AdWords Bid Adjustments: Finding the Optimal Settings

Online retailers want to address users with suitable offers at the right moment. However, due to increasing competition on the internet, this is becoming more difficult.

Google AdWords gives you the ability to showcase your products to users when they search for certain keywords (Search Network) or when they simply surf the internet (Display Network).

In the Display Network, you can automatically optimize your campaigns using Google's bidding strategies (Target ROAS - Return on Ad Spend and Target CPA - Cost per Action). Google analyzes user behavior in this case and adjusts the bid accordingly.

In the Search Network, there is also the possibility to show your ads more frequently or place them even better if there is a high likelihood of purchase. Various bid adjustments are available for this.

With the help of these adjustments, you can, for example, increase your bid depending on where, with which device, and at what time your products are being searched for.

In this article, you will learn how to optimally use bid adjustments in the Search Network.

The Different Types of Bid Adjustments in the Search Network

With bid adjustments, you can more precisely control when and where your ads are displayed. Various adjustments are available, which we will introduce to you now:

Bid Adjustment for Different Devices

At the campaign or ad group level, you can adjust your bid for different device types (computers, tablets, mobile devices) under "Settings" and "Devices".

Fig. 1: Bid adjustments for different devices

Afterward, you can analyze the performance by devices and adjust your bid accordingly.

If you do not wish to advertise on mobile devices, reduce your bid for mobile devices by 100%. This is especially recommended if your website is not optimized for mobile.

Bid Adjustment for Different Locations

At the campaign level, you can adjust your bid for, among other things, a specific country, state, or city under "Settings" and "Locations".

If you have defined only one location as the target region, you can get more detailed information about this location under "Location Reports". For example, if you have selected Germany as the target region, you can find statistics from the states, cities, postal codes, or neighborhoods under "Location Reports". Add the locations you want to adjust your bid for as targets and reduce or increase your bid.

Fig. 2: Bid adjustment for locations

Bid Adjustment for Your Ad Schedule

At the campaign level, you can adjust your bid for certain days or times under "Settings" and "Ad Scheduler". If your customers are primarily companies (B2B), you can reduce your bid for the weekend like in the following example. Conversely, you can increase your bid on Mondays if you have found that users convert better that day.

Fig. 3: Bid adjustment for ad scheduling

Bid Adjustments for Different Remarketing Lists

At the campaign or ad group level, you can adjust your bid for different remarketing lists under audiences.

With the help of remarketing lists, you can re-engage users who have already visited your site. You can create multiple lists depending on what interaction the users had with the site. Find more information about remarketing lists here. For example, increase your bid by 20% for users who have already visited your site and by 35% for cart abandoners (users who have added a product to the cart but have not yet purchased), as the likelihood of them buying is even higher.

Fig. 4: Bid adjustments for remarketing lists

Example of a Calculation

Bid adjustments can be combined. For example, you can increase your bid by 20% if a user searches for your products in Bavaria and decrease it by 50% if the search takes place on a Saturday. Here you find the calculation with a maximum CPC bid of 1 EUR:

Fig. 5: Example of a calculation

What Can We Do for You?

If you need assistance with using bid adjustments, contact internetwarriors GmbH. Our certified AdWords specialists will be happy to assist you.