Session Overview

Multi-session planning thread (April 10-13, 2026) covering the full rebuild of the google-ads-optimizer skill, creation of a new google-ads-launch-checklist skill, installation of claude-ads and banana-claude repos, and the no-conquest rule decision. This page captures all decisions, gap analysis, and the locked execution plan so a future session can pick up without re-planning.

Locked Decisions (Do Not Re-Litigate)

  1. Split confirmed: google-ads-optimizer stays as a running-campaign optimizer. A new google-ads-launch-checklist skill handles pre-launch readiness. Two separate skills, not one merged monster.
  2. No conquesting. Ever. All competitor brand names go into a shared negative keyword list applied to all campaigns (including brand protection). This is a hard rule, not a suggestion.
  3. Competitor list built fresh: The prior list was too short. Build 60-100+ Louisville and Lexington PI firms with brand + misspelling + suffix variants. No auction insights export available; proceed with research only, layer auction data later.
  4. claude-ads audit before build: Audit the claude-ads repo locally at C:\Users\SAguiar\Documents\Projects\claude-ads before building the new skills. Extract useful checklist logic, merge with firm-specific layer, override where firm rules differ. Per Sam's own rules: "Check before building."
  5. skill-reconciler run required: Reconcile claude-ads, banana-claude, ad-deploy, google-ads-optimizer, marketing-analytics, campaign-planner, firm-briefing, brand-voice-enforcer before saving any new or updated skills.

The 28-Item Gap List

Sam's original 9 items plus 19 additions identified during planning.

Sam's Items (1-9)

  1. Clicks vs. conversions as the goal (and matching bid strategy)
  2. GTM / Site Kit tag verification (is conversion tracking firing?)
  3. Form testing (test submission end-to-end, confirm it hits Litify)
  4. Salesforce/Litify data for audience targeting (lookalikes, customer match, exclusions)
  5. Keyword-level bid adjustments and max CPC caps
  6. Phrase + exact match only (no broad)
  7. Negatives loaded before launch (shared list + campaign-level)