The Hagakure Method for Google Ads
Feb 28, 2022
The principle of 'organized simplicity' at the core of the Hagakure method for Google Ads resonates with me.
But there are downsides to hyper-consolidated campaign structures.
When you look 'under the hood' of some uber-simplified campaigns, there can be significant inefficiencies that can only be addressed through segmentation.
Some cases I've observed in the last 18 months:
Device Type. Google could not hit our ROAS goal on Tablet. This is exactly the type of inefficiency one expects algorithmic bidding to address over time, but it simply wasn't happening. It was as if better performance on other devices was subsidizing an unprofitable investment in tablet. We created a Tablet-specific Shopping campaign and ROAS improved considerably, on par with Desktop and Mobile.
Audiences. When we layered customer audience segments into campaigns in 'observation', Google underinvested in these audiences. We built unique campaigns to directly target these existing customer segments and saw conversion volume increase by >100%.
How you feed data to the bidding algorithm matters.
In many cases, concentrating budgets can create greater impact.
But once a campaign builds enough conversion volume, it's worth reviewing the data to find opportunities where intervening in algorithmic bidding can drive better performance.