Google Ads can be a very helpful and efficient way to get new business when handled properly. It is an immediate way to get out in front of people that are actively searching for what you offer. In many ways Google presents a very simplified version of their Google Ads tool that can get you new business. In most cases, you will need to keep an eye on things and understand what the different settings are to get the most out of your Google Ads experience.

I have written in the past about harnessing Google Ads AI to help your own campaigns, but not to just follow them blindly. Google doesn’t know what is important to your business so it is important to measure the right things and keep an eye on how things run. Once you start using Google Ads you open up your email to lots of updates, suggestions, and warnings from Google.  An even scarier thing that has come about is Google automatically making changes to your Google Ads campaigns.

Automated Changes to Your Google Ads Campaigns

You read that right. Google can automatically make adjustments to your Ads campaigns. Sometimes this is helpful, but AI isn’t perfect and sometimes it can cause a huge mess.  You need to be quite vigilant and stay on top of what they are doing to your accounts. Only you know what is best for your business and they can make some pretty monumental errors. For example, the below email came through to an advertiser recently. Fortunately, he read it. They send so many pointless emails trying to get you to make adjustments that you can grow numb and stop looking.

Automatically Attaching A Different Business to Your Ad Campaign

This email said that they found a new business location that they are going to automatically add to their ad campaign unless they go in and opt-out. That means they will attach this business location to their ads and show it as part of their business. Guess what? This location was not associated with this business and would have driven traffic that this advertiser paid for to a different business automatically if the advertiser didn’t catch it. That’s pretty scary. If they are doing this, what else are they doing?

Google Ads Automated Location Extension

Always keep an eye on what Google is doing.  I would lean toward not trusting their changes and opting out. AI can be helpful and it can make good suggestions, but always do it with a sheepherder mentality.  You need to keep track of it and add the sanity check to whatever way Google is trying to adjust your ad spend. Remember they are suggesting ways for you to give them money.  If you aren’t sure what to do, call someone with experience to help you out. The little you pay for good help is often made up in ad spend efficiencies.