Google is a business.
Their job is to:
- maximise ad revenue
- increase spend across accounts
- keep advertisers in the platform
Your job is to:
- create specific demand
- at predictable cost
- with measurable ROI
Those two goals overlap sometimes.
But they don’t always align.
What Google optimises for (and what you should optimise for)
Google optimises for:
- more auctions entered
- more volume
- more automation adoption
- higher spend
- “good platform metrics” (clicks, impressions, broad reach)
You should optimise for:
- qualified leads / sales
- cost per acquisition you can sustain
- margin, not vanity volume
- predictable performance
- conversion quality
This is why “platform recommendations” can be dangerous.
They’re not written for your P&L.
The common “Google advice” that sounds smart but costs you money
1) “Increase your budget”
Translation: spend more and you’ll get more volume.
Reality: you might just buy worse traffic at a higher CPA.
2) “Use broad match to capture more searches”
Translation: enter more auctions.
Reality: you often pay for irrelevant intent unless tightly controlled.
3) “Turn on auto-applied recommendations”
Translation: let the platform adjust things for you.
Reality: it often shifts you toward spend, not efficiency.
4) “Raise your targets to unlock more volume”
Translation: loosen your efficiency goal.
Reality: Google gets more freedom to spend.
5) “Switch to Performance Max”
Translation: let the system find customers everywhere.
Reality: can work, but can also hide what’s actually driving results.
The “tricks” Google uses to persuade you (subtle but real)
1) The optimisation score pressure
You get a big visible score that implies:
“Higher score = better performance”
But the score is mainly:
“How many recommendations did you accept?”
Not:
“How profitable is your account?”
2) The language of certainty
Recommendations are phrased like facts:
- “Increase conversions”
- “Capture missed opportunities”
- “Improve performance”
But they’re not guarantees.
They’re suggestions that typically increase platform activity.
3) The default bias toward automation
Google will always push you toward:
- broad match
- smart bidding
- automated creatives
- PMax
Because automation increases:
- scale
- auction coverage
- spend
It can be great.
But only when your tracking, offer, and conversion quality are solid.
4) The “missed opportunity” framing
They’ll show warnings like:
- “Limited by budget”
- “Eligible impressions lost”
- “Your ads could show more often”
That’s not the same as:
- “You’re losing profitable customers”
Sometimes you’re “missing” bad traffic on purpose.
5) The rep playbook (not personal, just incentives)
Google reps often have targets:
- adoption of certain features
- spend growth
- automation rollouts
They’re not evil.
But they’re not accountable for your ROI either.
The CEO-level rule (the one to remember)
Google is a distribution channel, not a growth strategy.
It can deliver demand.
But it won’t define:
- who you should target
- what your offer should be
- what a good lead looks like
- what CPA is sustainable
- what margin you need
That’s your job.
Practical guardrails (what to do instead)
1) Decide your “commercial limits” first
Before touching settings:
- target CPA / target ROAS
- acceptable lead quality
- margin thresholds
- conversion definition
2) Only accept recommendations that support your objective
Simple filter:
Does this improve profitability or predictability?
Or does it just increase activity?
3) Treat automation like an employee
Give it rules.
Check its work.
Don’t let it run the business.
4) Measure the right outcome
Not clicks. Not impressions.
Sales, margin, LTV, qualified leads.
Google will always encourage you to spend more.
Your job is to spend smarter.