{"id":722083,"date":"2026-04-16T08:35:12","date_gmt":"2026-04-16T05:35:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/the-pact-framework-for-ppc-how-to-move-beyond-it-depends\/"},"modified":"2026-04-16T08:35:12","modified_gmt":"2026-04-16T05:35:12","slug":"the-pact-framework-for-ppc-how-to-move-beyond-it-depends","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/the-pact-framework-for-ppc-how-to-move-beyond-it-depends\/","title":{"rendered":"The PACT framework for PPC: How to move beyond \u2018it depends\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_84 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-6a26e71fa6353\" 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-6a26e71fa6353\" 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-pact-framework-for-ppc-how-to-move-beyond-it-depends\/#Not_all_PPC_questions_are_equal_Learn_how_to_match_your_response_to_the_question_type_using_process_data_context_and_trade-offs\" >Not all PPC questions are equal. Learn how to match your response to the question type using process, data, context, and trade-offs.<\/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-pact-framework-for-ppc-how-to-move-beyond-it-depends\/#Not_all_questions_are_created_equal\" >Not all questions are created equal<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/the-pact-framework-for-ppc-how-to-move-beyond-it-depends\/#Descriptive_questions_Asking_what_happened_or_how_something_works\" >Descriptive questions: Asking what happened or how something works<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/the-pact-framework-for-ppc-how-to-move-beyond-it-depends\/#Diagnostic_questions_Asking_why_something_happened\" >Diagnostic questions: Asking why something happened<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/the-pact-framework-for-ppc-how-to-move-beyond-it-depends\/#Predictive_questions_Asking_what_will_happen_or_what_good_looks_like\" >Predictive questions: Asking what will happen or what good looks like<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/the-pact-framework-for-ppc-how-to-move-beyond-it-depends\/#Prescriptive_questions_Asking_%E2%80%98What_should_I_do_or_%E2%80%98Whats_the_best_solution\" >Prescriptive questions: Asking \u2018What should I do?\u2019 or \u2018What\u2019s the best solution?\u2019\u00a0<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/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-pact-framework-for-ppc-how-to-move-beyond-it-depends\/#The_PACT_framework\" >The PACT framework<\/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-pact-framework-for-ppc-how-to-move-beyond-it-depends\/#Process_Give_a_structured_path\" >Process: Give a structured path<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/the-pact-framework-for-ppc-how-to-move-beyond-it-depends\/#Suggested_formats\" >Suggested formats<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/the-pact-framework-for-ppc-how-to-move-beyond-it-depends\/#Anchors_Ground_it_with_data_and_examples\" >Anchors: Ground it with data and examples<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/the-pact-framework-for-ppc-how-to-move-beyond-it-depends\/#Suggested_formats-2\" >Suggested formats<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-12\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/the-pact-framework-for-ppc-how-to-move-beyond-it-depends\/#Conditions_Name_the_hidden_variables\" >Conditions: Name the hidden variables<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-13\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/the-pact-framework-for-ppc-how-to-move-beyond-it-depends\/#Suggested_formats-3\" >Suggested formats<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-14\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/the-pact-framework-for-ppc-how-to-move-beyond-it-depends\/#Trade-offs_Surface_the_choices\" >Trade-offs: Surface the choices<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-15\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/the-pact-framework-for-ppc-how-to-move-beyond-it-depends\/#Suggested_formats-4\" >Suggested formats<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-16\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/the-pact-framework-for-ppc-how-to-move-beyond-it-depends\/#The_%E2%80%98it_depends_cheat_sheet\" >The \u2018it depends\u2019 cheat sheet<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-5' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-5'><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-5' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-5'><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-5' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-5'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-17\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/the-pact-framework-for-ppc-how-to-move-beyond-it-depends\/#Topics_on_this_page\" >Topics on this page<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"subhead\" itemprop=\"alternativeHeadline\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Not_all_PPC_questions_are_equal_Learn_how_to_match_your_response_to_the_question_type_using_process_data_context_and_trade-offs\"><\/span>Not all PPC questions are equal. Learn how to match your response to the question type using process, data, context, and trade-offs.