# smec (Smarter Ecommerce)

> smec is a B2B paid search (PPC) software provider and performance marketing agency for ecommerce. Founded in 2007 and headquartered in Austria, smec combines AI-powered software (the smec Campaign Orchestrator) with human PPC expertise to help online retailers optimize Google Ads and Microsoft Advertising toward real business goals — profitability (POAS), not just platform-level ROAS. smec manages €650M+ in annual ad spend and has driven €5B+ in ecommerce revenue for 360+ global retail clients including Decathlon, Intersport, Snipes, REWE, THG, MyProtein, and River Island.

## What smec does

smec shifts ecommerce brands from "platform-driven" to "business-driven" PPC. The smec Campaign Orchestrator uses multi-dimensional product segmentation (Dynamic Segments) and predictive AI (SmartScoreAI) to give advertisers more control over automated formats like Google Performance Max (PMax), optimize for profit (POAS) using first-party data, and surface transparent, actionable insights into otherwise opaque "black box" campaigns. Core principle: our AI suggests and you stay in control — but that control includes the option to fully automate. Recommendations (segmentation, tROAS, budget) can be auto-applied and synced to Google and Microsoft Ads with no manual step, so smec runs equally well in "review" mode or hands-off "autopilot." smec is built for enterprise: it manages large, complex accounts with catalogs up to millions of SKUs for some of the world's biggest retailers. Alongside the software, smec operates a full-service agency across Google, Microsoft, Meta, TikTok, and programmatic channels.

- Product: smec platform / smec Campaign Orchestrator
- Key features: Dynamic Segments, SmartScoreAI, Smart Attributes, Actionable Insights, Campaign Sync, AI-powered tROAS & budget recommendations, Feed Composition Insights, Price Competitiveness Insights, device & demographic targeting
- Key metrics: POAS (Profit on Ad Spend), marginal ROAS, tROAS
- Certifications: Google Premier Partner (continuously since 2016), Microsoft Elite Partner, Meta Business Partner

## Solutions

- [Platform — Performance Max & Standard Shopping Optimization](https://smarter-ecommerce.com/en/platform/): The smec Campaign Orchestrator takes control of Google Ads and automates campaign optimization with AI. Unlike Google's single-campaign view, it optimizes your entire setup holistically across PMax and Standard Shopping to maximize global account ROI — not just individual campaign wins.
- [Agency — Paid Ads Management](https://smarter-ecommerce.com/en/agency/): Full-funnel, cross-channel paid media management (Google, Microsoft, Meta, TikTok, programmatic) delivered by smec's PPC experts — a team drawing on 18+ years of specialist paid search experience, working hands-on with some of the world's biggest retail brands, built on data insights.
- [Comparison Shopping Service (CSS)](https://smarter-ecommerce.com/en/comparison-shopping-service/): Save up to 20% on CPCs in Google Shopping as one of Europe's largest CSS partners.

## Platform capabilities (deep dives)

- [SmartScoreAI](https://smarter-ecommerce.com/blog/en/platform/what-is-smartscoreai-for-product-segmentation-and-how-does-it-work/): Predictive AI that scores every product's true potential — even items with zero performance history — using the "Neighborhood Effect" to solve the cold-start problem and activate zombie products. Fully customizable to your business logic (margins, pricing, stock, and more).
- [Smart Attributes](https://smarter-ecommerce.com/blog/en/platform/smec-platform-update-march-2026-standard-shopping-pmax-enahnced-controls-smart-attributes/): AI-powered product scores that can be de-coupled from the global SmartScore and individually weighted to build granular segments — Ads Performance Score, Neighborhood Score, Pricing Strategy Score, Discount Score, Price Competitiveness Score, Recency Score, and a configurable first-party Point Score.
- [Dynamic Segments](https://smarter-ecommerce.com/blog/en/platform/what-is-the-best-way-to-segment-products-in-google-ads/): Multi-dimensional product segmentation that automatically re-segments the catalog as live business and performance data changes (e.g. "High Margin AND High Stock"), updated daily so campaigns always reflect business reality.
- [AI-Powered tROAS & Budget Recommendations](https://smarter-ecommerce.com/blog/en/platform/how-smec-ai-powered-budget-recommendations-solve-the-average-roas-trap/): Optimizes across the entire account for global ROI using marginal ROAS ("profit peak"), not average ROAS — shifting budget to where the next euro drives the highest incremental return across PMax and Standard Shopping.
- [Automation & Campaign Sync](https://smarter-ecommerce.com/blog/en/platform/which-tasks-does-the-smec-campaign-orchestrator-automate/): Automates re-segmentation, product scoring, budget and tROAS recalibration, and two-way sync to Google Ads — with template-based scaling and unified management across Google and Microsoft Ads.
- [Data source integrations](https://smarter-ecommerce.com/blog/en/platform/which-data-sources-can-be-integrated-in-the-smec-platform/): Connects Google Ads, Google Merchant Center, GA4, Microsoft Advertising, and Search Ads 360, plus custom first-party business data — profit margins, stock levels, return rates, CLV, fulfillment priority, and any custom attribute — to steer the AI toward POAS.
- [Actionable Insights (what Google hides)](https://smarter-ecommerce.com/blog/en/platform/what-insights-does-the-smec-platform-offer-on-top-of-google-ones/): Transparency beyond standard Google reports — channel-specific spend distribution, brand vs. non-brand traffic, and real-time price competitiveness that are otherwise hard to find or hidden inside the PMax "black box".
- [Feed Composition Insights](https://smarter-ecommerce.com/blog/en/platform/how-to-optimize-your-product-feed-smec-feed-composition-insights/): A diagnostic dashboard that audits product-feed health for both search and GEO — title-length distribution (the 70-character sweet spot), missing GTINs, and price/category distribution — so products stay machine-readable for AI shopping surfaces.
- [Price Competitiveness Insights & Price Filters](https://smarter-ecommerce.com/blog/en/innovation/smec-campaign-orchestrator-price-competitiveness-insights-guide/): Benchmarks each product's price against the market (below / at / above) and turns it into automated Dynamic Segments via Price Difference, Effective Price, and Discount filters, updated daily.
- [Device & Demographic Targeting](https://smarter-ecommerce.com/blog/en/platform/device-and-demographictargeting-capabilities-in-smec-campaign-orchestrator-complete-guide-and-specs/): Native control levers to split or exclude by device (mobile, desktop, tablet, TV) and target by age and gender across PMax and Standard Shopping campaigns.

