Introduction
For over a decade, there have been approximately 15% unique searches on Google every day. People use Google to get answers to their questions. Every unique search query is a chance for businesses to be visible and meet customer needs through search ads. In practice, this means that Google Ads enables advertisers to answer customers' search queries with the right answer, thereby creating value for both the user and the company in real time.
Traditionally, marketers have gone to great lengths to increase the effectiveness of search ads by fine-tuning campaign structures, such as matching specific keywords to individual search queries or tailoring each ad copy in minute detail. A highly fragmented approach was long the accepted method for achieving top-performing results.
But thanks to innovations in Google's AI has given marketers brand new tools to reach relevant customers and increase their revenue. It has also affected how we optimize our campaigns. Just as automated bidding is now the default over manual bidding, excessive targeting segmentation is quickly eroding campaign optimization. Also, don’t forget that you’re not competing against AI – you’re competing against other marketers who are also using it. This article explores how you can better leverage AI to maximize the value of your search campaigns.
AI requires a strategic shift
While hyper-segmentation of campaigns used to be considered best practice, today it can actually hurt the performance of machine learning advertising. The reason for this is that increased online privacy is making measuring engagement more difficult than ever. Read more about this in our article Tracking & Privacy.
Excessive fragmentation makes it difficult for AI to learn and optimize. AI works best when you specify your goal clearly or give it free rein by thinking freely and taking into account more parameters that a human often forgets. If you are already working with AI solutions – or plan to do so – it is especially important to understand how this affects your search advertising strategy.
Improve data quality
First of all, you should know that AI interprets information in a way similar to how humans do. Imagine having to analyze seven different documents to understand the whole. It is much harder to find the most important conclusions when the information is fragmented than if you had a single, well-organized document with clear sections. The same goes for AI – unnecessary divisions can make it difficult for the algorithms to achieve the best possible results.
A good rule of thumb is: Can you quickly understand, optimize, and extract insights from the structure yourself? If the answer is yes, there's a good chance that AI can handle it effectively too. I recommend structuring campaigns and ad groups around what's most important to you by segmenting into themes.
In practical terms, simplifying the account structure requires two components: data and clear ad group themesData serves as the fuel for AI, and the algorithms in Google Ads performs better when your goals, values, and conversions are clearly defined. If you want AI to optimize for the goals that matter most to you, it’s important to show what actions you value and what goals you have.
Setting themes is crucial because it gives the AI additional breadth and context about what you prioritize. By grouping keywords by similar themes, Google Ads can more quickly understand exactly which ad is best suited for each search. So structure your campaigns and ad groups to gather together what you care about most, with keywords that are related both to each other and to the ad you want to show. For example, if you sell roses, it might be wiser to group “red roses,” “12-pack roses,” and “pink roses” into the same ad group, rather than splitting them into separate ones.
Efficiency
Another benefit of fewer campaigns and clearer themes is that they are easier to manage, both manually and for AI. Instead of one person keeping track of multiple goals, keywords, and audiences across multiple campaigns, the work becomes more manageable and the likelihood of mistakes is reduced. At the same time, it frees up time for your team to devote to more strategic tasks, such as refining the company’s long-term vision.
Plus, you can set up and run new campaigns faster without having to start from scratch every time. When the core structure is already simplified and cohesive, you avoid time-consuming fragmentation and can focus on continuous improvements instead.
Optimize
With clear themes in your ad groups, it becomes easier to see patterns in how your campaigns are performing in the areas you care about most. It's then a matter of analyzing search traffic, user behavior, and keeping track of your company's goals and search intent. To a certain extent, you can trust AI, but only if you ensure that all the data you have is of high quality and flowing in the right direction.
This topic is something I've been talking about for a long time. Adfreak's customers have used server side tracking for some time now. Where data collection methods are world-class. Do you want help tracking your website or using other data in smart ways? Then don't hesitate to contact us.
