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Why it matters
Smart Bidding learns from the past. A three-day sale with twice the usual conversion rate would take it days to notice, and by then the sale is over.
A seasonality adjustment tells it in advance, so bids rise with the sale and fall back after.
Where to find it in Google Ads
- Open Tools, then Adjustments, and add a seasonality adjustment.
- Set the start and end dates and the expected change in conversion rate.
- Choose the campaigns or campaign types it applies to.
- Use it for events of a few days, not for whole seasons.
An example
A shop runs a 48-hour sale and expects conversion rate to rise by 60%. A seasonality adjustment for those two days lets bids rise from the first hour.
Common mistakes
- Using it for long seasons like Christmas, which bidding learns on its own.
- Overstating the expected change.
- Forgetting to set it before the event starts.
Checks that look at it
The audit checks Oppy runs on this, each with its own page.
Related terms
- Smart Bidding: Google's automated bid strategies that set a bid for each auction toward conversions or conversion value.
- Data exclusion: A date range you tell Smart Bidding to ignore, for example when conversion tracking was broken, so it does not learn from a false drop or spike.
- Learning period: The time Smart Bidding needs to recalibrate after a new strategy or a large change.
- Keyword Planner: Google's free tool for keyword ideas, average monthly searches and the range advertisers have paid to show at the top of the page.