So, it seems Google can “change its mind” right in the middle of implementing recommendations to your ads.
And marketers aren’t happy.
On what planet does this make sense?
Google Ads is changing the definition & execution of a recommendation AFTER IT HAS ALREADY BEEN APPLIED.
This should be a different recommendation.
How could anyone EVER apply a @GoogleAds recommendation to an account again?#ppcchat pic.twitter.com/9j9GUZDReY
— Greg Finn (@gregfinn) January 4, 2023
What happened: Google invited advertisers to opt into a recommendation that would automatically suggest and remove redundant keywords within the same ad groups.
But then Google announced it will start removing redundant phrases and exact match keywords in favor of broad match keywords starting January 19.
What’s the issue? Well, if you applied for initial redundant keywords recommendations, Google will push this new version of recommendations to your account in less than two weeks.
The problem is, Google didn’t opt advertisers out before making this change, meaning you need to opt out manually – or let Google chop and change ads without your input.
But can you trust someone’s recommendations if they decide to change them suddenly later on?
What you should do: Consider opting out of Google Ads recommendations within the next two weeks if you don’t want to implement this new recommendation change.
It might also be wise to opt out of any other tricky recommendations so situations like these don’t catch you off guard.
Why we care: While you can still benefit from using Google’s recommendations, it’s also important that you’re the one responsible for all decisions.
Manually implementing recommendations instead of taking them at face value could be the wiser choice… at least for the time being.