<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><\/p>\n<div class=\"bialty-container\">\n<p>There\u2019s a phrase PPC experts reach for whenever they get a tough question. At conferences, online, and on client calls. Two words, a smug smile, and absolutely zero useful information: \u201cIt depends.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>This has been bugging me for as long as I can remember. Turns out it\u2019s not just a PPC thing, either. <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/speakerdeck.com\/aleyda\/no-more-it-depends-learn-to-set-your-visual-seo-resources-number-londonseomeetupxl\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Aleyda Solis gave an excellent presentation<\/a> calling out the exact same pattern in SEO. So we\u2019re dealing with an industry-wide epidemic here. Two disciplines, same cop-out.<\/p>\n<p>Not every question is equally hard to answer.\u00a0<\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>\u201cWhat\u2019s the maximum number of RSAs per ad group?\u201d Just look it up.<\/li>\n<li>\u201cWhy did my CPA spike last week?\u201d That takes data plus interpretation.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>\u201cWhat will my ROAS look like if I increase budget by 30%?\u201d Now you need context, too.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>\u201cWhat bid strategy should I use?\u201d That requires data, interpretation, context, and an understanding of someone\u2019s priorities.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>It makes sense that \u201cIt depends\u201d clusters around the hardest questions. More variables, more context needed, more ways to be wrong. I get it. But since when is \u201cThis is hard\u201d a reason to give up on being useful?<\/p>\n<p>So I built a framework for giving useful answers instead. I call it PACT, which stands for Process, Anchors, Conditions, and Trade-offs. <\/p>\n<p>The PACT framework assumes a broader audience context where you don\u2019t have the asker\u2019s data in front of you. If you do, great \u2014 crunching the numbers and statistical models become additional answer options.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"not-all-questions-are-created-equal\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Not_all_questions_are_created_equal\"><\/span>Not all questions are created equal<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>If we borrow from the world of analytics, questions come in four flavors, each progressively harder to answer.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"700\" http: alt=\"Question Types Equation\" class=\"wp-image-474304\" srcset=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/04\/question-types-equation.png.webp 1920w,https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/04\/question-types-equation-768x280.png.webp 768w,https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/04\/question-types-equation-1536x560.png 1536w\" data-lazy-sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" src=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/04\/question-types-equation.png.webp\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"700\" src=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/04\/question-types-equation.png.webp\" alt=\"Question Types Equation\" class=\"wp-image-474304\" srcset=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/04\/question-types-equation.png.webp 1920w,https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/04\/question-types-equation-768x280.png.webp 768w,https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/04\/question-types-equation-1536x560.png 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\"><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-descriptive-questions-asking-what-happened-or-how-something-works\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Descriptive_questions_Asking_what_happened_or_how_something_works\"><\/span>Descriptive questions: Asking what happened or how something works<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>\u201cWhat\u2019s my impression share?\u201d or \u201cHow does broad match work?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>These are answered with data and facts. You know them or look them up. Nobody says \u201cIt depends\u201d here because nobody needs to. I\u2019ll ignore this category for the rest of this article.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-diagnostic-questions-asking-why-something-happened\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Diagnostic_questions_Asking_why_something_happened\"><\/span>Diagnostic questions: Asking why something happened<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>\u201cWhy did my conversion rate drop?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>These need data plus your interpretation of that data. \u201cIt depends\u201d already starts creeping in here because something clearly changed, and pinpointing the cause is rarely straightforward.