Google Ads bid strategies are the cornerstone of campaign optimization, directly impacting your cost per acquisition and ROAS. This guide examines the strategic application of automated and manual bidding options to help you select the optimal Bid Strategy for your campaign objectives, whether you're targeting conversion volume, efficiency, or visibility.
How to Create Google Ads Bid Strategies:
Login to your Google Ads account
Navigate to Tools (left-hand-side menu)
Open Budgets and bidding dropdown menu
Select Bid strategies
Click on the + symbol to add a bid strategy
Select the bid strategy you would like to add
Configure the strategy and apply it to your campaigns
Google Ads Bid Strategies Complete Guide
Target CPA (Cost Per Action)
Purpose: Optimizes for conversions while maintaining your target cost per acquisition
Best Practices:
Set target CPA 10% lower than previous month's average
Example: If current CPA is $100, set target to $90
Requires consistent conversion history
Ideal For:Campaigns with stable conversion history seeking better efficiency
Target ROAS (Return on Ad Spend)
Purpose: Revenue-focused bidding for eCommerce and revenue-tracking accounts
Best Practices:
Requires revenue tracking setup
Set target 10-20% higher than current ROAS
Example: If current ROAS is 200%, set target to 220%
Ideal For: eCommerce accounts and campaigns tracking revenue metrics
Maximise Clicks
Purpose: Optimizes for highest possible click volume at lowest cost
Best Practices:
Can set optional maximum CPC limit
Focuses on quantity of clicks, not quality
Doesn't optimize for conversions
Ideal For:
New campaigns gathering initial data
Traffic-focused objectives
Maximise Conversions
Purpose: Achieves desired visibility in search results
Best Practices:
Set target 10% higher than current impression share
Choose placement: any position, top results, or absolute top
Set maximum CPC limits
Ideal For:
Brand campaigns
Competitive visibility campaigns
Maximise Conversion Value
Purpose: Aggressively pursues conversions regardless of cost
Best Practices:
Recommend adding Target CPA cap
Expects higher CPC and CPA
Best used with budget flexibility
Ideal For:Campaigns struggling to generate conversions
Target Impression Share
Purpose: Aggressively optimizes for highest revenue conversions
Best Practices:
Generally better to use Target ROAS instead
Prioritizes high-value conversions
May decrease overall ROAS
Ideal For:
Multiple conversion types with different values
Revenue growth focus without ROAS constraints
Google Ads Bid Strategies Selection Guide
Campaign Objective | Recommended Bid Strategy |
Target CPA | Generate conversions at a specific cost |
Target ROAS | Achieve a specific return on Ad Spend |
Maximize Clicks | Lower the CPC to gain the max number of clicks |
Target Impression Share | Brand Visibility: Maximise Impression share |
Maximize Conversions | Get conversions at any cost |
Maximize Conversion Value | Maximise E-Commerce revenue |
Frequently Asked Questions on Google Ads Bid Strategies
Can I use multiple bid strategies in one campaign?
No. Each campaign can only use one bid strategy at a time.
One strategy per campaign
Strategy applies to all ad groups
Choose based on campaign goals
Can I use different bid strategies for different ad groups?
No. Bid strategies are set at the campaign level only.
Same strategy applies to all ad groups
Cannot mix strategies within a campaign
Create separate campaigns for different strategies
Can I change bid strategies mid-campaign?
Yes, but proceed with caution:
Changes can be made anytime
Monitor performance closely after changes
Allow time for new strategy to optimize
Consider historical performance when switching
Can I use bid adjustments with automated bid strategies?
No. Automated strategies override manual adjustments:
Bid adjustments don't work with:
Target CPA
Target ROAS
Maximize Conversions
Machine learning handles optimization automatically
Manual adjustments are ignored
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