Optimization — Bids, Budgets, and Exclusions
Important rule: Almost all optimization configuration in Sembot (bids, strategy, exclusions, adjustments) takes place in the Draft phase — before the first synchronization. Once a campaign has been synchronized, the configuration forms are locked. In the descriptions below, we indicate each time whether something can be changed after synchronization or only before.
Table of Contents
- Manual bid changes
- Automated bidding strategies — when to use them
- Keyword exclusions — how and when to add them
- Optimization recommendations from Sembot
Manual Bid Changes
Setting CPC when creating a campaign
The CPC bid is set in the Budget and strategy step, in the CPC field — available only when the Manual CPC or Sembot CPC strategy is selected. You enter the bid amount that will be applied as the default for the entire campaign.
Bid adjustments by location and device
In the Targeting step, you can define percentage bid adjustments for selected locations and device types:
| Parameter | Available values |
|---|---|
| Location | Countries and regions (e.g., Poland, Germany) |
| Device | Desktop, mobile, tablet |
For each value, you set the adjustment direction (Increase or Decrease) and the percentage amount. Example: mobile traffic → Decrease by 20%.
Adjustments can be set at the campaign or ad group level, depending on the selected grouping method.
Changing the budget
While working on a campaign in Draft mode, you can modify the budget via the Modify budget window available in the Budget and strategy step. It allows you to change the budget amount or switch between an individual budget and a Shared budget.
After synchronization: CPC bids and the budget are locked — they cannot be edited from within Sembot. Changes to the budget or bids require direct intervention in the Google Ads or Microsoft Advertising panel.
Automated Bidding Strategies — When to Use Them
The strategy is selected in the Budget and strategy step. It cannot be changed after synchronization without recreating the campaign.
| Strategy | Who controls the bid | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| Manual CPC | User — fixed bid for all products | Full control; account with no conversion history; testing new campaigns |
| Sembot CPC | Sembot — CPC calculated using the formula: price ÷ ROAS × CR (min. 0.15; max. 5) | When you want automation but Google does not yet have sufficient conversion history |
| Enhanced CPC | Google — automatic adjustments to the manual bid | Intermediate step between manual and fully automated CPC |
| Target ROAS | Google — maximizes conversion value at the specified ROAS | Account has at least 15 conversions from the last 30 days; you know your target ROAS |
| Maximize conversions | Google — maximizes the number of conversions within the budget | Goal: as many conversions as possible; budget is a binding constraint |
| Maximize conversion value | Google — maximizes total conversion value | Products have different values; you want to maximize revenue |
| Maximize clicks | Google — maximizes traffic within the given budget | Building traffic for a new campaign; no conversion history |
Sembot CPC — how it works
Sembot CPC is a variant of Manual CPC in which Sembot automatically calculates the bid for each product using the formula:
CPC = product price ÷ Target ROAS × Conversion Rate (CR)The result is capped: minimum 0.15, maximum 5. You enter the Target ROAS and CR — Sembot calculates and sets individual CPC values per product.
Target ROAS — requirements
The Target ROAS strategy requires that the Google Ads account has at least 15 valid conversions from the last 30 days. If this condition is not met, the option is visible in the interface as unavailable, with a message explaining the requirement.
Keyword Exclusions — How and When to Add Them
During campaign creation (Draft)
Negative keywords are configured in the Keywords step, in the Negative keywords field. You type a word or phrase and confirm it with Enter or a comma. You can exclude multi-word expressions (e.g., "in color").
Exclusions at this stage act as a filter during keyword generation — Sembot will not create keywords containing the specified phrases.
After synchronization
After a campaign has been synchronized in Sembot, there is no separate view for managing negative keywords. You can:
- Deactivate individual keywords — in the campaign's keyword view, by marking them as inactive (active/inactive toggle)
- Add exclusions directly in Google Ads — these changes are not visible in Sembot, but they are also not overwritten during subsequent synchronizations
When to add exclusions
Regularly review the Search terms report (Marketing Channels → Google → Search Terms) and add exclusions for:
- informational phrases with no purchase intent: "reviews", "review", "manual", "how does it work"
- unprofitable price-related phrases: "cheapest", "free", "gratis"
- non-matching product models or variants
- competitor brand phrases (unless you are deliberately bidding on them)
Optimization Recommendations from Sembot
Sembot does not have an automated bid or budget recommendation engine. The optimization support tool available in the interface is:
Optimization by product performance (beta feature)
A tool available in the campaign view that allows you to exclude products from a campaign based on their performance. You define a performance threshold:
- Parameter — ROAS or Conversions
- Condition — less than / greater than / equal to
- Value — threshold number
- Date range — the period from which data is pulled
Sembot finds products that meet the defined condition and excludes them from the campaign. Example: exclude all products with ROAS < 2 over the last 30 days.
Optimization score in Workflows
In the Workflows module, the Optimization score metric from the Google Ads account is available — you can build automated processes that respond to a campaign's optimization score dropping below a specified threshold.
Practical optimization tips
Sembot provides the data needed for manual optimization:
| Report in Sembot | What to analyze | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Search terms | High-cost phrases with zero conversions | Add as Negative keywords |
| Product ads | Products with low ROAS or high cost with no conversions | Exclude or move to a campaign with a lower budget |
| Keywords | Keywords with below-average CTR | Deactivate ineffective phrases |
| Ad groups | Groups with the highest and lowest ROAS | Consider adjusting segmentation when recreating the campaign |