As an ad agency built for business leaders, we know that granular device targeting in Google Ads is a powerful lever for efficiency and performance. It allows you to tailor your bids, budgets, and creative to the unique user behavior on each device type, ensuring your spend is aligned with where your conversions happen. Here’s how you can strategically implement it.
How to Set Up Device Targeting in Google Ads
Device targeting is managed at the campaign level. You have two primary methods for controlling your bids and visibility across desktops, tablets, and mobile devices.
- Adjust Bid Modifiers by Device: This is the most common and flexible approach. Within your campaign settings, navigate to the “Devices” section. Here, you’ll see performance data segmented by device. You can apply bid adjustments (e.g., +20%, -50%) to increase or decrease your bids for auctions happening on specific devices relative to your base bid.
- Exclude Devices Entirely: For maximum control, you can choose to exclude a device category altogether. In the campaign settings, you can simply uncheck “Tablets with full browsers” or “Computers” if you have data showing they don’t contribute to your goals.
Strategic Considerations for Device Targeting
Simply having the controls isn’t enough. At Sagum, our strategy is driven by data and a deep understanding of the customer journey. Here’s how we approach it:
- Let Data Lead: Before making drastic adjustments, analyze performance in your “Devices” report. Look at key metrics like conversion rate, cost per acquisition (CPA), and return on ad spend (ROAS) by device. A tablet might have a higher CPA but a much higher average order value, making it worthwhile.
- Align Creative & Landing Pages: Your ad creative and landing page experience must be optimized for the targeted device. A beautiful, interactive desktop landing page may be clunky on a tablet. We customize ad creative and user experience for each platform’s key formats, a principle we apply across all our capabilities.
- Consider the Funnel Stage: Device usage often correlates with intent. Mobile searches might be more top-of-funnel or local, while desktop/tablet users may be further along in the research phase and more likely to convert on a complex form or high-value purchase.
- Use in Tandem with Other Targeting: Device targeting works best when layered with other strategies. For instance, you might pair a higher bid modifier for desktops with a specific audience list for retargeting, creating a hyper-focused, bottom-of-funnel campaign.
A Note on Tablets vs. Desktops
Historically, Google allowed separate bidding for tablets and desktops. Its current default is to group “Tablets with full browsers” with “Computers” in the same device category for bidding purposes. However, you can still view their performance separately in reports and, critically, you can exclude tablets while targeting desktops (or vice-versa) by adjusting your campaign settings. This requires a specific selection in your campaign’s device settings under “Advanced device options.”
Our Agency’s Data-Driven Approach
How we work is fundamental to success here. We don’t make device targeting decisions in a vacuum.
- BI & Reporting: Through our custom client dashboards, we surface device performance data clearly, fostering a ‘data-first’ environment for our conversations and tests.
- Define Strategy & Tactics: Led by our CEO, we build a custom strategy that defines not just where we will operate, but where we will not. If data shows tablet traffic is unprofitable for a specific client objective, we will tactically exclude it.
- Continuous Optimization: Our lean, efficient approach means we are constantly testing and adjusting. Device bid modifiers are not set-and-forget; they are reviewed and refined based on ongoing performance against the goals we establish together.
In essence, using Google Ads to target specific devices is a blend of technical execution and strategic insight. By leveraging precise controls, grounding decisions in your unique performance data, and ensuring a seamless user experience, you can significantly improve the efficiency and effectiveness of your advertising spend.
