Google Ads Recommendations: Which to Ignore, Evaluate, or Use (With Insider Tips You Won’t Find Elsewhere!)

If you’ve ever managed a Google Ads account, you’ve probably seen that bright blue bar urging, “Your optimization score is 72%. Apply these 5 recommendations to improve performance.”

Tempting, ain’t it? After all, who doesn’t want a campaign that’s 100% optimized? But should you take a bite of that cake?!

Here’s the thing: not all Google Ads recommendations are created equal. Some are golden nuggets that can help you scale smartly. 

Others? Let’s just say they’re more about increasing your ad spend than improving your ROI.

In this blog, with 13+ years of experience and expertise in the SEM sphere, we at Mavlers are going to cut through the noise. Whether you’re an in-house paid search marketer, freelancer, or agency pro, Amit Roy, our in-house paid search expert, shows you which Google Ads suggestions to use, review, or ignore.

We’ll also share insider Google Ads optimization tips, ad optimization best practices, and practical pointers from years of experience managing millions in ad spend.

So, if you’ve ever wondered:

• Should I switch to Smart Bidding when Google tells me to?
  
• Is it safe to let Google auto-apply changes?
  
• Are “limited by budget” alerts really urgent?

Stick around. You’re in the right place.

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Understanding the role of Google Ads recommendations

Before we jump into which suggestions you should keep, question, or toss aside, let’s take a quick step back and talk about these recommendations.

If you’ve spent time inside Google Ads, you’ve probably seen those pop-up tips and nudges, such as “Try broad match keywords” or “Increase your budget.” These aren’t random. They come from Google’s recommendation system, which uses AI to scan your campaigns and offer ways to make them perform better.

These tips cover all sorts of things: how much you’re spending, which keywords you’re using, your ad copy, bidding strategies, audiences, and more. They even feed into your “Optimization Score” that little percentage Google assigns to show how close your campaigns are to what it considers ideal.

But here’s the thing, and this is important, these suggestions are generated by machines. Smart machines, yes. But machines that don’t know your business inside and out. They don’t know your margins, your niche audience, or your growth strategy. They see data, not the full picture.

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That’s why your judgment matters. Your experience, goals, and understanding of your brand help you decide whether a recommendation is right for you.

So, to make life easier, we’re going to break Google’s suggestions into three buckets:

Use it, evaluate it, or ignore it, with real-world examples to help you make the call. 

Ready? Let’s go.

Google Ads recommendations you should absolutely use

Let’s start with the good stuff. These are the recommendations you shouldn’t think twice about using, because they align with core ad optimization best practices and have consistently shown results.

We will now break them down:

1.  Add sitelink extensions (and other useful extensions)

When Google recommends adding sitelink extensions, or other ad extensions like callouts, structured snippets, or price extensions, it’s usually a good idea to go for it.

Why? 

Extensions give your ads more real estate on the search results page and make them more useful to potential customers. You can highlight additional pages (like “Contact,” “Pricing,” or “Reviews”) and guide users to the info they want faster.

Here’s a quick tip: don’t blindly add every extension. For example, a “Call Extension” might not be relevant if you run an e-commerce store and don’t take calls. So basically, use what makes sense for your business.

2. Fix disapproved ads or extensions

This one’s simple, but often overlooked.

Disapproved ads or extensions don’t show, which means missed opportunities, especially if those disapprovals are fixable. Google might recommend you take action on disapproved elements, and in most cases, you should.

Here’s what to do: regularly check the “Policy” tab or “Status” column. Whether it’s a formatting issue, a landing page problem, or a policy flag, fix it quickly so your ads can run as expected.

 3. Add audiences for reporting

This isn’t about changing your targeting, it’s about improving visibility.

Adding audiences (like in-market segments, affinity groups, or custom audiences) in observation mode gives you deeper insights into who’s interacting with your ads. You’ll start seeing which groups perform best, and from there, you can make smarter optimization decisions.

Wondering why it matters, well, you may discover that your highest-converting traffic comes from an audience you hadn’t originally targeted, and that’s a goldmine for refining your strategy.

4. Use first-party data

If you’ve got customer data, use it. Google will often recommend uploading your customer lists (via Customer Match), and that’s a big win for personalization and remarketing.

First-party data lets you re-engage past customers, nurture leads, and find “lookalike” audiences that behave like your best buyers. It’s one of the most powerful Google Ads optimization tips out there, especially as third-party cookies start fading out.

Here’s a bonus tip: segment your lists (e.g., VIP customers, one-time buyers, recent cart abandoners) for even sharper targeting.

5. Implement conversion tracking 

It might sound basic, but it’s shocking how many advertisers either don’t have conversion tracking or set it up incorrectly. If Google flags this, pay attention.

