July 22, 2019

Google Ads: what is the optimisation score?

Google AdWords

As you will have noticed, there is a unique metric which has been around since last August and which allows you to calculate the efficiency of your Google Ads campaigns (formerly Adwords): the optimisation score.

“The optimisation score is an estimate of how well your Google Ads account is set to perform. The optimisation score runs from 0% to 100%, with 100% meaning that your account can perform at its full potential.” – Google

It’s a score calculated by Google based on Google’s variables. It therefore goes without saying that Google offers recommendations to help you to improve your score.

But is this measure, which incorporates several parameters, really that useful? What does it constitute? Do you have to follow all the recommendations from the American internet giant, or is this just another tactic to increase your pay-per-click budget?

Where can you find it?

To find it, you simply need to click on the “Recommendations” tab in your campaign manager.

Source : Search Engine Journal

The impact of each recommendation is indicated as a percentage, its potential contribution to your optimisation score..

Should you aim for a score of 100%?

First of all: what does the word “optimisation” mean? You can optimise your bids to obtain a higher impression score. You can also optimise your ads or the different groups which enable you to test keywords. Finally, you can optimise landing pages, types of keyword, budgets, etc.

Google therefore offers a unique measure of the efficiency of your account. Is this a good idea, in view of the diverse range of objectives?

Don't overdo it!

Pay-per-click does exactly what it says on the tin. Google benefits from a higher impression score from our ads because they directly increase its revenue. However, what we’re more interested in is the CTR or conversion rate.

You can achieve this through a better landing page; you don’t necessarily need to increase your Google Ads budget.

As we were explaining, the word “optimisation” means something different to everyone, and this is also a factor for Google. We’re not saying that you should reject the recommendations Google offered, but rather that you should be prudent.

The key questions are: “is this recommendation good for my business?” and “what is the final outcome?” Even Google, in the official explanation of the optimisation score, advises “Apply recommendations that support your business goals”.

Our answer to the previous question is, therefore, no: you don’t necessarily need to target a score of 100%. Let’s now take a look at recommendations and break them down into those you should implement and those you should be wary of. They can be split into four sections.

Recommendations : bids & budget.

Google Ads is an open market where you can increase or lower the bid on certain keywords. The first thing to note is that the scores are presented on a weekly basis, when your profit and loss statements are generally monthly! An increase of $10 per week might seem small, but that adds up to a budget of $40 per month!

Also consider the current cost of the campaign: an increase of $5 a day doesn’t seem too bad, but if you were only spending $0.50 prior to that, you’re multiplying your budget by 10.

Be careful and increase the amount manually rather than following the recommendation which will inevitably boost Google’s profits.

Finally, remember what the aim of your campaign is. Does your business really work on a PPC model, or are you simply testing a new landing page for a particular product? If the second scenario is true, increasing your budget won’t necessarily be the best strategy.

Keywords & targeting

Let’s now take a look at the possible actions for keywords. Google shows you those which are potentially redundant. If you want to keep your account “clean” and easy to manage, you should first conduct an analysis of your data in Excel by exporting it in order to get a true picture of things. Remember, it’s not humans who provide this data!

This is where you’ll find suggestions about the different types of keyword, like negative keywords or keywords in the form of a phrase, etc. For more on the best way to formulate these, see Adam Clarke’s book SEO 2019.

Annonces & extensions.

Here, Google offers to add snippets of structured text to the search results. It’s free, and we think it’s often a good idea.

Source : Adespresso

In these enriched results, you can include several types of link, to pages on your website or product pages in particular. This allows you to increase their visibility, quickly provide potential customers with information about your services and, ultimately, increase your CTR.

Repairs

In this section, the recommendations manager offers you the option of creating new groups for your Ads, which will allow you to test your keywords more efficiently. This is also a good idea. You can choose optimised rotation to achieve better results.

This is also where you can check for any potentially broken links in your ads, etc.

Conclusion

Not all recommendations are equal. The key is to focus on what will have a positive impact on your business. Some recommendations will increase your budget significantly, while others are free. Always remember that Google presents them at a weekly rate! Lastly, some have more of an impact in percentage terms, and others less.

When you’re experimenting with Google Ads, it’s crucial to consider all of these factors.

Recommendations based on the optimisation score are generated by artificial intelligence, so you should expect to have to use some common sense to avoid becoming Google’s puppet.

Should you reject recommendations? Certainly not, but aiming for a score of 90% is more than enough.