Google Ads Automation: Is It Worth Using? Best Practices to Utilize

Google Ads automation offers powerful tools and features to revolutionize campaign management. It allows advertisers to automate tasks and make real-time adjustments for improved results.

In this article, we’ll explore the concept of Google Ads automation, its benefits, features, and best strategies to harness its full potential to supercharge your advertising efforts.

What is Google Ads Automation?

Google Ads automation refers to the use of technology and predefined processes to streamline and optimize various aspects of Google Ads campaigns. It involves leveraging tools provided by the Google Ads platform to automate tasks such as bidding, and campaign management.

Google Ads automation encompasses a range of functionalities, including automated bidding strategies, ad extensions, ad suggestions, and automated rules. Automation features save time, boost efficiency, and enhance campaign performance by allowing advertisers to set parameters for system adjustments based on predefined rules or algorithms.

Automated bidding adjusts bids in real-time to meet specific goals like maximizing conversions or achieving target ROAS. Automated ad extensions add extra information to ads based on content and user behavior.

Should you use Google Ads automation?

Many advertisers are hesitant to use Google Ads automation, fearing it might lead to wasteful spending. However, if used correctly, Google Ads automation can indeed yield positive results for your campaigns.

Google Ads automation leverages machine learning to enhance your ad performance. To use it effectively, you should first establish a solid foundation with your manual ad strategies, ensuring they yield satisfactory results. Automation is an advanced feature, best utilized when you’re ready to scale and refine your existing outcomes. It’s not recommended for beginners without a solid grasp of ad fundamentals or for those with limited ad spending.

In essence, ad automation is most beneficial if you:

• Have already seen strong results from your manual ad setups.
• Are looking to further improve and expand your ad performance.
• Possess a thorough understanding and experience in managing ads.
• Have a substantial budget allocated to your ad account.
• Can continuously monitor and adjust based on the automation’s performance.

3 key features of Google Ads automation

There are 3 key features of Google Ads automation, including automated bidding, automated ad creation, and automated rules. Let’s explore what they are, and when to use & not to use them.

Automated bidding

Automated bidding refers to the use of machine learning algorithms to automatically adjust bids for ad placements based on predefined campaign goals and performance metrics. With automated bidding, advertisers can optimize their bidding strategy to achieve specific objectives, such as maximizing conversions, increasing ROAS, or maximizing clicks within a given budget.

When to use it

Automated bidding strategies in Google Ads can be highly effective depending on the specific goals of your campaign. Here’s a breakdown of when to use automated bidding strategies based on different campaign objectives:

• Large-scale campaigns: Managing bids for numerous keywords or ad groups manually can be time-consuming. Automated bidding helps advertisers save time and optimize bids efficiently using real-time performance data.
• Conversion-focused campaigns: Automated bidding works well for campaigns aimed at driving conversions like leads or purchases. You can get desired conversion volume or cost efficiency through strategies like Target CPA or Maximize Conversions.
• Visibility/Brand recognition: When the goal is to increase brand recognition, Target Impression Share is often the preferred bidding strategy. This allows you to maintain a consistent presence on the search results page and secure top ad placements for specific terms.
• Website traffic/SEO assistance: If driving traffic for terms you’re not ranking for organically is a priority, Maximize Clicks or Target Impression Share can be effective strategies. These bidding approaches help increase clicks and impressions, driving more traffic to your site.

The decision to use automated bidding should be based on campaign goals, resources, and the complexity of the campaign. It’s essential to monitor performance closely and adjust bidding strategies as needed to ensure optimal results.

When not to use it

Knowing when to avoid automated bidding strategies in Google Ads is equally important for campaign management. Here are some scenarios where it might be best to steer clear of automated Google Ads:

• Limited conversion data: When campaigns lack historical conversion data, automated bidding may struggle. Thus, manual bidding offers more control until sufficient data is available for automation.
• Complex campaign objectives: For campaigns with intricate goals that automated strategies can’t easily capture, manual bidding can give you greater customization and precision.
• Rapidly changing conditions: In fast-changing markets, automated bidding may not adjust quickly enough. Whereas, manual bidding lets advertisers react swiftly and adjust bids in real time.
• Seasonal campaigns: During seasonal events or promotions, manual bidding allows you to create custom strategies that keep up with seasonal trends, maximizing performance.

Ultimately, the decision to use automated bidding should be based on careful consideration of campaign objectives, data availability, and market dynamics.

