implementation” podcast. If Monday is for account checks and Friday is for reporting, this is the kind of show that can slot into the part of your week where you decide what to test next. It won't replace hands-on experimentation, but it can sharpen the questions you ask before you touch the account.

The main trade-off is content volume. High cadence is useful, but it also means you need discipline. Not every episode deserves attention, and some guidance will be overtaken by platform evolution.

3. PPC Town Hall Optmyzr

PPC Town Hall is where senior PPC people go when they want deeper discussion about automation, AI, reporting, scripts, and multi-network operations. Frederick Vallaeys brings an ex-Google perspective, and the roundtable format makes room for more nuanced disagreement than a solo show usually can.

Best for advanced strategy and automation

This is the podcast I'd pick for agency leads, in-house heads of performance, and anyone trying to build a search operation that uses tooling without becoming lazy about it. The discussions are usually more valuable when you already know the basics, because the value comes from how experienced practitioners compare approaches, not from step-by-step platform training.

The video-first format matters. If a guest is sharing screens or walking through a workflow, watch the episode rather than just listening in the background. The visual layer often carries the learning. For a deeper vocabulary on how to interpret the terms that appear in these discussions, this paid search terms resource is a useful companion.

Some podcast episodes are worth listening to once. This one is often worth revisiting with a notebook open, especially if you're rethinking automation, reporting, or how much trust to place in platform defaults.

Standout episode type: expert panels on AI, Performance Max, and reporting. Those episodes tend to surface real operational trade-offs, not just opinions.

What it's good at

It's particularly strong when the industry is dealing with uncertainty. If platform changes are making your team nervous, a roundtable from people who have already tested the edges of the system can stop you from overreacting. That said, it's not beginner-friendly, and if you're still learning how to read query data or set up conversion tracking, this probably isn't where you should start.

The show suits teams that are ready to move from “how do I run this campaign?” to “how do I design a durable operating model around this channel?” That's a different question, and a more useful one for mature accounts.

4. Marketing O'Clock

Marketing O'Clock is the news-first option on this list. It covers PPC alongside SEO and social, but many search marketers use it because it explains what changed this week and what that change probably means for campaigns, testing, and policy risk.

Best for staying current without drowning in headlines

If you've ever opened a platform update, nodded along, and then realised later that your campaign structure still needs work, this show helps bridge that gap. The value isn't just the news. It's the interpretation from hosts who understand how a policy tweak or product release can affect KPIs in the world.

That makes it especially useful for busy teams. You don't always need a long tutorial, you need to know whether a change affects bidding, reporting, feed strategy, or the way your team should talk to clients. This is a good “Monday morning catch-up” podcast because it gives you a current view before the workweek starts.

What to listen for:

• Platform changes that affect live accounts.

• Policy or test updates that could disrupt your current setup.

• The hosts' commentary on practical implications, not just the headline.

Where it falls short

Because it isn't PPC-only, you'll sometimes sit through sections that aren't relevant to search practitioners. That's the trade-off for breadth. It also won't replace a show that teaches execution in depth, so treat it as a current-affairs layer rather than your main training resource.

The tone helps more than people admit. A fast-moving weekly news show can keep you engaged long enough to remember the update and act on it. That's worth something when your alternative is skimming release notes you'll forget by lunch.

5. PPC Live The Podcast formerly PPCChat Roundup with Anu Adegbola

PPC Live feels different from the more instructional shows because it leans into conversation, community, and hard-earned lessons. Anu Adegbola keeps the focus on practitioners who have lived through the mistakes, recoveries, and strategy shifts that shape good paid search work.

Best for candid operator insight

This is the show for senior PPCs who are tired of perfect-case-study content. The interviews are more valuable when you want to hear how real people handled account problems, budget pressure, or channel tension across teams. It's a useful reminder that most good PPC work is a series of informed trade-offs, not a straight line.

