September 29, 2019 "Average Position" will be removed from google Ads

[Shepherd]

The sunset of the Average Position confirmed by google today. Kind of knew this was coming, still, disappointing.

[Mark_A]

Seems they are removing a column which I used to use.

Is there another way of seeing average position?

A useful metric to ensure one does not overbid!

[Mark_A]

The above columns will be replaced with the following:
•Impr. (Abs. Top)%
•Impr. (Top)%

Not sure they will be as useful, what do you think?

[Shepherd]

We use(d) several rules to adjust bidding based on avg pos, These rules will no longer work. It was wonderful while it lasted...

This move, IMHO, is designed to keep advertisers competing "upwardly" with their bids (abs top, top, first page...) instead of "downward" (<3 avg pos)

We'll be looking at workarounds and likely significant reductions in spend while we monitor the landscape post avg pos. Probably going to take some time to find the sweet spot again...

[Mark_A]

Is it possible this move is NOT intended to increase bids?

[Shepherd]

Possible? Yes. Unfortunately we can only speculate as to google's intentions.

I don't know what I don't know yet however, it does seem that this move is going to make it harder to snipe impressions at minimal cost.

Early thoughts for new rules:
1. if bid less than first page bid raise 5% (we never raise to suggested first page bid)
2. if Impr. (Abs. Top)% > 1% lower bid 20%
3. if Impr. (Top)% > 20% lower bid 10%

We never like to be in the 1st or 2nd spot, prefer 3rd or 4th. Everyone has different goals though, this may not impact some as much as others.

[FranticFish]

Google are intent on turning AdWords into Display Ads.

Accelerated Bidding is going. Now this.

My prediction is that Manual CPC will be retired next (it's becoming less and less usable anyway).

The language in the info page is SO devious. 'Before, you only knew your position relative to other advertisers. Now, you'll know where in the page you are!'

The avarice has really stepped up a few gears this year. I keep seeing recommended bids of six or more times what I'm already paying when my position is an average of 1st place over several weeks. Less so on k/w that have higher CTR, but even on those sometimes too. This is across multiple accounts.

This is what they're doing to their paying customers using their core product. And people think they're not messing with the organic SERPs to help their bottom line? Please.

So glad I recently decided to quit the whole rotten shebang in 2020 and start a different career doing something where my face isn't being rubbed in a pile of corporate greed every day.

[Shepherd]

My prediction is that Manual CPC will be retired next

Followed by more watering down (elimination) of Exact Match...

[RhinoFish]

Remember when they used to lecture us to be hyper relevant... now they're loosening keywords, removing negs from Smart Shopping, taking away metrics, and removing levers of all sorts.

Still a great place to advertise, but the new direction seems like we're aiming for mediocrity. Advertising (like the products and services different companies sell) should come in degrees of excellence. Automation levels the playing field, meaning the advertising of great companies and of mediocre companies will be derived from the same automation machines? Makes zero sense to me, then again, hey, I'm an optimization specialist, and levers are my best tools to earn. So I'm headed for Ludditeville. Haha! :-)

[Rndm]

Average position was too much detailed info for us to have. They needed to muddy it. Slowly taking away our control.

Like FranticFish, I believe they want Adwords to function more like programmatic or display. They slowly keep taking my levers from me because they know that I only want to buy half the traffic that they are selling. The day that they take my negative keywords it is over.

I am holding on to manual bidding as long as possible, but I doubt it has much longer.