Automated ad creation

Google Ads automated ad creation involves using machine learning and data-driven insights to generate ad creatives dynamically. Tools analyze various elements, such as headlines, and images, to personalize content.

When to use it

This feature, particularly through responsive search ads and responsive display ads, can be strategically employed in Google Ads campaigns to enhance ad relevance and efficiency. When considering the use of automated ad creation:

• Responsive search ads (RSAs): RSAs offer flexibility by allowing advertisers to input multiple headlines and descriptions, which Google then dynamically combines to create ad variations tailored to individual user queries. Advertisers should invest effort in crafting compelling headlines that reflect their brand and message effectively. 
• Responsive display ads: Display advertising can present challenges for advertisers lacking design expertise or resources. Responsive display ads alleviate this burden by automatically adjusting ad layouts to fit various placements across the Google Display Network. Advertisers should provide high-quality assets that accurately represent their brand and resonate with their target audience.

The feature can be utilized effectively when advertisers prioritize providing high-quality assets and crafting compelling ad copy. By leveraging automation in combination with strategic input, advertisers can streamline ad creation processes and enhance ad relevance and effectiveness in Google Ads campaigns.

When not to use it

This feature may not always be the optimal choice in certain circumstances, despite its potential benefits. Here are instances when it’s best to avoid this automate Google Ads:

• Smart campaigns: They are designed to simplify campaign management for novice users, and may not suit advertisers seeking precise control over campaign details. Successful marketing often hinges on meticulous attention to detail, making manual oversight preferable to entrusting automation with critical campaign elements.
• Smart display: They may not deliver quality leads or meet specific targeting criteria. Advertisers should exercise caution and maintain tight control over targeting parameters to avoid driving irrelevant or low-quality traffic.
• Performance Max: Despite some proponents praising its effectiveness, Performance Max campaigns have garnered mixed reviews. Combining features of responsive ads and Smart campaigns, PMax campaigns rely heavily on automation to generate ads across various Google properties.

Advertisers should carefully evaluate campaign objectives, targeting requirements, and the potential impact on campaign performance before opting for automation.

Automated rules

Automated rules empower you to enact changes within your account automatically, according to your chosen settings and conditions. This feature enables adjustments to various elements such as ad status, budget allocation, bids, and more. If you wish to increase your keyword bid, you can establish a rule to execute this action. Furthermore, automated rules offer the capability to send email notifications based on specific conditions, eliminating the need for manual intervention.

When to use it

Automated rules are a powerful feature that allows advertisers to automate specific actions based on predefined conditions. Here are some scenarios for when to use them:

• Bid adjustments: Use automation rules to automatically adjust bids based on performance metrics such as conversions, CPA, or ROAS. For example, you can increase bids for keywords with high conversion rates or decrease bids for underperforming keywords.
• Ad schedule optimization: Set up automation rules to adjust ad schedules based on performance data. You can increase bids during peak hours when CVRs are higher or decrease bids during low-converting times to optimize budget allocation.
• Budget management: Automate budget adjustments to ensure optimal budget allocation across campaigns. You can increase budgets for top-performing campaigns or pause campaigns that have exceeded their budget limits.
• Keyword management: Use automation rules to manage keyword bids and statuses based on performance metrics. Businesses can increase bids for high-converting keywords or pause keywords with low CTR to improve overall campaign performance.

Automated rules are valuable features for streamlining campaign management, optimizing performance, and ensuring timely adjustments based on predefined conditions and objectives.

When not to use it

You should consider not to use automated rules when:

• Complex campaign objectives: If your campaign objectives are highly complex or require manual intervention, automation rules may not be suitable. Complex strategies may require human oversight and customization that cannot be achieved through automated rules.
• Limited historical data: Automated rules rely on historical performance data to make informed decisions. If your campaign has limited data or is newly launched, it may be challenging to set up effective automation rules without sufficient performance insights.
• Ad-hoc changes: For one-time or ad-hoc changes that require immediate action, manual adjustments may be more appropriate. Automated rules are best suited for ongoing optimizations and repetitive tasks rather than sporadic changes.
• Sensitive campaigns: Campaigns with sensitive or high-risk objectives may not be suitable for automated rules, as they may require careful manual oversight to ensure compliance and mitigate risks.

While automated rules offer efficiency and convenience, they may not be suitable for all campaigns or situations. It’s essential to carefully consider the complexity of your campaign objectives, the availability of historical data, and your level of expertise before deciding whether to implement automation rules in Google Ads.

