GoogleWantsYoutoFail(Slowly)
Google does not want you to fail dramatically. That would make you stop advertising. Google wants you to fail slowly, profitably (for them), and imperceptibly.
This is not conspiracy thinking. It is reading the incentive structure clearly. Google's business model depends on you spending more, not spending better. Their recommendations, automation defaults, and "optimisations" systematically favour their revenue over your profit.
Once you understand this, you stop following their advice blindly.
Understanding Google's Business Model
Google makes money when you spend money on ads. Not when you profit. Not when you grow. When you spend.
Their revenue is a function of:
- • Number of advertisers × average spend per advertiser
- • Auction competitiveness (higher CPCs = higher revenue)
- • Advertiser retention (you stay until you run out of money)
Notice what is missing from this formula: your profitability. Google earns the same whether your ROAS is 8:1 or 0.8:1. In fact, they often earn more when you are less efficient, because inefficient advertisers tend to spend more trying to compensate.
"Google's perfect customer is one who spends heavily, tracks poorly, and blames themselves for underperformance."
Why Google's Recommendations Are Often Terrible
Every Google Ads account has a "Recommendations" tab with an "Optimisation Score." This score exists to pressure you into adopting changes that Google wants you to make.
Let us examine common recommendations:
"Add broad match keywords"
What Google says: Capture more relevant traffic with expanded matching.
What actually happens: Your ads show for increasingly tangential queries. Volume increases, efficiency decreases. Google earns more from clicks that convert worse.
"Expand to search partners"
What Google says: Reach more potential customers on partner sites.
What actually happens: Your ads appear on low-quality sites with dubious traffic quality. Conversions look good on paper; actual revenue rarely follows.
"Raise your budget to capture more conversions"
What Google says: You are limited by budget. Increase it to grow.
What actually happens: The marginal conversions from increased budget are typically worse than your current average. Volume increases, efficiency drops, Google wins.
"Enable auto-applied recommendations"
What Google says: Let us automatically optimise your account.
What actually happens: Google makes changes without your approval, often expanding targeting, adding keywords, or adjusting bids in ways that increase spend.
The Hidden Costs of "Smarter" Automation
Smart Bidding, Performance Max, and automated campaigns are positioned as advancements. And technically, they are: the algorithms are genuinely sophisticated.
But who captures the value from improved automation?
When Smart Bidding becomes more efficient at finding converting users, what happens?
- • CPCs rise because the algorithm bids higher for valuable clicks
- • Auction competition intensifies as all advertisers get "smarter"
- • Google takes the efficiency gains through higher prices
- • Advertisers end up paying more for similar results
The paradox of automated bidding: as it gets better, advertisers often pay more, not less. The algorithm improvement flows to Google's revenue, not your margin.
"When everyone has the same smart bidding, nobody has an advantage. Except Google, who captures the increased bids."
Default Settings Extract Maximum Spend
Watch what is turned on by default when you create a new campaign:
Search Partners: On by default
Extends reach to questionable partner sites.
Display Expansion: Often on by default
Shows search ads on display network.
Broad Match: Increasingly default
Matches to queries only loosely related.
Maximise Clicks: Default bid strategy
Prioritises volume over efficiency.
None of these defaults are chosen to maximise your efficiency. They are chosen to maximise your spend. Every opt-out you miss costs you money.
When to Ignore Google Entirely
There are specific situations where Google's guidance should be dismissed outright:
When They Push Volume Over Value
Any recommendation that prioritises clicks, impressions, or conversions without reference to value should be ignored. Volume metrics serve Google's revenue; value metrics serve your profit.
When They Suggest Expansion During Performance Issues
"Add more keywords" when current keywords are not working is nonsense advice. Fix what is broken before expanding what is mediocre.
When Rep Suggestions Mirror Recommendations
Google Ads reps are measured on getting you to adopt recommendations. Their advice is not independent; it is an extension of the algorithm's agenda.
When Optimisation Score Threatens You
"Your score is 65%, apply these recommendations to reach 90%." The score is a manipulation tool. Plenty of excellent accounts have low optimisation scores because they refuse bad advice.
Working Within the System
This does not mean Google Ads is unusable. It means using it with eyes open:
Audit Every Default
When creating campaigns, manually check every setting. Opt out of partners, display expansion, and broad match unless you have specific reasons to include them.
Disable Auto-Applied Recommendations
Never let Google make changes without approval. Find this setting and turn it off for everything.
Ignore Optimisation Score
Measure your account by profit contribution, not Google's score. A low score with high POAS beats a high score with break-even results.
Question Every Recommendation
Ask: "Does this increase my profit, or Google's revenue?" If you cannot answer clearly, do not implement it.
The Uncomfortable Reality
Google Ads works. It can be profitable. Many businesses depend on it for growth.
But it works despite the platform's incentives, not because of them. Success on Google Ads requires actively resisting the platform's guidance, questioning its recommendations, and maintaining scepticism about its automation.
Google does not want you to fail. They want you to succeed just enough to keep spending, while capturing as much of your margin as possible. Slow failure. Profitable (for them) mediocrity.
"The platform is not your partner. It is a counterparty with opposing interests. Treat its advice accordingly."
Understanding this changes how you use Google Ads. You stop being a trusting user and become a sceptical operator. That shift is worth more than any optimisation technique.
Stay informed
Get our latest insights on Google Ads strategy delivered to your inbox. No fluff, no spam, just honest thinking.
Unsubscribe anytime. No spam, ever.