Beyond the Algorithm: Why Human Insight is Still Crucial for Effective PPC

Automation has revolutionised PPC, with AI and machine learning having the ability to handle bid adjustments, ad placements and audience targeting. While these tools can enhance efficiency, they aren’t a one-size-fits-all solution. Data can drive decisions, but human expertise ensures they’re the right ones.

Our PPC Account Manager, Jenna Jones, believes that the idea of “set it and forget it” can be super harmful to your PPC campaign. While automation can optimise campaigns, leaving it to run without human oversight can lead to wasted budget, missed opportunities and misaligned targeting. AI can often lack the strategic awareness and adaptability that an expert PPC manager brings. So, where does automation help, and where is manual control still essential?

The PPC Power Struggle

Automation has its place in PPC, especially when time constraints or resource limitations come into play. However, while AI-driven tools can assist in optimising campaigns, they shouldn’t replace human expertise. Here’s where automation can help – and where manual intervention is still crucial.

Smart Bidding

If you want to generate more leads, track the return on your ad spend or let Google adjust bids in real time, smart bidding can be useful. Google Ads’ machine learning algorithms analyse vast amounts of data, such as user behaviour, ad schedule and location, to adjust bids for better performance.

Strategies like Maximise Conversions (focusing on getting as many leads as possible within your budget) or Enhanced Cost-Per-Click (which adjusts your bids to increase the likelihood of conversions) can optimise bidding efficiency. However, while automation is great for hands-off management, a manual approach allows for greater control, meaning your budget is spent where it truly matters.

Audience Targeting

AI can assist in segmenting your audience based on their behaviour, demographics and purchase intent. Google’s In-Market Audiences and Similar Audiences help display ads to users who are more likely to convert.

While automation provides valuable insights, human input is still necessary. Relying solely on AI can lead to broad targeting that may not align with your unique business goals. A manual approach ensures your messaging reaches the right people at the right time, without unnecessary ad spend. It’s great to review the auction insight weekly to see who is ranking around you in the SERPs. This ensures you’re targeting the right audience and going after the same traffic as your competitors. Following this, it’s good practice to review the ‘Search Term’ report which shows the keywords you are actually appearing for that you aren’t yet bidding on. From there you can choose to add as a keyword or a negative that you don’t want to show for again.

Ad Scheduling & Budget Allocation

Automation can schedule ads for times when engagement is likely to be highest and distribute budget across well-performing campaigns. This is useful for businesses that lack the time or expertise to monitor performance manually.

However, relying entirely on automation could mean missing out on deeper insights. Manually analysing performance data allows you to refine strategies further. This gives you the opportunity to make sure the budget is spent efficiently and not wasted on underperforming ads. It’s important to review your ad schedule monthly and manually adjust the bids depending on your best performing day and time of the week.

Responsive Search Ads

Responsive Search Ads remove the guesswork from testing ad copy. Google’s algorithm rotates multiple headlines and descriptions to determine the best-performing combinations, ensuring the most effective message is prioritised.
This can be useful for A/B testing at scale, but human creativity still plays a key role. AI may not always understand brand tone or messaging nuances, so manually reviewing and refining ad copy is essential to maintain consistency and effectiveness.
manually.

Automation & Manual PPC: The Showdown

Choosing between manual and automatic PPC often depends on your resources and how much time you have. While automation offers efficiency and data-driven optimisations, manual PPC provides better control, allowing for precise adjustments and deeper audience understanding making it a fantastic option for small budget B2B businesses.
Where automation shines:
• Scaling Campaigns: AI optimises bids and placements quickly for larger accounts.
• Data-Driven Adjustments: Machine learning adapts to trends faster than manual input.
Whereas, manual excels for: 
• Tighter Budget Control: Prevent overspending by manually managing bids rather than relying on AI-driven strategies.
• Industry-Specific Knowledge: AI lacks the contextual understanding that a PPC expert can bring.
• Flexibility & Agility: Adjust bids, strategy and messaging based on real-time performance.
While automation can boost efficiency, human expertise remains key to maximising results, especially in niche industries or competitive B2B markets. So what is the best approach?
manually.

Automation & Manual PPC: A Love Story

You may be wondering if you can use both manual and automated PPC in your strategy. Good news. This story does have a happy ending. 

Like any great partnership, PPC success is about balance. Automation can be the logical, data-driven partner who can make lightning fast decisions, when used correctly. Whilst manual PPC is the creative, intuitive touch that understands nuances and the fast-paced digital ad space better than anyone. Together they create a marketing power couple to rival all others.

But, like any good relationship, it takes effort to keep things running smoothly. Left unchecked, automation can make misguided decisions, while relying solely on manual input can be time-consuming for your staff. The answer? A strategic mix of both where an expert PPC marketing agency steps in to steer the strategy in the right direction.

Finding that balance isn’t always easy, but that’s where we come in. Our friendly team is ready to make automation and manual strategy work in perfect harmony for your business. .