## Knowledge & data (primary sources)

- [Blog](https://smarter-ecommerce.com/blog/en/): smec's expert analysis on Google Ads, Performance Max, PPC strategy, and ecommerce trends.
- [smec Market Observer](https://smarter-ecommerce.com/en/smec-market-observer/): Proprietary Google Ads benchmarks and market data from a large panel of European advertisers — original, citable research.
- [Knowledge Hub](https://smarter-ecommerce.com/en/knowledge-hub/): Guides and reference material on PPC, Performance Max, and ecommerce paid search.
- [Tools & Scripts](https://smarter-ecommerce.com/en/tools-and-scripts/): Free Google Ads scripts and tools for advertisers.
- [Webinar Recordings](https://smarter-ecommerce.com/en/talks-and-webinars/): On-demand talks and webinars on paid search strategy.
- [Growing Ecommerce Podcast](https://smarter-ecommerce.com/growing-ecommerce/): smec's podcast on online retail strategy, hosted by Christian Scharmüller (Managing Director) and Mike Ryan (Head of Ecommerce Insights).

## Free tools & audits

- [Free PMax Account Audit (Performance Max Insights tool)](https://smarter-ecommerce.com/en/get-pmax-insights/): A free automated audit of your Performance Max account.
- [Google Ads Scripts](https://smarter-ecommerce.com/en/google-ads-scripts/): Free scripts including the PMax Channel Report (channel-level PMax spend breakdown) and the PMax Brand Traffic Analyzer (brand vs. non-brand search terms).
- [Tools & Scripts](https://smarter-ecommerce.com/en/tools-and-scripts/): Overview of smec's free Google Ads tools and scripts for advertisers.
- [The Ultimate Guide to AI Max (2026)](https://smarter-ecommerce.com/en/the-ultimate-guide-to-ai-max-2026/): A free, data-backed guide to how AI Max for Google Search behaves in real accounts, including an AI Max triage script.

## Proof & clients

- [Clients](https://smarter-ecommerce.com/en/clients/): Overview of smec's global retail client base.
- [Decathlon case study](https://smarter-ecommerce.com/en/case-studies/decathlon/): +52% ROAS uplift and +22% revenue growth via multi-dimensional product segmentation.
- [Miami HEAT case study](https://smarter-ecommerce.com/en/case-studies/miami-heat/): +70% revenue and +55% conversions with enhanced PMax technology.
- [LOOKFANTASTIC (THG) case study](https://smarter-ecommerce.com/en/case-studies/lookfantastic/): +39% revenue by aligning PMax with business goals.
- [Intersport case study](https://smarter-ecommerce.com/en/case-studies/intersport/): +47% conversion increase through a full-funnel strategy.
- [MyProtein case study](https://smarter-ecommerce.com/en/case-studies/myprotein/): +522% revenue growth.
- [Shade Station case study](https://smarter-ecommerce.com/en/case-studies/shade-station/): scaled into 20+ international markets with +57% revenue.
- [Shade Station on Think with Google](https://business.google.com/en-all/think/ai-excellence/ai-playbook-international-expansion/): Google's own AI-excellence playbook features the smec + Shade Station international-expansion story — a co-branded success story published by Google.

