Google has announced a major update to its Search Ads 360 platform, providing even more support for alternative channels and introducing new features. This update is one of the biggest in 10 years for the platform, making it easier for businesses to manage their search advertising efforts. Some of the key highlights include greater support for alternative search engines like Microsoft Ads and Yahoo! Japan, as well as access to new features in Google Ads such as Performance Max and Discovery campaigns. The update also includes improved inventory management and budget management tools, providing streamlined workflows and enhanced forecasting capabilities. With these updates, Google aims to empower businesses with a unified and scalable experience for their search advertising campaigns.

Greater support for alternative channels

One of the key updates in the latest Search Ads 360 release is the inclusion of greater support for alternative search engines. In particular, the platform now offers enhanced support for Microsoft Ads and Yahoo! Japan. This is a significant development, as these alternative channels have often been overlooked in favor of Google Ads. In the past, managing campaigns across multiple platforms required time-consuming workarounds to link data and make bulk changes. However, with the new update, users can now streamline their advertising efforts and get more work done from the same place.

For Microsoft Advertisers, Search Ads 360 now supports additional features such as response search ads, call extensions, local inventory ads, and access to various audience types. This opens up new opportunities for advertisers to reach a wider audience and drive more targeted traffic to their websites. Similarly, Yahoo! Japan advertisers can take advantage of dynamic search ads and site link extension scheduling to enhance their campaigns. With the inclusion of these alternative channels, advertisers have more options at their disposal and can optimize their advertising strategies to maximize their results.

Access to new features

In addition to the greater support for alternative channels, the latest Search Ads 360 release also provides users with access to new features that can further enhance their advertising efforts. One of the most notable additions is the support for Performance Max campaigns. Performance Max is a goal-based campaign type that allows performance advertisers to access all of their Google Ads inventory from a centralized campaign. This means that advertisers can manage their campaigns more efficiently and effectively, without the need for multiple campaigns for different ad formats or devices.

Another new feature is the support for Discovery campaigns. Discovery campaigns allow advertisers to run ads in Google Discover feeds, delivering highly visual and personalized ad experiences to users. This provides a unique opportunity for advertisers to reach users at key moments of discovery, driving engagement and increasing brand visibility.

Furthermore, the updated Search Ads 360 includes support for Display and YouTube Advertising, which were previously only available in the Google Ads platform. This integration allows advertisers to leverage the power of display and video advertising within the same platform, making it easier to create and manage campaigns across different channels.

The latest release also introduces advanced enterprise innovation features that provide teams with the ability to scale everyday tasks. This includes features such as campaign management, automated rules, and the ability to use labels across various advertisers simultaneously. By providing these advanced features, Google aims to empower advertisers to streamline their workflows and optimize their campaigns for better results.

Updated inventory management

Managing inventory is a crucial aspect of advertising, especially for industries with frequently changing prices and availability. The latest Search Ads 360 update includes a revamped inventory management system that provides streamlined workflows and more powerful controls over how you use your ad space. This is particularly beneficial for industry verticals such as airlines, hotels, live and streaming entertainment, recruitment, retail, and businesses with geo-specific offers.

To facilitate inventory management, Search Ads 360 utilizes an inventory feed. By providing high-quality data and a list of attributes for your feed, such as product name, price, and landing page, you can generate ready-to-go paid search campaigns using dynamic data from your feed. This automation saves advertisers time and effort in creating and updating campaigns, especially for industries that experience frequent changes in prices and availability.

The updated inventory management system also allows marketers to manage templates across client accounts, enabling them to update ads at scale. This centralized management of templates improves efficiency and allows for consistent branding and messaging across multiple accounts.

Overall, the enhanced inventory management capabilities in Search Ads 360 provide advertisers with greater flexibility and control over their advertising campaigns, making it easier to adapt to changing market conditions and optimize campaign performance.

