Yesterday a potential client called me, concerned. They were reviewing their Google ads and discovered a few ads that were unfamiliar. They couldn't remember making them. Worse, the text was poorly written and had been seen by thousands of people. What was going on?
Automated Ad Suggestions
A few months ago, Google bots started taking the liberty to write new ads and set them live - without requiring your approval! They're called Automated Ad Suggestions.
Nearly every case I've witnessed, the ad copy is poor and impairs performance. If your Google ads account isn't closely managed, it's likely showing ads to prospects that reflect poorly on your business.
Check If They're Running In Your Account
Luckily, it's easy to edit or remove these automated ads. Here's how to locate them in your account:
1) Ensure it's showing all campaigns.
2) Select Ads & Extensions
3) Click add filter, search and click on "Auto-applied ad suggestion."
4) Click yes and apply.
Now you'll see all the ads that were automatically created by Google:
How To Disable The Feature Completely
Once you see them, you'll likely want to disable this feature completely from your account. Here's how to do that:
1) Again, make sure you're showing for all campaigns.
2) Click on settings, and select the tab for Account Settings.
3) Then click on Ad Suggestions, and click "Don't automatically apply ad suggestions."
4) Save.
And voila, Google will no longer set ads live that you didn't create.