Google's Target Bidding Shake-Up: What PPC Advertisers Need to Know Now

Google has shaken up its target bidding strategies, changing how Target CPA and Target ROAS function for paid search advertisers. The update is drawing attention across the industry, with PPC professionals weighing in on what it means for day-to-day campaign management.

What Changed with Target Bidding

According to a September 2026 SMX Now webinar covered by Search Engine Land, the changes represent a meaningful shift in how advertisers should approach their bidding strategies. Previously, Target CPA and Target ROAS gave advertisers a relatively predictable ceiling and floor for automated spend. The new behavior alters that dynamic in ways that can catch campaigns off guard if settings are not reviewed.

Why Experts Say Not to Panic

Reva Minkoff, Founder and President of Digital4Startups Inc., led the webinar and drew on nearly two decades of PPC experience to offer context. Her core argument: Google's target bidding strategies operated in a remarkably similar way roughly a decade ago. The industry adapted then, and the adjustment playbook from that period still applies. The situation is new to many advertisers today, but it is not new to paid search as a discipline.

What This Looks Like in Practice

• Target CPA and Target ROAS strategies now operate differently than they did under previous Google configurations.
• Campaigns that were stable under older bidding behavior may need settings reviewed and adjusted.
• PPC veterans who managed accounts roughly a decade ago may recognize the pattern and have relevant experience to draw on.
• Newer advertisers or those who joined paid search in recent years are encountering this dynamic for the first time.

The Bigger Picture for Small and Mid-Size Advertisers

For industrial, commercial, and small business owners running paid search, this kind of change is easy to miss until it shows up in spend reports or lead volume. Google's automated bidding is designed to work in the background, which means shifts in how it operates do not always trigger obvious alerts. Staying on top of it requires active monitoring, not a set-it-and-forget-it approach.

While the update represents a meaningful shift in how advertisers should manage Target CPA and Target ROAS, the industry has effectively been here before.

Reva Minkoff, Founder and President of Digital4Startups Inc., via Search Engine Land, September 2026

What You Should Do

If you or your team manages Google Ads with target-based bidding, now is the right time to review your current CPA and ROAS targets against recent performance data. Compare what your campaigns have been delivering since the change took effect and evaluate whether your targets still reflect realistic conversion costs and return expectations for your business.