Search Ads Report: Google Introduces New AI Max Features

By Modupe Gbadeyanka

Two new features have been introduced by Google to give Nigerian businesses a clearer view of what their Search ads deliver.

The new reporting feature shows, in a single view, what a customer searched for, which ad they saw and which page of the business’s website they landed on.

Advertisers currently piece this together from different parts of their Google Ads account. Bringing it into one place means a business can quickly see which searches its ads are reaching and whether customers are landing on the right pages.

The feature will roll out to advertisers around the world, including in Nigeria, later this year.

Unveiled at DMEXCO in Cologne, Germany, one of the world’s largest digital marketing events, the updates are a new reporting feature in Google Ads and an expansion of AI Brief, a tool built with Gemini that lets advertisers guide their ads in plain words.

AI Brief lets advertisers tell AI Max, in their own words, how their ads should work. A business can set what its ads should and should not say, such as “never mention prices”; which searches to focus on, such as “prioritise searches for school uniforms”; and how to speak to different customers, such as “for first-time buyers, highlight free delivery in Lagos.”

Before a campaign goes live, AI Brief shows previews of sample ads and searches so advertisers can fine-tune them. The tool is expanding as a closed beta around the world, with seven new languages added.

Commenting on the development, the Director of East and West Africa at Google, Mr Olumide Balogun, said, “We’re excited to give Nigerian businesses a clearer view of what their advertising delivers.

“Every naira matters, especially in the weeks before Black Friday. With the new report, business owners will see on one screen the question a customer asked, the ad she saw and the page she landed on, which makes it far easier to decide where their budget works best.”