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The Complete Guide to Google Ads Bidding Strategies

Joe Balestrino • May 14, 2023

If you're running a business, you probably already know that Google Ads is an essential tool for reaching your target audience and driving sales. But to get the most out of your campaigns, you need to master the art of bidding. In this guide, we'll cover everything you need to know about Google Ads bidding strategies, from the basics to advanced techniques.

What is Google Ads Bidding?

Before we dive into bidding strategies, let's first define what bidding means in the context of Google Ads. When you create an ad campaign, you choose specific keywords that you want to target. When someone searches for those keywords, your ad has the potential to appear in the search results. However, you're not the only one targeting those keywords. Other advertisers are also bidding on the same keywords, and Google uses a complex algorithm to determine which ads appear in which positions.


Your bid is the maximum amount you're willing to pay for a click on your ad. It's not the actual amount you'll pay every time someone clicks on your ad, but rather the maximum amount you're willing to pay. The actual amount you'll pay is determined by the Ad Rank of your ad, which is based on your bid and the quality score of your ad.

Basic Bidding Strategies

There are several bidding strategies available in Google Ads, but let's start with the basics.


Manual CPC bidding is the simplest bidding strategy and is recommended for new advertisers. With this strategy, you set a maximum CPC bid for each keyword in your campaign. Google will then try to keep your ad in the best possible position while staying within your budget.


Enhanced CPC (ECPC) bidding is a more advanced version of manual CPC bidding. With this strategy, Google will automatically adjust your bids for clicks that are more likely to lead to a sale or conversion. ECPC is only available for campaigns that have conversion tracking enabled.


Target CPA (cost per acquisition) bidding is a bidding strategy that allows you to set a target cost per conversion. Google will automatically adjust your bids to try to achieve that target cost. This strategy is ideal for campaigns where the primary goal is to drive conversions.


Target ROAS (return on ad spend) bidding is a bidding strategy that allows you to set a target ROAS for your campaign. Google will automatically adjust your bids to try to achieve that target ROAS. This strategy is ideal for campaigns where the primary goal is to generate revenue.


Advanced Bidding Strategies


Once you've mastered the basics, you can move on to more advanced bidding strategies.


Maximize clicks bidding is a bidding strategy that allows you to set a daily budget, and Google will automatically adjust your bids to try to get as many clicks as possible within that budget. This strategy is ideal for campaigns where the primary goal is to drive traffic to your website.


Target impression share bidding is a bidding strategy that allows you to set a target impression share for your campaign. Google will automatically adjust your bids to try to achieve that target impression share. This strategy is ideal for campaigns where the primary goal is to increase brand awareness.


Target search page location bidding is a bidding strategy that allows you to set a target position on the search results page. Google will automatically adjust your bids to try to achieve that target position. This strategy is ideal for campaigns where the primary goal is to appear at the top of the search results page.


What Happens If You Choose The Wrong Bidding Strategy?

Using the wrong bid strategies in Google Ads can have a negative impact on your advertising campaign performance. The main consequence is that you may end up paying more for clicks or conversions than you should, leading to wasted budget and lower return on investment (ROI).


For example, if you use a manual CPC bid strategy instead of an automated bidding strategy such as target CPA or target ROAS, you may end up paying more for clicks than necessary. This is because manual CPC bidding requires you to set the maximum amount you are willing to pay for each click, regardless of whether that click is likely to convert into a sale or not. On the other hand, automated bidding strategies use machine learning to adjust bids in real-time based on a variety of signals such as user location, device, time of day, and more, to help you reach your advertising goals more efficiently.


Another consequence of using the wrong bid strategies is that you may not be able to achieve your advertising goals, such as generating enough clicks or conversions within your budget. For example, if you use a target impression share bid strategy instead of a target CPA or target ROAS strategy, you may end up spending your entire budget on low-quality clicks or impressions, without generating any significant return on investment.


Moreover, using the wrong bid strategies may result in poor ad placement, as your ads may not appear in front of the right audience or at the right time. This can lead to lower click-through rates (CTR) and conversion rates, and ultimately, lower revenue.


In summary, it is crucial to choose the right bid strategy for your advertising campaign goals and budget. You should consider factors such as your business objectives, target audience, competition, and historical campaign performance data when selecting a bid strategy. It is also important to regularly monitor and adjust your bids based on performance metrics such as cost-per-click (CPC), cost-per-acquisition (CPA), conversion rate, and ROI, to ensure that you are maximizing the effectiveness of your advertising campaign.

Having Issues With Your Google Ads?

Consider reaching out to Joe Balestrino for a Google Ads audit if you're encountering problems or unsure about which bidding strategies to employ.

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