to make Google Ads Automation work for you (Dos and Don’ts from a Pro). //
There are pros and cons to automation in Google Ads depending on the feature and PPC professional you’re working with. Brett McHale, founder of Empiric Marketing LLC, shares his views here on Google Ads automation. Jyll Saskin Gaales now shares hers!
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Google Ads Automation: Is it your friend or foe. Although I am a big fan of machine learning, I have to admit that “just automate” isn’t always the best answer. This guide will cover automation in Google Ads. It will help you make the right decisions for your ad account as well as your business.
Let’s get started!
How to win with Google Ads automated bidding
Automated Bidding can be a great way for you to trust the “Google machines”, to automate a part of your advertising buying process.
There are very few situations where manual bidding is more beneficial than automated bidding (which Google Ads calls “Smart Bidding”). Google Ads’ purpose is not to get a specific cost per click, it’s to achieve results: profitability, revenue, and return on investment.
Google has millions of signals that it can use to determine your bids for each auction. This makes Google a much better resource than you. There are four primary metrics that you can bid on in Google Ads. You also have two options to leverage Smart Bidding. Let’s take a look at it.
- Clicks Maximize Clicks
- Conversions Maximize conversions Target CPA
- Conversion Value: Maximize conversion, Target ROAS
- Impressions/Impression Share: CPM*, Target Impression share*
This means that when you choose an automated bid strategy to your Google Ads campaign, it is important to tell the system what type of results you want: conversions, conversions or impressions. Google will then be able to set your individual bids in order to reach that goal.
“Maximize” and “Target”, bid strategies
Once you have decided what results you are looking for, it is time to decide how automated bidding should perform. In Google Ads, there are two main categories of Smart Bidding strategies.
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Maximize is the same as “Maximize conversions” and “Maximize value”
You have set a budget and you want Google Ads results to be as high (clicks, conversions etc.). You want Google Ads to drive as many results (clicks, conversions, etc.) within your budget without sacrificing efficiency.
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Target (as in Target CPA or Target ROAS)
This is where you set a budget and a level of efficiency that you expect Google Ads to meet. Google Ads will not exceed your budget but will alert you to increase it if there is an opportunity.
If in doubt, I recommend the Maximize conversions bid approach. This is a great starting point.
Remember that automated bidding does not replace manual management. These tips will help you manage your bids in an automated world.
How to win using automated targeting in Search Campaigns
Automated targeting is the next frontier for scaling your reach using Google Ads. You won’t be able to leverage the right audiences or pick the perfect keywords no matter how skilled you are.
Why? Google has so much more information about your customers (aka potential customers) than you, thanks to all of its data. These are two ways you can use automation to target your Search campaigns.
Dynamic ad groups
A Dynamic ad campaign matches the correct queries to your ads just like a Shopping Campaign uses keywords instead of your Merchant Center feed. You can also review your Search term report and add negative keywords if necessary.
You can set up Dynamic ads groups on your entire website, or just specific pages.
Here’s a quick trick to determine if Dynamic Ad Groups might work for you:
Click on Keyword Planner > Start by a website and then enter the URL or URLs you would like to use Dynamic Ad Groups.
If you find the keyword suggestions that came back to you are very relevant, then automate your targeting using a Dynamic Ad Group.
If the keyword suggestions returned are not relevant, then you may not be ready to use a Dynamic Ad group. You should also consult an SEO specialist for advice. Our guide for SEO can be found here.
Broad match keywords
Broad match keywords are another way to use automated targeting in Search campaign campaigns. Although Google won’t categorize their beloved broad-match in this manner, it does effectively use broad match keywords. Google will then find hundreds of related queries to your keywords.
Searching for keywords?
To find keywords for your PPC campaigns, you can use our Keyword Tool !
Automated targeting in audience-based campaigns: How to strike the bullseye
You will likely have your different audiences selected when setting up a Display, Discovery, or Video Campaign. Google can use that information to automate your targeting with Optimized Targeting and Audience Expansion.
Optimized targeting
Optimized Targeting analyzes the behavior of your converters and finds similar users online to them. It’s like a similar segment for your converters – and not too soon since Similar segments have been discontinued.
Expansion of the audience
Audience expansion is the same feature as reach-focused Video campaigns. It will search for additional Google audience segments similar to the ones you have selected and target them with a targeted campaign.
Optimized targeting is a great way to get my audience campaigns started. Then, let’s see how it does. It will be great if it surpasses my audience selections after a few weeks. It’s also easy to disable if it doesn’t perform well after a few weeks.
You can’t pick keywords or audiences if you run an app campaign. While Performance Maxim campaigns allow you to choose an Audience signal you are essentially defaulted to Optimized targeting. However, you can still check the Insights tab and see what audiences Google Ads has discovered for you!
How to get the most out of automated creativity
Let’s suppose you are leveraging automated targeting and bidding. This may seem like enough, but the general feeling in the industry these days?
Google doesn’t believe there is enough automation.
Automated creative is the final frontier. This area has seen many changes with Responsive SEO Ads instead Expanded Text Ads and “Assets” instead of Extensions.
Google Ads will automate some of your ad creative. This is evident when you see the term “dynamic” in an Dynamic Ad group. Google Ads will then create the appropriate headlines for each query. Google Ads will display the correct products to each user in Dynamic Remarketing.
Ads that are responsive
No matter which type of Google Ads you are running, whether it’s a Search, Display, Discovery, Video, Performance Max, App ad or Search ad , all will be r explicit ads. Google Ads will need your “Assets”, which Google refers to as your headlines, descriptions, images and feeds. Google then tests hundreds of combinations to reach your goals.
Responsive ads cannot be canceled. If you’re running Google Ads, you already leverage automated creative at its basic level.
No cost guide! >> 10 Tips to Get the Click: How To Write Outstanding PPC Ad Copy (with examples) )
Dynamic assets (previously known as extensions).
You can opt in to many auto-generated assets.
Dynamic images assets (formerly Dynamic picture extensions) allow Google Ads permission for your website to be pulled and used as add-ons in your ads.
You’ve likely heard of Dynamic Remarketing. This is where Google Ads creates Display ads to show users products that they have previously viewed on your site. This automated creative is responsive and dynamic and customizes the content and layout of each user based upon your Merchant Center feed.
Performance Max automatized video creation
The last frontier in automated creativity is not going responsive or dynamic but letting Google create assets for you.
It’s not hard to believe. It’s uncomfortable. We already know what Performance Max looks like. Google Ads will create videos automatically for you if you don’t provide video assets to an Asset group. They’re also pretty ugly! However, just because something looks great doesn’t necessarily mean that it will convert well. Google wants to help you reach your business goals.
You don’t have to allow Google to create your videos yet. I suggest you check out the video creator tool in Google Ads. This allows you to at least pick your own templates, images, and music.
You can read more pros & cons of Performance Max campaigns here.
Success with Google Ads automation is dependent on many factors.
No matter if you’re testing targeting, automated bidding or creative, the most important factor in your success isn’t how smart (or dumb!) Google is. It’s your conversion tracking.
- Automated bidding works only if Google has sufficient conversion data from which to learn.
- Automated targeting works only if Google knows who is converting and who isn’t.
- Google must know which assets convert to automated creative before it can work with automated creativity.
To ensure that automation drives good results, the most important factor is solid, full funnel conversion tracking.
The post Making Google Ads Automation Work For You (Dos & Don’ts from a Pro) was originally published on WordStream.