Google Ads To Roll Out Auto-Applied Recommendations

On April 14, 2021, Google announced the official launch of auto-applied Google Ads recommendations. This opt-in feature allows advertisers to choose from over 17 recommendations to apply automatically within the Google Ads setting. Google began testing the Auto-Applied Recommendations feature in January 2019 and November 2020; this test caught some advertisers off guard. After gaining feedback from marketers, the company made this change – that analyzing and implementing changes to their Ads profile can be time-consuming.

Auto-Applied Google Ads Recommendations

As the tech giant has been looking at ways for businesses to move faster, the company took automation one step further and rolled out auto-applied Google Ads recommendations. This opt-in feature allows marketers to automatically apply a certain subset of recommendations to their accounts, improving their account performance and saving time. Every time Google’s algorithms detect an opportunity to improve a campaign, this helps brands implement these recommendations instantly, enabling them to be fast and helpful for their consumers. 

As per Google’s case study, a Netherlands-based agency Dept has been automatically applying recommendations across its client portfolio, and guess what happened? It worked. Yes, the agency has saved 20% of the time it previously spent on repetitive tasks while increasing Google ads optimization scores by 18 points on average. Also, the agency witnessed a positive impact on their clients’ performance —in conversion volume and conversion rate.

The potential benefits of auto-applied Google Ads recommendations are:

• It helps save time in creating variations of your existing ads.
• It provides free optimization of ad copy.

Though Google said this feature could improve a user’s account performance and save time, many agencies are less likely to recommend that their clients do not opt-in. Some of the recommendations may not improve account performance. Google also notes that as the auto-applying recommendations will not increase your budget, users must continue to review the Recommendations page to ensure that their budget is not limiting their performance.

How will you be notified of new ad suggestions?

Whenever new Ad suggestions are set to auto-apply, Google will inform you in various ways. This includes:

• Sends an email with a link to review Ad suggestions
• An alert will pop up near the Notification icon in your Google Ads account, letting you know that Ad suggestions will soon auto-apply.
• The Recommendations page will show you when the Ad suggestions will auto-apply and invite you to apply, edit, or dismiss them.

Generally, Ad suggestions can be controlled through the Recommendations page, where you can choose to apply, edit, or dismiss them. When you apply any Ad suggestions, it will surface on the Ads & extensions page exactly like regular ads with the label “Auto-applied ad suggestion”. Ad suggestions are limited to not more than 50 suggested ads per week for each account. It is also possible that any account, despite language, can opt-out of auto-applied ad suggestions.

Ad suggestions marked as auto-apply will start serving after 14 days they were created and will appear with the tag “Auto-applied ad suggestion.” You will be able to control ad suggestion settings through your account settings. However, even if you dismiss ad suggestions, you will still receive future ad suggestions.

How to implement Google Ads suggestions?

All you have to try and do is click Auto-apply on the top right-hand corner of the Recommendations page to begin the auto-application of recommendations.

Google will display all the changes in the “History” tab so that you will be able to know when and how many times these recommendations have been applied:

Even though Auto-applied recommendations might save people time, budgets will not change with this feature, and therefore, it might not always be the smartest way to spend your ad money. But then be just on top of it and ensure that the recommendations being applied positively influence your ROI and campaign objectives to change the bids and bid strategies. Rather than rushing to make many new changes to your Ads suggestions, better to seek the help of any experienced Google ads agency. They would help you to be realistic about what you prioritize and think logically about the areas your account needs help in.