By Jonathan Baker and Juan Tejada, EGC’s Paid Media Manager One almost needs a checklist to keep up with Google. The additions and upgrades to the iconic search engine seem to launch with non-stop rapidity. Case in point: The recent expansion of its Performance Max controls and reporting tools. The Expansion… Google’s latest launch is a three-way upgrade in Performance Max that will make tracking and reporting easier for advertisers everywhere. As reported in Search Engine Journal, this upgrade (or, more accurately, expansion) will improve audience targeting, provide better visibility for creative reporting and asset control, and offer clearer tracking of newer customer acquisition. For an in-depth explanation, Google will accomplish through… 1. Catching Negative Keywords at the Start With the recent upgrade, Performance Max will support negative keyword lists at the campaign level. This means that advertisers will now be able to easily block irrelevant queries across multiple campaigns. Result: The improved efficiency of campaign deployment allows advertisers to focus on allocating ad dollars to qualified traffic only. 2. More Targeting Options Advertisers were once limited to a maximum of 25 search themes per asset group. Performance Max has increased this number to 50 search themes. Additionally, targeting may be applied across desktop computers, mobile phones, and tablets. And targeting by age is now possible. (Gender targeting is currently in beta mode.) Result: Advertisers have more control over the specific audience and location of where their campaigns are seen. 3. No More “Unknowns” The last—but far from the least—improvement has enabled Google to remove the “Unknown” bucket from the “New” versus “Returning” customer reports. Now, advertisers will have much clearer insights into customer acquisition. Complementing this change are new goal diagnostics which will do everything from highlighting conversion tracking issues to suggesting possible fixes. Result: Campaign measurement will achieve greater accuracy as it never has before. Takeaway As stated, the enhancements from Google are coming fast and furious. This latest collection of upgrades is aimed to help advertisers. As summarized by Juan Tejada, Paid Media Manager at EGC: “These updates to Performance Max give advertisers more precision and visibility than before. The ability to control negatives, expand targeting, and measure customer acquisition more accurately helps us invest smarter and drive stronger results for our clients.” Will these upgrades ease the sting advertisers may feel by the advances presented by AI Overviews, which enables users to find answers without clicking on web pages? Maybe. If nothing else, Google is making efforts to help advertisers improve efficiency in promoting their brands. The EGC Group remains in tune with the latest developments to keep their clients visible, relevant and top-of-mind in online search. Can we help improve your online presence? Let’s connect to discuss the possibilities.
