Google has officially phased out Enhanced Cost-Per-Click (Enhanced CPC) bidding for Search and Display campaigns, marking the end of an era for one of the platform's longest-running bidding options. This change, announced in September 2024 and fully implemented by March 2025, affects every advertiser who has relied on Enhanced CPC as their go-to bidding strategy. Whether you're managing a small business advertising budget or overseeing enterprise-level campaigns, understanding what this deprecation means for your account--and how to adapt--is essential for maintaining campaign performance.
This guide breaks down everything you need to know about the Enhanced CPC deprecation, from the technical details of what changed to practical steps for transitioning to more advanced bidding strategies that leverage Google's machine learning capabilities.
The Deprecation Timeline
Google announced the deprecation of Enhanced CPC on September 5, 2024, with a phased rollout designed to give advertisers time to transition their campaigns.
The deprecation specifically affected Enhanced CPC for Search and Display campaign types. Other campaign types and bidding strategies were not impacted by this change, and Enhanced CPC had already been unavailable for Performance Max campaigns since that campaign type's launch.
Why Google Deprecated Enhanced CPC:
The decision to phase out Enhanced CPC reflects Google's broader strategy shift toward Smart Bidding and machine learning-based optimization. Enhanced CPC, while useful in its time, represented a relatively rudimentary form of automation compared to what modern Smart Bidding strategies can achieve. Smart Bidding strategies like Maximize Conversions and Target CPA use advanced machine learning models that consider thousands of signals per auction--far more than Enhanced CPC's original 30% bid adjustment capability.
By deprecating Enhanced CPC, Google is directing all advertisers toward bidding strategies that can deliver better performance through more sophisticated optimization.
What Was Enhanced CPC?
Enhanced CPC was one of Google Ads' original automated bidding strategies, introduced to help advertisers capture more conversions without manually adjusting bids for every auction. The strategy worked by allowing Google to automatically increase bids when signals indicated a user was more likely to convert--such as browsing behavior, device type, location, time of day, and remarketing list membership. Conversely, Google would decrease bids when conversion likelihood appeared lower.
The fundamental premise of Enhanced CPC was relatively simple: advertisers set a maximum CPC bid, and Google could adjust that bid up or down by up to 30% based on conversion probability signals. This adjustment range provided enough flexibility for Google to optimize toward conversions while still giving advertisers control over their maximum costs.
Enhanced CPC became particularly popular among advertisers who wanted some automation benefits but weren't ready to fully commit to conversion-based bidding strategies or didn't have sufficient conversion data for Smart Bidding to work effectively. For years, Enhanced CPC served as a stepping stone for advertisers moving from Manual CPC toward more sophisticated bidding approaches.
What Happens to Existing Enhanced CPC Campaigns?
For advertisers with campaigns still using Enhanced CPC when the deprecation deadline passed, Google implemented an automatic migration to Manual CPC bidding.
The automatic migration to Manual CPC can have significant implications for campaign performance. Enhanced CPC campaigns had been benefiting from Google's conversion likelihood adjustments, even if those adjustments were more limited than Smart Bidding. Moving to Manual CPC removes this optimization layer entirely, which could result in decreased conversion rates or increased cost-per-acquisition.
Advertisers who were proactively managing Enhanced CPC campaigns with regular bid adjustments based on performance data may find that Manual CPC maintains reasonable performance. However, advertisers who relied heavily on Enhanced CPC's automation to handle bid adjustments across their account may notice a more pronounced performance shift and should plan to either resume active bid management or transition to a Smart Bidding strategy.
Advertisers should review their account to confirm which campaigns were affected and assess whether the Manual CPC default is appropriate for their goals.
Alternative Bidding Strategies
The deprecation of Enhanced CPC means advertisers must choose from Google's current lineup of bidding strategies. The right choice depends on your account's conversion data, business goals, and comfort level with automation.
Choose the bidding strategy that best fits your goals and data maturity
Maximize Conversions
Fully automated Smart Bidding that maximizes conversion volume within your budget. Uses machine learning to identify auction opportunities most likely to convert. Requires at least 30 conversions in the past 30 days.
Target CPA
Set an average cost per acquisition and let Google optimize to achieve that target. Provides explicit cost control for advertisers with specific CPA goals and sufficient conversion history.
Manual CPC
Full control over maximum CPC bids for each keyword. Requires ongoing bid management but provides complete transparency into your bidding decisions.
Maximize Clicks
Automated strategy that drives as much traffic as possible within your budget. Useful for building awareness or generating leads while building conversion data.
Target ROAS
Optimize for return on ad spend by specifying a target return percentage. Best for advertisers tracking different conversion values who want to maximize revenue.
Maximize Conversion Value
Optimize for total conversion value rather than volume. Ideal for businesses with varying conversion values across different actions.
Best Practices for Transitioning from Enhanced CPC
Transitioning away from Enhanced CPC requires a thoughtful approach to maintain or improve campaign performance.
Common Transition Scenarios
The Conversion-Tracking-Mature Account: An advertiser with hundreds of conversions per month across their account is well-positioned to transition directly to Smart Bidding. Given the strong conversion data foundation, Maximize Conversions or Target CPA would be appropriate choices depending on whether the primary goal is volume or cost efficiency. This advertiser should transition campaigns proactively rather than waiting for automatic migration.
Frequently Asked Questions
What was Enhanced CPC in Google Ads?
Enhanced CPC was an automated bidding strategy that allowed Google to adjust your maximum CPC bids up or down by up to 30% based on signals indicating conversion likelihood, such as device, location, time of day, and browsing behavior.
When was Enhanced CPC officially deprecated?
Google announced the deprecation on September 5, 2024. New campaigns could no longer select Enhanced CPC starting October 2024, and the strategy was fully removed for all Search and Display campaigns as of March 31, 2025.
What happened to my campaigns using Enhanced CPC?
Campaigns not proactively migrated were automatically moved to Manual CPC bidding. This means they now operate with the same maximum CPC bids as before, but without any automatic adjustments based on conversion likelihood.
What should I use instead of Enhanced CPC?
Options include Maximize Conversions for pure conversion volume, Target CPA for cost control, or Manual CPC for full bid control. The best choice depends on your conversion data maturity and business goals.
Do I need conversion tracking for Smart Bidding?
Yes. Smart Bidding strategies like Maximize Conversions and Target CPA require conversion tracking to function. Google recommends at least 30 conversions in the past 30 days for optimal performance.
Can I still use Manual CPC instead of Smart Bidding?
Yes, Manual CPC remains available and is the appropriate choice for advertisers who prefer direct control over their bids or don't have sufficient conversion data for Smart Bidding.