Google has introduced two major updates to Demand Gen campaigns, giving advertisers more control over where their ads appear and offering new conversion tracking features to improve performance visibility. These changes aim to make Google’s Demand Gen campaigns more competitive with social advertising platforms while enhancing transparency for advertisers.
Update #1: More Control Over Ad Placement in Demand Gen Campaigns
Google Ads is rolling out channel control for select Demand Gen campaigns, allowing advertisers to choose where their ads appear across Google’s ecosystem, including YouTube, Discover, and Gmail. Here’s what this means for advertisers:
- Granular Placement Control – Advertisers can now decide where their ads are shown, optimizing for the best-performing platforms.
- Reporting Limitations – While this feature improves control, segmentation by individual channels isn’t fully available yet, meaning advertisers won’t see detailed performance metrics per platform.
- Gradual Rollout – Google has confirmed that advertisers who receive channel control access will also get channel-segmented reporting, but it may take time for full functionality to be available.
Update #2: New Conversion Tracking Columns for Better Performance Benchmarking
Google has also introduced Platform-Comparable Conversion Tracking Columns for Demand Gen campaigns. This update gives advertisers a more accurate way to measure performance and compare it with social media campaigns. Some key features of the new conversion columns include the following:
- 100% Attribution to Last Demand Gen Touchpoint – Ensures more precise tracking of conversions that originate from Demand Gen campaigns.
- Available at Campaign & Ad Group Levels – Allows advertisers to analyze performance with greater detail.
- View-Through Conversion Tracking – Provides insight into how ads influence conversions beyond just click-through interactions.
Why These Updates Matter for Your Google Ad Strategy
These updates improve your Google Ad strategy by giving you more control over ad placement and performance tracking of your Demand Gen campaigns. You can now choose where your ads appear within Google’s network and better compare performance with platforms like Facebook and Instagram. With clearer insights, you can also allocate your budget more effectively to maximize ROI.
What’s Next?
These updates show Google’s commitment to making Demand Gen campaigns more advertiser-friendly and competitive with traditional social media advertising. However, changes are still rolling out, so advertisers should stay updated on further enhancements.
Maximize Your Demand Gen Success with Foundery
Google’s automated campaign types are quickly evolving—are you keeping up? At Foundery, we help businesses navigate Google Ads updates, optimize campaigns, and drive real results.
Need help optimizing your Demand Gen strategy?
