Google Ads AI-driven optimization works best with abundant data. A single entity with 10,000 impressions is better than 10 with 1,000 each — whether a campaign, ad group, keyword, or ad copy.
Thus I always recommend that clients condense their campaigns (or ad groups, keywords, ad copy). But which to condense, and how, is not typically obvious. Common questions include:
• What campaigns should I condense?
• How do I know when a campaign has enough data, or too little?
• Which keywords need their own ad groups, regardless of performance?
AI Optimization
There is no set threshold for condensing campaigns. For instance, should 10 ad groups condense to five or two or one? The answer is subjective based on experience and intuition.
It could depend on the keyword theme. For years, aligning keywords with ad copy drove performance. An advertiser created separate ad groups for, say, gym bags, hiking bags, and running bags.
Searching Google for “gym bags” produced gym-bag-specific ad copy and, presumably, linked to a page dedicated to gym bags. Before smart bidding and AI, this breakout was common. Each ad group received relatively less traffic and conversions due to manual bidding.
Fast forward to 2025, and a manual setup won’t collect enough data for meaningful AI optimizations. A better option is to condense the three ad groups into one for “athletic bags.” The ad copy might be less aligned to each keyword, but Google’s Responsive Search Ads and keyword-level URLs will show the ad combination most likely to convert. Grouping keywords by theme rather than product type yields more data.
Condensing Campaigns
Consider the hypothetical laptop-computer campaign below with eight ad groups and 90 days of performance data.
| Ad Group | Clicks | Cost | Conversions | Revenue | Cost/Conversion | ROAS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Laptop Bags | 55 | $455 | 10 | $1,245 | $45.50 | 174% |
| Laptop Covers | 35 | $333 | 8 | $600 | $41.63 | 80% |
| Laptop Accessories | 30 | $300 | 9 | $400 | $33.33 | 33% |
| Laptop Stands | 5 | $65 | 1 | $20 | $65.00 | -69% |
| Laptop Cases | 15 | $44 | 2 | $50 | $22.00 | 14% |
| Laptop Sleeves | 20 | $55 | 1 | $20 | $55.00 | -64% |
| Laptop Docking Stations | 3 | $40 | 0 | $0 | $0.00 | -100% |
| Laptop Mounts | 8 | $50 | 0 | $0 | $0.00 | -100% |
The only ad group with at least 50 clicks and 10 conversions is “Laptop Bags.” Three of the ad groups haven’t generated more than 10 clicks, and half the groups have seen just one conversion or none. I would condense the campaign into three ad groups, using the best-performing groups as the anchors.
To start, the “Laptop Bags” ad group has the most conversions and the highest ROAS. I won’t change this group, as that could disrupt performance. I’ll pause the “Covers,” “Cases,” and “Sleeves” groups and move their keywords into the “Laptop Bags” anchor ad group. Each of those, to me, has a common theme of “laptop protection.”
Similarly, I’ll use “Laptop Stands” as an anchor group combined with keywords from “Docking Stations” and “Mounts.”
Lastly, I’ll leave “Laptop Accessories” as is in the final group.
Each of those decisions is subjective; other practitioners could have combined differently.
Monitor Performance
I always monitor condensed campaigns closely. The performance typically improves, or at least stays consistent, although it might decline temporarily. If the decline persists, I’ll revert to the legacy structure for further analysis.
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