Demystifying Auto-Apply
If your business has a Google Ads campaign, you probably have heard about auto-apply by now. Auto-apply was implemented by Google in the spring of 2021 in order to streamline the application of Google’s recommendations. Google had been testing this auto-apply system across various beta accounts as far back as 2019 before implementing them this year. So, what is auto-apply and how does it affect your Google ad campaigns? Here we will try to clear up just what auto-apply is and what it does and doesn’t do for you.What is Auto-Apply?
Auto-apply is an opt-in system implemented into Google ads that essentially automates the process of selecting recommendations for your Google ads account. What this means is that while manual recommendations can still be set, additional recommendations will be auto-applied by Google themselves. Manual selections can also be overwritten by other recommendations that the auto-apply system thinks will be more successful for your campaign. Luckily, any changes made to your recommendations are automatically saved under the “history” tab, so that any automatic changes that might have been made can be reversed.So How Can This Hurt Me?When your recommendations are automated, this can disrupt the strategy of the advertising campaign as a whole. Google has done some great things with automation in the advertising world, such as with Responsive Search Ads, but auto-apply for all recommendations can sometimes create problems in the account. This is because Google’s recommendations are more often than not a one-size fits all solution. On its face, this is not necessarily a bad thing. Of course you wouldn’t want your budget changed automatically when new recommendations are set! However, when auto-apply is on, Google can select recommendations that may not be the right strategy for the currently set budget, which can limit ad performance. It’s not all doom and gloom though, businesses that may take a more “hands-off” approach to their digital marketing may want to enable auto-apply to increase their overall performance. An ad agency’s job is to run point on an ad strategy specifically tailored to your business so any agency worth their salt would turn off auto-apply.Our ApproachAs experts in the digital marketing landscape, we at Basilisk SEM are always looking for ways to optimize and increase the success of your business through hands-on ad management. That’s why we look at every metric available to us in order to advertise your business online effectively, and do right by you and your business. Our highly trained team of advertising professionals are excited to scale your business and build an online presence that you can be proud of. Contact us today for a free consultation and see what Basilisk SEM can help you achieve.
