Google Ads has informed its users about the updates they are currently making, which will impact the way advertisers make business decisions. The search terms report will only include terms that were searched by a significant number of users. This update will negatively affect advertisers as companies invest millions into Google Ads and rely on the report’s data to decide whether these search terms are relevant. By removing this vital information, thousands of dollars will go to waste on irrelevant keywords.
Google Ads update
A Google spokesperson said, “In order to maintain our standards of privacy and strengthen our protections around user data, we have made changes to our Search Terms Report to only include terms that a significant number of users searched for. We’re continuing to invest in new and efficient ways to share insights that enable advertisers to make critical business decisions”.
Users are frustrated with the lack of information provided. How Google defines, “significant” will be detrimental to advertisers’ budgets and campaigns heavily relying on the report to review and perfect their strategies. Negative keywords allow advertisers to target the correct audience by omitting irrelevant words. With the change, they will no longer have access to this data, which can have a real financial impact.
Google wants to ensure user privacy, which is entirely understandable; however, they limit query data in the search console for that reason.
Whenever a user clicks on an ad triggered by a user’s query, the advertiser must pay. Therefore, with the loss of data, they will no longer have access to improve and update their negative keywords.
Even though this might be for a small number of searches, Australian advertisers have a right to know which search term is beneficial and whether it’s driving a meaningful interaction with their brand. By removing this crucial data, they become disadvantaged as they are unaware of keywords that can lead the wrong users to their ad and potentially cost the advertiser. Companies rely on this data to improve and ensure their ads are efficient and reach the right audience; this shouldn’t change. There will be millions of dollars of advertising spending, which will lack transparency and be potentially wasted by having this data withheld. Google can protect users’ privacy and still allow advertisers to export all search terms along with statistics. Advertisers must ensure their ads are effective and only use the appropriate keywords to prevent unwanted ad clicks and costs, and by removing this data, businesses will suffer.
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