By Tyler Jordan
Maximize your marketing budget with effective Google Ads optimization strategies that prioritize performance and protect your brand’s interests.
The Gist
- Beware of default settings. Make sure your budget is allocated to high-performing channels like search, not Google Display Network or Search Partners.
- Question recommendations.Take Google’s rep suggestions cautiously, as they may prioritize Google’s profits over your brand’s needs.
- Optimize what you control. Use advanced strategies like optimizing for revenue and integrating CRM data to guide campaigns toward desired outcomes.
I’ve worked with Google Ads for almost 15 years. When I started working in search engine marketing, Google was a great partner that cared about helping brands succeed.
Those were the good old days.
Today, there are countless stories of reps pushing irrelevant features, formerly helpful reps being laid off in the shift to AI-based “service” and Google Ads campaigns that essentially encourage advertisers to set a budget and leave the rest to Google. Google reps are now prioritizing revenue for Google above all else, brands be damned. (If you don’t believe me, check out Sundar Pichai’s commentary on Google’s Q1 earnings call.)
Now, effective Google Ads optimization is especially crucial to make sure your budget is allocated to high-performing channels.
How to Make Your Marketing Budget Work for You, Not Google
Unless you’re marketing for a huge brand and have a dedicated rep whose main goal is to retain your business, your brand is vulnerable to all this. Here’s a list of recommendations for making sure your advertising budget is working for you — and not just Google’s bottom line.
Check Your Default Settings
Multiple brands have come to us with default settings that allocate the majority of the brand’s budget to Google Display Network and Search Partners, with nothing going to search — which is an exponentially higher-performing channel. Last month, we did an audit for a brand that had just spent many thousands of dollars on the GDN and Search Partners, with zero conversions to show for it.
Take Every Recommendation You Hear From a Rep With a Grain of Salt
Remember that their goal now is to make money for Google’s shareholders, not your brand. Even if it’s a cool-sounding beta that might offer early adoption advantages, think critically about whether it’s the right strategic move for your brand before signing up. Prioritize strategies that support your Google Ads optimization goals.
Make Sure You’re Controlling What You Can Control in Your Campaigns
Let’s say you’re an ecommerce brand that has to use PerformanceMax campaigns, and you’re telling the campaigns to optimize for conversion goals. If you leave the rest to Google, they’ll optimize for the easiest conversions, which will probably be your lowest-cost products.
By Tyler Jordan
Tyler Jordan is CEO of Jordan Digital Marketing. Tyler founded Jordan Digital Marketing (JDM) in July 2017 after extensive stints working on both sides of the agency-client relationship.
