Maximize ROI with Google Ads Scheduling (Dayparting) Now

January 25, 2024

Picture this:
You've just crafted the perfect Google search ad for your business. It's smart, it's catchy, and it's getting results.

But what if you could supercharge its effectiveness by ensuring it reaches your audience exactly when they're most likely to engage? When they’re most likely to buy? What if you had the power to turn 'ad time' into 'prime time'?

Welcome to the world of dayparting, a technique that turns this 'what if' into reality.

What is Dayparting?

Google Ads Scheduling (also known as Dayparting) is a technique used in digital advertising where advertisers specify when they want their ads to be shown by specifying the days of the week and times of the day.

By dividing the day into different segments, businesses can schedule their ads to run during the times when their target audience is most likely to be online and engaged.

This means your ads aren't just running randomly throughout the day but are strategically placed to capture your audience when they're most active.

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The Benefits of Dayparting

1
Increased Click-Through Rates (CTR): By targeting your ads during peak activity times, you're more likely to capture your audience's attention, leading to higher click-through rates
2
Reduced Ad Spend: With dayparting, you're not wasting money on displaying ads at times when your audience is unlikely to see them. This leads to a more efficient use of your ad budget
3
Higher Conversions: When you reach your audience at the right time, they're more likely to take the desired action, whether it's making a purchase, signing up for a newsletter, or downloading an app

When Should You Use Dayparting?

When your target audience is active during specific times of the day: If your analytics show that your audience tends to engage with your content or make purchases at certain hours, you should definitely consider dayparting
If your business operates mainly during certain hours or days: For example, a restaurant might want to run lunch specials from 11am-2pm or perhaps you want to push brunch traffic
When running time-sensitive promotions or flash sales: If your business runs limited-time offers, dayparting can help ensure your ads are seen at the right time
For businesses operating across different time zones: If your audience is spread across multiple time zones, dayparting can help you reach them when they're most likely to be online
When you have a limited advertising budget: By only running ads during optimal times (perhaps only during business hours), you can concentrate most of your budget and avoid diluting out your ad spend across all hours of the day
If your analytics indicate lower conversion rates at certain times: If you notice that certain times of day result in lower engagement or conversions, you might consider pausing your ads during those periods
Seasonal businesses: If your business sees a surge during certain seasons (like a ski resort in winter or an ice cream shop in summer), dayparting can help you capitalize on these peak times
Avoid Spending On Naturally Busy Days: If you have enough business on certain days, focus your ad spend on the days you need more sales

Examples of what dayparting looks like in Google Ads:

The first example is for a restaurant that wants to push Friday lunch and weekend brunch search traffic. We can see that the ad schedule is set to run on Fridays from 9 am to 2:30 pm and on Saturdays and Sundays from 7:30 Am to 2:30 pm.

Google Ads Scheduling - Dayparting - Brunch Restaurant

Here’s an example of a restaurant that is busy on Fridays, so the Google Ads are off on Fridays and run on the other days to focus its ad spend (related post here on Google Ads for Restaurants).

Google Ads Scheduling - Dayparting - Friday Off Restaurant

And a spa with a modest budget that runs ads only during business hours when the location has staff to answer the phone (related post here on Google Ads for Beauty Salons).

Google Ads Scheduling - Dayparting - Spa Only Business Hours

Whatever your reason, dayparting has many benefits for Google Ads advertisers.

Set your ad schedule based on your most profitable days

Another reason to use ad scheduling in Google Ads is to focus your money on the most profitable days and times for your campaign.

For example, below, we can see that Thursdays for this spa have the lowest cost per conversion out of any day of the week, and Tuesdays have the highest cost per conversion.

In this scenario, it would be worthwhile to consider not running the campaign on Tuesdays since the cost per conversion is significantly higher on that day than the other days (this assumes you have accurate conversion tracking setup).

Google Ads Scheduling Based On Convesion Data

Where to Create Dayparting, Ad Scheduling in Google Ads?

When your account is in Expert mode, you would access ad scheduling from the menu on your left within a campaign.

Google Ads Campaign Ad Scheduling Dayparting Location

Once in your ad schedule, you will have the opportunity to to change the days and times of your Google Ads.

Consider Adding Bid Adjustments

Bid adjustments are an additional way to add fuel to your most successful days or times when you’re using dayparting.

What are Bid Adjustments?

At its core, a bid adjustment allows you to increase or decrease your bids in certain situations. This control means you can allocate more budget to specific times, locations, devices, or audiences that are performing well, and less to those that aren't. It's a way to maximize the impact of your advertising spend.

Bid Adjustments Based on Days of the Week

So, in our dayparting example, this means you can set different bids for different days depending on how well your ads perform on those days.

For example, in the table below, we can see the cost per conversion in the last column for Thursdays and Mondays is significantly better than other days.

When you see results like this, consider adding bid adjustments to be even more aggressive. You can do this by clicking in the column Bid adj. and the row of the day you want to adjust - then, you will see the box pop up to either increase or decrease your bid by a certain percentage. You might even consider decreasing your bids on days of the week where the cost per conversion is

Start slowly adjusting bids, perhaps only 10% increase in bid. Wait for a week or until you have enough data adjust accordingly.

Google Ads Scheduling Bid Adjustments by Cost per Conversion

Conclusion

Dayparting is a powerful tool in your Google Ads arsenal. It offers the potential for increased engagement, reduced ad spend, and higher conversions.

By understanding your audience and strategically scheduling your ads, you can maximize your budget and improve your ROI. So why wait? Start implementing dayparting in your Google Ads strategy today and watch your sales and profit grow!

About the author

Toby

Toby is the co-founder of 39 Celsius. He has over 20 years of digital marketing experience and has started several companies throughout his career. He's an expert in SEO, Social Media Ads, Google Ads, Marketing Automation, and more. He has a BA in Chemistry/Biochemistry from UC San Diego and an MBA from SDSU.

Google Ads Scheduling (Dayparting) – Increasing Your Leads, Sales