In today's world of automated Google Ads, products like Performance Max are powerful tools for driving conversions and meeting goals—automating everything from bidding to ad placements. Performance Max, driven by Google’s AI, can be effective, especially for certain business types. But if you’re like most marketers, you might feel these “one-size-fits-all” solutions don’t fully align with your business's unique needs. Automated recommendations are designed for quick implementation but might not deliver the desired results that set your campaigns apart from the competition.
 

So, how can you outperform Google’s automated options? Let’s explore some tested yet unconventional strategies that can help your campaigns rise above the rest, even potentially outperforming Google’s automated recommendations.

Understanding the Limits of Google’s Automation

The Convenience and Drawbacks of Automation:

Google’s Performance Max and Smart Bidding models are designed for high scalability and efficiency. They leverage vast amounts of data across industries, using it to optimize bids and placements in real time. But these models prioritize Google’s profitability, often bundling in less relevant traffic to hit objectives and allowing minimal control over targeting specifics. In essence, they work best for high-volume, broad-reach B2C companies, where high-margin, visual campaigns perform well. They’re less effective for smaller budgets or highly specialized niche businesses.
 

Why Automated Strategies Can Be Risky:

While machine learning saves time, it also requires a “learning period” that can be costly and slow. Furthermore, these systems are built for scale, and there’s limited room for creative, custom optimization. If your goal is to outperform average benchmarks, it’s crucial to understand these limits and how they could impact your goals.

Strategies Built to Outperform Google’s “Best Practices”

To outperform Google’s “best practices”, you need a secret sauce. Here are a few techniques we have found to be particularly tasty.
 

1. Embrace Unique Ad Structures:
   • SKAGs (Single Keyword Ad Groups): Google's current advice is to use broad keyword groups, but SKAGs allow you to control relevance and messaging by focusing on one keyword per ad group.
   • Multiple Overlapping Campaigns: While Google has historically discouraged running near-duplicate campaigns, overlapping campaigns allow you to change your bids, settings, or ad copy on a more granular level or artificially increase your saturation. This is an edge that’s unique to manually set structures and can outperform more default-type setups. 
2. Rethink Competitor Campaigns:
   • Incorporate Competitor Keywords Creatively: Google has recently changed the definition of their keyword types with a focus toward intention-based bidding. This means that historically unprofitable competitor terms can be replaced by more profitable keywords like “company that does x” to show ads directly against brand searches without worrying about quality score.
3. Smart Ad Copy Testing and Adaptation:
   • Constant A/B Testing: Test beyond the usual calls to action. Experiment with tone, brevity, and generality. Vague copy can sometimes outperform specifics; compare “lowest prices” versus exact discounts to see what resonates with users.
   • Landing Page Freedom: Don’t let users get “stuck” on isolated landing pages—link them to relevant areas within the website to avoid isolating them and driving up bounce rates.

Maximizing Control: Building Custom Targeting and Budget Strategies

1. Granular Geo-Targeting:
   • Customized Targeting: Instead of broadly targeting a geographic radius, leverage zip codes, city overlays, and regional patterns. This gives you insights into which areas drive results, often improving both engagement and ROI.
2. Mastering Ad Scheduling (Dayparting):
   • Split Campaign Scheduling: Test different bid strategies in the morning and afternoon to maximize competitive edge. Running an aggressive bidding strategy early in the day can deplete competitor budgets, leaving room for lower bids later.
3. Leveraging Negative Keywords and Manual Bidding:
   • Refine Your Negative Keyword Strategy: Google’s “close variant” feature can bring irrelevant matches, making negative keywords essential. Using a well-researched list will help ensure that you’re reaching the most relevant searches, optimizing ad spend.
   • Budget Testing: Try reducing budgets just below Google’s recommendation to explore optimal spending limits. Lower spending limits force Google’s algorithm to focus, potentially reducing costs and weeding out irrelevant traffic.

Final Tips and Precautions

Experimentation is key. Remember that each tactic might not work for every business. These advanced strategies have nuances that can enhance performance but require thoughtful testing. Here’s what to keep in mind:
 

• Consider Smaller Platforms Like Bing: Bing ads can provide valuable ROI, particularly in specific industries or demographics.
• Leverage Google Reps with Caution: While reps offer insights, be cautious with “required” best practices they promote, as they often benefit Google more than your campaigns.
• Test and Measure: Each unconventional strategy should be tested on campaigns with tolerance for experimentation.

Clients should aways be informed of experimental tests, especially ad copy tests, before they are run. Those wary of risk may prefer to wait until after a successful test before attempting less-orthodox methodology.

Conclusion: Outperform the Competition with Creativity

The landscape of digital advertising continues to evolve, and while Google’s Performance Max campaigns and automated bidding offer useful tools, they’re not a catch-all. Crafting a unique, manual approach that combines creativity with data insights can yield campaigns that stand out, outperforming the homogenized strategies that automation inevitably produces.
 

Start by experimenting, tracking, and refining your campaigns to see the real impact of going beyond Google’s best practices.