Google Ads has undergone significant transformation in recent years, with AI-driven automation playing a pivotal role in how advertisers manage campaigns.
Automated bidding strategies, such as smart bidding, promise improved performance by using machine learning to optimise for conversions or conversion value.
However, many PPC experts are still hesitant to fully hand over the reins to automation. Whether it’s a desire for greater control or the need for more transparency, manual bidding remains a critical tool in the PPC arsenal.
Our PPC experts explore how to navigate the landscape of Google’s AI-driven bidding systems while offering practical tips for maintaining manual bid control.
Why Some Advertisers Still Prefer Manual Bidding
AI-powered bidding, while highly effective in many cases, isn’t always the perfect solution for every business or every campaign. Here are a few reasons why some PPC experts may opt for manual bidding over automated strategies:
Full control over costs: Manual bidding allows advertisers to control exactly how much they pay for clicks on each keyword or ad group. This level of precision can be crucial for those operating on tighter margins or who want to closely monitor spending on high-value keywords.
Greater transparency: With manual bidding, every decision is visible and trackable. Advertisers can adjust bids in real time, while having clear insights into what’s working and what isn’t, without the “black box” nature of some AI-driven methods.
Custom strategies for niche audiences: While Smart Bidding uses broad sets of data to optimise for a general audience, manual bidding offers the ability to craft a highly specific strategy for niche markets or unique campaign goals that AI may not fully understand.
Avoiding overspending: In some cases, automated bidding strategies can lead to overspending, especially in competitive industries or during seasonal fluctuations. Manual bidding helps to limit spending on individual terms that may not deliver the desired ROI.
Manual Bidding in an AI-Driven World
While manual bidding can provide control and transparency, it’s important to stay aware of how AI and machine learning impact the bidding landscape. Here’s how to make the most of manual bid control in an AI-driven Google Ads ecosystem:
Leverage Auction Insights for Informed Bidding
Google’s Auction Insights report is a powerful tool when using manual bidding strategies. It allows advertisers to compare performance with competitors in the same auctions, offering visibility into key metrics such as:
- Impression share
- Average position
- Overlap rate
- Top-of-page rate
By regularly reviewing Auction Insights, you can spot trends, identify aggressive competitors, and adjust your bids accordingly. For example, if you notice a competitor consistently outranking you, you may want to increase bids on key terms or focus more on improving ad quality to balance cost-per-click (CPC) with positioning.
Use Bid Modifiers for Granular Control
Manual bidding doesn’t mean that you have to adjust every keyword’s bid manually all the time. Google’s bid modifiers allow you to apply percentage-based bid adjustments to specific factors, such as:
- Device type: Increase or decrease bids for mobile, desktop, or tablet users.
- Location: Set higher bids for users in specific geographical areas where conversions are higher.
- Ad scheduling: Increase bids during peak times of day or week when your audience is more active.
By combining manual bidding with bid modifiers, you can target your most valuable traffic more efficiently without resorting to full automation.
Refine Your Keywords to Improve Efficiency
Manual bidding works best when you have a refined list of high-performing keywords. Continuously monitor keyword performance and pause or adjust bids on underperforming terms. Long-tail keywords often cost less per click and can drive more qualified traffic, so focus on adding these to your campaigns.
Additionally, take advantage of negative keywords to prevent wasted spend on irrelevant searches. Negative keywords help ensure that your ads are only shown to users who are more likely to convert, making your manual bids more effective.
Set Target CPA or ROAS as a Benchmark
While you may not be using automated bidding strategies like Target CPA (Cost-Per-Acquisition) or Target ROAS (Return on Ad Spend), you can still use these metrics as benchmarks. Set a manual bidding strategy that aims to stay within a specific CPA or ROAS, and regularly check your performance against these targets.
By keeping these goals in mind, you can manually optimise bids for campaigns that aren’t ready for automation but still need to hit specific performance metrics.
Monitor Performance Closely
Manual bidding requires a more hands-on approach, meaning constant monitoring is essential to avoid wasted spend or missed opportunities. Set up custom dashboards in Google Ads or Google Data Studio to track key performance indicators (KPIs) such as:
- Conversion rate
- Cost per conversion
- Click-through rate (CTR)
- Impression share
By monitoring these metrics closely, you can adjust bids based on actual performance in real-time, ensuring that your campaign remains cost-efficient and aligned with your overall goals.
When to Transition to Automated Bidding
While manual bidding offers significant advantages, there may come a time when automated bidding becomes the more practical choice. For instance, manual adjustments can become cumbersome and inefficient if you’re managing large-scale campaigns with hundreds or thousands of keywords.
If you transition to automated bidding, consider starting with a hybrid approach. For example, use Enhanced CPC (ECPC), which allows you to set manual bids, but lets Google adjust them slightly to optimise for conversions. This method gives you a balance between control and the benefits of AI-driven automation.
PPC marketing agency topclick has an excellent team with proven experience setting up, optimising, and maintaining PPC ads across Google and Bing. We understand that no client is the same, so our campaigns are tailored to each individual goal.
Our team has experience across multiple industries generating leads, calls, sales, traffic, and app installs. Drawing on our wealth of knowledge we can help you decide what type of campaign best suits your needs. Contact us today for more information.