\u00a0<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-predictive-questions-asking-what-will-happen-or-what-good-looks-like\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Predictive_questions_Asking_what_will_happen_or_what_good_looks_like\"><\/span>Predictive questions: Asking what will happen or what good looks like<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>\u201cWhat if I decrease my target ROAS by 30%?\u201d or \u201cWhat\u2019s a good CTR for my industry?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>These are harder. You need interpretation, but you also need context about the specific business and market. This is where \u201cIt depends\u201d starts to feel earned.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-prescriptive-questions-asking-what-should-i-do-or-what-s-the-best-solution-nbsp\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Prescriptive_questions_Asking_%E2%80%98What_should_I_do_or_%E2%80%98Whats_the_best_solution\"><\/span>Prescriptive questions: Asking \u2018What should I do?\u2019 or \u2018What\u2019s the best solution?\u2019\u00a0<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>\u201cWhat bid strategy should I use?\u201d or \u201cShould I consolidate my campaigns?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>These need everything: data, interpretation, context, and an understanding of someone\u2019s priorities. If \u201cIt depends\u201d has a permanent home, it\u2019s here.<\/p>\n<div style=\"background: radial-gradient(circle at 30% 40%, rgba(184, 111, 255, 0.15), rgba(0, 169, 255, 0.15) 40%, #CDE8FD 70%); padding: 30px; width: 100%; max-width: 802px; color: #000000 !important; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; margin: 25px 0 30px 0; border-radius: 8px; box-shadow: 0 2px 4px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1); position: relative; box-sizing: border-box;\">\n<div style=\"width: 100%; max-width: 100%; margin-bottom: 20px; text-align: left; padding-right: 20px; box-sizing: border-box;\">\n<div id=\"semrush-one-headline\" class=\"headline-responsive\" style=\"font-family: Oswald, sans-serif; font-size: 30px; font-weight: normal; margin: 0; color: #000000 !important; line-height: 1.2;\">\n        Your customers search everywhere. Make sure your brand <span style=\"background: linear-gradient(90deg, #D56EFE 0%, #068EF8 51%); -webkit-background-clip: text; -webkit-text-fill-color: transparent; background-clip: text;\">shows up<\/span>.\n      <\/div>\n<p id=\"semrush-one-subhead\" style=\"font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-weight: 300; line-height: 25px; margin: 12px 0 0 0; color: #000000 !important;\">\n        The SEO toolkit you know, plus the AI visibility data you need.\n      <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"margin-bottom: 15px;\">\n      <span id=\"semrush-one-cta\" style=\"display: inline-block; background-color: #FF642D; color: white; height: 44px; border: none; border-radius: 5px; cursor: pointer; font-size: 16px; padding: 0 24px; font-weight: bold; white-space: nowrap; box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; line-height: 44px;\">Start Free Trial<\/span>\n    <\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px;\">\n<div style=\"font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-weight: 300; color: #000000; margin-bottom: 4px;\">Get started with<\/div>\n<p>      <img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"400\" height=\"52\" decoding=\"async\" http: alt=\"Semrush One Logo\" style=\"height: 16px; width: auto; display: block;\" src=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2025\/11\/semrush-one.webp\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"400\" height=\"52\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2025\/11\/semrush-one.webp\" alt=\"Semrush One Logo\" style=\"height: 16px; width: auto; display: block;\">\n    <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<style>\n  @media (max-width: 768px) {\n    .headline-responsive {\n      font-size: 30px !important;\n      line-height: 1.3 !important;\n    }\n  }\n<\/style>\n<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"the-pact-framework\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_PACT_framework\"><\/span>The PACT framework<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>There are many useful answers you could offer your audience instead of \u201cIt depends,\u201d such as explaining how it depends, outlining the trade-offs, or sharing benchmarks and flowcharts.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>I tried to categorize the answers into four concrete response types. (Whether the category names were chosen for clarity or reverse-engineered from a four-letter word is between me and my thesaurus.)<\/p>\n<p>The diagram below shows which response types fit which question types. (There\u2019s overlap, and that\u2019s fine.)