A Google Ads learning phase will come to all who bid. Whether you’ve just set up your Google Ad account or restructured your ad campaigns, your account will need to go through an essential period called ‘the learning phase’ – especially if you’re using smart bidding. Prepare to hold tight, better results are coming

Google Ads Learning Phase – Do’s and Don’ts 

This learning period describes the time used by the bid strategy algorithms to relearn and then optimise your bidding on your search terms, with the goal being to improve your campaign results. Consensus says that allowing this phase to unfold is essential, but that can generate some discomfort if the numbers don’t look good for up to a month or so. [Spoiler: they won’t.] And If you undo the restructure, there’s no guarantee the stats will go back to what they were before.

All this being said, restructuring your Google Ads is advisable at least once every 12 months, if not 6, particularly for very large and diverse accounts.

Why Restructuring Your Google Ads Account Is Beneficial  

Why? Think of it as spring cleaning.

1. Better organisation – Particularly if there’s been a change in the personnel who manage the day-to-day of the accounts. A structure that seems logical for all users, at all levels, means better visibility and tracking of performance.
2. Improved targeting – Restructuring your Google Ad account allows for more focused and finessed segmentation. You should already know that getting the right message to the right audience or location improves the effectiveness of your campaigns.
3. Keyword management optimisation – Probably our favourite part of an ad account restructure! This element allows for removing the keywords that are no longer relevant or underperforming, so you can better understand any gaps in your targeting. It’s like taking out the trash, but nerdier. Better aligned keywords and goals mean improved relevancy scores and higher quality traffic.
4. Ad Copy Updates – Like reviewing and refining your keywords, the same goes for ad copy. Make space for new messaging, be it seasonal or evergreen, and ensure consistency across multiple bits of copy for your campaigns. Keeping your copy fresh and up to date benefits your ad performance by helping your quality score and CTRs
5. Budget – The bottom line benefits from an ad account restructure. Why? After you’ve done all the above, you’ve got improved visibility on campaign performance. This allows you to lean into the more successful ones accordingly. All ROIs matter. (A metaphor about being able to see the wood for the trees would work here, but this is a serious article so we won’t put one in.)

 

TLDR: Your Google Ads learning phase will last at least 2-3 weeks for an existing account. Expect 1-3 months for a new account, depending on campaign complexities. It’s good practise to do it at least once a year.

If you’ve read this far, hopefully, we’ve persuaded you to take a long hard look at your Google Ad account structure. And if not that, then perhaps we’ve persuaded you that WE should look at it for you. Drop us a line, and we can go from there.