In late January 2019, Google announced a new program that will offer complimentary campaign support to select Google Ads accounts from Google’s Ad experts. The new program, announced via direct emails sent to Google Ads accounts, will automatically go into effect – unless advertisers actively decline the automation by opting out through their account settings within 7 days of receiving the email.
Not sure if you got Google’s email? It’s crucial to find the notification email and opt out (see details below). While accounts can opt out of the program at any point, advertisers will automatically be added to program seven days after receiving the email.
How Does Complimentary Campaign Support Work?
According to Google’s email, the complimentary campaign support will help advertisers identify “key changes that can help you get more out of your ads.” Although Google stated they will not touch campaign budgets, other “key changes” could include:
- Restructuring your ad groups
- Modifying your keywords
- Adjusting bids
- Updating ad text
As far as actual management is concerned, Google shared that they are bringing in Google Ad experts to manage campaigns behind the scenes. Without further information, many assume the changes made by these Google employees will be influenced by the Google recommendation engine. Google also has yet to share explicit details surrounding the professional backgrounds of their experts, essentially leaving many who miss the email at the mercy of Google’s most recent employees.
Negative Impacts Of Google’s Complimentary Campaign Support
There are several negative impacts that Google’s program could have on advertisers:
- Budget / bid implications: Although Google said they would not touch budgets, their changes can still impact an advertiser’s daily spend. For example, if advertisers have a high campaign budget set but haven’t been hitting the full budget cap, changes in keywords and quality scores that increase search volume will cause them to start spending the full budget.
- Poor campaign performance: Google stated that if the recommendations / changes have a negative impact on results, they may offer refunds to advertisers. Of course, as a pilot program, there is no way to know what the course of action will be for those who complain of negative results or unwanted meddling into their campaign management.
- Brand safety implications: Although changes to ad text may have a positive impact on quality score and click-through rates, these changes may cause issues with clients with strict brand standards.
How To Opt Out Of Google’s Complimentary Campaign Support
Advertisers can opt out of Google’s ongoing optimization service within 7 days of receiving the initial email from Google about the new program. To find the email, search for either of these email subject lines:
- “Activate your customized campaign optimization”
- “Your customized campaign optimization”
For all accounts Nina Hale is managing, we will closely monitor the account change history to ensure no changes are made.
Have additional questions? Please don’t hesitate to reach out to your account manager and/or email the agency directly at info@collectivemeasures.com.
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