Google Ads product managers offered advertisers tactical insights for optimizing campaigns ahead of the Black Friday Cyber Monday shopping period, addressing common misconceptions and detailing new platform features.
The guidance, shared by Ginny Marvin, Tal Akabas, and Brooke Osmundson, aims to help advertisers maximize performance during the peak holiday sales season by clarifying how Google’s automated systems function.
One key clarification involved the platform’s learning status: modifying tCPA, tROAS targets, or budgets on a stable campaign does not reset Google Ads‘ learning phase or erase historical data, according to the product managers.
Advertisers were also advised that Seasonality Adjustments are generally unnecessary for predictable holiday surges like BFCM. Google’s internal models already anticipate these standard spikes, the managers explained, suggesting the feature be reserved for unexpected market anomalies.
A new Promotion Mode is currently rolling out to Search and Performance Max (PMax) campaigns. This feature allows advertisers to schedule specific promotional windows, complete with dedicated budget and bid adjustments, according to Google.
Regarding Smart Bidding Exploration, Google stated that it requires eligible target Return On Ad Spend (tROAS) campaigns with unconstrained budgets to operate effectively. Without these conditions, the exploration mechanism is automatically disabled.
Looking ahead, Google will alter its existing Display Expansion allocation behavior starting February 2027. The company urged advertisers to audit any Search campaigns currently utilizing Display Expansion to prepare for the upcoming change.
The insights were reportedly shared during a session focused on preparing advertisers for the holiday shopping season, as highlighted by publications like Search Engine Journal and Optmyzr.
Source: Search Engine Journal
