Automated Recommendations in Google Ads: How to Manage Them and Save Your Budget

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They can offer valuable insights, but they shouldn’t be allowed to dictate campaign management. Here’s how we optimise automated recommendations to maximise performance and minimise wasted spend…

If you’ve ever used Google Ads, you’ve probably noticed Google offering a range of automated recommendations. These suggestions might sound like a good way to improve campaign performance, but many find they are a mixed bag – some useful, others not so much. Worse, unless you’re careful some of these suggestions can end up wasting your budget on things you don’t need or want.

At Pixal, we understand that when it comes to PPC you can’t afford to waste a penny. That’s why we’re here to help our clients navigate Google’s automated recommendations and make sure you’re using them in a way that works for you, not against you.

In this blog post, we’ll cover how automated recommendations in Google Ads work, the potential downsides, and how you can manage them effectively to avoid wasting your budget.



What are Automated Recommendations?
Google Ads’ automated recommendations are suggestions made by Google’s AI to help improve the performance of your campaigns. They cover a range of areas, such as:

  • Budget adjustments
  • Bidding strategy changes
  • Keyword additions
  • New ad extensions
  • Targeting and audience recommendations

The idea is that Google’s AI uses data from millions of campaigns to spot opportunities that might improve your performance. While this sounds great in theory, it’s not always as straightforward as it seems

 

Potential Pitfalls of Automated Recommendations

 

  1. They don’t always align with your goals
    One of the biggest issues with automated recommendations is that Google’s suggestions aren’t always tailored to your specific business objectives. While Google may suggest a new audience or keyword, it doesn’t necessarily mean that those recommendations will help you achieve your specific KPIs – whether that’s increasing sales, generating leads, or lowering cost per acquisition (CPA).

    For example, Google might recommend that you increase your budget to get more clicks, but if your goal is to maintain a tight ROI, this could lead to unnecessary spending without achieving the results you want. So take these recommendations with a pinch of salt: Ultimately you know your business better than any automated system. 

 

  1. Risk of wasted spend on irrelevant suggestions
    Automated recommendations sometimes push you towards changes that don’t match your business’s needs. For instance, you might get recommendations for adding broad match keywords or using a different bidding strategy that might be too aggressive for your goals.

Without proper oversight, these suggestions could result in your ads being shown to a wider or less relevant audience, leading to unqualified clicks and wasted spend.

 

  1. Unnecessary changes to campaign structure
    Sometimes, Google will recommend changes that impact the structure of your campaigns. For example, Google might suggest consolidating ad groups or adjusting your ad targeting. While these changes may be intended to simplify things, they can disrupt the effectiveness of campaigns you’ve carefully built over time.

 

These changes can also interfere with ad testing and optimisation efforts, ultimately confusing the data and reducing your ability to draw actionable insights.

 

How to Manage Automated Recommendations and Protect Your Budget
While some automated recommendations can be helpful, it’s important to be cautious and stay in control. Here’s how you can manage them effectively and avoid wasting money:

 

  1. Review recommendations before acting
    Google may present automated suggestions directly in your Google Ads account, but it’s important to review them carefully before implementing them. Not every recommendation is right for your campaign, if (like you or your agency) you know the full detail and context, and some may even go against your advertising strategy.

 

Managing Google Ads effectively requires more than just clicking ‘accept’ on automated recommendations. We’ll always review these recommendations, apply our industry knowledge, and make adjustments that truly align with your goals.

We can help you sift through the noise and make data-driven decisions to improve performance while keeping your spend under control.

 

  1. Set up alerts to monitor changes
    One way to keep automated recommendations in check is to set up alerts within Google Ads. You can use these alerts to track when Google suggests changes, so you can quickly review them and make informed decisions about whether they’re a good fit.

 

This way, you won’t be surprised by sudden changes that could impact your budget or performance.

 

  1. Customise Your Google Ads Settings
    Google Ads allows you to customise the types of automated recommendations you receive. You can opt out of certain recommendations (eg changes to bidding strategies or budget increases) or adjust the frequency of notifications.

 

By customising your settings, you can prevent Google from making changes that don’t align with your goals, while still receiving useful suggestions when appropriate.

 

  1. Test Recommendations Before Committing
    If you do decide to implement a recommendation, we always test first. This can involve creating a new campaign or ad group to trial a new bid strategy or audience, for example, without affecting your main campaigns.

    Testing ensures that you can see the impact of a recommendation without committing a large portion of your budget upfront.

 

How we support our clients
Google’s automated recommendations can be a helpful tool – but only if you know how to use them. Without proper management, they can lead to unwanted changes and wasted spend. By partnering with an experienced Google Ads agency like Pixal, you gain:

  • Expert oversight: Our team ongoingly evaluate whether Google’s recommendations are genuinely aligned with your goals.
  • Strategic guidance: We help you prioritise the right suggestions that will move the needle, not just spend your budget.
  • Ongoing optimisation: We continuously monitor your campaigns to make sure they’re running as efficiently as possible.

Talk to us
Automated recommendations can offer valuable insights, but they shouldn’t take the reins when it comes to managing your ad campaigns. 

At Pixal, we can help you manage your Google Ads in a way that ensures every penny is spent wisely, so you can achieve the best possible results without unnecessary waste. Contact us today.