Budget management

Managing account budgets is a critical component of campaign management, but it can also be challenging, especially at scale. As part of the latest Search Ads 360 release, Google has made improvements to budget management and integrated it with the new Performance Center.

The new budget management features include visual graphs that provide insights into target and estimated spend, as well as key performance indicators such as cost per acquisition (CPA) or revenue. These visual representations help media managers track their budgets and make informed decisions about campaign performance and optimization.

Additionally, the budget management system offers automatic budget allocation and bid adjustments based on a chosen budget bid strategy. This automation helps optimize campaign performance by ensuring that budgets are allocated efficiently and bids are adjusted appropriately to maximize results.

Forecasting capabilities are another valuable feature of the budget management system. By leveraging historical performance data and considering seasonality, advertisers can make more accurate predictions about campaign performance and adjust budgets accordingly.

Pacing reports at various levels, such as daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annual, provide media managers with insights into the pacing of their budgets. These reports help ensure that budgets are on track and allow for proactive budget adjustments when necessary.

With these improved budget management features, advertisers using Search Ads 360 can optimize their budget allocation and maximize the performance of their campaigns. The integration with the Performance Center further enhances the budget management capabilities, allowing advertisers to experiment with different media budget flighting scenarios and make data-driven decisions about their advertising strategies.

New look

The latest Search Ads 360 update introduces a new look for the platform, which closely resembles the Google Ads platform. The new interface includes similar navigation and a familiar user experience, making it easier for users to transition between the two platforms.

Upon launching the Search Ads 360 platform, users are greeted with an account overview dashboard that is identical to the one found in Google Ads. This seamless integration between the two platforms ensures a consistent user experience and allows advertisers to navigate between them effortlessly.

The new look of Search Ads 360 not only improves usability but also facilitates the adoption of the platform for users who are already familiar with Google Ads. The familiar interface reduces the learning curve and allows advertisers to leverage their existing knowledge and skills in managing their campaigns.

Into the future

With the latest Search Ads 360 update, Google is paving the way for the future of enterprise innovations in advertising. The new features and enhancements provide advertisers with more opportunities to optimize their performance and achieve their advertising goals.

The improved support for alternative channels, such as Microsoft Ads and Yahoo! Japan, opens up new avenues for advertisers to reach their target audience and expand their reach. By having access to additional features and audiences on these platforms, advertisers can diversify their strategies and maximize their advertising efforts.

Furthermore, the inclusion of new features like Performance Max campaigns and Discovery campaigns allows advertisers to leverage the latest advertising technologies and formats. Performance Max campaigns enable advertisers to access all of their Google Ads inventory from a centralized campaign, simplifying campaign management and optimization. Discovery campaigns, on the other hand, provide a unique opportunity to deliver personalized ad experiences in Google Discover feeds, increasing brand visibility and engagement.

The advanced enterprise innovation features introduced in the latest Search Ads 360 release enable teams to scale everyday tasks and streamline workflows. Features such as campaign management, automated rules, and cross-advertiser label usage empower advertisers to efficiently manage their campaigns at scale, saving time and resources.

The future of search advertising lies in improved efficiency and a cross-channel view of data. The latest updates in Search Ads 360 bring advertisers closer to this future by providing advanced features and capabilities that enable them to optimize their campaigns and make data-driven decisions.

To make the most of the new features and enhancements in Search Ads 360, advertisers can enroll in Google’s Skillshop modules for Search Ads 360. These modules provide comprehensive training and resources to help advertisers maximize their use of the platform and achieve their advertising goals.

In conclusion, the 2022 Search Ads 360 update brings significant improvements and new features to the platform, enhancing advertisers’ ability to manage their campaigns and optimize their performance. With greater support for alternative channels, access to new features, updated inventory management capabilities, improved budget management, a new user interface, and a focus on future innovations, Search Ads 360 is poised to provide advertisers with a more comprehensive and effective advertising solution.

Source: https://www.searchenginewatch.com/2022/03/23/2022-search-ads-360-update-what-you-need-to-know/