{"id":709053,"date":"2026-01-24T01:15:12","date_gmt":"2026-01-23T22:15:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/the-url-mistake-that-killed-black-friday-ft-nick-handley\/"},"modified":"2026-01-24T01:15:12","modified_gmt":"2026-01-23T22:15:12","slug":"the-url-mistake-that-killed-black-friday-ft-nick-handley","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/the-url-mistake-that-killed-black-friday-ft-nick-handley\/","title":{"rendered":"The URL mistake that killed Black Friday ft Nick Handley"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_85 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a393fe000749\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a393fe000749\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/the-url-mistake-that-killed-black-friday-ft-nick-handley\/#One_early-career_PPC_mistake_nearly_took_campaigns_offline_on_Black_Friday_but_it_became_a_defining_lesson_in_staying_calm_owning_errors\" >One early-career PPC mistake nearly took campaigns offline on Black Friday, but it became a defining lesson in staying calm, &amp; owning errors.<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/the-url-mistake-that-killed-black-friday-ft-nick-handley\/#The_Black_Friday_mistake_that_took_everything_down\" >The Black Friday mistake that took everything down<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/the-url-mistake-that-killed-black-friday-ft-nick-handley\/#Panic_makes_problems_worse\" >Panic makes problems worse<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/the-url-mistake-that-killed-black-friday-ft-nick-handley\/#The_real_lesson_de-escalate_yourself_first\" >The real lesson: de-escalate yourself first<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/the-url-mistake-that-killed-black-friday-ft-nick-handley\/#From_junior_panic_to_leadership_principles\" >From junior panic to leadership principles<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/the-url-mistake-that-killed-black-friday-ft-nick-handley\/#AI_is_helpful_%E2%80%94_but_only_if_you_know_the_basics\" >AI is helpful \u2014 but only if you know the basics<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/the-url-mistake-that-killed-black-friday-ft-nick-handley\/#Accountability_beats_perfection\" >Accountability beats perfection<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/the-url-mistake-that-killed-black-friday-ft-nick-handley\/#Why_sharing_mistakes_makes_better_marketers\" >Why sharing mistakes makes better marketers<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/the-url-mistake-that-killed-black-friday-ft-nick-handley\/#The_big_takeaway\" >The big takeaway<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"subhead\" itemprop=\"alternativeHeadline\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"One_early-career_PPC_mistake_nearly_took_campaigns_offline_on_Black_Friday_but_it_became_a_defining_lesson_in_staying_calm_owning_errors\"><\/span>One early-career PPC mistake nearly took campaigns offline on Black Friday, but it became a defining lesson in staying calm, &amp; owning errors.<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><\/p>\n<div class=\"bialty-container\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<div class=\"rll-youtube-player\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/IadRhqbz6ws\" data-id=\"IadRhqbz6ws\" data-query=\"feature=oembed\" data-alt=\"The URL Mistake That Killed Black Friday ft Nick Handley\"><\/div>\n<p><noscript><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"The URL Mistake That Killed Black Friday ft Nick Handley\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/IadRhqbz6ws?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/noscript>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>On episode 338 of PPC Live The Podcast, I speak to Nick Handley Paid <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/social-mediaa\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"1\" title=\"Social Media\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Media<\/a> Lead at Impression, about one of the most formative mistakes of his career \u2014 and why those early errors often shape the strongest marketers.<\/p>\n<p>The podcast <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/watch-movies-tv-seriess\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"8\" title=\"Watch Movies &amp; TV Series\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">series<\/a> focuses on PPC professionals\u2019 biggest \u201cF-ups,\u201d but never without exploring how they recovered, who helped them, and what lasting lessons came out the other side. Nick\u2019s story is a textbook example of how a single mistake can permanently change how you work \u2014 for the better.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"the-black-friday-mistake-that-took-everything-down\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Black_Friday_mistake_that_took_everything_down\"><\/span>The Black Friday mistake that took everything down<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Nick takes listeners back nearly ten years, to the very start of his career at <em>Tyres on the Drive<\/em> (now owned by Halfords). With only around seven months of PPC experience, he was left managing campaigns during the Black Friday period while a senior colleague was on holiday.<\/p>\n<p>The task sounded simple: update URLs across multiple campaigns using Google Ads Editor. The execution, however, went very wrong.<\/p>\n<p>Nick mistyped part of the landing page URL \u2014 a small error with massive consequences. Once uploaded, ads across the account were dis<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>roved, effectively taking paid search offline during one of the most important trading periods of the year. At the time, PPC accounted for around 70% of the company\u2019s conversions.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt was full panic,\u201d Nick admits. \u201cI genuinely thought I was going to lose my job.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"panic-makes-problems-worse\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Panic_makes_problems_worse\"><\/span>Panic makes problems worse<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>What made the situation harder wasn\u2019t just the typo \u2014 it was what came next. In a stressed state, Nick tried to fix the issue without properly re-syncing Google Ads Editor with the live account. Changes didn\u2019t apply, errors stacked up, and confusion grew.