Top of search or product pages — which one earns
The same campaign is shown in three different places: top of search, the rest of search, and product pages. Their ACoS can differ dramatically. The placement multiplier decides how much extra you bid in each place and it grows the base bid you wrote — which is why breakeven is computed on the adjusted figure.
Three placements, three different economics
Top of search converts better and costs more. Product pages are cheaper and convert differently. Treating them as one average hides the one that is losing money.
Splitting spend and ACoS by placement turns the multiplier into a decision you can defend with numbers.
The multiplier grows the floor, not the ceiling
A placement multiplier applies to the bid you wrote. Set a +100% multiplier on a $0.40 bid and the real bid in that placement is $0.80 — which can be well above breakeven.
That is why bids and breakeven are compared in multiplier-adjusted terms, not against the number typed into the bid field.
Frequently asked questions
What does a placement multiplier do?
It increases your base bid in a specific placement. A +100% multiplier doubles the bid for that placement only.
Which placement should get the multiplier?
The one whose ACoS stays below breakeven at the higher bid. That comparison is what the placement table is for.