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Decoding the Jargon

Manual CPC

Manual Cost Per Click · Also called manual bidding

Performance marketingTerm

A Google Ads bid strategy where you set the maximum CPC bid yourself for ad groups or keywords, instead of letting Google set bids automatically.

Example

Meera sets a ₹15 maximum on 'designer kurtis Pune' and ₹6 on 'kurtis' while she learns which searches lead to orders.

How you'll hear it

“We're keeping the new campaign on Manual CPC for a month before we hand bids to Smart Bidding.”

Don't confuse it with

  • Smart Bidding: Google sets bids in each auction using conversion data.
  • Maximise clicks: automated bidding for clicks, not manual.

Related terms

Bid strategyBidCPCSmart Bidding

Want to use this at work? AI-led PPC Excellence is aFactor's 16-week program for paid ads.

Sources

  1. About Manual CPC bidding, Google Ads Help
  2. Determine a bid strategy based on your goals, Google Ads Help

Checked 1 October 2026. Examples use a fictional business; figures are illustrative.

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