During this summer Google Ads has been more active than ever. First it eliminated the average position, then the accelerated form of the budget (in this case they have extended the functionality a few more days so that the accounts that used it adapt to the change), and now it gets us a new type of bid, two variations of an existing bid type and a new ad type.
Among so many changes, you can go crazy and, above all, drive your campaigns crazy with the consequent loss in performance and conversions. Therefore, we bring you examples, experiences and tips that help you set your campaigns and, incidentally, give them a boost.
Table of Contents
Bid to maximize conversion value
This bid came out on August 21, 2019 as a variation to the well-known bid of maximizing conversions and, after 1 month using it, I have to say that we have done much better in our SEM agency with it than with maximizing conversions. The latter, by the way, we do not usually use it with almost any client since we have not had good experiences when we have implemented it, usually because it needs a greater history than the new bid to maximize the value.
Before you activate this new bid,you must set the following in your Google Ads account:
- You need to have the conversion value of all your conversions well placed for the bid to work well. For example, we in the agency have created user behavior goals on the web such as “+2 page views/session” or “+2 minutes stay” and those conversions are not good for the client. Therefore, we must ensure that the conversion value of these types of conversions is low; in our case we put € 1 of value. Meanwhile, the conversions of sending form or call must have a higher value, between € 30 and € 50 is what we put but it will also depend on how much money you earn with these conversions. In the case of ecommerce it is very simple since the conversion value is the same as the price of the product.
- We have to have a minimum number of “valid” conversions in the last few weeks to avoid having to learn from 0 to get the good conversions. In any case, in the agency we have implemented this bid with clients who had not had more than 10 good conversions in the last month and it has gone well.
Having reviewed the above, it’s time to put the new bid from maximizing conversion value to work. We recommend checking the box that says “Define a return on target ad spend” or ROAS if Google allows it since the improvement of the campaign will be even better. Although to activate this you will have to have enough conversions in recent weeks.
Enhanced CPC bid variations: now with two new features
The first thing I need to say is that this feature is not available for all accounts or campaigns at the moment although it will be.
These two new options within the enhanced CPC bid are:
- Optimize for more conversions.
- Optimize to maximize the value of conversions.
These two new bidding subtypes are halfway between manual bidding and Google Ads smart bidding.
What are the differences between this subtype of bidding and its smarter sisters?
The differences between enhanced cpc bidding with option to maximize conversions or maximize conversion value does not aim to spend the daily budget of that campaign and you also can’t set a target return on ad spend like smart bidding does in maximize conversions, maximize conversion value, ROAS, etc.
This new variable within the bids of improved CPC is a great option for people who do not want to leave their CPCs totally in the hands of Google and want to control this aspect a little more.
In the agency we are still in tests with this type of biddings and we do not have any favorite at the moment.
New Gallery ad type in Google Ads
The new Format of Gallery Ads has reached Google campaigns but you may not see it since, like the previous bidding method, the option has only appeared in some accounts.
These Gallery ads are composed of:
- Between 4-8 good quality images that will appear in the SERPS in the form of a gallery.
- Three titles with the same length as normal text titles.
- A slogan for each image you upload that will appear below it and that will have a maximum of 70 characters.
- Disclaimer which is optional.
These ads are perfect for food companies, vehicle dealerships, experience sales companies, etc., as they will be able to better show their product and incite the click on the ad above the rest of the competitors.
When using this type of ads you can be charged in two different ways:
- When someone clicks and goes to your website.
- When someone views more than 3 images of your image carousel.
Add that this format is only available for mobile although we can surely see it on desktop in the future.
The biggest advice we can give you here is to choose images of the best quality that show your product and the benefits of it in the best way. In the field of slogans you can put the characteristics to highlight with claim phrases such as “The best compact car in its category”.
Conclusions about the new implementations of Google Adwords
To end the post, we want to emphasize that you must make the changes in your campaigns in a prudent way and not put the new features at the same time so that, if there is a problem, you lower the conversions, etc., you know where the problem comes from and you quickly find the solution.
For the rest, I encourage you to try the new types of bidding and if you do not dare, you can always put yourself in the hands of experts who guide you in this type of decisions.
