Is it safe to run duplicate Google Search campaigns temporarily while new campaigns learn?
I currently have two active Search campaigns using Maximize Clicks with CPC caps. The current ads combine unrelated remodeling services that we cover, so I need to build two replacement campaigns with specific service-based ad groups, keywords, headlines, and…
I currently have two active Search campaigns using Maximize Clicks with CPC caps. The current ads combine unrelated remodeling services that we cover, so I need to build two replacement campaigns with specific service-based ad groups, keywords, headlines, and descriptions. The current campaigns do get some traffic and I can't afford any downtime (to edit them, go through more learning, etc.), so this is the best solution after much research. The new campaigns will temporarily use many of the same keywords as the current campaigns. My plan is to keep the old campaigns active while the new ones go through Learning and begin serving consistently, then pause each old campaign once its replacement is getting enough impressions and clicks. Could temporarily running the duplicate keywords/campaigns cause problems with learning, ad relevance, CPCs, traffic allocation, or future performance? Could pausing the old campaigns afterward interfere with the new campaigns or trigger another Learning period? Should I not overlap them once the new campaigns are done learning? Really appreciate any help from someone that really knows. Google's customer support has been the absolute worst. Thanks.
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I'd recommend not having any overlap between any campaigns. For example, if you're running the same keywords in two campaigns they should have different geos. There's no point in doubling up. You're just splitting traffic arbitrarily for no reason and limiting the learnings for both campaigns. If you're worried about a dip in traffic use manual bidding on the new campaign during the learning phase. Learning phases are kinda fake anyway so the most important thing is having a logical campaign setup.
Duplicate keywords don't compete against each other in auctions and therefore don't increase costs. Only one ad per account can enter an auction so they compete internally before the higher quality ad enters the auction.
Don't create new campaigns, just create experiments of the existing campaigns and make the changes in the experiments.
id be careful with a long overlap... googlee will usually only serve one eligible ad from the same account but having to campaigns targeting the same searches can make it harder to tell what actually driving performance while the system decides where to send traffic...
overlapping campaigns wont break things but they split the data and slow learning. build the new ones cleanly, let them prove traffic and then pause the old. reduce overlap step by step, removing servces as you replace them os google gets a clearer signal and comparisons stay simple.
This won't work. Ad rank will just decide what shows and it will likely be the older campaign. You want to start up a new campaign, then there will be "downtown". Otherwise, Keep the current campaign for whatever service is converting the best in the current campaign. Then build new campaigns for everything else.
Overlap briefly... Google selects one keyword from the account, so you won’t bid against yourself, but traffic can land in either campaign and muddy evaluation. On $200k+ monthly spend client accounts, I QA replacements while paused... launch, confirm spend, search terms and conversions... then cut over quickly. Pausing its predecessor shouldn’t reset it.
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the two comments arguing about whether duplicate keywords bid against each other are honestly circling the wrong problem, technically only one of your own ads gets shown per auction so you're not literally bidding against yourself for the same search, but that misses the actual issue here which is that splitting the same keyword traffic across two campaigns messes with how much data each one gets to learn from, and thats what actually hurts you, not some auction war with yourself. the suggestion to use experiments instead of building whole new campaigns is the better move here honestly. an experiment (its a feature inside google ads) basically lets you test a changed version of a campaign against the original with a percentage of the traffic split between them, so you get real performance data comparing old vs new without ever having two live campaigns competing for the same searches at full volume. for your situation specifically, since your really just trying to break the remodeling services apart into their own ad groups rather than testing something totally different, i'd build the new structure as a draft/experiment off the existing campaign, run it at like a 50/50 split for a couple weeks, and once the new structure is clearly pulling its weight you apply the changes directly to the live campaign instead of pausing one and hoping the new one holds up on its own. that avoids the whole learning phase reset question entirely too, since your not creating a brand new campaign from scratch, your evolving the one that already has history. way less risky for a no downtime situation like yours.
Lower old campaign budgets gradually as new ones ramp instead of running both full