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Optimized targeting in Google Ads is a feature that allows advertisers to focus their campaigns on audiences that are most likely to convert.
It uses various signals, such as keywords on landing pages and creative assets, to identify and reach audiences that align with the campaign's goals.
This feature is only available for:
- Display Campaigns
- Discovery Campaigns
- Video Action Campaigns for “Sales,” “Leads,” or “Website traffic” goals.
When you create one of the three campaigns mentioned above, Google automatically turns on the Optimized targeting. But you can turn it off after the campaign is published.
Step-by-step
Here's a quick step-by-step to turn it off in an existing campaign.
- Select the campaign you want to modify.
- Select the specific ad group you want to change the targeting for.
- On the left-hand page menu, select “Settings.”
- Select “Edit ad group targeting.”
- Under “Settings,” expand the “Optimized targeting” section block to be able to select the checkbox.
- Uncheck the checkbox option “Use optimize targeting.”
- This will turn optimized targeting/off. Press “Save.”
Once you have turned it off, your ads will only show to people who meet the criteria specified in your ad group targeting.
When should you turn off optimized targeting?
Here are some situations where you might want to turn off optimized targeting:
- You have a particular target audience that you want to reach.
- You're running a small campaign and want to control your targeting more closely.
- You're not seeing the results that you want.
Ultimately, the decision of whether or not to use optimized targeting is up to you. Consider your specific goals and needs when making this decision.
What happens when you turn off Optimized Targeting?
Here are some things to keep in mind when turning off this feature:
- You may lose some efficiency, as Google Ads cannot use its machine learning to find new audiences likely to be interested in your products/services.
- You may need to adjust your bids or other settings to ensure that your ads are still getting seen by enough people.
- After turning off the targeting, you should monitor your campaign performance closely to ensure you are still reaching your goals.
