Understanding Seasonality Bid Adjustments in Google Ads

In the age of automation, PPC marketers face increasing challenges in driving meaningful change within highly automated advertising ecosystems. Yet, advanced techniques like seasonality bid adjustments offer a unique opportunity to regain control and refine campaign performance. This powerful tool allows advertisers to proactively inform Smart Bidding of anticipated changes in conversion rates due to upcoming short-term events, ensuring their campaigns remain agile and optimized for peak performance during critical periods.

What Are Seasonality Bid Adjustments?

Seasonality bid adjustments enable advertisers to temporarily adjust their conversion rate expectations within Smart Bidding strategies like Target CPA (tCPA) or Target ROAS (tROAS). This adjustment can be used when a business expects significant fluctuations in conversion rates—either an increase or a decrease—due to events such as sales, holidays, or other promotions. 

Rather than relying on Smart Bidding to gradually learn and adapt to these changes, seasonality bid adjustments allow you to proactively set expectations for these temporary shifts.

Key Features     ‍

        Short-Term Focus: Ideal for events lasting 1-7 days. Prolonged use (more than 14 days) is not         recommended.

        Quick Adaptation: Smart Bidding instantly reverts to pre-event behavior after the adjustment period         ends, eliminating the need for a ramp-down phase.

        Limited Scope: Only applicable to Search and standard Shopping campaigns (not campaigns with         shared budgets or ad schedules).

When Should You Use Seasonality Bid Adjustments?

While Smart Bidding is designed to handle many seasonal trends on its own, there are specific scenarios where seasonality bid adjustments can give your campaigns an edge:

Sales and Promotions

Example: A three-day flash sale with an expected 50% spike in conversion rates. By creating a seasonality adjustment, you ensure that Google Ads accounts for this temporary boost, maximizing the ROI during the sale.

Business Closures

Example: Your business is closed for a holiday and unavailable to handle inquiries. Instead of pausing campaigns (which prolongs the learning phase), you can set an expected decrease in conversion rate to automatically reduce spending during this period.

Correcting Underestimation by Google

Example: During Black Friday, Google may underestimate the sharp increase in conversion rates. By applying a modest positive adjustment, you can help Smart Bidding scale effectively and capture more opportunities.

Managing Post-Event Aggression

Example: After Black Friday, conversion rates drop, but Google continues to overestimate performance, leading to overspending. A negative adjustment can quickly stabilize the campaign's performance.

How to Set Up Seasonality Bid Adjustments in Google Ads

Here’s a step-by-step guide to setting up a seasonality bid adjustment:

Log in to Google Ads

Navigate to your Google Ads account.

Access Adjustments

Click the Tools icon in the top-right corner of the interface.

From the drop-down menu, select Budgets and Bidding > Adjustments.

Create a New Adjustment

Select Seasonality Adjustments at the top of the page.

Click the "+" button to start creating a new adjustment.

Configure Your Adjustment

Enter a name and description for the adjustment (e.g., "Black Friday Sale Boost").

Specify the event’s start and end dates.

Choose the scope (e.g., campaigns, devices).

Input the estimated percentage change in conversion rate.

Save and Monitor

Click Save to activate the adjustment.

Monitor your campaigns to ensure the adjustment delivers the expected impact.