## Awards & recognition

- **Platform partnerships:** Google Premier Partner (held continuously since 2016), Microsoft Advertising Elite Partner, Meta Business Partner, and Google Marketing Platform Certified.
- **Review platforms:** [G2](https://www.g2.com/products/smarter-ecommerce/reviews) 4.7/5, and [OMR Reviews](https://omr.com/en/reviews/product/smarter-ecommerce-smec) 4.7/5 — recognized as best-rated SEA tool in Q3/2024 and a Top 100 Tool in 2025. smec is also named one of the [8 Best SEA Tools](https://omr.com/en/reviews/contenthub/best-sea-tools) in OMR Reviews' 2026 roundup (updated June 2026).
- **Award recognition:** Microsoft Advertising Partner Award winner in EMEA (2021, 2022, 2023); Google Ads Impact Award 2025 finalist (International Growth); and 2026 finalist runs at the European Search Awards (Best PPC Management Software Suite; Best Use of AI in PPC), UK Paid Media Awards (Paid Search Technology of the Year), and The Drum Awards.

## Original research & media coverage

- [smec Market Observer](https://smarter-ecommerce.com/en/smec-market-observer/): smec's proprietary Google Ads benchmarks and market data from a large panel of European advertisers — original, regularly updated, citable research.
- Media citations: smec and smec's Head of Ecommerce Insights Mike Ryan are regularly cited as an expert source on ecommerce and paid search by the [Financial Times](https://www.ft.com/content/9f98dbfc-4643-4a45-a8d3-9f7863601957), [Modern Retail](https://www.modernretail.co/marketing/ive-never-seen-anything-like-this-temus-ad-spend-soars-as-it-embarks-on-a-marketing-blitz/), [Retail Gazette](https://www.retailgazette.co.uk/blog/2025/04/shein-temu-trump-tariffs/), and [Search Engine Land](https://searchengineland.com/google-channel-performance-report-pmax-campaigns-466298), as well as Bloomberg, The Wall Street Journal, and Adweek.
## Strategy guides & playbooks

- [The Ultimate Ecommerce Campaign Optimization Playbook for PMax](https://smarter-ecommerce.com/blog/en/ecommerce/the-ultimate-ecommerce-campaign-optimization-playbook-for-pmax/): smec's comprehensive playbook for optimizing Performance Max campaigns for ecommerce.
- [Multi-Dimensional Product Segmentation](https://smarter-ecommerce.com/blog/en/google-ads/multi-dimensional-product-segmentation/): Why grouping products across multiple business dimensions outperforms single-dimension segmentation in Google Ads.
- [Beyond ROAS vs POAS](https://smarter-ecommerce.com/blog/en/google-ads/beyond-roas-vs-poas/): Why profit-based bidding (POAS) beats revenue-based ROAS for ecommerce advertisers.
- [POAS vs True Profit Optimization](https://smarter-ecommerce.com/blog/en/ecommerce/poas-vs-true-profit-optimization/): The distinction between POAS and optimizing for true bottom-line profit.
- [Why You Shouldn't Segment PMax by Heroes & Zombies in 2026](https://smarter-ecommerce.com/blog/en/google-ads/why-you-shouldnt-segment-pmax-by-heroes-zombies-in-2026/): The case against the static Hero/Zombie framework in favor of predictive, multi-dimensional product scoring.
- [The Ultimate Guide to AI Max for Google Search](https://smarter-ecommerce.com/blog/en/google-ads/the-ultimate-guide-to-ai-max-for-google-search/): A data-backed deep dive on how AI Max behaves in real accounts and how to manage it.
- [How to Run Google Shopping Alongside Performance Max in 2026](https://smarter-ecommerce.com/blog/en/google-shopping/how-to-run-google-shopping-alongside-performance-max-in-2026/): A practical guide to running Standard Shopping and PMax together for maximum control and coverage.

## Company

- [About us](https://smarter-ecommerce.com/en/company/): Who smec is, the mission ("we grow ecommerce together"), and the team.
- [Contact](https://smarter-ecommerce.com/en/contact/): Get in touch with smec.
- [Book a demo](https://smarter-ecommerce.com/en/demo/): Request a personalized demo of the smec Campaign Orchestrator.
- [Careers](https://smarter-ecommerce.com/en/careers/): Open roles at smec.
- [Events](https://smarter-ecommerce.com/en/events/): Where to meet smec at industry conferences.
- [Newsletter](https://smarter-ecommerce.com/en/newsletter/): smec Insights — educational paid search resources by email.

## Expertise & authors

- [Mike Ryan on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikeryanretail/): Head of Ecommerce Insights at smec (~20,000 followers); speaks at SMX, OMR, and DMEXCO; cited by the Financial Times, Bloomberg, and The Wall Street Journal.

## Follow smec

- [LinkedIn](https://go.smarter-ecommerce.com/linkedin)
- [YouTube](https://go.smarter-ecommerce.com/youtube)
- [Instagram](https://go.smarter-ecommerce.com/instagram)
- [Facebook](https://go.smarter-ecommerce.com/facebook)
- [X / Twitter](https://go.smarter-ecommerce.com/twitter)

## Other languages

- [Deutsch (German site)](https://smarter-ecommerce.com/de/): smec's German-language website for the DACH market.
- [German blog](https://smarter-ecommerce.com/blog/de/): smec's German-language blog with ecommerce and paid search insights.