Google is well-known for continuously changing its methods and algorithms – it’s key to their strategy of remaining a cutting-edge major player on the digital scene. While Google’s updates generally do provide some kind of advantage to at least some people, not every update is best for every one in every circumstance….
Case in point: Google’s new auto-applied recommendations.
Launched officially on April 14, 2021, auto-applied recommendations might help your business save time, but will it be a useful strategy to maximize your ad budget?
Are auto-applied recommendations something your business should be worried about? Or is it something you should feel thankful for?
Here’s what your business needs to know regarding this latest Google update:
The Main Advantages
One of the declared advantages of the new auto-applied recommendation feature is that it can greatly improve the performance of your website while saving you time in managing your advertising campaigns.
Google’s cutting-edge machine learning utilizes the data of any existing ads running on your website as a starter for generating information specific to your business. When you combine that information with Google’s massive storehouse of data on advertising performance generally, it makes for a potentially powerful addition to your digital marketing.
Another key benefit of auto-applied recommendations is that the system works by giving you the option to either opt-in or opt-out.
The opt-in option is chosen by default and will remain that way for 14 days. This 2-week period will serve as the “testing window” when Google’s algorithms figure out which keywords and search queries fit your business Should you choose to continue to opt-in, you will be allowed to choose from over 17 ad recommendations that you think are best suited for your business goals.
The good thing about the new auto-applied recommendations, according to Google, is that it does not prompt you to add more to your budget. However, how you will bid for certain items, and how you might implement the strategies you use could still change.
When Google first started testing the new auto applied recommendation feature in early 2019, many businesses were caught off-guard, which resulted in several lukewarm reviews. After receiving substantial feedback, Google modified the program and implemented this new version in April 2021. Time will tell if users deem that additional modifications are warranted.
The Main Disadvantages
While auto-ad suggestions can save time. Some analysts believe it might not be a good way to save money, especially for those who do not possess thorough detailed of how to generate and run successful ad campaigns.
Since those who choose to opt-in will only depend on the keyword suggestions that Google’s algorithms will generate, there is a strong likelihood that some irrelevant keywords sneak in, which could you’re your business may end up paying much more than you should.
Irrelevant keywords could also result in a potential threat to your SEO.
Imagine if a user clicks on the link to your site from an irrelevant keyword – they’ll land on your site only to quickly realize that it’s not really a match. This can result in a high bounce rate for your site, which would hurt the online reputation of your business.
Another significant concern is that Google’s recommendations can be very unpredictable and will sometimes allow campaigns to overspend. For example, here at JXT Group, we had one client who once auto-accepted new keywords and a budget change which caused their account to spend on irrelevant keywords and overspend the budget by 40% (!).
By working hands-on with us, we were able to help this client set up a Google Ads campaign that more effectively utilized their budget on relevant keywords that would meet their online marketing goals.
If you need some expert advice for your Google Ads campaign, our team will be happy to talk. Here at JXT group, we pride ourselves on being one of just a few recognized Google Premier Partners – which means we have the up-to-date knowledge to help your business make the most of all the latest developments for Google Ads.
If you’d like to find out more, just give us a call at 718-690-7302 or get in touch via our online contact form.
The post What Your Business Needs to Know About New Google Ads Auto-Applied Recommendations appeared first on JXT Group.
