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smart bidding from the start works fine now for most accounts. manual cpc made sense years ago when the algorithm needed more hand-holding but google’s improved enough that it can learn from zero.
the “get conversions first” advice is outdated unless ur running something super niche or low volume where the algo won’t get enough signal (like <30 conversions/month).
difference between manual cpc and smart bidding: manual just bids what u tell it. smart bidding uses conversion data + audience signals + context to predict conversion likelihood and adjust bids in real time.
for ecomm: start with target roas or maximize conversion value. for lead gen: target cpa or maximize conversions.
conversion quality is the same, 1what matters is which conversion event ur optimizing for. if u optimize for form fills u’ll get form fills (good or bad). if u optimize for qualified leads (using offline conversions or crm data) u’ll get better quality.