Pros and cons of Google Ads automation

Google Ads automation actually saves you great time and effort. However, it does have many limitations that can frustrate your expectations. So we have this table to help you grasp the big picture:

Pros	Cons
Time efficiency: Saves time on manual tasks to focus on strategies.	Limited control: Less control over specific campaign elements.
Real-time adjustments: Optimizes ads based on real-time metrics.	Data dependency: Requires sufficient historical data to operate efficiently.
Scalability: Manages large campaigns with multiple keywords and ad groups effectively.	Ineffective targeting: Automated rules may not always align perfectly with specific targeting criteria.
Data-driven insights: Provides insights and recommendations based on historical performance.	Learning curve: Requires deep understanding to effectively implementing automated features

Best practices to optimize campaigns with Google Ads automation

Implementing specific practices to effectively make the most of automation power can significantly enhance the performance of your advertising efforts.

Here we come up with 5 best practices with Google Ads automation you can implement to supercharge your productivity and efficiency.

Use Smart Bidding to maximize conversions

If you’re struggling to manually adjust bids across your campaigns, especially when you aim for specific conversion goals (like driving sales or generating leads), Smart Bidding will ease the burden.

Smart Bidding can automatically set bids to optimize for conversions or conversion value. It evaluates various real-time factors like device type, time of day, and user behavior. You can use strategies like Target ROAS if you’re focused on profitability or Maximize Conversions to get the most conversions within your budget.

These methods allow you to offload bid adjustments to Google, which uses machine learning to set the most effective bid for each auction. And, one thing that is no less important, setting up your conversion tracking properly to maximize results.

Keep conversion tracking accurate for automation

A common mistake many businesses make is inaccurate conversion tracking. Since Google Ads automation relies heavily on data, poor tracking can lead to suboptimal performance because it can’t adjust bids or target users effectively. Thus, you should regularly audit your conversion tracking setup to make sure you’re capturing all key actions.

We recommend using an ad tracking software like NestAds to improve your tracking efficiency. It uses a unique server-side tracking pixel which can track conversions more accurately than traditional tracking methods. So you can make sure that you never miss a valuable interaction.

Furthermore, it gives you more detailed insights into your performance. To harness its full potential, our suggestion is to define clearly the data you need. Once you bear it in mind, NestAds can be an efficient assistant to consult you what’s the next step you should take to optimize your ad campaign through marketing attribution data.

Run Performance Max for cross-channel reach

Performance Max was born to simplify your campaign management across multiple Google networks like Search, Display, YouTube, and so on. It does so by automating ad placements and budget distribution to show your ads across all channels seamlessly.

Therefore, it’s especially convenient for businesses with a wide range of products to promote. Performance Max saves you time and helps you discover which channels drive the most conversions as well.

To implement Performance Max effectively, you should upload high-quality images, videos, and text assets to let Google optimize your ads across different platforms. Afterward, it uses automation to determine where your ads perform best, allowing you to scale without manually adjusting settings across each channel. 

You can learn more through our blog on how to set up Performance Max, in which we show you how to set up this campaign properly and optimize it for the best results.

Test different messages with Responsive Search Ads

In Search campaigns, it’s a must to match your ad message with what your customers are searching for. And now it’s easier and time-saving with Responsive Search Ads (RSAs).

You can test different headlines and descriptions without manually crafting multiple ads. Google will automatically combine your inputs and test variations to find the best-performing ad combinations for each query.

Hence, your most important task is to create different headlines and descriptions in RSAs. Each headline should emphasize a distinct benefit or feature of your product or service. You can think about what makes your offering unique and how it addresses specific customer needs.

A small tip for you, try different versions of the same message. For instance, if you have a headline about a discount, create another that highlights savings or exclusive access.

Optimize seasonal campaigns with automated budget adjustments

If your business relies on seasonal spikes in traffic (e.g., Black Friday, holiday sales), automating your budget can help you make the most of these periods. You can set up automated rules that increase your budget during peak times and scale it back during low-traffic periods.

For example, use “Increase budget when” rules to automatically adjust your daily budget when performance metrics, like clicks or conversion, hit a certain threshold. If your cost-per-conversion is within your target range during a sale period, you can automatically increase your budget to capitalize on higher demand.

At the same time, set “Decrease Budget When” rules for the post-peak period to avoid overspending. After Black Friday, when conversion rates typically drop, automatically reduce your budget to conserve resources.

By setting these automated budget adjustments, you’ll efficiently allocate more resources during high-demand times and save money during slower periods. Thereby, keeping your ad spend in line with real-time performance.