Google Ads Dayparting Strategy: Advanced Ad Schedule Bidding

Many advertisers run their campaigns 24/7 because "the automated bidding will figure it out." This is lazy. Even Smart Bidding takes time to learn that 3 AM traffic is junk. While it learns, you lose money. Dayparting (Ad Scheduling) is the act of strategically turning your ads on/off or adjusting bids during specific hours of the day.

In this guide, we break down the Prime Time Ratio, the "Ghost Hour" Exclusion, and how to use Dayparting to artificially inflate your Impression Share during peak business hours.

The Financial Logic of Dayparting

If your daily budget is $100.

• Scenario A (24/7): You spend $4/hour. Your budget is spread thin. You lose Impression Share at 10 AM (Peak time) because you wasted money at 2 AM.
• Scenario B (9-5 only): You spend $12.50/hour. You dominate the auction during business hours.

The Concentration Principle: By restricting when you spend, you increase how much you can bid during the moments that matter.

Theory: B2B vs B2C Schedules

• B2B Reality:
  • Leads generated M-F, 9am-5pm convert at 20%.
  • Leads generated Sat-Sun convert at 5%.
  • Leads generated 1am-5am convert at 0% (Scam bots).
• B2C Reality:
  • Performance varies wildly. E-commerce often peaks at 8pm-10pm (Couch browsing).

Framework: The 6-Block Schedule

Do not just set "Mon-Fri, 9-5." You need granularity to adjust bids later. Split your days into blocks.

• Block 1: Early Morning (6am - 9am).
• Block 2: Morning Peak (9am - 12pm).
• Block 3: Lunch Dip (12pm - 1pm).
• Block 4: Afternoon Peak (1pm - 5pm).
• Block 5: Evening (5pm - 8pm).
• Block 6: Late Night (8pm - 6am) -> Usually OFF.

By segmenting your schedule this way, you can later apply a +20% bid adjustment specifically to the "Morning Peak" without affecting the rest of the day.

Execution: Analyzing Your "Hour of Day" Data

Before you cut anything, look at the data.

1. Go to Reports → Predefined Reports → Time → Hour of Day.
2. Add Columns: Cost / Conv. and Conversion Rate.
3. Sort by highest CPA.

The "Ghost Hour" Audit: Look at 12 AM to 5 AM. If you see clicks but 0 conversions, or conversions with a 90% higher CPA, you have found your "Ghost Hours." Action: Exclude them completely.

Advanced Strategy: The "Monday Morning Blast"

In B2B, Monday morning is war. Executives are back at their desks. They have problems. They are searching for solutions. Competition is fierce. Technique:

1. Create a specific Ad Schedule for Monday 8am - 11am.
2. Apply a +30% Bid Adjustment (Manual Bidding) or rely on tCPA to naturally bid up (if you have enough data).
3. Manual Override: If using Maximize Clicks/Manual CPC, this +30% modifier ensures you own the top slot when the CEO is searching.

Case Study: The Emergency Plumber

Client: 24-Hour Plumber Problem: High CPA ($150). Analysis: They were bidding the same amount at 2 PM (Low urgency) as 2 AM (High urgency).

The Strategy:

1. 7am - 6pm: Bid Normal. (Competition is high, urgency is low).
2. 6pm - 12am: Bid +50%.
3. 12am - 7am: Bid +100%.

The Logic: If someone searches "plumber" at 3 AM, their house is flooded. Price is irrelevant. You need to be position #1. Result: CPA dropped to $85. Conversion Rate at night was 40%.

Pitfalls to Avoid

1. Time Zone Confusion

Ad Schedules run in your Account Time Zone. If your account is in EST (New York), but your customer is in PST (California), your "9 AM" start time is actually "6 AM" for them. Fix: If you run national campaigns, calculate the overlap or split campaigns by Time Zone (East/West).

2. Over-Constricting Smart Bidding

If you use tCPA, Google automatically dayparts for you. It knows 3 AM is bad. However, it often under-bids during peak hours because it's trying to save budget. Use Dayparting to BLOCK hours (100% exclusion), but let Smart Bidding handle the subtle adjustments.

3. The "Sunday Night" Mistake

In B2B, executives often prep for the week on Sunday night (8pm - 10pm). If you turn ads off strictly on weekends, you miss this "Pre-Work" research window. Test: Turn on Sunday 6pm-10pm.

Summary

Ad Scheduling is the easiest way to improve ROI immediately. Stops waste. Focuses power.

Your Schedule Checklist:

1. Run the Hour of Day report.
2. Identify and kill your Ghost Hours (usually 1am-5am).
3. Identify your Golden Hours (High CVR).
4. Implement the 6-Block Schedule so you have control levers for the future.

Own your time.