What's happened?
Google Search Ads 360, the paid search campaign management component of the Google Marketing Platform, has rolled out auction-time bidding for Google Search.
Historically, SA360 and other paid search management platforms have analyzed campaign performance approximately every six hours to set keyword bids. Auction-time bidding uses machine learning to set bids at the time of the search impression based on each user’s previous behavior, device, location, time of day and other signals, to achieve conversions.
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How does this impact advertisers?
By setting bids in real time, rather than at six-hour increments, and based on the machine learning of 15+ user signals, rather than simply campaign conversion rates and performance, bids are more accurate and will drive stronger campaign performance.
Google says hundreds of advertisers participated in the beta and saw, on average, a conversion lift of 15 to 30% at the same or better ROI.
Precision's thoughts
A fantastic addition, and exactly what machine learning should be used for in paid search. Once again, Google has harnessed the latest technology trends to improve its advertising product. The power of auction time bidding, compared to the historical bidding every six hours, means SA360 should be seriously considered by advertisers in the market for a paid search campaign management platform.