From early Google Ads days to pioneering Amazon PPC and DSP, Clear Ads founder George Meressa breaks down how to launch, scale, and defend profitable growth on the world’s biggest marketplace—without chasing shiny objects or burning margin.
What you’ll learn
- The retail-ready checklist that drives conversion and ranking
- A step-by-step Amazon launch playbook (long-tail terms → phase upgrades → organic lift)
- How to use Sponsored Products, Sponsored Brands, and DSP in the right order
- Creative ways to build audiences with Amazon’s first-party data
- The “slow growth, strong profits” system: inventory, reviews, margins, forecasting
- When to add variations vs. new products, and how to read category signals
- Smart ways to bring external traffic (TikTok/Google) to boost rank and moat
- 2025 realities: tariffs, storage fees, and cost creep—and how top brands adapt
- Omnichannel strategy: why Amazon + DTC/retail increases resilience and exit multiples
- Building an edge with people + AI inside your growth team
Chapters:
00:00 – Introduction & shiny object syndrome
02:35 – George’s backstory: from sales to Google Ads
05:50 – How George discovered Amazon PPC
06:55 – Learning Google & Amazon media buying skills
07:30 – The first services Clear Ads offered
08:43 – Expanding into programmatic and full service
09:43 – Why move beyond ads into listings & content
10:25 – One-time setup vs ongoing optimization
10:42 – What types of brands Clear Ads works with
11:12 – US vs UK focus on Amazon
11:49 – Criteria for “retail-ready” brands
12:32 – Red flags: brands Clear Ads avoids
13:34 – Why consumables make strong Amazon products
14:20 – How new brands should launch on Amazon
15:56 – Ads first or organic first?
17:50 – Can you forecast revenue before launch?
19:38 – Reviews: risk, compliance & best practices
21:41 – Competition: how to judge new niches
23:23 – Battling strong incumbents on Amazon
24:23 – Scaling: from Sponsored Products → Brands → DSP → external traffic
26:42 – When to run external traffic to Amazon
27:00 – Sponsored Products vs Sponsored Brands vs DSP explained
30:36 – Beyond ads: profit tracking, inventory, and slow growth
33:20 – Launching variations vs new products
34:14 – How to test demand for new products
35:07 – Biggest growth challenges & tariffs
38:29 – Should brands go all in on Amazon?
41:50 – When and how to diversify outside Amazon
44:39 – Launching new products vs expanding into new channels
48:00 – Exits: what multiples look like in 2025
50:20 – How Clear Ads differentiates from other agencies
52:25 – The power of people and community in agency growth
55:24 – Building a network of top-tier partners
01:00:00 – Balancing focus vs partners with multiple ventures
01:02:30 – How George personally uses AI
01:05:35 – Staying curious to stay ahead
01:06:07 – Where to follow George
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