Google Ads recently made a significant change by eliminating the audience recommendations feature from its Insights tab. This move has forced advertisers to take a more hands-on approach to audience targeting, resulting in potential increases in time and effort required to optimize campaigns.
The removal of audience recommendations means that advertisers will now need to manually identify and select audience segments. This change may result in increased manual effort and a potential learning curve for advertisers who were accustomed to relying on automated suggestions.
Although Google has not provided a specific reason for this removal, it suggests a shift towards more user-driven strategies and customization in audience targeting. By eliminating automated recommendations, Google is pushing advertisers to leverage other tools and data sources to effectively identify and reach their target audiences.
Melissa Mackey, director of paid search at Compound Growth Marketing and a contributor to Search Engine Land, highlighted the significant disadvantage of this update. She noted that Google has not yet commented on this change, leaving advertisers with limited information about the reasoning behind it.
Overall, this change in Google Ads emphasizes the importance of advertisers taking a more proactive role in their audience targeting efforts. While it may require additional time and effort, manually identifying and selecting audience segments can lead to more effective campaigns and better results.
About the author:
Anu Adegbola has been the Paid Media Editor of Search Engine Land since 2024. With a career that started in 2008, Anu has extensive experience in delivering digital marketing campaigns, particularly in the paid search realm. She is also a founder, host, and speaker in various PPC networking events and conferences. Anu’s expertise in the field makes her a trusted source of information and insights in the industry.
In conclusion, the removal of audience recommendations from Google Ads’ Insights tab has prompted advertisers to adopt a more hands-on approach to audience targeting. While this change may require increased manual effort and a learning curve, it ultimately encourages advertisers to leverage other tools and data sources to effectively reach their target audiences. By taking a more proactive role, advertisers can optimize their campaigns and achieve better results.
