BEST PRACTICE GUIDE

Should I be using manual or automated bidding on Google Ads?

Google Ad reps will call, e-mail, and generally harass you any way possible into turning on automated bidding. Automated bidding comes in a variety of forms that are a bit too technical for this answer, but suffice to say that they all use account data to find you the best possible cost per conversion. It sounds great on paper, but letting Google take full control over bidding can be disastrous if things aren't set up properly. There are a few critical elements that come into play when deciding if automated bidding is the right choice for your particular campaign:

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  1. Start with manual bidding first, then TEST automated strategies. In 70% of cases, we are able to outperform automated bidding on Google Search campaigns. Testing involves running a strict A/B experiment where manual bidding and automated bidding run in tandem until significant results arise.
  2. AI and Machine Learning (automated bidding) is only as "smart" as the data it receives. If you don't have AT LEAST 50 conversions on a monthly basis, consider adding more conversion events to help let the AI know what type of visitor it should be finding.
  3. Display, Gmail, and YouTube campaigns often do best with automated bidding. For those campaigns only, we do recommend starting with automated bidding for best results.

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What type of automated bidding do I use? Below is an extremely short guide.

  1. Maximize Conversions: Use when limited by budget
  2. Target CPA: Use when not limited by budget
  3. Maximize Clicks: Use in the rare event no conversion data exists
  4. Maximize Conversion Value: Use when each of your conversions has a different dollar value
  5. Target Impression Share: Best for branding campaigns when your only goal is exposure, not conversions.
  6. Enhanced CPC: Use sparingly to enhance manual bids
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