Why You Shouldn't Blindly Trust Google to Automate Your Google Ads Account

By Stewart Gandolf, Chief Executive Officer

As a leading Google Premier Partner managing millions of dollars in annual Google Ads spend, we strongly advocate for the platform. Our digital team collaborates closely with Google's enterprise team to implement best practices for all our clients. However, we’ve discovered that not all Google recommendations are equally effective.

Many of our new clients come to us with ad campaigns that over rely on Google's automated solutions, resulting in costly performance problems. While AI can be a powerful tool, expert guidance is crucial. Our team rescues these underperforming Google Ads accounts by removing the ineffective automations. We have found that this personalized approach is essential for optimal results.

The Danger of Google’s Auto-Apply Feature

Problem 1: Lack of Transparency

One of our biggest concerns with Google’s auto-apply feature is that it operates behind the scenes. It makes changes to your account without your direct knowledge and may even increase your ad budget to do so.

Imagine you run a business specializing in orthopedic care. Auto-apply might target broad or irrelevant keywords like "physical therapy in Los Angeles" instead of the more specific "sports injury treatment in Los Angeles."

What happens then?

You waste money on irrelevant terms.
Your return on investment (ROI) drops.
Your ad performance suffers.
Your quality scores take a hit.
Your brand’s reputation might be affected.
You miss out on opportunities to connect with people who are looking for your products or services.

Even more concerning? It can be next to impossible to track and analyze your ad performance when things go wrong.

Problem 2: Difficulty Tracking Performance

With auto-apply, you can’t pinpoint what’s working and what’s not. This lack of clarity can be particularly frustrating for healthcare providers.

Why? It’s a guessing game as to what exactly is driving patient inquiries and engagement.

Understanding how each change impacts ad performance is essential for optimizing your ad performance. That’s why manual adjustments and close monitoring are essential. Without them, you’re navigating a boat without a rudder—confused, lost, and unable to steer your campaigns toward success.

And another thing! When you trust Google to manage your ad campaigns, you’re essentially giving them free reign to opt into experimental features and settings on your behalf—including unproven AI campaign types—which inherently provide limited tracking and performance data.

Problem 3: The Challenge of Reversal

If you’re using Google’s auto-apply feature for your ad campaigns, when was the last time you looked at how your ads are performing?

You might be dealing with a worst-case scenario: Poor performance due to auto-apply. Reversing its effects isn’t straightforward, fast, or easy.

Here’s why: Google Ads is an oil tanker, not a speed boat.

Slow response
Google Ads works on a complex algorithm, so quick fixes are unlikely, making it difficult to make fast, impactful adjustments.
Difficult recovery
Undoing auto-applied changes doesn’t always bring your account back to its original state—or performance levels.
Potential setbacks
You could end up in a worse position, making managing and improving your campaigns even more challenging.

Understanding and monitoring each change is essential to avoid getting lost in the algorithm’s complexities.

Have you ever had problems with automatic Google Ads changes? If so, our Google Ads management services bring a much-needed human touch to navigate and optimize your campaigns effectively.