The platform enables centralized campaign management across multiple advertising systems, supports large-scale data processing, automates bidding, and simplifies enterprise-level search campaign management.
SA360 is widely used by large brands and agencies managing complex advertising accounts across multiple platforms and analytics systems. Thanks to its integration with other GMP products, the platform helps advertisers gain deeper insights into campaign performance and build more accurate attribution models.
In this article, newage. Traffic Manager Vlad Bilousov explores the key capabilities of Search Ads 360, the platform’s integrations, and the major updates introduced in the new SA360 interface.
Search Ads 360 Capabilities
Google positions SA360 as a platform designed to simplify search campaign management — not only for Google Ads, but also for Microsoft Advertising, Yahoo, Baidu, and many other advertising systems that can be integrated with Search Ads 360.
However, other benefits are useful for promotion.
- Automation. The tool allows you to automatically create lists of keywords, ads, campaigns, and ad groups.
- Manage your campaigns in one window. The system integrates with Google Ads, Microsoft Advertising, Yahoo!, Baidu, and other search engines. This, among other things, allows you to manage bids, budgets, etc. in different systems.
- Use of social indicators. The SA360 includes social networking data that you can use to improve your campaign. For example, Facebook can share conversions, impressions, and clicks. The system will continue to compare this data with our campaigns.
- Improve campaign performance. Smart bidding and budget bidding strategies greatly expand the possibility of optimization, compared to simple Google Ads.
Simply migrating campaigns from Google Ads to Search Ads 360 and using its advanced smart bidding strategies can already improve campaign performance. You can read more about this approach in the case study “How One Additional Layer Reduced CPA by 15%.”
At first glance, SA360 may seem like a fully automated system where all you need to do is press a “make it better” button. In reality, the platform requires a high level of expertise and gives specialists powerful tools for advanced optimization. Advertisers can configure custom parameters and upload their own data for deeper analysis and more precise decision-making.
Another important feature is Performance Center, which helps advertisers plan and forecast campaigns. Based on historical account data, the tool can estimate projected CPA, model different bidding scenarios, and predict how campaign performance may change when target CPA settings are adjusted.
Integration
However, for us as certified partners of the Google Marketing Platform, easy integration with all other GMP products is important. This helps to gather more detailed information and analyze data more deeply. For example, get the most complete conversion path to correctly calculate its cost.
Here is a list of tools with which CA360 integrates:
Of particular interest is the integration with Adobe Analytics. This works most simply: we add tags, and we will receive data from Adobe on these tags several times a day. They are matched to our data in Google Ads, and so we can optimize even our campaigns and Google Ads using Adobe Analytics data.
Key updates SA360 for spring 2022: new experience
In the spring of 2022, Google announced a global update of Search Ads 360 and released a detailed course on the service with this in mind. We recommend it, but then we will talk about the main novelties.
Google says that in the new version of the SA360, they have improved integration with search engines. These are primarily Google Ads and Microsoft Advertising.
The new version no longer has scheduled account synchronization. If you are running a new version of the SA360, all the changes you make are implemented and triggered immediately. You no longer need to manually check sync.
Next, let’s look at more global updates that those who have already used the system will have to get used to.
Interface
This is what the updated home page of the SA360 looks like.
From this center, you can manage campaigns, accounts, and managers; you can manage the rules and everything in Google Ads; you can now manage it all in one window, SA360.
Improved campaign management across multiple accounts. You can currently copy campaigns, keywords, and ad groups at several levels. You can move them within one account, copy them from one account to another, and do all in one interface. It is very convenient.
Negative word management has also been added to mass management. They can also be copied from one account to another or multiplied into several accounts, which could not be done in the old version of SA360.
And about campaign management. Enable-disable, pause, and create automatic rules not only for the campaign of one account, but you can create rules common to several different customers.
Tags
The new version of SA360 introduced labels that help organize campaigns and streamline campaign management. Labels can be used to group similar campaigns, brands, or keywords. For example, advertisers using manual bidding strategies can label specific keywords and apply automated rules for increasing or decreasing bids. Labels can also be used to identify campaigns that rely on data-driven attribution models and other custom workflows.
In addition, label assignment can be automated at virtually any level within the platform. Labels can be generated automatically for automated rules, reporting, campaign management, and many other use cases, depending on the advertiser’s needs.
Custom columns
Previously, Search Ads 360 used two separate tools for reporting: columns and formulas. To add a Floodlight conversion metric or CPA to a report, advertisers first had to create a separate formula to calculate the conversion, and then create an additional column where that formula would be applied.
This functionality has now been unified. As shown in the screenshot, when creating a custom column, users can directly choose from a set of available formulas and build highly specific metrics. For example, advertisers can calculate the cost per conversion generated only from mobile devices or analyze CPA for specific audience segments and campaign conditions.
Conclusions
Overall, the most important update for me is the interface itself and how much closer it has become to the familiar Google Ads experience. For users who previously worked only with Google Ads and had no experience with SA360, the learning curve is now much smoother.
Custom columns are also one of the most valuable updates, as they significantly simplify reporting and campaign analysis. At the same time, labels help organize accounts and workflows more efficiently, making day-to-day management easier for specialists.
At the moment, advertisers can still work in both the old and the new versions of SA360. However, it is important to understand that the two versions are not fully synchronized. Changes created in the new interface may not always sync correctly with the old version.
Video of lecture
FAQ: Search Ads 360 Explained
What is Search Ads 360?
Search Ads 360 (SA360) is a Google Marketing Platform solution for managing and automating search advertising. It allows advertisers to manage multiple advertising platforms from a single interface, automate bidding, handle large-scale accounts, and analyze campaign performance at the enterprise level.
How is Search Ads 360 different from Google Ads?
Google Ads is designed for managing individual advertising accounts, while Search Ads 360 is built for large-scale search campaign management. SA360 supports cross-account management, automation, integrations with GMP products, and centralized campaign management across multiple advertising platforms.
Which platforms integrate with Search Ads 360?
SA360 supports integrations with Google Ads, Microsoft Advertising, and other search advertising platforms. It also integrates with Google Marketing Platform products, including Campaign Manager 360, Display & Video 360, Google Analytics 360, and BigQuery.
Who is Search Ads 360 designed for?
SA360 is most commonly used by large advertisers, e-commerce businesses, and digital agencies managing a high volume of campaigns and accounts. The platform is especially valuable for scaling search advertising and automating routine campaign management tasks.
What features does the new Search Ads 360 interface offer?
The updated SA360 interface simplifies campaign management and makes it easier to work across multiple accounts simultaneously. The platform now includes improved automation features, cross-account management, custom columns, labels, and enhanced bulk campaign management capabilities.