Yes, but the minimum viable investment has increased. Automation requires sufficient conversion data to learn effectively — most experts recommend 30–50 conversions per month per campaign for Smart Bidding to work reliably. Small budgets can still work, but they need hyper-focused targeting, tight geographic constraints, and immaculate conversion tracking to compete.
Performance Max (PMax) is Google's fully automated campaign type that serves ads across Search, Display, YouTube, Gmail, and Maps from a single campaign. It performs well when fed strong audience signals and creative assets. It's not a replacement for standard Search campaigns in all cases — many advertisers run both in parallel, using Search for high-intent branded and exact-match terms while PMax handles discovery and broader reach.
Signal quality and landing page relevance. A well-structured account with clean conversion data, high Quality Scores, and a conversion-optimized landing page will consistently outperform a higher-budget competitor with poor data hygiene. Focus on your cost per qualified lead, not your cost per click.
Not in any near-term horizon. Automation handles execution; it cannot replace strategic judgment, creative direction, competitive analysis, or business context. What it has replaced is the manual execution layer — bid adjustments, keyword harvesting, and ad rotation. PPC roles are evolving toward strategy, analytics, and creative oversight, not disappearing.
At a minimum, monthly. Audit your active conversions, check for duplicate tracking, verify that offline imports are firing correctly, and confirm that your primary conversion actions reflect actual business value — not vanity metrics. A quarterly deep-dive with your CRM team is a good practice for any account spending over £3,000/month.