How Do Seasonality Adjustments Impact Maximize Conversion Value Bidding in Google Ads?

Summary

Seasonality adjustments in Google Ads allow advertisers to account for short-term changes in conversion rates, enabling more accurate automated bidding, such as Maximize Conversion Value. By providing Google Ads with information about predicted changes, seasonality adjustments ensure that the bidding strategy adapts appropriately, avoiding underperformance or overspending during special events. Here’s a detailed explanation of how this impacts Maximize Conversion Value bidding.

What Are Seasonality Adjustments?

Seasonality adjustments are tools available within Google Ads that allow advertisers to inform the system of anticipated changes in conversion rates over a short period. These adjustments are particularly useful for planning ahead for events such as:

Black Friday or Cyber Monday sales.
Holiday promotions (e.g., Christmas, Easter).
Product launches or limited-time offers.

Advertisers specify a date range, devices, and the expected conversion rate changes (e.g., a 20% increase in conversions). This helps Google Ads adjust its bidding strategies accordingly.

How Maximize Conversion Value Bidding Works

The Maximize Conversion Value strategy uses Google’s machine learning to optimize bids for the highest total conversion value within a set budget. Conversion value reflects the monetary worth of a conversion (e.g., purchase value), and this bidding strategy aims to prioritize high-value actions.

Without seasonality adjustments, Maximize Conversion Value relies on historical and real-time data to determine optimal bids. While this approach works well for stable conditions, it can misinterpret short-term spikes or drops in conversion rates caused by seasonal factors.

Impact of Seasonality Adjustments on Maximize Conversion Value

When seasonality adjustments are applied, Google Ads temporarily alters its bidding algorithm, enabling Maximize Conversion Value to better account for anticipated changes in conversion behavior. Below are the key impacts:

1. Improved Forecasting

Seasonality adjustments provide Google Ads with advertiser-supplied data about expected increases or decreases in conversion rates. This data enhances the system's ability to predict the value of conversions during the specified window. For instance:

If a retailer expects a 30% increase in conversion rates during a flash sale, seasonality adjustments inform Maximize Conversion Value to bid more aggressively during this period to capture higher-value conversions.

Without these adjustments, the system may undervalue conversions during the event, resulting in lost opportunities.

2. Budget Optimization

By predicting increased conversion value during a seasonal event, the bidding strategy allocates the budget more efficiently. For example:

During Black Friday, Maximize Conversion Value might increase bids for high-intent users searching for products, ensuring the budget is spent where it’s most effective.

This prevents overbidding after the event ends, where conversion rates might normalize or drop.

3. Avoiding Learning Delays

Google Ads’ automated systems typically require time to adjust to abrupt changes in conversion patterns (known as the “learning phase”). Seasonality adjustments mitigate this issue by preemptively informing the system of changes, allowing it to adapt bidding strategies immediately.

4. Higher ROI During Seasonal Campaigns

Maximize Conversion Value aims to deliver the highest conversion value within the budget. When seasonality adjustments are applied for high-converting periods, advertisers can maximize their return on investment (ROI) by capturing more high-value conversions during the peak period.

Practical Example

Consider an e-commerce business running a Black Friday sale:

The business expects conversion rates to increase by 50% due to steep discounts.
Using seasonality adjustments, the advertiser sets a 50% increase in conversion rates for Black Friday (24–25 November).
Maximize Conversion Value adjusts bids higher during this period, targeting users more likely to make large purchases.
Once the event ends, the system reverts to normal bidding, preventing unnecessary overspending.

Limitations of Seasonality Adjustments

While seasonality adjustments are powerful, they have specific limitations:

They are designed for short-term events lasting 1–7 days. For ongoing trends, Google’s algorithms automatically adapt over time.
Seasonality adjustments only affect manual forecasts for conversion rates, not other factors like traffic volume or click-through rates.
They are less effective for campaigns where conversions are sparse or unpredictable.

Therefore, seasonality adjustments should be used strategically and only for well-planned events.

Best Practices for Using Seasonality Adjustments with Maximize Conversion Value

Set Realistic Expectations: Use historical data to estimate conversion rate changes accurately.
Plan Ahead: Schedule adjustments at least a few days before the event to avoid last-minute errors.
Limit Adjustments to Relevant Campaigns: Apply adjustments only to campaigns significantly impacted by the seasonal event.
Monitor Performance: Track campaign results during and after the adjustment period to evaluate its effectiveness.

Conclusion

Seasonality adjustments enhance the performance of Maximize Conversion Value bidding by accounting for short-term changes in conversion rates during special events. By leveraging this feature correctly, advertisers can improve forecasting, optimize budgets, and maximize ROI during high-converting periods. However, it is essential to use seasonality adjustments strategically, as they are most effective for planned, short-term events.