It’s an all-too-common experience—you’re running YouTube Ads or Google Ads, minding your own business, following a strategy, getting things dialed in and scaled up (maybe using one of our strategies 😉), and out of the blue…
A Google Rep reaches out & says that they can help & they’ve got “Ideas” for you & want to hop on a call.
What should you do?
And are these Google Rep’s Ideas actually what you should pay attention to?
How do you know the difference between advice that helps Your Business or advice that helps Google’s business?
And what are some of the genuinely valuable resources Google Reps can provide (while learning to ignore the pieces that aren’t as good)?
We answer all of these burning questions in this Edition of the Marketing Minds Newsletter!
As a Reminder, Our Goal with this Newsletter is to Give You the Highest Level of Value Possible. That’s my Promise to you & I intend to Over-Deliver!
Here’s a Sneak Peek at What’s Inside This Email:
When You Should & Shouldn’t Listen to Google’s Recommendations
Why the “Maximize Conversions” bidding strategy can lead to inefficient ad spend
How Target CPA (Cost Per Acquisition) bidding can provide better ROI than Maximize Conversions if you’re doing Direct Response Marketing
The truth about Google’s Optimization Score and why chasing 100% isn’t always beneficial for your business
Practical strategies for making smarter decisions about YouTube & Google Ads, focusing on business-specific goals and ROI
Alright, let’s Dive In…
The Truth About Google’s Ad Recommendations
If you’ve ever run YouTube and/or Google Ads (and if you haven’t, what are you waiting for?), you’ve probably seen those enticing recommendations pop up in your dashboard. You know the ones:
“Increase your budget to reach more customers!” “Switch to Maximize Conversions to boost performance!” “Try our new feature to optimize your video ads!”
Or, you might have received an email like the one I referenced above from a Google Rep Who Is reaching out and saying they have ideas and recommendations for you.
And you hop on a call & are eager to implement all of their suggestions.
They sound great, right? After all, Google’s the expert here. Surely they know best?
Well, not so fast.
Here’s the thing: while Google does want your ads to perform well (after all, if you get results, you’ll keep using their platform), their recommendations aren’t always aligned with your specific business goals.
There are three main reasons Google makes these recommendations:
To increase their revenue
To test new features
To help you get better results
Notice only one of these is technically aligned with your own goals.
Reason #1: Increasing Google’s Revenue
This one’s pretty straightforward. Google is a business, and like any business, they want to increase their revenue. Many of their recommendations are designed to get you to spend more money on ads.
For example, they might suggest increasing your budget or switching to a bidding strategy that gives them more control over your spend (like Maximize Conversions).
Now, sometimes spending more can indeed lead to better results. But it’s not always the case, especially for small and medium-sized businesses with tight budgets.
Google also tends to have “one size fits all” recommendations – which often are skewed towards bigger businesses with bigger budgets.
They can’t know all the intricate details of your business — and therefore although well-intentioned their advice may not be applicable for you.
Reason #2: Testing New Features
Google is constantly innovating and rolling out new features. But they need data to refine these features and prove their effectiveness. That’s where you come in.
When Google recommends a new feature (like their video optimization tool for YouTube ads), they’re essentially asking you to be a guinea pig. They want you to test it out so they can gather more data.
Again, sometimes these new features can be beneficial. But often, they’re not yet optimized for best performance, especially for businesses in specific niches.
Many people like testing new features (we sure do!) but if you are looking to stretch every dollar the furthest – you are better off focusing on what works for you & refining your winning campaigns and scaling them.
Reason #3 To Help You Get Better Results
Now, it’s not all bad here — Google genuinely does want you to get the best results because ultimately that’s what will keep you on the platform & spending more.
We’ve had some genuinely amazing Google Reps that have gotten us access to new features, helped to support us in navigating Google & helped us with clients.
That being said, not all reps are the same & also they don’t all have the understanding of what your business needs.
And often times they aren’t as skilled at the Google Ads platform as you may believe… often times they have book knowledge from being taught – but they may not have actually ran successful Google Ad campaigns before.
There are just some things where theory doesn’t line up with practice.
And so Google Reps often come in with the right intention – to help businesses get better results — and at the same time that isn’t always the outcome.
The Maximize Conversions vs. Target CPA Dilemma
Let’s look at a specific example that illustrates why Google’s recommendations aren’t always in your best interest.
Google often recommends using the “Maximize Conversions” bidding strategy. This strategy essentially gives Google free rein to spend your entire budget in pursuit of the most conversions.
Sounds good on paper, right? More conversions = more business!
But here’s the problem: Maximize Conversions doesn’t take into account your target cost per acquisition (CPA). It’s like giving Google a blank check and saying, “Get me as many customers as you can, no matter the cost!”
