Google AdWords™ For Dummies®, 3rd Edition

Adjusting Keyword Bids Too Often

Setting keyword bids can be one of the trickiest and most time-consuming parts of managing your AdWords account — but it doesn't have to be. The temptation to micromanage bids stems from the fact that just about every bid is either too high or too low. Every click generates a complicated auction that Google manages with startling speed and efficiency.

Have you ever completed a negotiation to your satisfaction but still ended up with a niggling feeling that you could have gotten a slightly better deal? If you pore over your AdWords data continually, you could conceivably feel that way several thousand times a day. And while making yourself miserable that often might have a certain appeal, the real danger lies in the possibility that you'll keep changing bids in an effort to close the perceived gap between the deal you're getting and the deal you could be getting.

Changing bids too often doesn't allow the data to accumulate to the point where you have solid evidence to guide you. It's like shooting free throws in the dark with no feedback; you can't expect improvement in that scenario.

Wait until you accumulate evidence in the form of a month's worth of data before shifting any bids. Follow the schedule detailed in the last part of Chapter 13 to adjust bids for maximum benefit in minimum time.