In this article, Automated Targeting Google Ads, we will discuss what this is, what it does to your campaigns, how does it work, and in what way is your targeting affected with this automated setup.
Watch the video version of this article below:
If this is your first time learning about Google Ads automatic targeting, don’t worry. You are not alone.
I often feel like Google hides these automated features that are enabled during campaign setups so that it’s like finding a button on the cockpit above.
Not only is this frustrating, but this feature can also be expensive and compromise the quality of your conversions (if you get any).
I’m going to walk you through how to avoid this feature when setting up a new campaign as well as how to double check the settings on your display campaign to ensure this automated targeting feature is disabled.
First things first, let’s define what is automated targeting in Google Ads.
What is automated targeting in Google Ads
Automated targeting is one of the most efficient ways to get great performance from Google Display ads. This setting expands your targeting reach automatically.
And with the automatic targeting feature (previously Targeting Optimization), it lets Google find you more high-value traffic to help you drive more conversions efficiently.
Automatic targeting offers better forecasting and control, making it easier for you to predict performance.
This feature is set-up by default within your Google Ads campaign manager.
While the automatic feature is good for maximizing the reach of your audience, it does not work well for every campaign since the audience reach is not well defined to your target audience.
Simply put, the number of reach does not equate to the number of conversions. You may have noticed this is the case when you head to your Audiences tab to check for the ad group in question.
The ad groups that are set to automated targeting will likely have lower or zero conversions. You may be spending hundreds and thousands of ad costs with little or no conversions simply because this kind of targeting DOES NOT WORK well for your campaigns.
Why? Because your ads have specific target audience, those who have brand awareness, those who have specific needs that match your products and services. Those are your audiences and you do not need to have a wider reach for audiences that are not interested in your ads at all.
With that said, the next question now is how do I disable this automated targeting setting in Google Ads?
Disabling Automatic Targeting in a New Display Campaign
I will walk you through on how you can disable the automated targeting settings when creating a regular display campaign.
For remarketing campaigns, use the same steps as well, adjust the settings as needed, and until you get to the ad group settings portion where you can disable/enable your automation.
- Go to Google Ads Campaign Manager> choose the campaign you want to turn off your automated targeting.
- Go to Demographics and then click the dropdown arrow to check the targeting settings.
- Tick the option: “No automated targeting”.
- Click Save.
Conclusion
The automated targeting setting in Google Ads is not a bad idea when it comes to increasing conversions. I am sure that for someone, somewhere, this setting has helped in a very good way and it benefits them. However, for our clients, this is not something that we’ll consider.
