In today’s fast-moving digital climate in which we live in, automation and AI capabilities are playing an ever-larger role in how we manage and scale Google Ads. But what does that really mean for PPC campaigns especially for those who value control and granular decision-making?
Google continues to evolve its platform, leaning heavily into automation tools that streamline setup, management, and optimisation. While this can save time and improve efficiency, it's not without its pitfalls particularly for advertisers who aren’t seasoned PPC specialists.
Here, we explore how Google Ads automation is reshaping campaign management, the risks of blindly following automated features, and how you can stay ahead while retaining strategic control.
Keyword Match Types & Close Variants
One of the biggest shifts has been in keyword matching. In the past, exact match meant exactly that. Now, thanks to close variants, your ads may appear for search queries that are only loosely related to your target keywords.
This means:
Broader reach sometimes too broad
Less manual control over specific keywords
More need for careful monitoring
For example, bidding on [blue trainers] could now include impressions for [navy gym shoes]. These looser matches often lead to wasted ad spend unless balanced with a strong negative keyword strategy.
The importance of monitoring and negative keywords
As automation expands, staying on top of your search terms via regular reporting becomes essential. This is especially true for preventing irrelevant impressions and protecting your daily budget.
Using negative keywords effectively allows you to block terms that underperform or don’t align with your campaign goals. This form of manual optimisation ensures that Google’s system doesn’t make assumptions that work against your bottom line.
Beware the Defaults: Auto Settings to Watch
When launching new campaigns, many automated settings are enabled by default. These include:
Search Partner networks
Google Display Network placements
Presence or interest location targeting
Automatically created assets
If left unchecked, these can result in mismatched audiences, poor conversion rates, and off-brand creative. You’ll need to fine-tune your settings based on the actual campaign performance data.
Daily Budgets: Not So Daily
Google calculates your daily budget across a 30.4-day monthly average. That means it may spend double your stated amount on any given day.
This system doesn’t always align with seasonal campaigns, or advertisers looking to control spend day-to-day. We’ve seen first-hand how a £100 daily budget can balloon to over £700 in a single week.
Proper budget management, especially for short-term campaigns, requires close attention to spend pacing and delivery.
Auto-Apply Recommendations: Helpful or Harmful?
Google Ads now offers auto-apply recommendations, which can make real-time changes to your campaigns often without direct human approval unless you opt out.
These changes may include:
Adjusting bids based on predicted intent
Broadening targeting criteria
Creating new ad groups or adding new keywords
While some suggestions are genuinely helpful, others risk bloating your structure or increasing costs with little benefit. Always assess campaign optimisation recommendations through the lens of your specific business goals.
Automatically Created Assets
Google now uses AI tools to generate ad formats, headlines, descriptions, and variations particularly in Performance Max and responsive search ads.
While these features can save time, the quality is mixed. You may end up with ad copy that lacks brand identity, tone, or message alignment. Always review and override automated assets where necessary to maintain creative consistency.
Performance Max Campaigns: The Black Box
Performance Max campaigns are Google's most advanced automation tool, combining various ad placements under a single umbrella. They rely entirely on machine learning to optimise delivery and target audiences across:
Search
Display
YouTube
Gmail
Discovery
The challenge? Minimal insight into where your ads run, how budget is split, or what performance data is influencing decisions. While these campaigns can drive strong results, their black-box nature can make data-driven insights and strategic planning more difficult.
Google’s Push for Automation
It’s no secret that Google’s account representatives push hard for full automation adoption from automated bidding to smart campaigns.
While these features can support smaller advertisers or those running multiple channels, they may prioritise scale and ad spend over ROAS or true campaign goals.
Evaluate every optimisation process in terms of performance, not just platform ease. Don’t let software decide what success looks like for your business.
The Future of Automation
With Google Gemini on the horizon and the rapid evolution of AI capabilities, advertisers will need to find a healthy balance between trust and control.
Done well, automation can:
But left unchecked, it can lead to wasted ad spend, loss of control, and unclear strategy.
The solution? PPC automation with a human edge. Let AI assist but don’t hand it the keys to your strategy.
How to Stay in Control
To thrive in this new age of advertising strategies, you must:
Stay up to date on automation rules
Review historical data regularly
Maintain granular control over campaigns and ad groups
Monitor adjusting bids, not just letting them run
Continuously optimise with a mix of automation and human guidance
Whether you're launching new campaigns, refining existing ad groups, or testing new bid management tools, remember: automation is a great tool but it needs you in the driver’s seat.
