# Since switching to automatic Target CPA bidding, our campaign near Wurzen runs worse than before | Illia BizTech

> A service business near Wurzen switches its Google Ads campaign to automatic Target CPA bidding because it

Source: https://illia-biztech.de/en/forum/seit-der-umstellung-auf-automatisches-ziel-cpa-gebot-lauft-unsere-kampagne-rund-um-wurzen-schlechter-als-vorher

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# Since switching to automatic Target CPA bidding, our campaign near Wurzen runs worse than before

A service business near Wurzen switches its Google Ads campaign to automatic Target CPA bidding because it's supposed to be smarter, but the campaign has performed worse since.

* ##### Asked by  
SharpHarbor532
* ##### Asked on  
October 1, 2026

We'd read that an automatic bidding strategy like Target CPA optimizes more cleverly than manual bids, and switched our campaign near Wurzen over accordingly.

Since the switch, though, the campaign has noticeably gotten worse, fewer inquiries on the same budget.

Did we do something wrong during the switch, or does this strategy simply not fit our business?

#### Answers

![Portrait of Illia Belichenko, technical specialist at Illia BizTech](/_ipx/f_webp,q_75/https://cms.illia-biztech.de/uploads/small_Illia_Belichenko_author_81f88864f0.png)

##### Illia Belichenko · Founder & Technical Lead

✓ Accepted answer October 1, 2026 

The switch itself probably wasn't done wrong, the problem is more likely the amount of data needed. Google officially states around thirty conversions a month as a reasonable baseline for Target CPA, and the recommendation for Target ROAS is fifty or more, only from that volume on can the algorithm reliably learn which signals actually lead to a conversion.

A service business with limited customer volume near Wurzen may simply never reach that threshold, regardless of how good the offer and the ad copy actually are. Without enough data, the algorithm tends to make worse decisions during that stretch than an experienced person steering manually would.

The simpler 'Maximize Conversions' option works reasonably well from around fifteen to twenty conversions, but it also benefits from more data. As long as your own volume sits below that, manual or enhanced CPC bidding often performs more predictably than an automated target that, for lack of data, can't really do its job yet. [Illia BizTech](https://illia-biztech.de/en) checks for businesses near Wurzen what inquiry volume is actually realistic for which bidding strategy.

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**Topics** 
* Google Ads
* bidding strategy