TL;DR
Smart Bidding is only as smart as the data you feed it. Eight checks: primary conversions, conversion values, tag placement, deduplication, Enhanced Conversions, Consent Mode v2, server-side tagging and offline conversions for leads.
Smart Bidding learns from the conversions you measure. If the measurement is wrong, it optimises towards the wrong goal, quickly and with confidence. This is the list we check in every Google Ads account before trusting bidding to the algorithm.
What you measure
- Primary conversions match the real goal. You can have more than one, but do not mix high-value and low-value actions in the same campaign.
- Real conversion values. With a flat 1.00 value, tROAS has nothing to optimise.
- Correct tag placement. The conversion fires on the thank-you page and is tested in production with Tag Assistant.
- No double counting. A Google tag plus a GA4 import needs deduplication.
What you send back
- Enhanced Conversions active and verified in Diagnostics. Hashed first-party data usually recovers a single-digit share of conversions, sometimes more.
- Consent Mode v2: mandatory if you run campaigns in the EEA or the UK.
- Server-side tagging when budget justifies it: it reduces the impact of ad blockers and browser ITP.
- Offline and CRM conversions for leads. The GCLID passes through the form, is stored in the CRM and returns to Google Ads with qualified leads, so bidding learns from sales, not forms.
How many of the eight does your account have? If any are missing, see how we set them up through our GTM Lab.