Automation now handles more of the execution layer, which means the operator edge has shifted. Today the advantage comes from feed quality, conversion signal quality, and the discipline to separate experiments from scale campaigns.
Broad match can work, but only when paired with solid negatives, strong first-party signals, and realistic budget allocation. Otherwise it turns into expensive ambiguity.
The teams still winning in Google Ads are the ones feeding the system better inputs, not fighting the interface.