Google Ads Bid Adjustments - How To Use Bid Modifiers Effectively In A Smart Bidding World

Understand how smart bidding works in Google Ads and how you can still control your bids using modifiers for devices, locations, and more.Mastering Google Ads Bid Adjustments: Devices, Locations & MoreThis video walks you through how to fine-tune your Google Ads bids—even when using automated strategies like Smart Bidding.Here’s the big picture:Google Ads operates like an auction. You bid to have your ads shown when people search online. In the past, you’d set these bids manually. Now, with Smart Bidding, Google uses machine learning to automatically adjust your bids in real time, helping you hit goals like driving more conversions or increasing sales value.But here’s the good news: even with Smart Bidding, you still have some control through Google Ads bid adjustments.What Are Bid Adjustments?Bid adjustments are manual tweaks that let you raise or lower your bids based on specific criteria, giving you an edge even with automation. Some of the most useful types include:• Google Ads device bid adjustmentsNot all devices perform equally. You can increase or decrease bids depending on whether users are on mobile, desktop, or tablets. For example, if mobile users convert better, you might want to raise your bid just for those devices.• Google Ads location bid adjustmentPerformance can vary by region. Maybe your ads perform better in New York than in Chicago. With a bid adjustment by location, you can increase your bids in high-performing cities or exclude low-performing ones altogether.• Time-based adjustmentsModify bids based on days of the week or hours of the day when your audience is more active.Using both Smart Bidding and bid adjustments for location or device can boost your campaign’s effectiveness—if done right.Limitations to Keep in MindNot all Smart Bidding strategies support bid adjustments. For example, strategies like "Maximise Clicks" offer more flexibility with bid modifiers, while others may restrict how much control you have.