Term
Manual CPC
A manual cost-per-click bidding strategy in Google Ads. Advertisers set bids per keyword or ad group themselves — Google does not automatically adjust them based on conversion likelihood.
Manual CPC — in more detail
Manual CPC is the classic, fully advertiser-controlled bid strategy. The max cost-per-click bid is set directly at keyword or ad-group level; Google does not auto-adjust that ceiling up or down in the auction. Upside: maximum control, deterministic behavior, well suited for small accounts or tests without enough conversion data. Downside: no response to real-time signals (device, location, time-of-day, user profile) — Smart Bidding can read those signals, Manual CPC cannot. The Enhanced CPC (ECPC) add-on lets Google raise or lower the manual bid dynamically in auctions with high conversion likelihood.
Example / In practice
A small local agency launches a new campaign without conversion history and sets Manual CPC at €1.20 per click across all keywords. Three weeks in, with 60 conversions banked, they switch to Smart Bidding (Maximize Conversions) — enough data has accumulated for the algorithm to learn meaningfully.
Distinction from similar terms
Enhanced CPC (ECPC) is Manual CPC with conversion-based bid adjustments turned on — semi-automatic. Maximize Clicks is an automated click-maximization bid. Smart Bidding covers conversion- and value-oriented auto strategies like tCPA and tROAS.
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Smart Bidding
Umbrella term for the conversion- and value-based automated bid strategies in Google Ads: tCPA, tROAS, Maximize Conversions, Maximize Conversion Value. Driven by ML and real-time auction signals.
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