This tool might give buyers more transparency around which low-traffic queries actually perform well, the buyer said, though it’s not clear what sort of reporting Google intends to make available for Search Bidding Exploration.
As of the third quarter, Search Bidding Exploration was in allowlist beta, which means the product is available for a certain set of customers. Advertisers had to apply to test the product by September 16.
Of note, both Google and Meta have recently made tweaks to their popular AI-media buying products that seemingly address buyers’ transparency concerns.
In July, Google rolled out new transparency updates for Pmax, which uses AI to decide which media channel (search, display, YouTube, etc) an ad is served. These updates included sharing which YouTube videos ads appeared on, breaking down the performance of particular assets, and more brand safety controls.
In August, Meta changed how it counts conversions, effectively giving itself a higher bar to prove that its tech works. Buyers have complained that AI-buying tools have led to campaign reports that are more modeling than reality, and have a tendency to give Meta too much credit for outcomes. Â