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All lessons in Google Ads for Beginners Lesson 2.4 of 24

Module 0: Introduction to PPC

  1. 0.1What is PPC?
  2. 0.2PPC vs SEO vs SEM
  3. 0.3How the Google Ads auction works
  4. 0.4PPC platforms compared

Module 1: Planning Your First Campaign

  1. 1.1Setting PPC goals
  2. 1.2Setting a Google Ads budget
  3. 1.3PPC keyword research
  4. 1.4Google Ads keyword match types
  5. 1.5Negative keywords

Module 2: Building the Campaign

  1. 2.1How to create a Google Ads account
  2. 2.2Campaign and ad group structure
  3. 2.3Location, language, and schedule
  4. 2.4Google Ads bidding strategies

Module 3: Writing Ads That Get Clicks

  1. 3.1How to write responsive search ads
  2. 3.2PPC ad copy formulas
  3. 3.3Google Ads assets
  4. 3.4PPC landing page best practices

Module 4: Tracking Results

  1. 4.1Google Ads conversion tracking
  2. 4.2What is Quality Score?
  3. 4.3PPC metrics that matter
  4. 4.4Google Ads search terms report

Module 5: Optimizing and Scaling

  1. 5.1Your first 30 days
  2. 5.2Common Google Ads mistakes
  3. 5.3Your PPC action plan

Google Ads bidding strategies

In this lesson

  • What each main bidding strategy does
  • What Smart Bidding means
  • Which strategy to use at each stage

Short answer

Bidding strategies tell Google how to bid for you. Manual CPC lets you set each bid. Maximize clicks gets the most clicks for your budget. Maximize conversions and target CPA use Smart Bidding to chase leads or sales. New accounts without conversion data often start with Maximize clicks and a bid limit.

The main strategies

StrategyWhat Google aims forNeeds conversion data?Best for
Manual CPCYou set the max bid per keywordNoHands-on control, learning
Maximize clicksMost clicks within budgetNoBrand new accounts
Maximize conversionsMost conversions within budgetYes, tracking must workAfter tracking is live
Target CPAConversions at your target cost eachYes, ideally 15 to 30 a monthSteady lead accounts

What is Smart Bidding?

Smart Bidding is Google’s automated bidding for conversions. It uses signals like device, location, time, and search words to set a bid for every auction.

Maximize conversions, target CPA, Maximize conversion value, and target ROAS are all Smart Bidding. They only work well when conversion tracking is set up. You will set that up in Lesson 4.1.

A simple path for beginners

  1. Weeks 1 to 4: Maximize clicks with a maximum CPC bid limit, like ₱30. This stops very expensive clicks.
  2. After tracking works and conversions start: switch to Maximize conversions.
  3. After about 15 to 30 conversions a month: try target CPA set near your real average cost per lead.
Bidding path: Maximize clicks first, Maximize conversions after tracking, target CPA after 15 to 30 conversionsMaximize clicks+ max CPC limitWeeks 1 to 4No conversion dataMaximize conversionsSmart BiddingAfter tracking worksSome conversionsTarget CPAnear your real CPA15 to 30 conv/monthSteady data
Move to Smart Bidding only after conversion tracking works.

Or choose manual CPC if you want full control and can check bids every week. When you change strategy, Smart Bidding enters a learning period of about a week or more. Expect results to move around.

Try it: which bid strategy?

1. Brand new account, no conversion tracking yet.
2. Tracking works and you get about 8 leads a month.
3. You get 30 leads a month at about ₱600 each, steady for two months.
4. You want full control and can review bids every week.

Common mistakes

  • Using Maximize conversions with no tracking. Google has nothing to aim for.
  • Setting target CPA too low. Ads stop showing.
  • Changing strategies every few days. The learning period resets each time.
  • No bid limit on Maximize clicks. One expensive keyword can eat the budget.

Your action

Pick your starting strategy. If tracking is not ready yet, write down Maximize clicks and a max CPC limit based on your Lesson 1.3 estimates.

Key terms

Manual CPC
You set the maximum bid for clicks.
Maximize clicks
Google bids to get the most clicks within budget.
Maximize conversions
Google bids to get the most conversions within budget.
Target CPA
Google bids to hit your target cost per acquisition.
Smart Bidding
Google's automated bidding for conversions or value.

Questions beginners ask

Which strategy is best?

It depends on your data. No tracking means clicks first. Good conversion data means conversions.

How long is the learning period?

Usually about a week, sometimes longer on small budgets.

Related lessons

Want someone to run your Google Ads while you learn? The team at Remar Digital can help.