Earlier this year, Circus attended a Google Partners Bootcamp where one of the key topics discussed was automated bidding strategies and the benefits they bring to clients and agencies.
After the event, I wrote a post that highlights why and how we should be using them, which you can read here: circusppc.com/adwords-automated-bidding-strategies
Now that a few months have passed, I want to share with you the results of some testing we conducted using the Target CPA automated bidding strategy.
The account used was a lead generation client aiming for 350 leads per month at £50 CPL (cost-per-lead).
January 2018
Bid aggression was high (£4.97 CPC) which led to relatively strong lead volume with 288 leads generated. However, CPL was also very high at an unsustainable £73.05.
| Month | Leads | CPL |
|---|---|---|
| Jan-18 | 288 | £73.05 |

February 2018
Due to high CPL in January, bids were manually decreased in February to try and bring CPL down to a sustainable level.
CPL did improve but not by much and lead volume dropped considerably to 91 leads.
| Month | Leads | CPL |
|---|---|---|
| Jan-18 | 288 | £73.05 |
| Feb-18 | 91 | £67.52 |

March 2018
Target CPA automated bidding strategy applied in March. Google’s recommendation is to start with setting the Target CPA as the current CPL so that the algorithms have time to learn and stabilise.
Target CPA set to £67. Leads improve by 93% with CPL improving ever so slightly.
| Month | Leads | CPL |
|---|---|---|
| Jan-18 | 288 | £73.05 |
| Feb-18 | 91 | £67.52 |
| Mar-18 | 176 | £66.67 |

April 2018
Google recommends reducing the Target CPA gradually only after the automated bid strategy learning period has ended.
Target CPA reduced to £55. Lead volume increases by another 50% from March to April. CPL reduces from £67 to £57.
| Month | Leads | CPL |
|---|---|---|
| Jan-18 | 288 | £73.05 |
| Feb-18 | 91 | £67.52 |
| Mar-18 | 176 | £66.67 |
| Apr-18 | 264 | £56.68 |

May 2018
Target CPA reduced to £50. May exceeds the target 350 leads and brings CPL down very close to £50 CPL target. CPC this month has come down to £1.38 (from £4.97 in January).
| Month | Leads | CPL |
|---|---|---|
| Jan-18 | 288 | £73.05 |
| Feb-18 | 91 | £67.52 |
| Mar-18 | 176 | £66.67 |
| Apr-18 | 264 | £56.68 |
| May-18 | 386 | £53.47 |

CONCLUSION
February to May shows a 324% increase in leads and a 21% reduction in cost-per-lead. These are pretty astounding results!
In addition, a lot of time and effort is saved where manual bid optimisation would normally be applied, so now that time can be dedicated to improving strategy.
In automated bidding, Google takes into account multiple factors in real time that are just impossible for a person to do manually.
Despite these great results, I would still encourage careful and phased testing rather than abandoning manual bidding altogether immediately.
Follow the best practice guidelines and be patient throughout the learning period. It is tempting to make changes when you don’t see the results immediately.

If you would like help taking your PPC campaigns to the next level then please get in touch and see what Circus can do for you.
Written by William Cheng Operations Director at Circus PPC Agency
Client Testimonials

