Google Ads targeting

This article describes how to target Optimize experiences at Google Ads accounts, campaigns, ad groups, and keywords and have it persist while a visitor navigates your website.

In this article:

• Introduction
• Supported campaign types
• Prerequisites
• When to use Google Ads targeting
• Example: Target high-end customers
• Create an Optimize experiment targeting Google Ads
• Target Google Ads from Optimize
• Google Ads policy
• Troubleshooting
• Related resources

Introduction

The Optimize integration with Google Ads enables you to target experiments and personalized experiences at Google Ads accounts, campaigns, ad groups, and keywords and have it persist while a visitor navigates your website. This allows you to personalize your existing web pages based on specific ads that users click.

For Google Ads targeting, the user has to match the specific targeting condition in one of the experiences for the Google Ads IDs to persist.

Supported campaign types

The Optimize-Google Ads integration supports search and shopping campaigns. It supports Search Network with Display select, but only the search traffic from those campaigns (display traffic is excluded). Support for additional campaign types will be added in the future.

Prerequisites

Before you can use the Google Ads integration with Optimize, you need the following:

• A Google Ads account linked to a Universal Analytics or Google Analytics 4 property
• A Google Ads account linked to Optimize
• An Optimize container linked to Analytics

If you haven’t configured the Google Ads, Analytics, and Optimize steps above, read Link Optimize to Google Ads before proceeding.

When to use Google Ads targeting

Google Ads targeting is useful for leveraging the campaigns, ad groups, and keywords you’ve already created. With this integration you can use Optimize to target users in discrete groups with signals that you’ve already created in Google Ads. For example, an antiques dealer with Google Ads campaigns for both high-end and low-end customers can run experiments on each landing page tailored to that specific audience.

Example: Target high-end customers

An antiques dealer with Google Ads campaigns targeting high-end customers can leverage those signals and run experiments on their premium landing page. For example, based on a hypothesis that high-end customers are more focused on authenticity and historical value than price, an antiques dealer could create an experiment on the landing page that prominently displays proof of authenticity and excludes prices.

Create an Optimize experiment targeting Google Ads

1. Go to the experiment detail page.
2. In the Targeting and site changes section, click audience targeting rules.
3. Select Google Ads.

Target Google Ads in Optimize

To configure Google Ads targeting in Optimize:

1. Select which level in the Google Ads tree you wish to target. You can target at the account, campaign, ad group, and keyword level.
2. Based on your choice above, select the accounts, campaigns, ad groups, and keywords you wish to target.
3. Click Add.

Learn more about targeting and how to create A/B, redirect, and multivariate tests in the Optimize help center.

Google Ads policy

Experiments targeting Google Ads must comply with all Google Ads policies, including its prohibited content, prohibited practices, restricted content, editorial, and technical policies. Learn more in the Google Ads help center.

Guidelines

1. Redirect tests should not take users to a separate domain if the initial page is used as a Google Ads landing page.
2. All URLs used in redirect tests must be added to Google Ads list of Final URLs for all ad groups that take users to the landing page that initiates the redirect test.
3. Tests must not change the essential intent of your page.

Note: Optimize doesn't guarantee any impact on the quality score of a landing page.

Troubleshooting

Don't see a Google Ads account?

Check that:

• Google Ads is linked to the same Analytics property (Linking Step 1) that's linked to Optimize (Linking Step 3).
• You have Read-only access (or higher) to Google Ads.
• Google Ads is linked to Analytics (Linking Step 1).
• Google Ads is linked to Optimize (Linking Step 3).

Don't see a Google Ads campaign?

Optimize currently supports search and shopping campaigns. This includes Search Network with Display select, but only the search traffic from those campaigns is supported. Display traffic is excluded.

Don't see traffic to your experiments?

Check that:

• Auto-tagging is enabled in Google Ads.
• Your Optimize targeting rules are configured correctly.
• Your Optimize experiment is getting active users.

Related resources

• Link/unlink Google Ads and Analytics – Analytics help center
• [GA4] Link Google Ads and Analytics – Analytics help center
• Link Google Analytics and Google Ads Accounts – Google Ads help center
• Link Google Optimize and Google Ads – Google Ads help center
• Google Ads policies – Google Ads policy help center