A major advantage of Google Ads is its enormous reach. Through Google platforms such as search, Shopping, Maps, Gmail, YouTube, and Discover, and a network of over 2 million partner websites and apps, advertisers can connect with billions of users across the internet. Google simplifies this process by offering various campaign types, including Performance Max, App, and Smart campaigns, which can automatically target all these placements.

However, seasoned advertisers understand that placement quality matters. Displaying your brand’s ad alongside unsuitable content can alienate customers, harm your brand, and hinder your objectives. While monitoring ad placements is crucial, advertisers previously lacked control over some placements, particularly within the Google search partner network.

Responding to concerns, Google has introduced a tool allowing some advertisers to review and exclude potentially inappropriate ad placements within the search partner network.

Contents

• What is the Google Ads Search Partner network?
• Google’s new Performance Max campaign placement report
• How to opt out of Google Search Partner placements

What is the Google Ads Search Partner network?

It’s important to note that Google isn’t the only search engine. Hundreds of smaller engines and countless websites with search bars exist, many serving PPC ads within their results. Lacking their own advertising platforms, most of these smaller sites partner with Google (or Microsoft) to connect advertisers with users. These secondary search engines constitute the Search Partner network, driving significant search traffic in many industries. Want to learn more about optimizing your campaigns across networks? Our free Google Ads Grader is a great place to start! The Google’s Search Network encompasses:

• Google search sites: Google Search, Google Shopping, Google Images, and Google Maps.
• Search Partner network: This includes YouTube search, smaller search engines, and websites utilizing a Google-powered search bar. Many local and specialized websites, including some recognizable search engines like Ask.com, are part of this network.

Google Ads enables advertisers to monitor campaign performance and segment results between Google search and the Search Partner network. Within search campaigns, opting out of the Search Network is straightforward and can be done at any time within the campaign settings.

However, Google’s Performance Max campaigns (and other fully automated campaign types) lack this level of transparency and control. These campaigns automatically place ads across the entire Google network (search, search partners, display, YouTube, video, discover, Gmail) using AI to optimize results.

The problems with Google’s Search Partner Network

While the expanded reach offered by Google’s Search Partner network is generally advantageous, it comes with drawbacks. Despite most partners being reputable, the vast internet inevitably harbors low-quality sites and malicious actors.

Previously, Google didn’t disclose its search partner list, and unlike the Google Display Network, advertisers lacked visibility into their Search Network placements. Advertisers faced an all-or-nothing choice: utilize the entire Search Partner network or opt out completely. Performance Max campaigns automatically included the entire Google network, including Search Partners.

Concerns about ad placements have steadily increased among advertisers, particularly regarding brand image. Recently, Adalytics published a study highlighted this issue by revealing concerning placements within the search partner network. The study found that major companies, agencies, and even government entities were potentially paying for ads on inappropriate sites, including those containing pornography, pirated content, and content potentially subject to international sanctions.

Google refuted the claims, asserting that such sites represent a negligible portion of their Search Partner network and assuring advertisers that ad revenue wasn’t being shared with sanctioned entities. Following this, Google announced a temporary measure: allowing advertisers to temporarily allow advertisers in Performance Max and App campaigns until March 1. Opting out required directly contacting Google.

Google’s new Performance Max campaign placement report

Responding to growing concerns, Google announced increased transparency into ad placements across the network, including the Search Partner network. Starting March 4, advertisers gained access to insights into ad frequency across individual placements within their Performance Max and App campaigns.

This report, located within the “report editor” section of the Google Ads dashboard, is available to all advertisers running active Performance Max and App campaigns.

The report shows ad impressions across different placements. However, other performance metrics like clicks, costs, and conversions remain unavailable.

It’s important to note that this reporting is specific to Performance Max and App campaigns. Traditional search and shopping campaigns still lack placement-level reporting for the search partner network. Our free guide to the perfect Google Ads account structure will help ensure your Google Ads campaigns are set up for success!

How to opt out of Google Search Partner placements

Since March, Google allows advertisers to exclude individual Search Partner placements for any campaign, including Performance Max. This exclusion is applied at the account level, unlike other exclusions which offer campaign or ad group level control.

To block placements, create a placement exclusion list and apply it to your account. These lists are found under “Tools and Settings” in the “Shared Library” section of Google Ads.

Once created, the new exclusion list automatically applies to all campaigns within the account. It may take up to 12 hours for new exclusions to become effective.

Take control over where your brand shows online

Google’s latest reports and exclusion options aim to provide advertisers greater control over their online brand presence. While the extent to which these controls are utilized is up to individual advertisers, regularly reviewing and updating placement exclusions is always recommended. Want more like this? Check out our article on “How to Use Google’s New Brand Restrictions to Gain Back Control of Your Spend” for more information.