The #ppcchat roots matter too. You can hear the practical culture behind the show, which keeps it grounded and less promotional than some agency-led content. If you work in a team that values honest post-mortems, this podcast fits that mindset well.

Practical rule: if you're leading a team, listen for the mistake and the fix, not just the headline takeaway. The fix is usually more transferable than the story.

Standout episode type: interviews with seasoned professionals talking openly about a campaign failure, a process mistake, or a strategic pivot. That's where the most usable insight tends to live.

Who should skip it, or at least pair it with something else

Publishing cadence can vary, so it's not the best option if you want a strict weekly rhythm. It's also not designed as a news briefing. If you need current platform updates, pair it with something more reactive, then come back here for the deeper operator thinking.

For agency leads and hands-on managers, that combination works well. You get the fresh alert from a news show, then the reflective layer from a conversation show. That's often a better learning pattern than relying on one format to do everything.

6. The PPC Den Ad Badger

The PPC Den is Amazon Advertising-centric, so it isn't the first stop for a B2B search manager. Even so, it earns a place on this list because the mechanics of retail search, query analysis, profitability, and optimisation discipline translate well to eCommerce thinking more broadly.

Best for retail media and commercial discipline

If you run marketplace campaigns or support an eCommerce brand, this show gives you a sharper view of bidding, query quality, and contribution margin thinking than many generic search podcasts do. The terminology may differ from Google Ads, but the habit of measuring against profitability instead of vanity metrics is extremely transferable.

That's the core lesson here. Search marketers sometimes get trapped in channel-specific language and forget the underlying job, which is to buy qualified demand efficiently. This show keeps returning to that basic commercial question. For teams selling products online, that's often more useful than another broad overview of “best practices.”

Good use cases:

• Amazon Advertising teams looking for advanced optimisation ideas.

• eCommerce marketers who need a profitability lens on search.

• Search teams wanting to borrow a more rigorous query analysis mindset.

What to watch out for

This is not a B2B lead generation show. If you're working on professional services, SaaS, or long-cycle pipeline generation, you'll need to translate heavily. You also can't assume the same tactics will map neatly to Google or Microsoft Ads, because the platform, intent, and buying mechanics are different.

Still, it's one of the better places to hear detailed thinking about retail search performance. The show notes and documentation on the site are also useful if you like to revisit a concept after listening. That makes the learning stick better than audio alone.

7. Inside Google Ads with Jyll Saskin Gales

Inside Google Ads is the most efficient listen on this list for busy marketers who want one clear operational idea at a time. Jyll Saskin Gales keeps episodes short and focused, which makes the show easy to work into a real weekly routine instead of a heroic one you'll abandon after two weeks.

Best for concise, actionable takeaways

This is the podcast I'd recommend to experienced practitioners who don't need an hour of commentary to understand a topic. The solo format keeps the signal high, and the coaching background gives the episodes a useful “what matters in the account?” feel.

It's also a strong fit for marketers who want current guidance on search, YouTube, and measurement without sitting through a panel discussion every time. The episodes don't try to be everything. That restraint helps. You get one topic, one angle, and usually one idea worth testing.

How to use it well

The best way to learn from this show is to listen with a specific problem in mind. If you're trying to improve search terms, or decide how to interpret automation, use the episode as a filter rather than a broad education source. That keeps your attention on execution.

The short format is the advantage here. You can finish an episode, make a decision, and move on before your to-do list expands again.

It's less useful if you want multiple viewpoints in one sitting. There's no roundtable debate, so you get one practitioner's perspective rather than a live exchange. For many teams, that's still enough, especially when the goal is fast operational clarity rather than strategic theatre.

