Introduction to the 11 Google Ads strategies for 2024
Google Ads bidding strategies are at the heart of any successful advertising campaign. Google offers a variety of options, but choosing the wrong strategy can damage your results. Understanding these strategies will help you maximize the ROI of your campaigns. Using a agency specialized in SEA can also prove strategic in optimizing your bids. These agencies have advanced tools for fine-tuning your campaigns, constantly adjusting parameters according to the data collected, and offer invaluable time savings. By choosing best SEA agencyYou'll benefit from industry experience to maximize your results while minimizing errors.
Google Ads bidding strategies
Strategy 1: Maximizing clicks
The aim of this strategy is to get as many clicks as possible within the daily budget you've set.
Example of use: A bicycle rental site in Paris wants to test a new landing page. Using this strategy, it can quickly generate traffic to evaluate the page's performance.
Advantages :
- Ideal for rapidly increasing traffic.
- Easy to set up, with a short learning curve.
Disadvantages :
- Clicks are not always qualified.
- Risk of spending on irrelevant visits.
Strategy 2: Target CPA (cost per target acquisition)
With this strategy, Google adjusts bids to achieve a defined cost per acquisition.
Example of use: A cleaning services company wants to generate leads for a maximum of €10. They set up a campaign with a target CPA of €10 and let the algorithm work to reach this target.
Advantages :
- Ideal for conversion-driven campaigns.
- Time-saving automation.
Disadvantages :
- Requires accurate tracking of conversions.
- Not suitable for very small budgets.
Strategy 3: Target impression rate
This strategy aims to maximize visibility by ensuring that your ads appear in specific locations, such as at the top of the page.
Example of use: An event organizer wants his ads to appear systematically in first position for searches related to local festivals.
Advantages :
- Ensures high visibility for strategic keywords.
Disadvantages :
- Can be costly in highly competitive sectors.
- A suitable budget is required.
Strategy 4: Maximize conversions
Google adjusts bids to generate as many conversions as possible within your budget.
Example of use: A fitness club has a special offer and wants to maximize online registrations. This strategy helps get as many conversions as possible.
Advantages :
- Ideal for high-volume conversions.
- Use AI to automatically optimize bids.
Disadvantages :
- Not suitable if conversion tracking is not configured.
- Less efficient without historical data.
Strategy 5: Visible CPM (cost per 1,000 visible impressions)
With visible CPM, you only pay for visible impressions.
Example of use: A cosmetics company uses this strategy to increase awareness of a new product on the Display network.
Advantages :
- Effective for brand awareness.
- There is no charge for non-visible prints.
Disadvantages :
- Not very effective in generating direct conversions.
- Ads may appear on irrelevant sites.
Strategy 6: Target ROAS
Target ROAS maximizes the value of conversions in relation to the return on advertising investment.
Example of use: An online furniture site wants to earn €8 in revenue for every euro spent. It configures a target ROAS strategy of 800 %.
Advantages :
- Ideal for e-tailers.
- Focus on high-value conversions.
Disadvantages :
- Requires solid data on previous conversions.
- A target that is too high can reduce ad distribution.
Strategy 7: Optimized CPC (eCPC)
The eCPC combines manual and automated bidding to adjust your bids according to the probability of conversion.
Example of use: An e-learning company uses eCPC to automatically adjust bids according to user trends.
Advantages :
- Offers partial control over auctions.
- Optimize conversions at a reasonable cost.
Disadvantages :
- Can lead to high bids if poorly supervised.
Strategy 8: Manual auctions
This strategy offers total control over bids for each keyword or ad group.
Example of use: A small online clothing store manually adjusts auctions to promote its high-end collection.
Advantages :
- Total control.
- Ideal for simple campaigns.
Disadvantages :
- Time-consuming management for large campaigns.
- Risk of human error.
Strategy 9: Maximize conversion value
This strategy targets high-value conversions without focusing on volume.
Example of use: A SaaS software company uses this strategy to attract customers willing to pay for a premium subscription.
Advantages :
- Promotes quality conversions.
Disadvantages :
- Requires monitoring of conversion values.
Strategy 10: Target CPM (cost per 1,000 target impressions)
Specially designed for the Display Network and YouTube, this strategy sets an average cost per 1,000 impressions.
Example of use: A film studio uses Target CPM to promote a new trailer.
Advantages :
- Ideal for maximizing reach.
Disadvantages :
- Does not guarantee meaningful interaction with the audience.
Strategy 11: Cost per view (CPV)
Designed for video campaigns, this strategy charges for each view or interaction.
Example of use: A phone brand launches a video highlighting the innovative features of its latest model.
Advantages :
- Ideal for increasing video views.
Disadvantages :
- Views don't always translate into conversions.
How to choose your auction strategy?
To choose the most appropriate bidding strategy, clearly define your objectives:
- Conversions or conversion value : Target CPA, Target ROAS, Maximize conversions.
- Traffic : Maximize clicks, manual bidding.
- Visibility : Target impression rate, visible CPM.
- Video engagement : CPV.
Google Ads bidding strategies offer possibilities to suit every objective. Precise configuration and regular monitoring will guarantee optimal performance. Plan your campaigns carefully to make the most of these options.
To take things a step further, consider these additional points when choosing your strategy:
- Data history and volume Smart strategies like Target CPA or Target ROAS work best if your account has a solid track record of conversions.
- Audience size For campaigns aimed at maximizing visibility or brand awareness, a large audience will enable you to take advantage of visible CPM or target CPM bids.
- Sales cycle If your product or service requires more time to think about, prioritize strategies that maximize clicks and impressions to feed your conversion funnel.
- Performance monitoring Set up clear dashboards and KPIs to evaluate the effectiveness of your strategy, and adjust it if necessary.
Finally, don't hesitate to test several strategies through experiments on Google Ads to determine which one best suits your specific objectives. A good bidding strategy is never static, and must adapt to the evolution of your campaigns.
If you have a project and would like a team to support you with expertise, passion and rigor, don't hesitate to Contact us. Our team is ready to work with you to define the best strategy for achieving your digital objectives.
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