In our Optimization Edge series we focus on performance optimization of programmatic advertising campaigns. Performance generally means driving more sales, leads or results in some form.
In this article we explore how advertisers can use insights from their Google Ads search campaigns as signals to inform the settings of their programmatic campaigns. Since Google Ads campaigns can be late-funnel and catch buyer intent signals, these can be useful to better target programmatic display, video and out-of-home campaigns with similar parameters.
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How smart bidding signals can inform targeting in programmatic campaigns
Google Ads and campaigns using tools such as Performance Max often focus on late funnel customers with buyer intent and can have a high degree of conversions. As such, the campaign insights from these campaigns can provide interesting signals that can be useful to target campaigns also in programmatic channels. With information such as which geographic areas or times of day are better performing, similar settings can be deployed across programmatic campaigns to improve performance. The programmatic campaigns do not have to run in Google platforms. You can simply use insights from the smart bidding signals to make settings in any platform you use for your programmatic campaigns.
This way, search campaigns can fuel data into programmatic campaigns. If you are running campaigns using Google Ads, you have access to this data and can apply it to your programmatic campaigns in other platforms.
The dynamics of search campaigns in Google Ads are quite different from the dynamics of for example a programmatic banner campaign. Therefore the signals can provide different value in the optimization process of your programmatic campaigns. Simply put, they provide a different "view" on the optimization from an (often) keyword driven, late funnel perspective.
Where to find smart bidding signals
Bid strategy reports can be found using the steps described on this link: https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/7074568?hl=en&ref_topic=6294205&sjid=3975267608713313156-EU
For example, at campaign level you can find the reports this way (quoted from the link above):
In your Google Ads account, click the Campaigns icon .
Click the Campaigns drop down in the section menu.
Click Campaigns, then navigate to Campaigns table.
Add the "Bid strategy type" column, if it doesn’t exist already.
Find the relevant campaign, hover over highlighted bid strategy type (for example, Maximize conversion value (tROAS) or Maximize conversion value).
Click to view bid strategy report for that campaign.
What smart bidding signals look like
Once you find your bid strategy report, you will see something similar to this under signals:
Here under Top signals you will find signals used by smart bidding in Google Ads to optimize your bidding:
So here we can see that certain geographic locations (in this example, Stockholm) and certain days of the week (in this case weekends) seem to perform better. At the same time certain locations (Gothenburg in this case) seem to perform less well.
Top smart bidding signals are also easily available in the Google Ads mobile app:
How to deploy these insights to your programmatic campaigns
To test the performance of these signals on your programmatic campaigns, simply create a new line item or bidding agent that targets the top positive signals. For example the same geographic location, days of week and times of day.
Then keep track of how the top signals change in Google Ads, so you can update and test new optimization strategies in your programmatic campaigns.
Interested in explore working with us? We provide programmatic advertising through banner, video, CTV and Digital Out-of-Home as a managed service for customers in multiple countries. Contact us today to find out more and start up a partnership.