Young adults holding up copyspace placard thought bubbles
We are great at PPC and do not shy away from telling everyone but isn’t it great when our clients say the same as well.
Here is some of the feedback from our lovely clients:
“Circus have done a fantastic job on our paid advertising channels not only growing our lead volume whilst reducing Cost Per Lead but also working closely with the business to understand the core KPI and waterfall goals required to achieve an improved and sustained ROI.
Their willingness to understand all products verticals, specialist skills, knowledge and dedication to improving our account is unparalleled.” Ian Johnson – Group Commercial Director – Freedom Finance
“Circus PPC has already impressively increased conversions and saved us significant spend in a very short time. We are looking forward to many years of growing the Drinkstuff brand together.” Buzz Seager – Head of Marketing – Drinkstuff
“Having been a very active online retailer for over 10 years we have lost count of the number of Paid Search companies we’ve worked with (from in-house employees to so called market-leading Paid Search companies). It’s an industry where you’ll never know who can really deliver a good managed service, unless you use them. We have been working with Circus for over 3 years now and from the very start they have been outstanding in all aspects of their service. They have been an absolute pleasure to work with.
We have been extremely impressed with the team’s in-depth knowledge, flexibility with communication, reporting, and most importantly delivering results. From virtually no spend on our paid search campaigns we are generating around 100k per month. The paid search campaigns are now a key part of the marketing strategy and we continue to have peace of mind that it has been delegated to a team that knows exactly what they are doing. We realise that working with a small team of passionate individuals, you get more expertise that an in-house team, and more attention to detail than a bigger management firm. Keep up the great work!” Mohammed Patel – Owner & MD – Kiddies Kingdom
“It’s evident that the gambling industry is one of most competitive markets to run PPC campaigns in the UK. Circus PPC have shown their expertise in this area. They have effectively managed our PPC budget within the challenging CPA and FTD targets we have set. They are a pleasure to work with and feel like an extension of our marketing team.” Andre Au – Senior Acquisition Manager – Betsson
“The Circus team have been part of our continued success this year, thanks to their diligence, hard work and insight. They have taken great pains to understand the needs of our business. They have helped deliver on our goals through effective management of our PPC budget with constant improvement and deployments of innovative techniques and technology.” David Roebuck – Managing Director – Direct Blinds
“Travel is a very competitive and challenging market. Our main aim was not only to protect our brand online, but also provide visitors with the USPs of tailor-made travel across international territories and languages. With our team needed hands on elsewhere we were glad to have our Paid Search activities in the safe hands of the Circus team.” Stefan Wirtz – Head of Online Marketing – Shanti Travel
“Rick and his team at Circus have been part of our continued success for over 4 years now, thanks to their diligence, hard work and insight – and have taken great pains to understand the needs of our business. They have helped deliver on our goals through effective management of our PPC budget with constant improvement and deployments of innovative techniques and technology.” Neil Addley – Managing Director – Trusted Dealers Ltd
“We’ve been working on our PPC with Circus for 6 months now. Since working together, we have seen a dramatic increase in revenue and have maintained a solid ROI throughout. The team is a pleasure to work with and provides detailed and straightforward reports that are always on time. They are always looking to further improve the campaigns and identify new opportunities to expand our online presence.
Circus are a highly knowledgeable company who are passionate about staying ahead of the curve and delivering top PPC campaigns.” Helena Linsky – Owner & MD – Pebble Grey
“Partnership is really important to us, and having someone who fundamentally understands how Google works and is an accredited Partner was one of the key reasons why we chose to pursue a relationship with Circus. Circus have been a breath of fresh air and I’d definitely recommend them – they’re a fantastic company to work with.” Steve Broodryk – Digital Marketing Manager – Miele
“The DISC Group have worked with Rick and the team at Circus for a number of years! The main thing that I appreciate is that I never just feel like a number and that they are going through the motions… the guys continually look to better understand our business and constantly look for new ways to generate high quality leads at the most competitive CPC.
I would have no hesitation in recommending the Circus team… great people who do what they say they will do!” Dave Pike – Managing Director – Disc Group
“Circus has helped us make a significant difference to our PPC efforts. We’ve had an instant 25% decrease in our CPA since we started working together. I’ve worked with Circus in my previous company as well and find them very reliable. The team is very responsive, initiative and experienced at what they do.” Sapna Ahuja – Marketing Manager – UAccount
“We tried various agencies and could not get a partner who took the time to understand our sector or our business. After moving over to Circus, the patience and diligence shown when building our campaigns has been nothing short of exceptional. Above and beyond at every step.” Paul Gorry – Head of B2C Ecommerce – LEW
Why Graduates Should Consider a Career in PPC
Unlike Rome, not all roads lead to a career in PPC. However, I believe your degree will have provided you with many of the necessary skills to succeed on this path. Read on to find out why you’re qualified to be a PPC Account Manager…
- Able Researcher
To be successful at PPC you need to research your client, their target market, and their competitors effectively, as well as discovering keywords and ad copy that are suitable for them. Graduates are used to spending hours in the library investigating niche topics and ideas so conducting thorough, comprehensive research should come naturally to you.
- Excellent Communicator
The ability to write in a clear and concise manner is paramount for creating adverts, and for delivering reports to your clients. Most graduates will have articulated themselves within set word counts – so writing for fixed character limits shouldn’t be a problem. When producing reports for clients it is imperative to be coherent and straight-to-the-point; if you can communicate the same information in fewer words you should. You also need to be able to express yourself verbally, whether this is pitching your services to a prospective client or explaining something complicated in simple terms to someone outside the PPC world.
- Attention to Detail
Arts and STEM graduates alike are well practised in examining either text or numbers closely and looking for something significant or anomalous. Proofreading ad copy is a key task where this skill comes into play because you are far less likely to allow spelling mistakes to escape through the net. This attention to detail is also valuable for data analysis, as your brain is more attuned to patterns so you are able to home in on anything unusual or noteworthy.
- Organised
PPC account managers need to be able to manage their time effectively so that their clients are receiving the attention they deserve. Whilst at university you will have balanced your workload against other commitments and structured your days accordingly; the ability to independently organise yourself is beneficial for a career in PPC as only you know how best to prioritise your tasks to meet the needs of your clients.
- Creative
Graduates are well-placed to create compelling and inspiring ad copy as throughout their degree they are likely to have been challenged to think outside the box and solve problems in an original, creative manner. Ads usually receive more clicks if they appeal and engage the reader so it is extremely advantageous if you can produce innovative ad copy suitable for your target audience.
- Adaptable
PPC is a dynamic and ever-changing industry so you need to be able to adapt to changes in technology as well as willing to alter your approach to account management if stats are not heading in the direction you want. At university you are likely to have been pushed out of your comfort zone and this also happens to PPC Account Managers – no matter how experienced they are.
- Analytical
Some graduates will be more comfortable working with numbers than others however it is well within everyone’s capabilities to perform data analysis. No one is born with an innate skill for Excel but with practise and patience you will be examining and manipulating data to help optimise your accounts in no time.
- Keen Learner
By gaining your degree you have evidenced that you enjoy educating yourself and a career in PPC offers continuous learning since new features are frequently launched which you need to get to grips with. Furthermore, there are Google AdWords and Bing certifications to study for and attaining these assures clients that you are up-to-date with the latest industry developments.
However, none of the above skills matter unless you are passionate about PPC!
Satisfy your PPC cravings by reading more articles written by the Circus team on our News & Blog.