If you have set up a Google Display Network campaign recently you may have noticed the new setting that is available, named “Flexible reach”:
Found in the Networks section of the campaign settings tab, this new option, “Flexible reach”, allows advertisers to have more control over their Display Network ads and allows them to choose their settings at ad group level instead of campaign level.
With the previous campaign level settings advertisers could choose “Broad reach” or “Specific reach” for their campaigns, depending on how strict they need the targeting settings to be for each campaign. However, the new option allows them to choose a combination of these options for the ad groups within their campaigns.
This allows advertisers to have more control over which placements the ads in their individual ad groups, within their Display Network campaigns appear on, and get a better idea of how the number of impressions and clicks is being affected by these selections.
The new setting has been available since June but later this year it will replace the Broad and Specific settings altogether. Also if advertisers do choose to try out the new “Flexible” option they will not be able to revert back to either of the old settings and any new ad group that is added to the campaign will be set to “Flexible reach” by default. All other targeting and bidding settings will not be changed, advertisers just have the option to be more granular with their targeting settings.
This is yet another feature that Google has added to try and make its interface easier to use and is one of several changes it has made to the Display Network section of AdWords in recent months. Another is the addition of a separate Display Network tab within AdWords, making it quicker and easier for advertisers to make changes to their display keywords, placements, topics and interests & remarketing all in one place.