Conversion tracking is the backbone of smart bidding, ROI measurement, and ad performance optimization. Without it, you’re basically flying blind.

Ensure that you’ve defined meaningful conversions (like purchases, sign-ups, or calls), verified that tracking is working correctly, and regularly monitor conversion actions inside your account.

These are the foundational building blocks for success in any Google Ads account. They may not feel as flashy as smart bidding or AI-powered suggestions, but they’re critical to making the rest of your strategy work.

Google Ads recommendations worth evaluating

Some Google Ads suggestions aren’t outright bad, but they’re not a guaranteed win either. These fall into the “maybe” category. You’ll want to test, monitor, and decide what works best for your account.

1. Apply target CPA – Not always plug-and-play

Target CPA bidding can be great for automating and scaling conversions if you have enough data. But if your campaign doesn’t have a solid history of conversions, or your industry is highly competitive, it might backfire.

We recommend trying it out on well-performing campaigns with a consistent conversion history. And always monitor results closely before rolling them out widely.

2. Use Responsive Search Ads (RSAs) – With a watchful eye

RSAs mix and match your headlines and descriptions to find the best combos. Sounds helpful, right? It often is, but only if the combinations still make sense for your brand voice and message.

Don’t just “set it and forget it.” Keep an eye on which headlines are getting the most impressions, and make sure your message doesn’t get lost in the automation.

3. Remove redundant keywords 

Yes, duplicate keywords can clutter your account. But sometimes, removing what Google considers “redundant” actually means cutting out variations that are performing, especially in high-converting search campaigns.

Don’t blindly accept this suggestion. Review performance data first to ensure you’re not axing keywords that are working well.

Google Ads recommendations you should use

These suggestions are generally safe bets and worth implementing for almost any account, especially if your goal is better ad quality, performance, and structure.

1. Fix conflicting negative keywords

Negative keyword conflicts are sneaky. They happen when a negative keyword accidentally blocks one of your own active keywords from showing.

This kind of conflict can quietly kill performance. And since Google won’t flag these for you, it’s easy to miss.

We recommend running regular audits, especially if your account is older, and either pause the conflicting keyword or remove the unnecessary negative keywords.

2. Make headlines & descriptions more unique

If you’re seeing this suggestion, your ads probably feel a little repetitive, maybe too keyword-heavy, with not enough variety, CTAs, or value props.

Here’s what to do:

• Mix in more benefit-driven headlines.

• Use different tones and messages.

• Avoid stuffing the same keyword across all assets.

If Google keeps pushing you to add more keyword-related headlines, it might mean your ad group is too broad. Consider breaking it down into smaller, more tightly themed groups for better relevance and performance.

Now let’s close things out by calling out the recommendations you can feel zero guilt about ignoring the ones that look helpful, but often just don’t add value.

Google Ads recommendations you can ignore

Here are two common ones to skip:

1. Optimize your budgets

Google often suggests increasing your budget to get more conversions. But these suggestions don’t always consider your actual goals or budget limits. For example, spending an extra $46,000 to get $35,000 in conversion value clearly makes no sense.

Here’s what to do instead: review which ad groups and keywords are performing best. Then shift your existing budget toward what’s already working to get better results without overspending.

2. Add broad match keywords

Broad match keywords can bring in more traffic, but often it’s the wrong kind, irrelevant clicks that don’t convert. If your lost impression share budget is greater than 10%, and you primarily use exact and phrase match, adding broad match usually worsens your performance.

We recommend avoiding broad match if your budget is tight. If you must test it, use strong negative keywords to filter out unwanted traffic.

In short, trust your own data and goals. Not every recommendation from Google’s automation tools is right for your business. Use your judgment to decide what actually helps and ignore what doesn’t.

A smarter way to spot what actually needs fixing

Let’s be honest, digging through Google Ads recommendations can feel like rummaging through a cluttered junk drawer. There’s good stuff in there… but it’s not always easy to find.

One helpful trick? Don’t stick with the default card view.

It may look neat, but it’s not very helpful when you want to quickly see what’s really going on.

Instead, switch to the table view.

This layout gives you a clear, bird’s-eye view of your campaigns, showing you exactly which ones are missing ads, have disapproved assets, or are lacking keywords. No more clicking in and out of cards, wondering where the issues are hiding.

And here’s the real win: most of the valuable fixes live in the “Repair” section, that’s where you’ll often find the stuff that’s actually worth your time.

The road ahead

As a paid search expert, you might now want to explore more about the latest e-commerce trend ~ From Scroll to Sold: How Livestream Shopping Is Reshaping the Way We Buy.