Automated bidding sets a bid for each ad based on how likely it is to lead to a click or conversion, so you no longer update bids by hand. It learns as it goes and bids towards your goal.
The main strategies
- More conversions: Maximise conversions or Target CPA.
- More conversion value: Maximise conversion value or Target ROAS.
- More visits: Maximise clicks.
- More visibility on Search: Target impression share.
What Smart Bidding adds
Smart Bidding is the group of strategies that optimise for conversions or conversion value. It sets a bid for every auction, which Google calls auction-time bidding, using signals such as device, location, time of day, remarketing list, language and operating system. Some Smart Bidding strategies need a minimum volume of past conversion data to work well. Enhanced CPC is no longer available for Search and Display campaigns.
In practice
App campaigns use the same idea. You set a target cost per install, a target cost per in-app action, or a return on ad spend target. Google advises a daily budget of at least 50 times your target cost per install, or 10 times your target cost per action, so the system has enough data. Track the right in-app events first, because the bidding can only optimise for what you measure.
See how we run App campaigns on our Google Ads agency page.
Sources checked 4 October 2026
Related Google Ads questions
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