Google Simplifies Smart Bid Strategies

To improve how search advertisers can best take advantage of the automated bidding strategies within Smart Bidding, Google recently announced it will be changing how bid strategies are organized for search campaigns. Moving forward, target CPA and target ROAS will be rolled into the maximize conversions and maximize conversion value bid strategies, which means that,

Maximize conversions will have an optional target CPA

Maximize conversion value will have an optional target ROAS.

This announcement comes shortly after a series of updates in Google Ads that aim to simplify search management, a practice that has only grown increasingly complex over the last several years.

Catch up on Google’s updates with Responsive Search Ads and Updates to Phrase and Broad Match Modified on the PMG blog. 

For now, search advertisers will still be able to use target CPA and target ROAS as bid strategies (and create new target CPA and target ROAS bid strategies for the time being), though the default setting of maximize conversions and maximize conversion value – with optional target CPA and target ROAS fields – will begin appearing during campaign setup in the next few months.

According to Google’s announcement, by using the optional target CPA and target ROAS fields, search advertisers will be able to optimize performance the same way target CPA and target ROAS bid strategies currently do today. 

A closer look at how consolidation in Smart Bidding impact bid strategies

While these changes drive more consolidation within the Google Ads platform, the similarities between other updates like the Phrase and Broad Match Modified update cannot go unnoticed. The evolution of Google’s products and management systems over the past decade have led to a complex ecosystem that can be difficult for even the most senior and experienced search advertisers to navigate, and with the changes brought on by ecommerce growth and the industry’s enhanced focus on consumer privacy, more businesses are turning to Google Ads to drive results. 

Simplifying the search management process for search advertisers through these updates will benefit everyone, enhance the efficiency of accounts, increase investment into search programs, and hopefully, continue to improve the consumer experience on the SERP. We anticipate Google Ads will continue to evolve as the company works to streamline search management for all search advertisers and provide scalable solutions for brands big and small.