Google Ads recently announced new brand settings for both Performance Max and Search campaigns. Brand exclusions are now a feature of Performance Max campaigns, while brand restrictions now exist for broad match in Search campaigns. The change is intended to give small business marketers greater power over Google AI and exactly where their online ad campaigns appear. The move is being implemented after a successful trial period; both features were previously only accessible in beta.
Boosting marketing reach
The changes mean advertisers will still be able to use broad match, yet matches will now be made solely to specified brand traffic. As a result, marketers will be able to increase the reach of their campaigns. “If you have historically used exact match and phrase match to adhere to specific brand needs, you can now use brand restrictions with a broad match for additional reach and performance―while still meeting those brand needs,” Google explains.
Broad match is an effective way to drive brand awareness and reach new customers in line with your performance goals. Google’s Display Network shows ads to roughly 90% of internet users every day, while 65% of small businesses successfully drive customers and sales with this method. Indeed, strong branding is essential to business success, especially for small businesses that need to work to stand out from the competition. However, positive brand awareness comes down to far more than ads alone. The importance of consistency, for example, can’t be understated; consistent branding ensures your brand remains uniform across all platforms and touchpoints, and therefore appears easily-recognizable to customers.
Performance Max changes
Performance Max campaigns are also changing with brand exclusions now in place. Instead of letting you choose the brands you want to display ads on, brand exclusions give you the freedom to select which brands you don’t want to include. “These exclusions provide added control so your Performance Max campaigns won’t serve for branded queries you want to avoid on Search and Shopping inventory. Applying these exclusions will also help block traffic from brand misspellings and brand searches in a foreign language. You’ll be able to choose from a list of brands to exclude, including your own brand terms or third-party terms,” says Google.
It’s important to bear in mind that to use the broad match feature, you need to first turn on the new broad match campaign-level setting. Ultimately, with these changes, marketers will better be able to boost the reach and effectiveness of their campaigns.