<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1950\" height=\"800\" http: alt=\"pact-framework-replace-it-depends\" class=\"wp-image-474305\" srcset=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/04\/pact-framework-replace-it-depends.png.webp 1950w,https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/04\/pact-framework-replace-it-depends-768x315.png.webp 768w,https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/04\/pact-framework-replace-it-depends-1536x630.png 1536w\" data-lazy-sizes=\"(max-width: 1950px) 100vw, 1950px\" src=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/04\/pact-framework-replace-it-depends.png.webp\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1950\" height=\"800\" src=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/04\/pact-framework-replace-it-depends.png.webp\" alt=\"pact-framework-replace-it-depends\" class=\"wp-image-474305\" srcset=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/04\/pact-framework-replace-it-depends.png.webp 1950w,https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/04\/pact-framework-replace-it-depends-768x315.png.webp 768w,https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/04\/pact-framework-replace-it-depends-1536x630.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1950px) 100vw, 1950px\"><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<h2 id=\"process-give-a-structured-path\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Process_Give_a_structured_path\"><\/span>Process: Give a structured path<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>For many diagnostic questions and for some pre<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\">script<\/a>ive questions, a process is the best answer. Show your audience which steps to take, in which order, to reach their answer (and, increasingly, steps you can hand to an AI agent with a skill).\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>If you work at an agency, you need good processes anyway. As <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/martech.org\/ten-truisms-agencies-clients\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">David Rodnitzky would say<\/a>: <\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>\u201cAn agency without process is just a bunch of people running around doing things.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-suggested-formats\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Suggested_formats\"><\/span>Suggested formats<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><strong>Flow charts: <\/strong>The first time I fell in love with a flow chart was in 2012, when the Rimm-Kaufman Group (now Merkle) shared a performance troubleshooting flowchart in their <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20150315022406\/http:\/\/www.rimmkaufman.com\/resources\/dossier\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Dossier 3.2<\/a>. It\u2019s an excellent example of a helpful answer to the question, \u201cWhy did my CPA increase (or ROAS decrease)?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"754\" height=\"1170\" http: alt=\"rimm-kaufman-performance-troubleshooting-flowchart\" class=\"wp-image-474306\" src=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/04\/rimm-kaufman-performance-troubleshooting-flowchart.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"754\" height=\"1170\" src=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/04\/rimm-kaufman-performance-troubleshooting-flowchart.png\" alt=\"rimm-kaufman-performance-troubleshooting-flowchart\" class=\"wp-image-474306\"><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>Decision trees: <\/strong>Prescriptive \u201cShould I?\u201d questions can also be helped with a decision tree. They can be simple, funny-but-true ones like this one from Tom Orbach:<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1456\" height=\"1456\" http: alt=\"tom-orbach-founder-marketing\" class=\"wp-image-474307\" style=\"width:650px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/04\/tom-orbach-founder-marketing.png.webp 1456w,https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/04\/tom-orbach-founder-marketing-768x768.png.webp 768w,https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/04\/tom-orbach-founder-marketing-95x95.png.webp 95w,https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/04\/tom-orbach-founder-marketing-675x675.png.webp 675w\" data-lazy-sizes=\"(max-width: 1456px) 100vw, 1456px\" src=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/04\/tom-orbach-founder-marketing.png.webp\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1456\" height=\"1456\" src=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/04\/tom-orbach-founder-marketing.png.webp\" alt=\"tom-orbach-founder-marketing\" class=\"wp-image-474307\" style=\"width:650px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/04\/tom-orbach-founder-marketing.png.webp 1456w,https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/04\/tom-orbach-founder-marketing-768x768.png.webp 768w,https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/04\/tom-orbach-founder-marketing-95x95.png.webp 95w,https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/04\/tom-orbach-founder-marketing-675x675.png.webp 675w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1456px) 100vw, 1456px\"><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>Or more professional ones, like Aleyda Solis\u2019 SEO Flowcharts for SEO Decision Making.