11 Mar Scale Up Your Google Search Ads with Search Ads 360 or Google Ads
When it comes to paid search advertising, Google Ads, previously known as Google AdWords, is the most obvious choice for marketers. When Google rebranded its Doubleclick products, the name Search Ads 360, formerly called DoubleClick Search, entered into the picture. After the changes, it can still be hard to understand what Search Ads 360 is and how it differs from Google Ads.
Google Ads Review
Google Ads is Google’s online advertising platform for managing paid marketing campaigns across the Google Search Network and its search partners. Google Ads allows you to run a variety of campaigns within a single tool. For example, search, display, video, app, and shopping campaigns. It also integrates with Google Analytics, Ads Data Hub and Salesforce, and includes bulk functionality features, reporting, and smart bidding automation at the ad group and campaign level. In addition, Google Ads integrates with Google Play, Firebase, and Search Console as well as third party analytics, Merchant Center, and Youtube.
Google Ads includes the standard features needed to execute basic campaign management. But it’s important to note that the main keyword here is ‘standard’. There are some limitations when you can only access Google properties.
Why Choose Google Search Ads 360 over Google Ads?
Search Ads 360 (Google SA360) is Google’s enterprise solution for managing search advertising campaigns across different media channels, including Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. It also allows you to manage advertising campaigns in search engines like Google Ads, Microsoft Ads or Bing, Yahoo, Baidu, and Yahoo Japan – all in one single place.
Search Ads 360 is included in the consolidated enterprise-level marketing solution called Google Marketing Platform, which unifies all DoubleClick products and Google Analytics 360 into a single suite. This creates a native integration with all Google Marketing Platform properties as well as Google Cloud Platform, for cross-channel measurement.
Apart from the capabilities to manage global paid search advertising activity across multiple search engines, Google Search Ads 360 has a vast portfolio of smarter features, including superior optimization and automation at the keyword level, campaign and budget management, targeting, and reporting.
Let’s compare the availability of features among these two Google SEM solutions
| Criteria | Google Ads | Search Ads 360 |
| Run Google Ads? | Y | Y |
| Run ads on other search engines? | N | Y |
| Ad Copy and Extensions? | Y | Y |
| Google Analytics Integration | Y | Y |
| Adaptive Campaigns? | N | Y |
| Smart Bidding | Y | Y |
| Advanced machine learning algorithms? | N | Y |
| Ad builder templates? | N | Y |
| Cross-channel remarketing? | N | Y |
| Accurate attribution? | N | Y |
| Budget management tools? | N | Y |
| Track conversions on Google Ads? | Y | Y |
| Track conversions on any search engine? | N | Y |
| Automatically import Bing data into GA reports? | N | Y |
Google Search Ads: Bottom Line
Estimate the size of your current Google Ads account, and define which search engines and media channels you currently use to run campaigns. Implementing Search Ads 360 is the right choice if you already leverage Google Marketing Platform tools such as Google Analytics 360, Display & Video 360, or Campaign Manager, and your goal is to boost your SEM strategy. After all, getting the most out of the SEM is the main goal for every marketer.
Want to learn more about Search Ads 360 and Google Ads? Check out our blog post covering the main features of Google Ads and Search Ads 360, or learn about some of the missing features in Google Ads to understand if you are ready to take your SEM to the next level. You can also fill out out the form below to get the full guide comparing Search Ads 360 and Google Ads.
