Brand Restrictions for Broad Match coming to Google Ads
In a load of updates to Search campaigns in Google Ads (supercharged by AI) at Google Marketing Live 2023, we saw Google release Brand Restrictions for Broad Match Keywords. What is it, and what does this mean for you?
What are Brand Restrictions for Broad Match?
Broad match is a powerful keyword match type that can help you reach a wider audience and generate more conversions. However, it can also be difficult to use in campaigns with specific brand needs. That’s why Google is rolling out brand restrictions for broad match. With brand restrictions, you can ensure that your ads only show for searches that are relevant to your brand whilst still getting the reach of Broad.
Google talked at GML23 about the power pairing of Search + Performance Max to maximise conversions across Google’s network. This is similar to the updates we’ve had for Performance Max where you could add in Campaign Level Brand Exclusions to ensure you didn’t serve ads in places you didn’t want to appear. Now, we are seeing this expand beyond Search and Shopping within Performance Max, into Search campaigns.
In the example shared at GML23, Google demonstrated how advertisers can create ‘Brand Lists’ and add these to your Brand campaigns for use in Broad Match query targeting.
What does this mean for you?
This gives advertisers more control over Broad Match...matching
By using this as an additional signal for Broad Match to use in your Search campaigns, you can be more confident that the queries it matches to can be more relevant for your Brand campaigns. I suspect you will still see the occasional non-brand query matching, but hopefully your processes are robust enough to catch these before they become a problem.
You need to be conscious of your Search campaign structure
You shouldn’t apply these blindly to campaigns without having confidence that your campaign structures are setup for AI success. Because you have to apply these at campaign level, you need to make sure that all the Broad Match keywords within the campaign you intend to do this with need this additional Brand Restriction. I would advise that you make sure your campaigns are setup in the right way first before using this. Until then, it’s safe to use Exact and Phrase and then experiment with Broad + Brand Restrictions when you are ready to do so.
This setting gives you no excuse to move to Broad Match
Still not using Broad Match? Come on, this is 2023!
To make it work most effectively from the beginning, make sure you are adhering to the AI essentials that Google launched at GML23.
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