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1161\" http: alt=\"aleyda-solis-flowchart-should-index-product-url\" class=\"wp-image-474308\" srcset=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/04\/aleyda-solis-flowchart-should-index-product-url.jpeg.webp 2048w,https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/04\/aleyda-solis-flowchart-should-index-product-url-768x435.jpeg.webp 768w,https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/04\/aleyda-solis-flowchart-should-index-product-url-1536x871.jpeg 1536w\" data-lazy-sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\" src=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/04\/aleyda-solis-flowchart-should-index-product-url.jpeg.webp\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1161\" src=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/04\/aleyda-solis-flowchart-should-index-product-url.jpeg.webp\" alt=\"aleyda-solis-flowchart-should-index-product-url\" class=\"wp-image-474308\" srcset=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/04\/aleyda-solis-flowchart-should-index-product-url.jpeg.webp 2048w,https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/04\/aleyda-solis-flowchart-should-index-product-url-768x435.jpeg.webp 768w,https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/04\/aleyda-solis-flowchart-should-index-product-url-1536x871.jpeg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\"><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p><!-- START INLINE FORM --><\/p>\n<p><!-- END INLINE FORM --><\/p>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-text-color has-cyan-bluish-gray-color has-css-opacity has-cyan-bluish-gray-background-color has-background\">\n<h2 id=\"anchors-ground-it-with-data-and-examples\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Anchors_Ground_it_with_data_and_examples\"><\/span>Anchors: Ground it with data and examples<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Anchors are the \u201cquick and easy\u201d evidence-based answers that are still better than \u201cIt depends.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-suggested-formats-0\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Suggested_formats-2\"><\/span>Suggested formats<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><strong>Benchmarks: <\/strong>Everybody loves a good benchmark. If you have enough data from comparable businesses, you can use it to answer \u201cWhat does good look like?\u201d questions.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>When someone asks, \u201cWhat\u2019s the average ecommerce conversion rate?\u201d don\u2019t say \u201cIt depends.\u201d Say:\u00a0<\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>\u201cFor health and beauty, it\u2019s 3.3%. For electronics, it\u2019s 1.9%.\u201d The more specific the benchmark, the better.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Usual suspects: <\/strong>Think of the usual suspects as a \u201clight version\u201d of a process for diagnostic questions using the 80\/20 Pareto principle: 80% of outcomes result from 20% of causes.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Instead of a 25-step flowchart, you can share a ranked list of the most likely causes ordered by frequency. Basically saying:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>\u201cCheck these five things first, because 80% of the time it\u2019s one of them.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Case study: <\/strong>When someone asks, \u201cWhat will happen if I do X?\u201d, telling them what actually happened when a similar account did X is worth more than any theoretical answer.\u00a0<\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>\u201cWe consolidated 12 campaigns into four for an ecommerce account spending $50,000\/month. CPA improved 20% after the learning period, but we lost visibility into product category performance.\u201d\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The key is specificity: industry, budget range, what changed, and the trade-off. Vague case studies (\u201cWe saw great results\u201d) are just \u201cIt depends\u201d wearing a suit.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"conditions-name-the-hidden-variables\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Conditions_Name_the_hidden_variables\"><\/span>Conditions: Name the hidden variables<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>This is the most direct replacement for \u201cIt depends,\u201d as you\u2019ll say, \u201cIt depends on these specific things\u201d instead.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-suggested-formats-1\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Suggested_formats-3\"><\/span>Suggested formats<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><strong>Checklist: <\/strong>For diagnostic questions, this could be a segmentation drill-down. Slice the data by device, geo, time of day, campaign, match type, audience, etc., until the anomaly isolates to one segment. This expands \u201cWhy did it happen?\u201d to \u201cWhere did it happen?\u201d which can be just as useful.<\/p>\n<p><strong>If [x] then [y]: <\/strong>For example, \u201cWhat will happen if I double my budget?\u201d Then you follow up with questions like:\u00a0<\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>\u201cWhat\u2019s your current impression share?\u201d\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>\u201cAre you budget-constrained or bid-constrained?\u201d\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>\u201cHow steep is the diminishing returns curve in your auction?