Change Smart Bidding strategies and change conversion goal (campaign level optimization)

Let’s say you’d like to change your bid strategies and conversion goal at the campaign level. You’re on Target CPA bidding, and you want to move to Target ROAS. Additionally, you want to change to a new conversion goal or modify the composition of the existing conversion goal (add or remove actions as primary or change a custom goal). This article describes how to change Smart Bidding strategies along with your conversion goal. Keep in mind: It’s recommended that you make an account-level switch, which is a simpler workflow, but if you want to transition your campaigns gradually, you can follow the campaign level workflow detailed in this article.

Note: Please give the system time to optimize to your new goals. Estimated timelines are outlined below. Monitor performance and use your judgement as you make these transitions.

Recommended steps

Identify the new or existing conversion goal you want to optimize towards. If you are adding new conversion actions to an existing goal, start by creating them. Do not mark them as primary or account default yet. Ensure that the conversion goal is correctly set, and that everything is configured and reporting values show correctly before moving to step #2.

Based on your selection in #1 above, change to primary in select campaigns and enable campaign level settings.

• Change to the new conversion goal (set at campaign level), or
• Change composition of conversion goal (add or remove conversion actions as primary in select campaigns)
• Change the goal of an action used for Custom Goals.
  • Note that when you change the goal of an action used in Custom Goals, all campaigns using that action are affected.
• Ensure campaign budgets are set to the amount that you intend to spend.

Continue using Target CPA for approximately 1 to 2 conversion cycle while Smart Bidding trains on the reported conversion values.

1. a. Mitigate performance fluctuations by adjusting CPA targets.
2. b. Gradual target changes are recommended. However, if there is a significant difference in conversion rate and volume consider larger target changes.

Switch to Target ROAS, using the previous 4 week historical ROAS (excluding conversion delay) to determine your target.

Move campaigns in batches. Start with medium-sized campaigns with reasonable spend and conversion volume and scale up over time.

After moving over all campaigns, change the conversion action to the account default and slowly move from campaign level bidding to account level bidding.

Smart Bidding will adjust to the new target over the next 1 to 2 conversion cycles. Adjust targets and/or budgets to manage performance.