In response to advertiser feedback about their lack of control over Performance Max campaigns, Google has introduced a range of new features to improve campaign performance management. These updates include brand lists, negative keywords, and placement controls designed to give advertisers greater flexibility and control over their ad spending.
What Are Brand Lists?
Brand lists allow advertisers to exclude specific brand names and their variations from their campaigns. This feature is handy for businesses looking to prevent their Performance Max campaigns from cannibalising dedicated brand search campaigns, ensuring a more strategic allocation of budget and visibility.
However, while this exclusion capability is beneficial, many advertisers have reported an unintended side effect: a decline in branded shopping search performance, which could impact overall sales and visibility in shopping results.
A New Exclusion Option for Shopping Ads
Recently, some advertisers have noticed a new tick-box feature within their Google Ads accounts. This feature allows them to exclude brand lists specifically from Shopping ads. This additional layer of control could help advertisers refine their brand bidding strategies without negatively impacting their branded shopping searches.
By enabling this option, advertisers can:
- Protect their brand campaigns – Ensuring Performance Max does not overlap with dedicated brand search efforts.
- Optimise budget allocation – Avoid unnecessary spending on branded searches already covered by other campaigns.
- Increase campaign performance – Gaining control over how and where their ads appear across Google’s extensive network.
What This Means for Advertisers
Introducing these new controls signifies Google’s ongoing efforts to provide advertisers with more precise targeting capabilities, particularly within the ever-evolving Performance Max framework.
Advertisers are encouraged to:
Review their current brand bidding strategies. Ensure that brand lists are applied effectively without hindering valuable branded shopping traffic.
- Experiment with the new shopping exclusion setting – Testing its impact on campaign performance before making widespread changes.
- Monitor performance metrics closely – Evaluate how these changes influence overall reach, conversions, and return on ad spend (ROAS).
Google’s latest updates to brand lists for Shopping inventory demonstrate a commitment to improving campaign control and efficiency for advertisers. While the added flexibility is a welcome change, businesses should carefully consider their approach to ensure they strike the right balance between visibility and budget efficiency.
Look for these new features in your Google Ads dashboard and explore how they can refine your brand bidding strategy.
