Google Ads offers a range of bid strategies designed to help you achieve specific campaign goals. Choosing the right one can make a significant difference in the effectiveness of your campaigns. Let’s look at some of the different bid strategies available in Google Ads and explain which one would be the best to use based on your campaign goals.
Understanding Google Ads Bid Strategies
Bid strategies in Google Ads are the methods by which you set bids for your ads to achieve your desired outcomes. The right bid strategy depends on your campaign goals, whether it’s increasing website traffic, boosting sales, or enhancing brand awareness. Here are the main types of bid strategies available:
1. Manual CPC (Cost-Per-Click)
What it is: Manual CPC allows you to set your maximum cost-per-click for your ads. This gives you complete control over your bids, letting you adjust them based on the performance of individual keywords. It’s not considered a “recommended” strategy according to Google as it moves towards automated, “smart” bidding.
When to use it: Use Manual CPC if you have experience with Google Ads and want full control over your bids. This strategy is ideal when you have a well-defined set of high-performing keywords and want to optimise your spend on those. As this strategy is requires human intervention, if you’re not hands-on on a regular basis in your account, we wouldn’t recommend this option.
2. Enhanced CPC (ECPC)
What it is: Enhanced CPC is an automated strategy that adjusts your manual bids to maximise conversions. It increases your bid in situations where a conversion is more likely and decreases it when a conversion is less likely.
When to use it: ECPC is suitable for campaigns where you want to maintain some control over your bids but also take advantage of Google’s machine learning to enhance performance. It’s best used when your primary goal is to increase conversions without fully automating your bidding.
3. Target CPA (Cost-Per-Acquisition)
What it is: Target CPA sets bids to help get as many conversions as possible at your desired cost-per-acquisition. Google automatically adjusts your bids to achieve an average CPA equal to your target.
When to use it: This strategy is perfect for campaigns focused on driving conversions at a specific cost. If you have historical conversion data and want to maintain a predictable CPA, Target CPA is a strong choice.
4. Target ROAS (Return on Ad Spend)
What it is: Target ROAS adjusts bids to maximise the return on ad spend based on the value of conversions. You set a target ROAS, and Google aims to meet it by predicting future conversion value and adjusting bids accordingly.
When to use it: Use Target ROAS for campaigns where the value of conversions varies significantly. This strategy is ideal for e-commerce campaigns where you want to maximise revenue based on your investment.
5. Maximise Conversions
What it is: Maximise Conversions automatically sets bids to help you get the most conversions within your budget. Google uses your daily budget to bid for each auction, aiming to generate the highest possible number of conversions.
When to use it: This strategy is suitable for campaigns with a flexible budget focused on increasing the number of conversions. It’s particularly useful when you want to drive a high volume of conversions without a specific CPA target.
6. Maximise Clicks
What it is: Maximise Clicks sets your bids to help you get the most clicks within your budget. This strategy focuses on increasing traffic to your website, regardless of whether they are likely to convert into sales or leads.
When to use it: Use Maximise Clicks for campaigns aimed at driving a large volume of website traffic. It’s ideal when your goal is to increase visibility and attract more visitors to your site. To maximise profitability when using this strategy, it’s important to monitor the search terms that are triggering your ads, adding negative keywords to improve the quality of the traffic to your website.
7. Target Impression Share
What it is: Target Impression Share sets bids to show your ad on the top of the page or anywhere on the page a certain percentage of the time. You can set your target percentage, whether it’s 100% or less.
When to use it: This strategy is best for brand awareness campaigns where you want to dominate the search results for specific keywords. It’s useful when your goal is to ensure your ads appear frequently in prime positions.
8. Maximise Conversion Value
What it is: Maximise Conversion Value aims to get the highest total conversion value within your budget. Google automatically sets bids to achieve this goal, considering the value of each conversion.
When to use it: This strategy is ideal for campaigns where the focus is on the total value of conversions rather than just the number. It’s particularly beneficial for e-commerce campaigns where each conversion has a different value. If your conversions don’t have a value, or have been assigned the same value (for example, you may track phone calls as your only conversion with a value of $1), this bid strategy isn’t the best for you. Consider Maximise Conversions instead.
Choosing the Right Bid Strategy
Selecting the best bid strategy depends on your specific campaign goals and the stage of your business. Here are some recommendations based on common objectives:
Driving Traffic: Use Maximise Clicks to increase the number of visitors to your website.
Increasing Conversions: Opt for Target CPA or Maximise Conversions to focus on getting more conversions.
Maximising Revenue: Choose Target ROAS or Maximise Conversion Value to enhance the total value of your conversions.
Boosting Brand Awareness: Implement Target Impression Share to ensure your ads appear prominently and frequently.
Maintaining Control: If you prefer manual adjustments and have a well-defined set of keywords, go with Manual CPC or Enhanced CPC.
Understanding and selecting the right bid strategy in Google Ads can significantly impact your campaign’s success. By aligning your bid strategy with your campaign goals, you can optimise your ad spend and achieve better results. Whether you’re looking to drive traffic, increase conversions, maximise revenue, or enhance brand awareness, there’s a bid strategy that should work for you. Your bid strategy isn’t set in stone, so experiment with different strategies, analyse your performance, and adjust as necessary to find the perfect fit for your campaigns.
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