Splitting & Scaling Google Ads Campaigns: Advanced Strategies for Maximum ROI
May 23, 2024The best way to scale Google Ads campaigns is by splitting them into smaller, more focused campaigns. This gives you better control over budget, bidding, targeting, and profit margins—especially when managing multiple regions, products, or networks.
If you’re anything like me—a certified Google Ads nerd—you’re always on the lookout for reliable methods to scale your campaigns effectively. In today’s blog post, we’re diving into one of the best ways to scale a Google Ads campaign: splitting your campaign into separate, more manageable campaigns.
Key Takeaways
- Splitting campaigns helps control budget and bidding
- Use separate campaigns for different locations or time zones
- Customize strategies for Search, Display, and Performance Max
- Separate high-margin from low-margin products or services
- Improve results by isolating and testing underperformers
- Avoid campaign overload—split with strategy, not volume
Why Split Google Ads Campaigns?
Before we delve into the how-to, let's clarify why splitting your campaigns can be a game-changer. It's a common misconception that more campaigns automatically translate to better results. However, the real power of multiple campaigns lies in the control they offer over your budget and bidding settings. Here are four compelling reasons to consider splitting your campaigns:
- Better Location Targeting
- Enhanced Network & Audience Targeting
- Separation of Products or Search Themes Due to Profit Margins
- Testing Underperforming Products or Services
Let's break these down further.
1. Better Location Targeting
If you're targeting multiple countries, it’s often beneficial to create separate campaigns for each region. This allows you to tailor your approach to the unique characteristics of each market.
Example:
- Seasonal Differences: A clothing brand selling in both the USA and Australia would need separate campaigns due to the opposing seasons—Australia's summer coincides with the USA's winter.
- Budget Allocation: Different marketing budgets for Europe and the USA can be managed more effectively with separate campaigns, ensuring the right funds are allocated to each market.
Separate location campaigns also enable precise optimizations based on:
- User Search Terms: A term like "men’s thongs" means very different things in Australia compared to the USA.
- Languages: Campaigns can be focused on a single language, enhancing relevance and performance.
- Demographics and Audiences: Tailor ad copies and bidding targets more effectively.
2. Enhanced Network & Audience Targeting
Different networks and audiences often require distinct strategies. For example, video ads and display network ads might need unique budgets and messages.
Why Separate?
- Performance Max Campaigns: These show ads across all of Google Ads networks but lack control over budget distribution among video, search, display, or shopping ads.
- Remarketing and Outreach: Targeting specific websites or channels is more effective through dedicated display or video campaigns.
3. Separation of Products or Search Themes Due to Profit Margins
Understanding your business's profit margins is crucial for campaign structuring. Products or services with vastly different profit margins require different approaches to maximize profitability.
Considerations:
- Product Costs: High-margin products (e.g., 60%) should be separated from low-margin ones (e.g., 20%) due to differing cost/conversion protocols.
- Service-Based Businesses: High-profit services, such as emergency plumbing, have different cost structures and should be targeted separately.
- Supplier Relationships: For instance, a liquor supplier might separate campaigns based on importer relationships to capitalize on seasonal deals.
4. Testing Underperforming Products or Services
When using bidding strategies like maximize conversions or conversion value, it’s common to see certain ad groups dominate the budget due to higher conversion metrics. This can sideline other potentially valuable products.
Strategic Approach:
- Categorize Products/Services: Visualize them into four categories—Hero, Sidekick, Zombie, and Villain products.
- Budget Allocation: Focus more budget on Hero and Sidekick products, while adjusting spend on Zombies and minimizing on Villains.
Conclusion
Splitting and scaling Google Ads campaigns is not just about creating more campaigns but about having clear, strategic reasons for each one. By focusing on better location targeting, network and audience segmentation, profit margin differentiation, and systematic testing, you can achieve superior control over your budget and bidding settings, leading to optimized performance and higher ROI.
Remember, the goal is to maintain clarity and purpose for each campaign you run. If you stick to these principles, you’ll avoid the common pitfall of over-complicating your account with unnecessary campaigns.
👉 The Key to Profitable Google Ads Campaigns: Strategy Over Secrets
FAQ
What is the best way to scale Google Ads campaigns?
The best way to scale Google Ads is by splitting campaigns based on location, audience, product type, or performance. This gives you more control over budget, bidding, and targeting for better ROI.
Why should you split Google Ads campaigns?
Splitting campaigns lets you customize strategies for each region, audience, or product. It improves control over spend, targeting, and performance—especially useful when scaling or testing new offers.
How do I scale Google Ads campaigns for local business clients?
Create separate campaigns for each local area or region. Customize ad copy, bids, and scheduling based on location-specific data to increase relevance and improve conversions.
Should I split campaigns by product margin?
Yes. High-margin and low-margin products perform best when managed in separate campaigns. This allows you to set different CPA targets and allocate budget based on profitability.
How do I handle budget splits in Performance Max campaigns?
Performance Max doesn’t let you directly split budgets by channel, so use separate campaigns for different goals—like one for shopping, another for remarketing, and one for testing new products or audiences.
What are common mistakes when scaling Google Ads?
A common mistake is creating too many campaigns without a clear reason. Only split when it improves control, performance, or testing—not just to look “busy” in the account.
How do I test underperforming products in Google Ads?
Group underperformers into their own campaign or ad group. Use tailored bidding strategies, lower budgets, and specific messaging to test them separately without letting them drain budget from top performers.