One of the targeting options in a Google Ads search campaign is whether to include the Search Partner Network (SPN). This network can be a powerful tool, but it’s not a one-size-fits-all solution, and so understanding what the Search Partners network is and how to assess its performance is crucial for maximising your ad spend.
The Google Search Partners Network is a collection of hundreds of non-Google websites where your search ads can appear in different locations and placements, such as a list of search results, parked domain search results, site directory pages, product detail pages, YouTube search results and Watch pages.
It’s also important to note that Search Partners can customise ad appearance on their sites regarding placement, size, formatting, and visual style to optimise user engagement and ad performance. This flexibility allows for the ads to better align with the site’s design and user experience, while still using the provided campaign assets.
In addition, the clickthrough rate (CTR) for ads on search partner sites doesn’t impact your Quality Score on Google.
The Pros and Cons of the SPN
The biggest advantage of the Search Partners network is its ability to provide a wider reach, often at a lower cost-per-click (CPC). Ads on these sites may have less competition, which can lead to cheaper clicks and impressions. This can be a great way to increase brand awareness and discover new, low-cost traffic sources.
However, the primary drawback has been the lack of control and transparency. Until now, Google has not provided a granular breakdown of which specific sites your ads are appearing on within the network. This can lead to lower-quality traffic, higher bounce rates, and weaker conversion rates, especially for businesses focused on high-intent leads.
The only way to assess the SPN performance has been through using the Segment reports by Network, where a single line of performance data is shown, and users then have the decision whether to keep using the SPN or to turn it off in the campaign settings.
New Reporting Transparency
As of August 2025, Google has introduced full placement reporting for Search, Shopping, and App campaigns for the SPN. This means advertisers can now see exactly which partner sites displayed their ads, along with impression data at the site level. Such granular insight significantly boosts transparency and gives brands enhanced control over where their ads appear, empowering them to make smarter, brand-aligned decisions about campaign placement.
This new reporting is a notable improvement in understanding what is going on within the SPN and something that advertisers have been requesting for years. The data does only show impressions for the sites where ads have appeared, and no other data at this point, but it starts to give some transparency and will help advertisers decide how effective the SPN may be for their brand reach.
The recommended approach is to launch new campaigns with Search Partners included in the Network coverage, but then to review data after the first month or so to assess how it compares to the main Google Search results. This new information will also help to indicate the additional websites where the ads are appearing, so that advertisers can then decide whether to maintain the SPN or turn this off within the campaign, particularly if the conversion metrics are under-performing the main Google results.
If you want to know more about Google’s Search Partner Network and how it might be used as part of your Google Ads campaigns, please get in touch.