What are the pros and cons of following the recommendations?
Google started sending emails to its Google Ads customers with subjects like “Personalised action plan for growth” as part of a new initiative launched in early 2024, aiming to provide advertisers with tailored optimization advice to enhance their campaign performance.
What’s the Purpose of These Emails?
The emails are designed to offer personalized recommendations based on your specific account setup. They include suggested actions to improve your campaigns, such as adding new keywords, adjusting budgets, or refining targeting strategies. According to Google, each recommendation is accompanied by direct links to the relevant sections of your Google Ads account, facilitating swift implementation.
Reported Key Features:
- Customized Optimization Tips: Recommendations are tailored to your account’s unique setup and performance metrics.
- Efficiency for Multiple Accounts: For advertisers managing multiple client accounts, the emails consolidate optimization suggestions, eliminating the need to review each account individually.
- Direct Action Links: Each recommendation includes a direct link to the specific area in your Google Ads account, streamlining the process of making improvements. citeturn0search5
Why Is Google Doing This?
This initiative is part of Google’s broader effort to leverage AI and automation to assist advertisers in optimizing their campaigns more effectively. By providing data-driven insights and actionable recommendations, Google states it aims to enhance the overall performance of ad campaigns, especially for those who may find it challenging to access direct support.
Can the Recommendations Be Trusted?
It is legitimate if the email originates from an official Google domain (e.g., @google.com) and contains links directing you to your Google Ads account. But what about the recommendations they are giving? To discover the answer, we can look at how Google benefits when you follow its recommendations. The answer is clear when you follow the money.
⚠️ 1. Overemphasis on Google’s Revenue Goals
Google’s optimization recommendations often aim to increase ad spend under the guise of improving performance. This can result in:
- Higher budget suggestions that don’t align with your business goals.
- A push for broader keyword targeting or match types (e.g., switching from exact to broad match) that may increase impressions but lower lead quality.
- Automated bidding strategies that prioritize volume (clicks/conversions) over cost efficiency or qualified leads.
In short: Google may optimize for what benefits them most — not necessarily what’s best for your business.
⚠️ 2. Automated Recommendations Lack Business Context
Google’s AI can’t fully understand your:
- Target audience or niche market
- Seasonal factors or geographic limitations
- Internal business goals or margins
This means recommendations like adding irrelevant keywords or expanding into new markets might dilute your campaign effectiveness and waste your budget.
⚠️ 3. Conversion Tracking Must Be Accurate
Many of Google’s optimizations depend on your conversion tracking setup. If:
- You’re not tracking the right conversions (e.g., calls vs. pageviews)
- Data is delayed or inconsistent
- Leads are low-quality but still count as conversions
…then the optimization will reinforce bad results. You’ll spend more to get leads that aren’t truly valuable.
⚠️ 4. Loss of Granular Control
Google might recommend enabling automated features like:
- Broad Match Keywords
- Dynamic Search Ads
- Smart Campaigns or Performance Max
These reduce your ability to control or analyze how traffic is being acquired and make it harder to optimize based on actual ROI or lead quality.
⚠️ 5. One-Size-Fits-All Strategy
These emails are based on algorithmic trends; not your specific business nuances. Recommendations may work well for a high-volume e-commerce site, but not for:
- Local service providers (like landscapers or electricians)
- B2B companies with long sales cycles
- Niche markets that require tightly targeted messaging
✅ How to Use Google’s Tips Wisely
Here’s how you can strike the right balance:
- Review each recommendation critically: Don’t implement changes just because Google says so.
- Test changes incrementally: And track lead quality, not just conversions.
- Set clear goals: (e.g., cost per lead, call quality) and measure improvements against your own KPIs.
- Use recommendations as ideas, not rules: They’re a starting point, not a blueprint.
When in doubt, seek professional help: You’re busy running your business. Hiring a trusted Google Ads expert can maximize your marketing budget and give you more time to close your deals!