In a proactive move to clarify misunderstandings around brand safety controls and reporting in Performance Max, Google’s AdsLiaison took to X to provide a comprehensive breakdown of settings available to advertisers.

These controls are designed to help ensure that PMax ads appear alongside suitable content across Search, Shopping, Display, and Video inventories.

There’s been some confusion about brand safety controls & reporting supported in PMax.
So I want to share a rundown of important levers available to help you control the types of content your PMax ads can appear next to in Search, Shopping, Display & Video inventory.

First up …

— AdsLiaison (@adsliaison) August 18, 2023

Search And Shopping Suitability Controls

With the introduction of PMax, advertisers can now prevent their ads from showing for specific brand queries in Search and Shopping through campaign-level brand exclusions.

Furthermore, account-level negative keywords filter ads from Search and Shopping queries.

Display And Video Suitability Controls

Google insists that PMax fully supports all account-level content suitability settings, accessible via the Tools icon in Google Ads.

Customizable features to match viewers with appropriate ad content include the following.

• Advertisers can use content labels to tailor the maturity level of YouTube & Google Display Network (GDN) content that ads may appear on or next to.
• Inventory type options – such as expanded, standard, or limited – allow brands to select the content most aligned with their image on YouTube & GDN.
• Content type exclusions help prevent ads from displaying on specific video content areas, like live streaming or embedded YouTube videos.
• Options to include sensitive content categories such as tragedy and conflict on GDN are provided.
• Up to 1,000 keyword exclusions to prevent ads from appearing on specific YouTube & GDN content.
• Application of multiple levels of account exclusions to prevent ads from displaying on particular YouTube and GDN content.

Additionally, PMax placement reports enable advertisers to see where their ads have appeared, aiding GDN brand safety tools. This feature can be found in the Reports editor in Google Ads.

Enhancements To Search Terms Insights

Google also announced enhancements to Search Terms Insights, including more categories, API integration, custom date ranges, and downloading capabilities.

Adherence To Content Ratings And Guidelines

It was further noted that YouTube and publisher content must meet Google’s content guidelines for monetization eligibility.

YouTube’s in-stream video ads also have Media Rating Council (MRC) brand safety accreditation.

Continued Efforts To Protect Brands

As noted in the post on X, PMax’s brand safety controls help advertisers maintain control over ad placements, align ads with suitable content, and enhance brand integrity.

Featured image: Sam Kresslein/Shutterstock