<\/p>\n<p>The turning point came when Max Hopkinson, a senior colleague, stepped in. Instead of blaming or escalating, Max calmly walked Nick through the fix: re-sync the account, undo the changes properly, re-upload, and get campaigns live again.<\/p>\n<p>The downtime was resolved in about an hour, and the team worked strategically to recover performance by increasing spend later in the day. The Black Friday period ultimately performed well \u2014 but the emotional impact of the mistake stuck.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"the-real-lesson-deescalate-yourself-first\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_real_lesson_de-escalate_yourself_first\"><\/span>The real lesson: de-escalate yourself first<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>One of the biggest takeaways from Nick\u2019s experience isn\u2019t technical \u2014 it\u2019s psychological.<\/p>\n<p>When things go wrong, panic actively makes solutions harder to see. Nick stresses the importance of stepping away, calming yourself down, and then methodically identifying the issue. Five minutes away from the screen can prevent five hours of damage.<\/p>\n<p>This mindset now underpins how he works \u2014 and how he manages others.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"from-junior-panic-to-leadership-principles\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"From_junior_panic_to_leadership_principles\"><\/span>From junior panic to leadership principles<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>As a leader today, Nick is intentional about building systems that reduce risk and pressure. At Impression, large changes go through a buddy-based QA system, where someone outside the immediate account team sense-checks major updates before they go live.<\/p>\n<p>The goal isn\u2019t mistrust \u2014 it\u2019s safety. Fresh eyes catch errors tired ones miss, especially when working at speed.<\/p>\n<p>Nick is clear that this approach isn\u2019t just for agencies. In-house teams, freelancers, and solo marketers can adapt it using automation, AI checks, or structured workflows to ensure nothing slips through.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"ai-is-helpful-but-only-if-you-know-the-basics\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"AI_is_helpful_%E2%80%94_but_only_if_you_know_the_basics\"><\/span>AI is helpful \u2014 but only if you know the basics<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Nick also warns against leaning too heavily on AI without understanding fundamentals first. While automation and AI can help sense-check work, speed up QA, or manage budgets, they can\u2019t replace foundational knowledge.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf you don\u2019t know what \u2018right\u2019 looks like,\u201d he explains, \u201cyou won\u2019t know when AI is wrong.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>This applies to everything from ad copy and keyword research to budget pacing and performance analysis. AI should amplify expertise \u2014 not replace it.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"accountability-beats-perfection\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Accountability_beats_perfection\"><\/span>Accountability beats perfection<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Perhaps the most important message from the episode is that mistakes are inevitable \u2014 but hiding them is optional.<\/p>\n<p>Nick emphasizes accountability over blame. When errors happen, the best response is to clearly explain what went wrong, what the impact was, and how it\u2019s being fixed. Most clients and managers are far more understanding than people expect, especially when transparency comes early.<\/p>\n<p>This culture of openness not only protects performance \u2014 it protects mental health.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"why-sharing-mistakes-makes-better-marketers\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_sharing_mistakes_makes_better_marketers\"><\/span>Why sharing mistakes makes better marketers<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Nick believes leaders should openly share their failures, not just their wins. Digital marketing already carries intense pressure, constant change, and unrealistic expectations of perfection. Hearing that respected experts still make mistakes \u2014 and survive them \u2014 normalizes the learning curve.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re not robots,\u201d he says. \u201cWe\u2019re people doing complex work in fast-moving systems.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"the-big-takeaway\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_big_takeaway\"><\/span>The big takeaway<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Nick\u2019s early-career mistake didn\u2019t derail his career \u2014 it defined it. It shaped how he approaches QA, leadership, automation, and stress. More importantly, it reinforced a truth many PPC professionals need to hear:<\/p>\n<p>Mistakes don\u2019t end careers. Panic, silence, and lack of accountability do.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMN63nwsw68G3Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more like this article, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/technology\/\" target=\"_blank\" >Technology<\/a><\/span> category.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/the-url-mistake-that-killed-black-friday-ft-nick-handley-467898\" target=\"_blank\" >Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>One early-career PPC mistake nearly took campaigns offline on Black Friday, but it became a defining lesson in staying calm, &amp; owning errors. On episode 338 of PPC Live The Podcast, I speak to Nick Handley Paid Media Lead at Impression, about one of the most formative mistakes of his career \u2014 and why those&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":709054,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/01\/PLTP-Image-5.png","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-709053","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-technology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/709053","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=709053"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/709053\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/709054"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=709053"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=709053"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=709053"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}