Google Ads rolls out channel control for Demand Gen campaigns

Google Ads has begun rolling out channel control for select Demand Gen campaigns. This feature will let you specify where your ads appear across Google’s properties.

Yes, but. While the feature is live, segmentation by individual channel (e.g., YouTube, Discover, Gmail) is not yet available. This will limit your ability to make data-driven adjustments.

Why we care. This update, first announced in January, gives advertisers more control over campaign placement, but the full impact remains unclear since performance data is still aggregated under “Google-owned channels.”

What they’re saying. Greg Kholer, director of digital marketing at ServiceMaster, shared seeing the update on LinkedIn:

• “While exciting, we won’t be making any changes until we’re able to see channel performance segmented out – as of today it’s still all lumped together as ‘Google owned channels’”.

What’s next: More search marketers will likely hold off on changes until Google provides detailed channel performance breakdowns.