We recently heard from the Google Ads Gurus about several updates that will modify how a consumer’s search queries are matched to the keywords advertisers are using. This newest update can also control brand-related traffic.

You guessed it, AI is delivering breakthrough after breakthrough on Google. AI has advanced how Google can answer questions in Google Search. Google is pushing broad match keywords even more than it has in the past, but there’s reason. AI-powered improvements to relevance, language understanding, and quality have improved broad match performance by “10% for advertisers using Smart Bidding.” 1 Google, therefore, wanted to make it even easier to benefit from these improvements and is launching four updates to query matching and brand controls. You can expect to see these changes slowly being rolled out over the next few months.

Updates to Google ads

Enhanced Search Term Reporting in Google Ads

Google has introduced a new feature in its search term reports, combining misspelled search queries with their correctly spelled versions.

According to Google, this update will uncover approximately 9% more search terms that were previously grouped under the "Other" category due to stringent privacy thresholds.

Utilizing Brand Exclusions in Google Ads

Google Ads now offers brand exclusions across all match types and Dynamic Search Ads (DSA). Here’s a breakdown of how to effectively use brand inclusions and exclusions:

Brand Inclusions:

Purpose: To maximize the reach of broad match keywords while ensuring your ads only appear for specific brands.

Brand Exclusions:

PurpPurpose: To prevent your ads from appearing for particular brands.
Usage: Effective for avoiding brand-specific traffic you don't want your ads to show up for.

By leveraging brand exclusions, you can refine your ad targeting strategy, ensuring you reach the desired audience while avoiding irrelevant traffic. This feature used to only apply to Performance Max Campaigns - but the new update will expand its reach.

Enhanced Negative Keyword Functionality in Google Ads

Google Ads has introduced an automatic feature to improve negative keyword management. Here's a clear breakdown:

Automatic Misspelling Blocking:

Feature: Automatically blocks misspelled variations of your negative keywords.
Benefit: Reduces the need for manual updates and management of negative keyword lists.
Impact: Simplifies the process of ensuring your ads don't appear for unwanted search queries, even if they're misspelled.

This enhancement streamlines the management of negative keywords, saving time and effort while maintaining effective ad targeting.

We should know more about these updates as they begin to roll out.

1. Google Internal Data, Oct 2023 - Mar 2024. Performance refers to conversions/conversion value at constant ROI.