Do I Need to Change the Bidding on My Google Ad?

Short Answer: You should start your Google Ads bidding strategy with maximized clicks. When your campaign starts generating around 40-50 tracked conversions, it’s then recommended to switch your bidding approach to maximize conversions with a target Cost Per Acquisition (CPA). Avoid using smart bidding for this transition.

Full Explanation

The initial bidding strategy in Google Ads should focus on maximizing the number of clicks your ads receive. This approach helps gather valuable data and drive traffic to your site quickly. Once enough conversion data is collected—generally when you reach about 40 to 50 tracked conversions—you have reliable information to inform a more performance-driven bidding strategy.

At this stage, rather than continuing to simply maximize clicks, the recommendation is to switch your bidding strategy to maximize conversions but with a specific target CPA. This means adjusting the bids to try and acquire as many conversions as possible without exceeding the set cost per conversion target. Additionally, it is advised to avoid using Google’s smart bidding for this process, as the suggested approach is more controlled and goal-oriented.

Step-by-Step Breakdown

1. Start with Maximized Clicks: Begin your campaign by focusing on getting as many clicks as possible to drive traffic and gather initial data.
2. Track Conversions: Monitor the number of conversions from your ads carefully. Conversions are the actions that matter most to your business, whether sales, sign-ups, or other goals.
3. Reach the Conversion Threshold: Once you have around 40-50 tracked conversions, you have significant data to refine your bidding.
4. Switch Bidding Strategy: Change your bidding from maximizing clicks to maximizing conversions with a target CPA to optimize cost efficiency.
5. Avoid Smart Bidding: Do not switch to smart bidding at this point; instead, use the manual or recommended bidding method focused on target CPA.

Real Examples

Imagine you start a Google Ads campaign for a product launch. You begin by setting your bidding to maximize clicks, which brings in a large volume of traffic but not yet optimized towards sales. After tracking, once you accumulate about 45 conversions, you decide to switch your bidding strategy to maximize conversions with a set target CPA. This change focuses your spend on ads that are more likely to convert at your desired cost, improving ROI.

Common Mistakes

• Switching too early: Changing bidding strategy before reaching sufficient conversion data can lead to poor optimization and wasted budget.
• Continuing with maximized clicks too long: Not transitioning after reaching the conversion threshold can result in inefficient ad spend without maximizing conversions.
• Using smart bidding prematurely: Relying on smart bidding without enough conversion data or without a focused target CPA can be less effective.

FAQs

Why start with maximized clicks?

Maximized clicks help you quickly gather traffic and data, which are crucial for understanding audience behavior before refining your bidding strategy.

What is target CPA bidding?

Target CPA bidding aims to get as many conversions as possible at or below a specified cost per acquisition, helping to control advertising cost and improve ROI.

Why avoid smart bidding at this stage?

The recommendation is to avoid smart bidding initially because a more controlled bidding method with a clear target CPA is preferable once you have enough conversion data.

Key Takeaways

• Begin your Google Ads campaigns with maximized clicks to drive traffic and collect data.
• Monitor conversions closely and wait until you reach about 40-50 tracked conversions before changing your bidding strategy.
• Switch your bidding to maximize conversions with a target CPA to optimize cost-effectiveness.
• Avoid using smart bidding when making this transition to maintain control over your bids.