Google Ads is always evolving, and if you’re not keeping up with the latest updates, studies and news, you might be missing out on important new features.
Here’s a roundup of the latest updates you need to know, along with links to the full details so you can dive deeper into each one.
AI updates to Performance Max in 2024
Google launched several updates to Performance Max during 2024, some of which should have been available from the start, in my opinion. These key updates include:
- Asset-Level Reporting – Performance Max now gives more detailed asset-level reporting. This means you can see conversions, conversion value etc for each creative (like headlines, images, and videos), alongside their performance ratings.
- Asset Coverage Reporting – Identify underperforming assets with specific recommendations to improve them, such as ‘add long headlines’ or ‘add images’.
- New Audience Insights – With Performance Max now providing deeper audience insights, you can better understand the “unique characteristics” and “detailed demographics” of people interacting with your ads.
- Budget Pacing Insights – This update provides insights into how your current and projected campaign spend aligns with forecasted conversions.
- Experiment with Final URL Expansion – Google now allows you to test the impact of Final URL Expansion within your campaigns via experiments.
- Impression Share Reporting – Impression share reporting in Performance Max campaigns is now more granular, offering insights into how often your ads are shown in relation to total available impressions. This helps you identify opportunities to improve your share, whether by increasing budget or optimising targeting.
New transparency with brand suitability and placement reporting
Google Ads is increasing transparency for advertisers, especially around where ads are shown:
- See where your ads serve on YouTube – You can now access detailed reporting (in the Content Suitability Centre) on where your ads are running on YouTube, ensuring they align with your brand’s goals and values.
- Third-party verification with YouTube brand safety partners – Google has rolled out third-party verification and measurement tools, so advertisers can validate the brand suitability of video placements.
- Search Partners Network placement reporting – Advertisers can now find out where their ads are being served on the Search Partners network and exclude specific placements if necessary to improve targeting.
New ‘Source’ column in Performance Max search terms insights
Performance Max campaigns have seen the introduction of a ‘Source’ column in search terms insights report. This new feature allows advertisers to see Google’s reasoning behind showing the ads (whether it’s from Search themes or URLs, creative assets and more, etc).
Google Ads reveals low-volume search terms as ‘private’
Google has started marking low-volume search terms as ‘private’. This includes terms with less than 50 unique searches over 90 days. This is clearly another move to protect users’ privacy but very annoying for advertisers operating in niche markets.
Asset History details now available
A new Asset History feature has been spotted, which allows advertisers to track changes to assets over time. Whether you’re adjusting headlines or changing creative, you can now view the full history of asset modifications and their impact on performance.
Performance Max vs. search campaigns: new data reveals substantial search term overlap
If you’ve been wondering whether Performance Max and traditional Search campaigns target the same search terms, new data from Adalysis reveals a significant overlap between the two. This means that Performance Max campaigns could be cannibalising Search campaigns in certain instances.
Check out the detailed report here: Performance Max vs. Search Campaigns Overlap Data
Google Ads introduces advanced targeting for Performance Max
Google has finally launched advanced targeting options for Performance Max, which allow you to customise your audience segments more precisely. Highlights include:
- Campaign-level negative keywords
- New customer acquisition goals (including High Value Mode)
- Improved brand exclusions
- “URL contains” rules
- And finally Betas for:
- Demographic exclusions (e.g., age brackets like “18-24”).
- Device targeting
Read more about the new targeting options here: Advanced Targeting for Performance Max
Search Max – new match type
This one is not strictly Performance Max but is definitely related. Google Ads has quietly introduced a new match type called Search Max. It looks as though this will combine Search Term Matching and Text & URL Optimisation to increase reach and further reduce advertisers’ control around targeting.
Google is continuously rolling out updates designed to enhance performance and keeping up with these changes can be time-consuming. However, doing so ensures that you’re getting the most out of your ad spend and staying ahead of the competition. I’m glad to see the advancements and increase in transparency for Performance Max campaigns but apprehensive about the launch of Search Max. We’ll have to watch this space…
