In this article, we’ll outline different reasons for Search campaign fluctuations and changes, why they may lead to changes in campaign performance over time, and how you can use the tools in your Google Ads account to understand what’s driving these changes.
Bear in mind: It’s normal for your campaign performance to vary.
Before you begin
Use Explanations to identify reasons for performance changes in a single click
Explanations are available for Search campaigns using manual CPC, enhanced CPC, enhanced CPC for value, target CPA, maximise conversions, maximise clicks bidding, maximise conversion value and target ROAS. Explanations give you insights into large changes in your account’s performance and help you quickly find out why they happened. By default, you’ll see explanations that compare the date range that you selected with the previous period of the same length.
- Go to your campaign or ad groups page.
- Hover over values in your data table that are coloured in blue with a dotted line.
- You’ll see how this value has changed since the last period.
- Click View explanation to see what caused the change.
Assess performance based on your bid strategy and optimisation goal
Before making conclusions about your campaign performance, it’s important to first consider whether the settings that you're using match the metrics that your campaign is optimising towards. Updating your campaign’s bid strategy or optimisation goal settings to align with your business and advertising goals will help to ensure that you're focusing on the relevant metrics when analysing campaign performance to understand what drove fluctuations.
For example, Target CPA helps you get as many conversions as possible at or below the target cost per action (CPA) that you set. In campaigns using target CPA, cost per conversion and other conversion-related metrics may be better indicators of performance than cost per click and impressions.
10 common reasons why your performance is fluctuating
1. Recent changes to account or campaign settings
Editing any account or campaign settings, such as bid strategy, bid adjustments, bids, budget, keywords, audiences, demographics and ad scheduling can change your performance.
Learn more about Search campaign performance fluctuations: Changes to account or campaign settings.
2. Conversion tracking setup and conversion delay
When using conversion-based bidding, such as Smart Bidding or automated bidding, sudden drops or increase in conversions or conversion value may result in performance fluctuations as Google Ads optimises towards your set conversion action.
Learn more about Search campaign performance fluctuations: Conversion tracking setup and conversion delay.
3. Bids and bid targets
Your performance may fluctuate if your bids, bid limits or bid targets are set without taking into consideration the historical data that Google Ads will use to serve your ads.
Learn more Search campaign performance fluctuations: Bids and bid targets.
4. Budget settings
Your campaign may be more likely to have performance fluctuations when its budget is limited.
Learn more about Search campaign performance fluctuations: Budget settings.
5. Ad quality
Ad quality is an estimate of the experience that users have when they view your Search ads.
Learn more about Search campaign performance fluctuations: Ad quality.
6. Targeting settings and overlaps
If your campaign is targeting a smaller group of users with very specific audience, keyword, location or language settings, it may also be more likely to have performance fluctuations. You may have multiple campaigns or ad groups in your account that are eligible to enter overlapping auctions due to similar keywords or other targeting considerations.
Learn more about Search campaign performance fluctuations: Targeting.
7. Policy and ad review status
Changes to the review status of your ads or keywords can affect your performance.
Learn more about Search campaign performance fluctuations: Policy and review status.
8. Other account issues
Issues with your payments, billing transfers or other account level issues can affect the performance of your account and the performance of your campaigns.
Learn more about Search campaign performance fluctuations: Account issues.
9. Auction dynamics
The choices that other advertisers, who are participating in the same auctions as you, make can affect your campaign’s performance.
Learn more about Search campaign performance fluctuations: Auction dynamics.
10. Lost impression share
Impression share data, specifically Lost Search IS (ad rank), can help you identify the percentage of time that your ads weren't shown on the Search Network due to Ad Rank in the auction.
Learn more about Search campaign performance fluctuations: Lost impression share.