\u201d\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>If you\u2019re at 60% impression share and purely budget-limited, doubling your budget could get you close to 80% more conversions. If you\u2019re already at 95% impression share, that extra budget is going to buy you mostly junk.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Reversibility test: <\/strong>For a quick filter on prescriptive \u201cShould I?\u201d questions, use one condition: reversibility. Categorize decisions by how easy they are to undo. Low-stakes reversible decisions (e.g., testing a new ad copy) get a \u201cJust try it\u201d answer.<\/p>\n<p>High-stakes irreversible decisions (such as restructuring your entire account) get the full trade-off analysis (and move to the next category). This helps your audience judge how much thought a decision actually deserves.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=rxsdOQa_QkM\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Jeff Bezos<\/a> famously calls these irreversible Type 1 (one-way door) and reversible Type 2 (two-way door) decisions. He also warns us not to treat Type 2 decisions as Type 1 decisions.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"tradeoffs-surface-the-choices\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Trade-offs_Surface_the_choices\"><\/span>Trade-offs: Surface the choices<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Some questions don\u2019t have a right answer. Instead, they involve choosing between competing priorities.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>When someone asks \u201cWhat\u2019s the best approach?\u201d, they often don\u2019t realize they\u2019re asking \u201cWhich trade-off am I most comfortable with?\u201d The fix is to make the trade-offs visible.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-suggested-formats-2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Suggested_formats-4\"><\/span>Suggested formats<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><strong>Trade-off explanation: <\/strong>Replace \u201cWhat\u2019s the right answer?\u201d with \u201cHere\u2019s what each option gains and sacrifices.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>For example, \u201cShould I consolidate my campaigns into fewer, bigger ones?\u201d Instead of \u201cIt depends on your goals,\u201d surface the actual trade-off:\u00a0<\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>\u201cConsolidation gives you more data per campaign, which helps Smart Bidding learn faster. But it reduces your control over budget allocation and makes it harder to optimize for different segments.\u201d\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>\u201cSo the real question is: Do you value algorithmic learning speed more than granular control right now? That depends on whether your current structure is data-starved or if you\u2019re already getting strong results and just want more precision.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Now the person isn\u2019t stuck. They have a choice to make, and they understand what\u2019s at stake on both sides.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Calculators:<\/strong> If the calculator presents the trade-off as an input field, it can yield a useful answer. One of my all-time favorites is the Build vs. Buy calculator from Baremetrics, which helps you decide whether to buy a tool or build it internally.<\/p>\n<p>Closer to the daily life of a PPC practitioner, we created two free calculators to determine your target CPA or target ROAS. When you enter \u201c% of margin willing to invest in acquisition,\u201d you\u2019re resolving the subjective part of the trade-off yourself. The calculator just runs the math on your decision.<\/p>\n<div style=\"background: radial-gradient(circle at 30% 40%, rgba(184, 111, 255, 0.15), rgba(0, 169, 255, 0.15) 40%, #CDE8FD 70%); padding: 30px; width: 100%; max-width: 802px; color: #000000 !important; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; margin: 25px 0 30px 0; border-radius: 8px; box-shadow: 0 2px 4px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1); position: relative; box-sizing: border-box;\">\n<div style=\"width: 100%; max-width: 100%; margin-bottom: 20px; text-align: left; padding-right: 20px; box-sizing: border-box;\">\n<div id=\"semrush-one-headline-bottom\" class=\"headline-responsive\" style=\"font-family: Oswald, sans-serif; font-size: 30px; font-weight: normal; margin: 0; color: #000000 !important; line-height: 1.2;\">\n        See the <span style=\"background: linear-gradient(90deg, #D56EFE 0%, #068EF8 51%); -webkit-background-clip: text; -webkit-text-fill-color: transparent; background-clip: text;\">complete picture<\/span> of your search visibility.\n      <\/div>\n<p id=\"semrush-one-subhead-bottom\" style=\"font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-weight: 300; line-height: 25px; margin: 12px 0 0 0; color: #000000 !important;\">\n        Track, optimize, and win in Google and AI search from one platform.