Optimization Score is a new service from Google that allows you to quickly determine how effectively your advertising campaign is performing at the moment. The creators of the tool claim that if all the recommendations are followed, it is possible to increase the productivity of advertising and the number of conversions.
The value of the optimization coefficient is expressed as a percentage and shows how fully all the functionality provided by the system is used. The closer the value is to 100, the better the campaign is set up.
Important! A low indicator is a signal for a quick change in parameters. To do this, the advertiser is provided with recommendations collected individually for his account.
Each recommendation is accompanied by a numerical value indicating how much the overall optimization factor will increase when it is implemented. These values are recalculated if any recommendation is applied or ignored. Optimization score is calculated for several levels: customer center, account and single campaign.
How does Google Ads Optimization Score work?
Google calculates an Optimization Score as soon as a campaign is launched. Next, the system selects a list of recommendations.
Google Ads Optimization Score is calculated based on three criteria:
collected statistical information;
campaign status;
options set in preferences.
In addition, the system analyzes the effectiveness of previously applied recommendations.
The creators of the service do not disclose the details and principle of operation of the algorithm. From open information, it is only known that the recalculation of the indicator is carried out in real time.
Information! It is possible that you have followed all the recommendations, but the coefficient has decreased, for example, by 15%, because external factors have changed.
What recommendations does the Google Optimization Score suggest?
Let’s consider the most popular optimization recommendations offered by the system:
Seller Rating
This powerful extension increases the visibility of your ad and allows you to show your audience the actual level of the store’s performance. You can enable the extension using the “Program customer reviews” section of the “Program management” block in the Merchant Center.
Please remember that the system will only allow you to configure any settings after agreeing to Google’s policies.
Important! The presence of a seller rating in an ad increases the overall click-through rate by 8-10%.
The principle of the tool is simple. After placing an order, the buyer is asked to answer a few questions. If he agrees to take the survey, a letter is sent in the mail – the client has the opportunity to leave a review and evaluate the work of the store on a five-point scale. Based on practice, reviews are left less often than they agree to take a survey. This is quite natural!
If the rating is low (3.5 or less), the extension will not appear in the ad. Also, it will not be in advertising until the number of reviews reaches 100 pieces.
Additional links
This extension allows a potential buyer to quickly navigate the categories of goods. This tool belongs to the basic ones, but does not work for one-page sites.
For the example campaign, using site links will increase Google’s SEO score by 5.4%.
Advice! Add only really useful links that shorten the buyer’s path to the deal.
Using smart campaigns
Smart campaigns involve complex automation. It affects both targeting and ad creation. It takes a certain amount of courage to use such a strategy. After all, here all processes are under the control of the system, and the principle of operation of the algorithms is not at all obvious.
Advice! Use Smart Campaigns only if you already have experience with manual setup and an understanding of what campaign can be considered effective.
It will be possible to set the target cost per conversion only if there are at least 50 orders for the last month for campaigns in Display Network or at least a hundred deals through search ads.
Bid management
Using a recommendation to lower your bids, you can get more clicks without increasing your advertising budget. The advice must be followed carefully. Often the actual number of conversions is not what you expect.
Automatic bidding
Some time after the launch of the campaign, the system may offer to use one of the automatic strategies. To do this, a sufficient array of statistical data must be collected. The example shows that the Optimizer recommends using the “Maximum Conversions” strategy: increase the cost per click during working hours, and decrease it after 16:00:
Advice! You can check the feasibility of applying this strategy in Google Analytics by evaluating the volume of transactions concluded after 16:00.
Complete the list of keywords
This is the least effective recommendation. The system offers savings and intelligent management, but in practice it picks up requests that blow the entire budget in just a few hours. Only manual selection of keywords from the proposed list and redistribution of them into groups can improve the effectiveness of the campaign.
Advantages and disadvantages of the advertising campaign optimization indicator
The advertising campaign optimization indicator has both its advantages and disadvantages. Let’s dwell on them in more detail.
Tool Benefits:
Helps to check for errors. The system shows underperforming keywords and incompatible phrases in multiple ad groups.
Serves as a reminder that you have not used all the features of the service.
Brings you closer to automated optimization – managing bids and financial limits automatically.
Disadvantages of the service:
Suggested key phrases are often ineffective or not at all relevant to a particular topic.
Some guidelines are not consistent with Google Analytics data (user devices, ad timings).
Like any other tool, the optimization score is not perfect. However, it should be used. It is very useful for beginner advertisers.
Do I need to apply all campaign optimization recommendations?
You can maximize your Campaign Optimization Score by using Google’s recommendations. But it is not necessary to apply all of them.
There are a number of circumstances that influence the decision to use a particular recommendation. For example, the system always offers to set bids automatically, even if the campaign is active for a very short time. The calculation also does not take into account the number of conversions and their cost. The use of such a strategy, like some others, is not always justified.
Advice! You don’t need to follow Google’s recommendations just to increase your optimization rate. You need to choose those offers that are easy to implement and consistent with your marketing goals.
The most easy to implement and effective recommendations for any account: fix keyword incompatibilities, add new audiences, work with ad extensions, and optimize campaign settings.
Information! If a recommendation doesn’t fit your needs, close it. This will increase your overall campaign optimization ratio.
The use of the service discussed in this article, as well as the recommendations provided within its functionality, can positively affect the effectiveness of advertising campaigns. But you should not use the tool blindly.
Each recommendation must be evaluated against the marketing objectives. Also, keep in mind that an optimization ratio of 100% does not mean that your campaigns are performing at their best.
