Network Targeting
What AdGradr checks
Section titled “What AdGradr checks”AdGradr performs a binary check on every search campaign in your account. Two conditions trigger findings:
- Search Partners enabled on a search campaign. The report lists up to 5 campaign names with this setting active.
- Display Network enabled on a search campaign. The report lists up to 5 campaign names with this setting active.
This is one of the simplest checks in AdGradr. No thresholds, no context-dependent logic. The settings are either on or off.
Why this matters
Section titled “Why this matters”Search Partners places your search ads on Google’s partner sites (YouTube search, Google Maps, and hundreds of third-party sites). Traffic quality from Search Partners is consistently lower than Google Search. CTRs are lower, conversion rates are lower, and you have no control over which partner sites show your ads. Google bundles Search Partner data into your campaign metrics, making it harder to spot the performance drag.
Display Network expansion on search campaigns (sometimes called “Google Display Network opt-in”) mixes display ad placements into your search campaign. This means your search budget funds banner ads on random websites. The intent signals are completely different. Someone searching for “enterprise CRM software” is not the same audience as someone reading a blog post where your banner happens to appear.
Both settings are enabled by default when you create a new campaign. Google benefits from the expanded inventory. Your account rarely does.
What good looks like
Section titled “What good looks like”- Search Partners: off on all search campaigns.
- Display Network: off on all search campaigns.
- Dedicated Display campaigns if you want display coverage, with their own budgets, targeting, and creative.
That is the entire checklist.
Common mistakes
Section titled “Common mistakes”- Leaving default settings untouched. Google enables both networks by default. If nobody unchecked the boxes during campaign creation, they are on.
- Assuming Search Partners helps reach. It does add impressions, but those impressions convert at a fraction of Google Search. The extra reach is not worth the cost dilution.
- Running Display Network on search campaigns instead of building proper Display campaigns. Search campaign display placements use your search ads and search targeting logic. A proper Display campaign lets you control placements, audiences, and creative independently.
How to fix it
Section titled “How to fix it”- Open each flagged campaign in Google Ads.
- Go to Settings > Networks.
- Uncheck “Include Google Search Partners.”
- Uncheck “Include Google Display Network.”
- Save. The change takes effect immediately.
If you want display coverage, create a separate Display campaign with its own budget and targeting. Do not let it piggyback on your search campaigns.
When to ignore this check
Section titled “When to ignore this check”- Search Partners can occasionally work for very low-CPC, high-volume accounts (e-commerce with broad product catalogs) where the marginal cost of extra traffic is minimal. If you have segmented your Search Partner data and confirmed it converts profitably, keeping it on is a defensible choice.
- There is no good reason to keep Display Network enabled on a search campaign. If you want display ads, build a Display campaign.
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