\n      <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"margin-bottom: 15px;\">\n      <span id=\"semrush-one-cta-bottom\" style=\"display: inline-block; background-color: #FF642D; color: white; height: 44px; border: none; border-radius: 5px; cursor: pointer; font-size: 16px; padding: 0 24px; font-weight: bold; white-space: nowrap; box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; line-height: 44px;\">Start Free Trial<\/span>\n    <\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px;\">\n<div style=\"font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-weight: 300; color: #000000; margin-bottom: 4px;\">Get started with<\/div>\n<p>      <img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"400\" height=\"52\" decoding=\"async\" http: alt=\"Semrush One Logo\" style=\"height: 16px; width: auto; display: block;\" src=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2025\/11\/semrush-one.webp\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"400\" height=\"52\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2025\/11\/semrush-one.webp\" alt=\"Semrush One Logo\" style=\"height: 16px; width: auto; display: block;\">\n    <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<style>\n  @media (max-width: 768px) {\n    .headline-responsive {\n      font-size: 30px !important;\n      line-height: 1.3 !important;\n    }\n  }\n<\/style>\n<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"the-it-depends-cheat-sheet\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_%E2%80%98it_depends_cheat_sheet\"><\/span>The \u2018it depends\u2019 cheat sheet<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Next time your gut says, \u201cIt depends,\u201d check which type of question you\u2019re dealing with and pick the format that fits.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1850\" height=\"580\" http: alt=\"wijnand-meijer-pact-formats-cheatsheet\" class=\"wp-image-474311\" srcset=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/04\/wijnand-meijer-pact-formats-cheatsheet.png 1850w,https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/04\/wijnand-meijer-pact-formats-cheatsheet-768x241.png.webp 768w,https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/04\/wijnand-meijer-pact-formats-cheatsheet-1536x482.png 1536w\" data-lazy-sizes=\"(max-width: 1850px) 100vw, 1850px\" src=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/04\/wijnand-meijer-pact-formats-cheatsheet.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1850\" height=\"580\" src=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/04\/wijnand-meijer-pact-formats-cheatsheet.png\" alt=\"wijnand-meijer-pact-formats-cheatsheet\" class=\"wp-image-474311\" srcset=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/04\/wijnand-meijer-pact-formats-cheatsheet.png 1850w,https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/04\/wijnand-meijer-pact-formats-cheatsheet-768x241.png.webp 768w,https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/04\/wijnand-meijer-pact-formats-cheatsheet-1536x482.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1850px) 100vw, 1850px\"><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>I\u2019m not naive enough to think we\u2019ll eradicate \u201cIt depends\u201d overnight. But I do think we can hold ourselves to a higher standard. If you\u2019re speaking at a conference, writing a blog post, or answering a client question, try replacing your next \u201cIt depends\u201d with one of these four response types.<\/p>\n<p>And if you find a question that genuinely can\u2019t be answered with a process, anchor, condition, or trade-off, I\u2019d love to hear it. I haven\u2019t found one yet. But I\u2019m probably not done looking.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ttd-topics-display\">\n<div class=\"ttd-topics-content\">\n<h5><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Topics_on_this_page\"><\/span>Topics on this page<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h5>\n<div class=\"ttd-topics-links\">PACTPay-per-clickAleyda SolisTom OrbachPareto principleJeff BezosArtificial intelligenceSearch engine optimization<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ttd-topics-show-extra-button\">+3 more<\/div>\n<\/div>\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\/pact-framework-ppc-it-depends-474298\" target=\"_blank\" >Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Not all PPC questions are equal. Learn how to match your response to the question type using process, data, context, and trade-offs. There\u2019s a phrase PPC experts reach for whenever they get a tough question. At conferences, online, and on client calls. Two words, a smug smile, and absolutely zero useful information: \u201cIt depends.\u201d This&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":722084,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/04\/PACT-framework-PPC.png","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-722083","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\/722083","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=722083"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/722083\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/722084"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=722083"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=722083"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=722083"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}