How to Set up Smart Bidding in Google Ads

Smart Bidding in Google Ads uses machine learning to optimize the process of bidding for ad space with Google’s network partners. Using the information you provide about your goals, budget, and business objectives, Google Ads will use smart bid strategies to help drive higher conversion. In this tutorial, you’ll learn three methods to enable Smart Bidding in Google Ads. 

How to set up Smart Bidding in Google Ads

You have three choices for how to set up Smart Bidding in Google Ads. You can either: 

1. Add Smart Bidding as your bidding strategy when you create a new search campaign.

2. Edit an existing campaign to use a smart bid strategy

3. Select a bidding strategy for multiple campaigns at the same time. 

Let’s take a closer look at each of these choices. 

1. Add Smart Bidding while creating a new search campaign. 

To create a new campaign, start on the homepage of your Google Ads account. Click the Campaigns icon, followed by the Campaigns dropdown menu, then click Campaigns for a third time. Click the Plus icon and select New Campaign. 

a. Select the objective of your campaign of sales, leads, website traffic, or a campaign without a goal's guidance. 

b. In the campaign type window, choose Search. 

c. Tick any boxes in the Select the results you want to get from this campaign that are most applicable to your business. Enter a name for your campaign as well, and press Continue.

d. In the next screen, click Budget on the left and enter your daily average budget. 

e. For your Bidding strategy, select either Conversions or Conversions value. Maximizing conversions will help you increase profit while maximizing conversion value will help you increase sales and find leads. Enter your Campaign settings and your preferences for Keywords and ads, where you can add a schedule for your ads to appear and include an ad rotation that fits your needs. Review your campaign, and then click on Publish campaign when you’re ready.

2. Edit an existing campaign to use a smart bid strategy. 

If you want to change your bidding strategy for an existing campaign, click the Campaigns icon, followed by the Campaigns dropdown menu, then select Campaigns for the third time. Click the checkboxes next to each campaign you would like to include in your changes. 

a. Next, click Edit > Change bid strategy. Choose between Use existing portfolio bid strategy and Create new portfolio bid strategy. If you’re creating a new strategy, you’ll need to enter the settings. For an existing strategy, you’ll have the option to choose from a list. 

b. Click Apply to finish setting up a smart bid strategy for your existing campaigns. 

3. Select a bidding strategy for multiple campaigns.

You can use the last option to add a smart bidding strategy to multiple campaigns at once, you also have another option to change more than one campaign’s bid strategy at once. From your Google Ads homepage, click the Tools icon and select Bid strategies.

a. Click the Plus icon and choose which bidding strategy you plan to add. 

b. Enter a name for your strategy and select which campaigns you’d like to include. You’ll need to adjust any specific settings in the next step. When you’re ready, click Save. You can return to this menu to add or edit campaign bidding strategies in this menu. 

Learn more about Google Ads

If you’re ready to take the next step and learn more about a career as a marketing coordinator or e-commerce associate, consider earning your Google Digital Marketing & E-commerce Professional Certificate on Coursera. This series of seven courses is perfect for a beginner and will help you learn skills in email marketing, search engine optimization, Google Ads, and more. Upon completion, gain a shareable Professional Certificate to include in your resume, CV, or LinkedIn profile.