Staying Safe: Content Suitability For Automated Paid Search

2023 has seen automated campaign types become one of the most important parts of Paid Search. After a shaky start for Performance Max in late 2021, the algorithms have rapidly improved to the point where most marketers can’t imagine their strategy without the inclusion of automated campaigns.

Whether it’s Performance Max being used to drive sales for an ecommerce account or the introduction of Demand Gen & Video View campaigns for brand awareness, marketers are finding new and innovative use cases for these campaigns and for their clients.

While the performance of these campaigns isn’t in question, there are still concerns about transparency and brand safety. How can marketers be sure that their ads will appear in the right places when the specifics of targeting & ad placements are left up to the ad platforms? We’ve all had emails from clients asking why their ad appeared next to a particular piece of content and, in the worst cases, businesses can choose to pull their spend completely when ads are placed next to content that risks destroying the credibility of their brand.

There are already strong controls in place for Display & Youtube campaigns. Marketers can exclude content themes and categories & they can even restrict their campaigns to only show on specific placements. These tools have been in place for years and they’re an invaluable tool for avoiding irrelevant impressions and awkward emails from clients.

Since the launch of Performance Max, marketers have been looking for similar assurances in terms of content restrictions. These concerns are focused around lack of transparency and control and always come back to protecting the best interests of their clients. The common consensus in the Paid Search space is that there’s no workable solution to this and all we can do is wait for Google to introduce these options in the same way as is already available for other campaign types. It’s a shame because automated campaigns can unlock entirely new sources of performance and significantly expand the scope of an account.

There is an answer though, you just need to go looking for it.

The Content Suitability Tool is hidden in the account level settings of your Google Ads account. To access it, click on Tools and settings > Setup > Content suitability

From here, marketers can choose exclusions that will be applied to all campaigns running on the Display & Youtube network in their accounts, including Performance Max, Demand Gen & Video View. Whether it’s the exclusion of content types, themes, keywords or even specific placements, the Content Suitability tool gives marketers all the control they need to ensure their automated ads are just as targeted as their existing campaigns.

There are a few limitations to keep in mind here. This tool is about exclusions rather than inclusions, so we’re still not able to restrict automated campaigns to only show on specific placements. The Excluded Placements list should be regularly reviewed and updated as new placements are identified along with updates to the Excluded Keywords list depending on current events, brand updates and other factors. As with any marketing activity, staying on top of things and making regular adjustments is the best way to maintain performance.

By definition, marketers will have less control over automated campaigns than what they’ve been used to in the past. While this can be a daunting prospect, if managed correctly these campaigns are one of the best ways to open up new opportunity and stand out from competitors. Smart, strategic use of the Content Suitability tool can benefit every business and with automated campaigns here to stay learning how to use it to your advantage is a must for 2024.

For effective automated Paid Search, get in touch.