We often discuss the search network and content network distribution within Google AdWords. However, we have not explored AdWords’ third distribution channel: Google Search Partners. Today, we will discuss the these Google Search Partners are, how they effect your PPC campaign, and how can you monitor/manage them effectively.
First, let’s figure out what these Search Partners are. The Search Partners consist of sites that are within the Google Search Network. Your ads may appear alongside or above search results, as part of a results page as a user navigates through a site’s directory, or on other relevant search pages. Google’s global search network includes Google Product Search and Google Groups.
Quick note, keep in mind that your click-through rate on the search and content networks doesn’t affect your ad’s Quality Score on Google search.
You can choose whether or not you want your ads to appear on the Search partner network. Within your campaign settings tab, under the “Networks and bidding” section, you will find this information. As you can see here, you can opt-in to the Google search, Search Partner and Content networks:
If you choose to display your ads through the Search Partner network, you will be able to monitor you performance directly within the AdWords interface. At the campaign and ad group level you can now parse out your performance for each individual distribution channel. When you are running ads on all three networks, this is what your ad group interface can look like:
You can monitor your performance for all three channels here. I mention this because within AdWords report function you can not separate Google Search from Search Partners so this is the only place within your account where you can gain this visibility.
How do you effectively manage your performance within the Google Search Partners? First, you can opt in and out of this option at the campaign level, not at the ad group level. This can be irksome because within a given campaign, I have had ad groups that do well and some that don’t do well in the Search Partner network. When this occurs, you can separate your ad groups into individual campaigns. You can turn off the Search Partner network where it is not effective. And you can leave the Search Partner network on for those ad groups that do well. Basically, this is an all-or-nothing solution.
I did some research to learn how to best manage your CPC and ad position in the Search Partner network. Unfortunately, there is no direct way to adjust your bid on the solely Search Partner network without also adjusting your Google Search bid. So, if you alter a keyword bid this will effect both search networks. My suggestion is to manage your bids for the Google Search network and the Search Partner network will follow.
There is a great amount of opportunity with the Google Search Partner network. However, you have to monitor your performance closely, and you need to manage your bids in both Google search channels smartly.
     | do some of that social network stuff. |
Great post, really good to find out if your search network is performing as weel as your google search campaign!
I see you have Google search, Search network AND Content Network activated on one campaign! Naughty!
@ Eloi: Yes, it is naughty! But it actually works for this account. Sometimes results overrule best practices!
Great post –
After reviewing some of my accounts, I really want to run only in search network. Any word of that being possible?
I dont think it’s possible at the moment to run campaigns on the search network only… You have to be opted in the Google Search to use any of their other search networks.
That is correct. You can’t choose Search Partners only. You have use Google Search & Search Partners together.
Hey Joe,
Great article and very useful. In ‘Adwords for Dummies’ (first edition), it is mentioned that you can actually separate them by duplicating a given campaign, selecting ‘Google Search Only’ for the first campaign and ‘Google Search&Search Partners’ for the duplicate one. The duplicate one has to have lower bids (say 10-15% lower) so that the Adwords system only shows the ads there on the Search Partner network and not on Google (even though ‘Google’ is selected). Basically, you force the Adwords system to choose.
Now, I tried this myself on several occasions last year and eventually the Adwords system messes up the impressions by starting to show Google impressions in both campaigns. In other words, this unofficial ‘technique’ doesn’t seem to be working anymore. I reckon that it stopped working because of Google Quality Score updates.
Anyway, do you have any thoughts on that and are your experiences the same?
I am asking because some third party ppc companies still use this as part of their sales argument upon until today while my experience tells me it simply ain’t possible anymore.
@ Olivier: That is an interesting technique but you’ll have two search targeted campaigns that have the same keyword list. So, in essence you’ll have two campaigns with duplicate keywords. Since one campaign is targeted to Google Search Network and the other is targeted at the Google Search Network/Search Partners – then they’re both targeting Google Search. Bad idea. For now, there is now legit way to sever the two.