Smart Bidding
Google's automated bid strategies, which set a bid for every individual auction using signals about the user, the query and the context. Maximize conversions, Maximize conversion value, Target CPA and Target ROAS are all Smart Bidding.
Why it matters
It is a learning system, so it is only as good as the examples it gets. Feed it one identical conversion per lead and it learns to buy leads; feed it a real value per lead and it learns to buy customers.
What goes wrong
Automation is often blamed for results that are actually a data problem. The strategy is doing exactly what it was told with what it was given, and what it was given was thirty identical numbers a month.
Next to this
- Conversion volume thresholdThe rough number of conversions a month a bid strategy needs before it has enough examples to learn from.
- Learning periodThe stretch after a bid strategy changes while the platform gathers enough outcomes to bid confidently.
- Maximize conversion valueGoogle AdsThe bid strategy that spends the budget to bring back the highest total conversion value rather than the highest count.
The rest of this step
Measure this on your own data
The diagnostic reads a CRM export in your browser and reports your volume, your match rate and the spread between your leads against the thresholds in this glossary. Nothing is uploaded and no account is needed.