Managing small Google Ads accounts isn’t easy—it’s like trying to juggle while walking a tightrope. With tight budgets, fewer clicks to work with, and AI taking over more and more of the process, keeping your campaigns under control can feel like a real uphill battle.
In one of the recent episodes of our video series, Automation Layering Masterclass, Amy McClain-Ponder, Group Director of Paid Search at Beeby Clark+Meyler (BCM), shared 9 powerful automations her team uses to handle these challenges.
- Anomaly alerts for quick issue detection
- Automated budget pacing alerts
- Pausing underperforming keywords
- Managing search queries
- High CTR alerts
- Dynamic Search Ads (DSA) for discovery
- Monitoring declining keywords
- YouTube placement exclusions
- AI-generated insights for reporting
Watch the following video where Amy explains these automations in detail:
1. Get notified of unusual performance shifts.
Amy’s team sets alerts that notify them of unusual performance shifts, such as campaigns underspending or overspending.
For example:
- Underspending: Detecting campaigns performing below-expected spend levels (e.g., 82% lower than average)
- Overspending: Identifying potential errors, like an incorrectly entered budget
Her team uses Optmyzr’s Anomaly Alerts, also called Auto Alerts, which are generated automatically by the Optmyzr system for any Google Ads, Microsoft Ads, or Facebook Ads account linked.
You can find these anomaly alerts listed under the Alert Settings page by default.
💡Optmyzr tip: Customize thresholds for different metrics (e.g., clicks, conversions, or spend) to avoid overloading your inbox.
📈Optmyzr’s strategic alerts trim Morefire’s workload by 15% per account.
2. Track budgets with automated pacing alerts.
Effective budget pacing makes sure your campaigns stay on track throughout the month. BCM uses automated alerts to track monthly budgets across Google and Microsoft Ads combined, allowing for seamless cross-platform management.
In Optmyzr, these pacing alerts get automatically added on the Alert Settings page, where you can manage some more advanced options like notifying multiple users.
You can edit the Cycle Date or Monthly Budget target, and any update will get automatically reflected on the All Portfolio Dashboard.
For example: Monitoring spend by the 15th of the month to ensure campaigns hit 50-60% of their budget.
Why it matters: This prevents wild budget swings and makes sure the performance stays consistent.
“I always emphasize the importance of showing my clients how their budget is being utilized. The Budget Pacing tool has made this process so much easier for me, helping my team and me understand what to expect for the rest of the month and figure out where to invest the next advertising dollar for my clients.”
- Mike Rhodes, Founder, WebSavvy
3. Pause underperforming keywords automatically.
BCM uses codified rules to pause keywords that fail to meet performance benchmarks.
For example: Keywords with no conversions in 60 days and a spend exceeding 3x the CPA goal are paused automatically.
You can try Optmyzr’s Pause Non-Converting Keywords tool for this use case. It helps you find keywords that have received enough traffic but have not converted during a selected date range.
Key benefit: Saves manual effort and ensures that budgets aren’t wasted on non-converting keywords.
4. Negate irrelevant search queries.
Search queries that drain budgets without driving conversions are automatically negated and added to a curated list for review.
- Example Rule: Negate queries with ad spend exceeding $400 and no conversions in 30 days.
Optmyzr’s Negative Keyword Finder is one such tool that, as the name suggests, identifies search terms in your Google and Microsoft accounts that are non-converting or not performing well.
💡Optmyzr tip: Periodically revisit these lists to identify opportunities for retesting under new campaign strategies.
5. Flag high CTR queries for review.
CTR spikes can signal relevance—or irrelevance. BCM uses alerts to flag high-CTR queries for manual review to determine if they align with client goals.
Amy’s team uses Optmyzr’s Rule Engine automation for this use case. In one example (shown below), she says her team reports queries that generate a high CTR to check for their relevance.
Action step: Investigate whether the query represents a valuable opportunity or irrelevant traffic.
“What Optmyzr allows us to do through custom-built automations in its Rule Engine typically takes a team of PPC managers to manage. It’s a HUGE time saver and far more reliable than humans.”
- Lesley Van De Mortel, Co-founder & CDO, APAS® Cloud
6. Discover opportunities with dynamic search ads.
Dynamic Search Ads remain a valuable discovery tool, even in Performance Max-dominated accounts. BCM identifies high-performing queries from DSA campaigns and evaluates them for broader adoption.
7. Identify and address declining keyword performance.
Keywords that perform well but later decline in conversions require special attention. Here’s a Rule Engine automation that Amy’s team uses to catch low-performing keywords.
Example rule: Flag keywords with no conversions in 30 days but past conversions in 90 days. This ensures you can address root causes like landing page changes or increased competition.
8. Exclude irrelevant YouTube placements.
Managing YouTube placements can be a brand safety minefield. BCM automates exclusions for:
- Irrelevant placements (e.g., children’s content).
- Low-performing placements with low view rates or CTRs.
Once again, the Rule Engine comes to the rescue. Here’s an example.
Why it’s critical: Protects brand reputation and ensures ad spend is directed toward the right audience.
9. Generate insights with AI-powered reporting.
Manual reporting is time-consuming. BCM leverages Optmyzr’s AI-powered reports to generate insights that highlight performance trends, helping their team and clients focus on the bigger picture.
“I am in love with not just the reporting capabilities of this tool but the superpowers it gives me & my team by being able to analyze deeper than other individual tools.”
- Kita Eserve, CEO, Metrik Marketing Inc.
Take back control of your ad campaigns.
These days, it feels like ad platforms like Google Ads want to run everything for us. But let’s be real—nobody knows your campaigns better than you do. You can take back the reins by setting up automations you control, like tracking KPIs, catching anomalies, and sticking to your strategies.
A tool like Optmyzr makes it easy to layer these automations so you stay in charge while saving time and boosting ROI. It’s all about making automation work for you—not the other way around.
Not an Optmyzr customer yet? Now’s the best time to sign up for a full functionality 14-day free trial.
Thousands of advertisers — from small agencies to big brands — worldwide use Optmyzr to manage over $5 billion in ad spend every year.
You will also get the resources you need to get started and more. Our team will also be on hand to answer questions and provide any support we can.
