Smart Bidding
Smart Bidding is Google's automated bidding that sets a bid in every auction to win conversions or conversion value, using your tracking data.
In the platformBidding
Smart Bidding
Smart Bidding is Google's automated bidding that sets a bid in every auction to win conversions or conversion value, using your tracking data.
The two core strategies are Maximize conversions (with an optional target CPA) and Maximize conversion value (with an optional target ROAS). Smart Bidding is only as good as the conversions it learns from: if tracking counts the wrong actions, it will efficiently buy more of the wrong thing.
Where you'll see it
In Google Ads, the bid strategy is in each campaign's Settings > Bidding, and the "Bid strategy type" and "Bid strategy status" columns in the Campaigns table show it at a glance. Statuses such as Learning or Limited explain why results may be unstable. Portfolio strategies live under Tools > Shared library > Bid strategies. Meta calls these bid strategies (Highest volume, Cost per result goal, ROAS goal), and TikTok offers Maximum delivery, Cost cap and value-based options.
Worked exampleManual CPC to Maximize conversions, $3,000 a month
| Month | Conversions | CPA |
|---|---|---|
| Manual CPC | 50 | $60 |
| Maximize conversions, after learning | 60 | $50 |
Change = ($60 − $50) ÷ $60 ≈ 17% lower CPA.
Do
- Compare full months with similar seasonality
- Confirm the extra conversions are real sales or leads
Don't
- Switch with very few conversions for the strategy to learn from
- Change budgets, targets and conversion settings in the same week; it restarts learning and blurs the cause