Top 7 Paid Search Podcasts Compared

Podcast	Complexity 🔄	Resource requirements ⚡	Expected outcomes 📊	Ideal use cases 💡	Key advantages ⭐
Paid Search Podcast	🔄🔄 Medium, practitioner-focused walkthroughs	⚡ Moderate, episode-length, actionable steps	📊 Fundamentals-first account improvements; ⭐ Reliable ROI guidance	💡 Advertisers/agencies wanting practical Google Ads fundamentals	⭐ Clear, plain-English explanations; consistent ROI focus
The Google Ads Podcast (Solutions 8)	🔄🔄 Low–Medium, bite-sized tutorials & case studies	⚡ High cadence, frequent short episodes (filtering needed)	📊 Timely feature takes and SOPs; ⭐ Actionable frameworks & checklists	💡 Practitioners needing up-to-date features and process checklists	⭐ Agency-backed, hands-on tutorials
PPC Town Hall (Optmyzr)	🔄🔄🔄 High, senior roundtables and tool deep dives	⚡ Lower (time-intensive), video demos and panel sessions	📊 Advanced automation, AI and reporting strategies; ⭐ Strategic tooling guidance	💡 Agency leads and senior PPCs adapting to automation/AI	⭐ Senior-level expert panels; strong AI/tool coverage
Marketing O'Clock	🔄 Low, news-focused digest across channels	⚡ Very fast, weekly recap for quick catch-up	📊 Immediate platform change awareness & KPI impact; ⭐ Timely interpretation	💡 Marketers who must stay current on platform/news updates	⭐ Reliable, practitioner commentary on what changed and why
PPC Live – The Podcast (Anu Adegbola)	🔄🔄 Medium, interview-driven strategic discussions	⚡ Moderate, episodic deep interviews (variable cadence)	📊 Candid lessons and tactical nuance for leaders; ⭐ Practical strategy insights	💡 Leaders and managers seeking honest practitioner experiences	⭐ Seasoned expert interviews; real-world mistakes and fixes
The PPC Den (Ad Badger)	🔄🔄🔄 Medium–High, deep Amazon/retail technical focus	⚡ Moderate, targeted eCommerce listening (detailed notes)	📊 Retail search optimization, TACoS/ACoS frameworks; ⭐ Amazon-specific profitability tactics	💡 eCommerce advertisers focused on Amazon/retail media profitability	⭐ Deep technical eCommerce guidance; strong documentation
Inside Google Ads (Jyll Saskin Gales)	🔄 Low, concise single-topic episodes	⚡ Very efficient, short, operational takeaways	📊 Rapid, operational guidance for scaling/search/YouTube; ⭐ Coach-led insights	💡 Busy marketers wanting quick, actionable Google Ads coaching	⭐ Concise episodes with practical, up-to-date coaching tips

Your Next Step Integrate Continuous Learning into Your Strategy

The best paid search podcast for your team is the one you'll use to make decisions. A weekly news show helps you react to platform changes, a fundamentals-first show helps newer staff build confidence, and an advanced show helps senior people avoid stale thinking. The advantage comes from mixing formats, then turning listening into action through account reviews, test plans, and measurement checks.

For Irish marketers, that habit matters even more because the channel environment is already dense and intent-led. Ireland's digital advertising market is estimated at about €1.1 billion in 2024, search makes up roughly 47% of digital ad spend, and mobile behaviour shapes how people discover and compare options (Ireland PPC market data). Podcasts can fit that reality if you treat them as a learning system, not passive entertainment. The same goes for measurement, especially when podcast influence shows up later as branded search, assisted conversions, or delayed lead submission rather than clean last-click data.

A practical system is simple. Pick one show for news, one for fundamentals, and one for strategy. Then review one account action every week that came directly from something you heard. If your team needs help connecting paid media, conversion thinking, and commercial priorities in a way that suits the Irish market, Scéaled works with Google Ads and Microsoft Advertising as part of a broader growth plan.

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If you want a partner that can turn paid search learning into live campaign work, visit Scéaled and see how the team approaches Google Ads, Microsoft Advertising, and conversion-focused growth. A short conversation can show whether your current search strategy is giving you enough qualified demand, or whether there's a cleaner way to structure the next stage of growth.