What Are Placement Modifiers?
Placement modifiers (or bid adjusters) allow sellers to increase bids by percentage based on where their ads appear:
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Top of Search – Highest CTR & conversions
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Rest of Search – Cost-effective mid-funnel traffic
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Product Pages – Lowest CPC, lowest rank influence
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Business Buyer Modifier (NEW in 2025) – Targets B2B traffic
Why They Matter
If you’re not using placement modifiers:
• You’re paying more for poor-quality traffic.
• Competitors are scooping up your best placements.
• You’re leaving profitable, cheap conversions on the table.
When & How to Use Each Modifier
Modifier Use Case Suggested Starting Adjustment
Top of Search Keyword ranking, high-volume keywords Start with 20–40%
Rest of Search Cost control, scale with low CPC Add only after analyzing
Product Pages Efficient, lean campaigns with low volume Scale if ROI is strong
Business Buyers B2B bulk or recurring purchases Use selectively
Strategy for Setup & Optimization
- Create Individual Campaigns per Key Keyword
– Placement modifiers work at campaign level, not ad group level.
– Use single-keyword campaigns for better control.
- Start Conservative
– Top of Search: start with 30–40%, not 900%.
– Let performance data guide increases.
- Use 30-Day Data for Optimization
– Don’t rely on single-sale data points.
– Wait for statistically meaningful volume (5–10 orders minimum).
- Optimize by Placement
o Identify sales volume and ACoS per placement.
o Increase modifiers for placements with:
Strong sales
Low ACoS
Strategic value (e.g., ranking via Top of Search)
- Lower Underperforming Placements
o If already at 0%, lower campaign base bid and increase modifiers for the others.
Real Example Breakdown
Placement Orders ACoS CTR Action
Top of Search 68 Mid 19% Increase modifier (30%)
Product Pages 17 Low Low Profitable, maintain
Rest of Search 19 High 1% Decrease influence
Summary Tips
• Use placement modifiers to sculpt your ranking and profitability goals.
• Adjust weekly or biweekly based on reliable data.
• This strategy alone can double profit when applied smartly.
• Monitor campaigns regularly to capture high-performance placement trends.