When managing a Google Ads campaign — especially those using automated bidding (like Target ROAS or Maximize Conversions) — it’s critical to monitor not just performance, but also how your bidding strategy is functioning under the hood.
This brings us to one of the most important tools in your Google Ads toolkit:
The Bid Strategy Report
Let’s break down what this report is, what you can view inside it, and how it helps you make smarter optimization decisions.
📍 What Is the Bid Strategy Report?
The Bid Strategy Report provides detailed insights into the performance and behavior of your automated bidding strategies.
It gives you access to:
- ✅ Bid status
- 📈 Performance trends over time
- 🕒 Conversion delay reporting
Whether you’re using portfolio bid strategies across campaigns or individual strategies, this report helps answer key questions like:
- Is my bid strategy in “Learning,” “Limited,” or “Active” mode?
- How is my ROAS, CPA, or conversion volume trending?
- Are some conversions being delayed and reported later?
🔍 Where to Find the Bid Strategy Report
- Log into your Google Ads account
- In the left-hand menu, go to Tools & Settings > Shared Library > Bid strategies
- Click on the bid strategy you want to inspect
- You’ll now see the Bid Strategy Report dashboard
🧩 Key Components Explained
1. Bid Status
This tells you what stage your bid strategy is in:
- Learning – Adjusting to recent changes (new campaign, conversion setting, etc.)
- Limited – May not have enough data or budget
- Eligible/Active – Operating normally
- Paused – Inactive, no bidding in play
Understanding bid status helps you time optimizations. For example, you should avoid analyzing results too soon when the strategy is still in Learning.
2. Performance Trends Over Time
You can graph performance metrics like:
- Conversions
- Cost per Conversion (CPA)
- Conversion Value
- ROAS
- Clicks, Impressions
This helps you spot whether the strategy is improving, plateauing, or declining — so you can take corrective actions (e.g., adjusting budgets or targets).
3. Conversion Delay Reporting
Not all conversions happen immediately after a click. Some users convert hours or days later. The Conversion Delay chart shows:
- How many conversions are expected to be reported late
- How much of your current performance data is still “incomplete” due to delays
- The average time between click and conversion for your account
This is vital when evaluating results in real-time, especially for campaigns with longer consideration cycles.
✅ Why This Report Matters
- Helps you diagnose underperformance in Smart Bidding
- Lets you set realistic expectations for reporting delays
- Aids in understanding learning phases and how they affect data
- Provides visual trendlines to support strategic decisions
Final Thoughts
If you’re using automated bidding (Target CPA, Maximize Conversion Value, etc.), the Bid Strategy Report is your go-to dashboard for insights that go beyond surface metrics.
Use it weekly to:
- Monitor bid strategy health
- Track ROAS or CPA trends
- Understand and account for conversion lags
- Spot when your strategy needs adjustments
Need help interpreting this data or optimizing your automated bidding strategies? Let’s connect — I offer performance audits and consultation tailored to your business goals.