AdWords Bid Adjustments: Finding the Optimal Settings

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

Google AdWords provides you with the opportunity to show users your products when they search for specific keywords (Search Network) or when they are simply browsing the internet (Display Network).

In the Display Network, you can automatically optimize your campaigns with the help of 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 display your ads more frequently or better position them when there is a high probability of purchase. Various bid adjustments are available to achieve this.

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

This article explains how you can optimally use bid adjustments in the Search Network.

The Different Types of Bid Adjustments in the Search Network

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

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 device and adjust your bid accordingly.

If you do not wish to run ads on mobile devices, reduce your bid for mobile devices to 100%. Especially if your website is not mobile-optimized, this is recommended.

Bid Adjustment for Different Locations

At the campaign level, you can adjust your bid for a particular country, state, or city under “Settings” and “Locations.”

If you have defined only one location as your 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 will find statistics for states, cities, ZIP codes, or districts under “Location Reports.” Add the locations for which you would like to adjust your bid as targets and reduce or increase your bid.

Fig. 2: Bid adjustment for locations

Bid Adjustment for Your Ad Scheduling

At the campaign level, you can adjust your bid for specific days or times under “Settings” and “Ad Scheduler.” If your customers are mainly businesses (B2B), you can reduce your bid for weekends as shown in the following example. Conversely, you can increase your bid on Mondays if you have found that users convert better on 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 reach out to users who have already visited your page again. You can create several lists depending on the interaction users had with the page. Find more information about remarketing lists here. For example, increase your bid by 20% for users who have already visited your page and by 35% for cart abandoners (users who placed a product in the shopping cart but have not purchased yet), as the likelihood of these users buying is even higher.

Fig. 4: Bid adjustments for remarketing lists

Example of a Calculation

Bid adjustments can be combined. For instance, you can increase your bid by 20% when a user searches for your products in Bavaria and reduce it by 50% if the search query occurs on a Saturday. Here is 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 help you.