Google Search partners is a default setting that most advertisers turn off. However, using the Search Partners network can be useful in specific situations such as expanding the reach of a branded campaign or for website remarketing.
When you create a new search campaign, you’re automatically opted into the display network and search partners by default. This allows your ads to appear on properties owned by Google (such as YouTube and Google Maps), companies they have partnered with (such as Amazon), and other websites that sell ad placements. This can be a useful tool for gaining additional traffic and conversions.
However, it’s not without its drawbacks, which is why the commonly accepted best practice for most advertisers is to disable it:
- Lack of transparency and control. There is limited data about where your ads are displayed, and you can’t prevent ads from displaying in specific placements.
- Google’s Search Partners network can drain your budget without your ads ever being seen by real users.
- You also have limited control over ad auctions, as bid modifiers cannot be used.
Steps You Can Take To Improve Performance on Google Search Partners
- Segment Out Your Campaigns By Match Type – If you find that the search partners are performing well on certain match types, segment your campaigns out and opt only for the match types that proved to perform well historically into search partners.
- Segment Out Your Campaigns By Device – If you find that the search partners are performing well on one device over another, you might consider splitting up the campaign and keeping only certain devices opted into search partners.
- Duplicating A Campaign Purely For Search Partners – You can duplicate your campaign and set the bids much lower than your current campaign so that Google’s search network won’t pick them up. The positive thing about this is that it doesn’t disrupt the performance of the keywords on the Google search network.