In contrast, we at AdOutreach often recommend using the Target CPA strategy. Here’s why:
Let’s say you have a $100 daily budget and your target CPA is $20.
With Maximize Conversions, Google might get you 4 conversions at $25 each, spending your entire $100 budget.
With Target CPA, Google will aim to get you conversions at $20 each. They might get you 4 conversions for $80, leaving $20 unspent rather than overpaying for that last conversion.
(this is a simplified example but helps to illustrate the point)
In the long run, Target CPA often leads to more efficient spending and better ROI, especially for businesses that need to closely manage their customer acquisition costs.
The Optimization Score Trap
Another common pitfall is the allure of the “Optimization Score.” Google presents this score prominently in your ad dashboard, along with a tempting button to “Apply all recommendations” and boost your score to 100%.
It’s important to understand that this score doesn’t necessarily reflect the actual performance of your ads in terms of ROI or business impact. It’s more a measure of how closely you’re following Google’s recommendations – which, as we’ve discussed, aren’t always in your best interest.
And clicking that button could have dramatic impacts on your ads that are hard to unwind easily (haha, its one click to do & many to unwind).
So, What Should You Do?
Given all this, you might be wondering how to approach Google’s recommendations. Here’s my advice:
Be skeptical: Don’t automatically apply recommendations without understanding their potential impact.
Focus on your specific goals: What matters most to your business? ROI? Brand awareness? Customer acquisition cost? Use these goals to guide your decisions.
Seek expert advice: Look for insights from industry thought leaders who specialize in your niche. Their strategies are often more tailored to businesses like yours. (We have a full 19 Page PDF Strategy for Free)
Test carefully: If you do want to try a Google recommendation, test it on a small scale first and closely monitor the results.
Understand the metrics: Don’t just focus on vanity metrics like click-through rate. Make sure you’re tracking the metrics that truly matter to your business’s bottom line.
Consider your business size: Many of Google’s recommendations are geared towards larger corporations with big budgets. If you’re a small or medium-sized business, these might not be appropriate for you.
Use Target CPA: As discussed earlier, this bidding strategy often provides better ROI than Maximize Conversions, especially for businesses with specific customer acquisition cost targets.
The AdOutreach Approach
At AdOutreach, we’ve helped thousands of businesses optimize their YouTube and Google ad campaigns. Our approach is always to put your business goals first, not Google’s recommendations.
We focus on strategies that maximize your return on ad spend, like:
Using Target CPA bidding to control costs
Creating highly targeted ad campaigns that speak directly to your ideal customers
Leveraging the power of YouTube ads to reach your audience when they’re most receptive (using specific Intent-based audiences)
Continuously testing and refining ad creative and targeting to improve performance
We even have a Complete Step-by-step YouTube Ads Kit for just $27 to help as many people learn how to use YouTube Ads as possible!
Overall — Should You Listen to Google’s Recommendations?
Remember, while Google’s recommendations can sometimes be helpful, they’re often not tailored to your specific business needs. Always approach them with a critical eye and don’t be afraid to go against the grain if it means better results for your business.
Your ad strategy should be as unique as your business. Don’t settle for one-size-fits-all recommendations when you could be crafting a custom approach that truly moves the needle for your bottom line.
Want a Custom Google & YouTube Ad Strategy?
If you’re looking to take your Google and YouTube ad campaigns to the next level, we’re here to help. Book a free strategy call with one of our top advisors. We’ll take a look at your current campaigns and map out a custom game plan to help you achieve your business goals.
Book Your Free Strategy Call Now
And don’t forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel for more in-depth tutorials and strategies on mastering YouTube ads!
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Watch the Full Video Breakdown on YouTube!
More Value Coming Next Friday!
Stay Tuned for More Great Value & Content Coming your Way!
Here’s a Sneak Peak at What’s Coming Next:
More Free Trainings & Resources — In your Inbox!
Real Case Studies & Examples of the Marketing Funnels that Scaled Coaching Businesses past 7 & 8 Figures
The REAL on-the-ground insights into what’s going on in the Online Marketing & Coaching/Consulting/High-Ticket Industry (Based on our Insights working with Thousands of Clients)
The Latest YouTube Ad & Marketing Strategies as we Discover Them – So that you’re Always on the Cutting Edge
Guest Articles, Videos & Podcasts from the Top Marketing Minds of Today — Stay tuned for some exciting announcements around this 😉
And a LOT More…
I’m serious when I say I want this to be The Most Valuable Newsletter You’re Subscribed to — Look out for us in your Inbox Every Friday!
I’ll see you in the next one!
To Your Success,
– Aleric Heck | Founder & CEO of AdOutreach
