To learn more about Negative Targeting Ruleset Automation watch the tutorial video.
Overview of Negative Target Harvesting
Automating negative targeting is a powerful way to remove ineffective search terms that are not contributing to your sales or are generating sales with a high ACOS (Advertising Cost of Sale). The goal is to cut costs on low-performing search terms, helping you focus ad spend where it truly matters.
Step 1: Accessing Rulesets
Navigate to the Rulesets Page
Start by opening the "Rulesets" page within Adbrew’s interface.
Click on "Add New Rulesets"
To create a new ruleset for negative targeting, select "Add New Rulesets."
Step 2: Creating a New Ruleset
Choose Target Management Rulesets
Select "Target Management Rulesets" as the type.
2. Name Your Ruleset
Give your ruleset a name that’s easy to remember, such as "Negative Targeting for High ACOS Terms."
3. Enable Automation
Toggle the automation switch ON. This ensures that Adbrew will apply the ruleset automatically at the scheduled time.
4. Set Data Period
Choose the number of days of data to evaluate. It’s recommended to select a period of at least 30 days to get accurate insights into performance trends.
Step 3: Scheduling Ruleset Execution
Set Ruleset Frequency
Determine how often you want Adbrew to execute the ruleset. For instance, you can schedule it to run weekly every Monday at 9 AM.
Step 4: Defining Ruleset Criteria
To create effective criteria for negative targeting, follow these steps:
Add Criteria Rules
For negative targeting, add rules based on specific criteria. Here are two common rules:
Rule 1: Non-Converting Terms Rule
Identifies search terms with high clicks but no orders
Example: Negate terms with >100 clicks and 0 orders in 30 days
Rule 2: High ACOS Rule
Targets terms with excessive advertising cost of sale
Example: Negate terms with >50 clicks and ACOS >100% in 30 days
Setting Clicks Thresholds
A general recommendation is to negate search terms after 5-7 times the ideal clicks needed for a conversion. For example, if your conversion rate is 10%, you typically need 10 clicks per conversion. You can wait until a search term reaches 50-70 clicks with no orders before marking it as a negative target.
Using Statistically Significant Clicks
Instead of setting an absolute click threshold, Adbrew provides a “statistically significant clicks” metric. This will calculate an ideal clicks threshold specific to each ad group, enabling more accurate targeting.
Exclude Branded and Hero Terms
It’s often beneficial to exclude branded and hero search terms. Branded terms are those associated with your brand, and hero terms are keywords you’ve designated as important to your account.
Step 5: Configuring Target Movements
Once the rules are set, configure the campaigns where negative targeting will be applied:
Go to the Target Movements Tab
Open the "Target Movements" tab within your ruleset.
Add Configurations
Click “Add Configurations” and select “Configure Bulk Negative Targeting.”
3. Select Campaigns
Choose the campaigns that should follow this negative targeting rule and click “Submit.”
4. Adjust Match Type
By default, Adbrew applies negative exact match targeting for all ad groups. You can change the match type as needed for each campaign.
Note: Instead of creating a new negative targeting ruleset from scratch, you can also use the pre-made template inside target management templates.
Automation in Action
Once your configurations are complete, Adbrew will automatically execute the ruleset according to the schedule you set. Each week, the system will check for underperforming search terms and add them as negative targets, optimizing your ad spend and maximizing efficiency.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q: How often should I run the automation?
We recommend running the automation weekly (e.g., every Monday) to maintain optimal campaign performance. However, for accounts with high daily spend or numerous campaigns, you might benefit from more frequent runs, such as twice or thrice weekly.
Q: What is "statistically significant clicks" and when should I use it?
Statistically significant clicks is a dynamic metric that adjusts your click threshold based on each ad group's performance. Use it when:
You have varying conversion rates across different products
Your campaigns target different price points or categories
You want to automate threshold optimization
Q: What happens if a search term matches multiple rules?
If a search term meets the criteria for multiple rules, it will be negated based on the first rule it matches. The rules are evaluated in the order they appear in your ruleset.
Q: How can I track the effectiveness of my negative targeting automation?
You can:
Monitor your overall ACOS trend
Review the "target movements" tab for automated changes
Compare campaign performance before and after implementing automation
Check spending patterns on non-converting search terms
Q: What should I do if the automation is too aggressive?
You can:
Increase click thresholds
Adjust ACOS thresholds
Extend the evaluation period
Add more hero terms or branded terms to the exclusion list
Q: Can I undo automated changes?
Yes, you can:
Access the target movements tab
Review recent automated changes
select the changes, click on action, and choose undo.
Adjust rules to prevent unwanted changes in the future