🔍 Google Ads testing custom dimensions for flexible reporting

Jan 13, 2020

Good morning search marketers, and a happy Monday,

Depending on the structure and complexity of your campaign setup, aggregating reporting across product line, brand, department, or strategy, etc. can be a cumbersome process. To give advertisers more flexibility with their reporting, Google Ads is testing custom dimensions (not to be confused with custom dimensions in Google Analytics). UK-based consultant Steven Johns was among the first to spot the feature in an account last week. You can append a primary and secondary dimension to your campaigns and run reports based on those dimensions.

For example, you could set up and run custom dimensions to see aggregated campaign performance by product line and department. If you are using labels or extensive campaign naming taxonomies to help you achieve this kind of reporting, custom dimensions could make your life much simpler. It's in beta now and accessible from the "Tools" dropdown in Google Ads when enabled.

And speaking of new features, read on for a Pro Tip on betting on them and more.

Ginny Marvin
Editor-In-Chief

Pro Tip

Use caution with clients when using a new GMB feature

"I will never ever go 'all in' on a GMB feature ever again," explains SMX East speaker Dan Leibson of Local SEO Guide. "I once advised a Fortune 500 to go all-in on GMB chat (because they had a vendor that did pre-sales chat support for their website). It was an amazingly successful launch. Then Google deprecated the SMS chat platform that their vendor used and didn't include them in the beta for the new chat product. If we hadn't been able to get them into the beta, our client would have likely lost their job. In my opinion, it's never worth betting on their new features."

Learn more »

Guide to Google Shopping, Amazon, and more

As the websites of retailers like Amazon, Walmart and Target become not only distribution channels, but also marketing channels, many campaign management software vendors are adding functionality that allows marketers to extend their campaigns to these new platforms. Download our Digital Commerce Advertising Management Platforms guide to find the right one for you. Interested in learning more? Join Crealytics CEO Andreas Reiffen and Search Engine Land's Editor-in-Chief Ginny Marvin for The State of Retail Media webinar, where they will discuss how leading retail brands can survive – and thrive – in the era of online marketplaces.

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