Conversion goals provide a way to categorise your conversion actions and control campaign optimisation. To improve performance and better align Google AI to your business objectives, you may occasionally want to make changes to conversion goals used for Smart Bidding.
Keep in mind: The guidance in this article applies to Maximise conversions (including target CPA when a target is set) or Maximise conversion value (including target ROAS when a target is set) bidding strategies only.
Some of these changes include the following:
- Changing bid strategies: for example, moving from Maximise conversions with a target CPA to Maximise conversion value with a target ROAS
- Change to a new conversion goal: Adding or removing a conversion goal from your campaign settings.
- For example, switch from upper-funnel event (for example, 'add to basket') to lower-funnel event (for example, 'purchases').
- Modify the composition of your goal while maintaining the existing conversion goal settings, whether account-level default or campaign level.
- For example, adding or removing conversion actions from a conversion goal, or updating the action optimisation setting of a conversion action (primary, secondary or custom), changing your conversion source or changes to your conversion volume/value scales.
Smart Bidding will take some time to learn after any changes made to conversion goals or actions. The best practices below will allow you to better understand the implications of these changes on Smart Bidding, and help you mitigate performance disruption. There are different approaches to take based on the kind of change that you want to implement and where your account currently stands in the process. Before making any change to conversion tracking, ensure that budgets are set to the amount that you intend to spend.
This document applies to Search and Shopping. The workflows below reference conversion goals but are applicable to any combination of changes described above.
Change bid strategies while conversion goal remains the same
Transition to a new bid strategy and keep your campaign's conversion goal and primary conversion action.
Bidding scenario
You’re currently using Maximise conversions with an optional target CPA, and want to do the following:
- Switch to Maximise conversion value (with an optional target ROAS) bid strategy
- Continue to target the same conversion goal for your campaign
- Keep the same conversion actions primary within the conversion goal, but you want to start passing values for those conversion actions
For example, you’re using target CPA to bid for online sign-ups. You now want to track values with those sign-ups, and use Maximise conversion value to optimise bids.
Learn more about how to Change your bid strategy while conversion goal remains the same.
Change bid strategies and change conversion goal (account-level optimisation)
You can transition to a new bid strategy to achieve one of the following:
- Optimise your whole account to either a new conversion goal
- Change a conversion goal by adding a new primary conversion action.
Bidding scenario
You’re currently using Maximise conversions (with an optional target CPA), and want to do the following:
- Switch to a Maximise conversion value (with an optional target ROAS) bid strategy
- Change conversion goal (for example, optimise to a new primary conversion action)
For example, you’re currently using target CPA to bid to your submit lead form goal to track the online form fills. You now want to track online subscriptions using paid subscription goal on target ROAS to optimise bids.
Learn more about how to Change bid strategies and change conversion goal (account-level optimisation).
Change Smart Bidding strategies and change conversion goal (campaign-level optimisation)
Optimise specific campaigns to a new conversion goal, or add a new primary conversion action to an existing conversion goal, when your bidding strategy is using campaign-level optimisation.
We recommend an account-level switch, as the workflow is simpler to execute, but if you're interested in transitioning campaigns gradually, you can follow the campaign-level workflow.
Bidding scenario
You’re currently using Maximise conversions (with an optional target CPA), and want to do the following:
- Switch to a Maximise conversion value (with an optional target ROAS) bid strategy
- Change conversion goal (for example, optimise to a new primary conversion action
For example, you’re currently using target CPA to bid to submit lead form goal to track online form fills. You now want to track online subscriptions with values using paid-subscription goal, on target ROAS using a campaign-level switch.
Learn more about how to Change Smart Bidding strategies and change conversion goal (campaign-level optimisation).
Stay on the same Smart Bidding strategy and change conversion goal (account-level optimisation)
Optimise your campaigns to a new account-level conversion goal or change an existing account level conversion goal by using a new conversion action with a similar conversation rate or value.
Bidding scenario
You’re currently using Maximise conversions (with an optional target CPA) or Maximise conversion value (with an optional target ROAS), and want to do the following:
- Keep using the same bid strategy
- Change conversion goal (for example, optimise to a new primary conversion action)
For example, you’re currently using Maximise conversion value to bid to values from a lead form. You now want to optimise for paid subscription values, but the conversion rate and value are very similar.
Learn more about how to Stay on the same bid strategy and change conversion goal (account-level optimisation).
Stay on the same Smart Bidding strategy and change conversion goal (campaign-level optimisation)
Optimise specific campaigns to a new conversion goal, or modify an existing conversion goal using a new conversion action with a different conversion rate, volume or value.
It is recommended that the account-level switch detailed above as it is a simpler workflow, but if you want to transition campaigns gradually, you can follow the campaign-level workflow here.
Bidding scenario
You’re currently using Maximise conversions (with optional target CPA) or Maximise conversion value (with optional target ROAS), and want to do the following:
- Keep using the same bid strategy
- Change conversion goal (for example, optimise to a new primary conversion action with a different conversion rate, such as volume or value, or you want to change the category of an existing action)
- Implement campaign-level changes
For example, you’re currently using Maximise conversion value to bid to values from a lead form. You now want to optimise for paid subscription values, but the conversion rate and value are very similar.
Learn more about how to Stay on the same bid strategy and change conversion goal (account-level optimisation).
Choosing the right bid strategy
To determine the right bid strategy for you, you must first understand when to use Maximise conversions or Maximise conversions value, with or without a target.
When to use Maximise conversions or Maximise conversion value, without a target
- You’re comfortable with the bid strategy having full control during the bidding transition.
- You don’t have to make large-scale budget adjustments within the next four to six weeks.
- You’re willing to let the bidder find the maximum level of conversions or conversion value at the set budget.
When to use Maximise conversion or Maximise conversion value with a target (target CPA or target ROAS)
- You would prefer to closely monitor and adjust targets during the bidding transition.
- You’ll have to make large-scale-budget adjustments within the next four to six weeks.
- You want to achieve a specific CPA/ROAS target.
