10 Hidden Settings In Google Ads (Episode 508)

Chris Schaefer shares 10 lesser-known Google Ads settings that streamline account management and prevent common pitfalls, drawing from his 23 years of experience. These tweaks address automation overreach, location mismatches, optimization pressures, and tracking nuances, often accessed via subtle menus like the three-dot dropdown in Assets.

Controlling Automated Assets and Locations

Schaefer starts with account-level automated assets, a default feature where Google AI adds sitelinks, callouts, and images without notification or changes history. This can harm campaigns, such as when AI creates sitelinks to a client's pricing page ("Get Pricing") before they've heard the value pitch, wasting high-cost clicks on premature price reveals. To disable: navigate to Assets, click the three dots (vertical ellipses), select "Account-level automated assets," repeat the three dots, and toggle off.

Location groups fix mismatches for businesses with multiple nearby facilities. Google's dynamic selection might show the wrong Google Business Profile (e.g., west-side location to east-side searchers), causing drop-offs. Link specific locations to campaigns via Assets > location assets > create location group, ensuring relevance. This resolved a client's issue where one facility underperformed due to prioritization errors.