😎 how to rank #1 for your most competitive keywords

Hey there,

Last month, I shared a case study from the Google Ads wizards at Echelonn about a brand that did $4.43M in 30 days using "search term stacking."

The response was huge, but a few of you mentioned you missed the original breakdown. I don’t want you heading into the rest of Q1 without these notes, so I’ve attached the full case study below for you to catch up 👇

RECAP: $4.43M in 30 days

Today, I want to pull back the curtain on the "How." Specifically:

How do you actually rank #1 for the most competitive terms in your industry?

Whether you sell supplements, home office gear, or high-end apparel, the mistake most brands make is jumping straight into "hacks." According to Jackson (CEO of Echelonn), ranking #1 is actually about mastering Google's ranking system and executing the fundamentals better than everyone else.

The Ranking Scorecard

Google assigns every ad a score. The brands with the highest score, combined with a competitive bid, win the top spot. For Search Ads, that score is built on three pillars:

1. Relevance
How closely does your ad match the intent behind what the user typed in?

2. Expected CTR
How likely are people to click your ad based on your copy, headlines, and historical performance?

3. Landing Page Experience
Does the page fulfill the promise of the ad and help the user find what they need?

For Shopping Ads, Google uses a similar but broader system. Your product feed quality, Merchant Center performance, bid strategy, and landing page experience all factor into where your product shows up.

The common thread across both? Relevance wins. The brands that deeply understand what their buyers are searching for and align everything from ad copy to landing page around that intent- are the ones that rank.

The "Lifecycle" Connection

This is where the Echelonn strategy and the Chronos philosophy meet.

Google explicitly rewards you for Merchant Center factors like shipping speed and Promotions. When Echelonn sets up an "evergreen" offer (like a first-time buyer discount) in the Google Merchant Center, it does two things:

For the Ad: It adds a "Sale" badge, increasing CTR and boosting your Ranking Score.
For the Bottom Line: It drives high-intent traffic directly into our Welcome Flows, allowing us to capture the lead and maximize LTV even if they don't buy on the first click.

Claim Your Top Spot

If you feel like your brand is buried on page 2 or 3 for your most important keywords, there is usually a breakdown in one of those three scorecard pillars.

Jackson put together a step-by-step video walking through the technical breakdown of this ranking framework:

Watch: How to Rank #1 on Google Shopping

Want a professional eyes-on-glass review?

Because we’re working closely with their team this month, Echelonn has opened up a few more slots for a Google Ads Audit. They’ll look at your feed, your "scorecard" metrics, and show you exactly where you're leaving money on the table.

Request your Google Ads Audit here

Let’s win those top spots,

Josh