Google announced a new version of Search Ads 360 (SA360) in February 2022, and have recently provided more insights on the upgraded version.  Google has provided a timeline for the new experience as noted in Figure 1. The new experience has been redesigned with improved search engine support, advanced enterprise innovations, and enhanced planning and performance tools.

The new Search Ads 360 is a significant update designed to make it easier to manage campaigns across multiple advertising platforms and engines. Some highlights: 

• Updated look and feel to make it easier to navigate the product.

The new platform is easier to use with a new user interface, and a big shift of SA360 is a more modernized look and feel, with faster navigation. 

• New enterprise tools to improve reporting, billing, and optimization

Bringing the best of performance planning and budget management to provide a comprehensive forecasted and budget management tool. Performance Max helps maximize performance across Google Ads inventory using automation, saving you time and driving towards your goals.  Another important feature is advanced forecasting and budget management with Performance Center.  Performance Templates can leverage powerful configuration and automation functionality to create and manage campaigns that display dynamic ads targeted to a specific set of criteria. You can control, adjust, and monitor output to allocate traffic across multiple advertising platforms based on a single template.

• Support for more search engine features and campaign types

Search Ads 360 stands out for its capability to manage ads across different channels, including other search engines. The enhanced infrastructure of SA360 enables Google to add support for more features from other search engines, such as Bing and Yahoo

Google wants you to get results with less work and aims for you to have a one-stop shop to manage your ad campaigns. The updates should help your productivity. Since more data and controls are centralized, this may present a more holistic view of your paid search campaigns across channels, which can facilitate better decision-making.

Watch this video on the Google Marketing Platform to learn more about upgrading to the new Search Ads 360. Google has also recommended that you upgrade as soon as possible to ensure a smooth transition, as January 2024 is the last upgrade that can be scheduled.  

Since the announcement, Google has added 90+ features, with more coming, including enhanced conversions (API), conversion value rules, and Microsoft Multimedia Ads.  Stay tuned for more updates on performance marketing and paid media news.