Where Are My Google Ads Showing? A Guide to Placement Reports & Exclusions

By: Jyll Saskin Gales, Google Ads Coach

Feeling frustrated because your Google Ads aren't showing up where you want them to? You're not alone. It's a common issue, especially with Google's more automated campaign types, like Performance Max, where transparency can sometimes feel limited. Knowing exactly where your ads are being shown is crucial for making sure your ad spend is working effectively, not just getting impressions on irrelevant sites or apps.

This post will walk you through exactly how to find the placement data you need and what to do with it once you have it. You'll learn:

• How to find placement reports for display, YouTube, and Demand Gen campaigns.

• The different process for finding placements in a Performance Max campaign.

• Why placement reports for Performance Max campaigns only show impressions and not full performance data.

• How to exclude placements at the account level to apply to all eligible campaigns, including Performance Max.

Finding Placements in Standard Campaigns

If you're running a standard Display, YouTube, or Demand Gen campaign, finding your placements is pretty straightforward. Think of it like a neatly organized filing cabinet. Everything is where it should be.

To find your placement data, you'll simply navigate to "Insights and reports" on the left-hand side of your Google Ads account, then "When and where ads showed," and finally, "Where ads showed." From there, you'll be able to see a list of all the URLs, videos, and apps where your ads have appeared. This is your go-to report for a quick and easy overview of your campaign's placements.

Navigating the Performance Max Placement Report

Now, what about Performance Max (PMax) campaigns? This is where the process is a little different and requires a different approach. The traditional "Where ads showed" report will be empty for PMax campaigns. Instead of a neatly organized filing cabinet, think of PMax as a well-guarded vault. You need a special key to get inside.

That "special key" is the Report Editor.  To access it, you'll go to "Insights and Reports" and then select "Report Editor."  Once inside, you'll need to create a custom report called the "Performance Max Campaigns Placement Report."  

It's important to note a key limitation with this report: you'll only be able to see impressions for each placement, not full performance data like clicks or conversions.  The good news is that with Google's recent push for more transparency in PMax campaigns, we may see more robust reporting in the future. Things like Channel Performance reporting, Search Term reporting, and Asset Performance reporting are all now available in PMax, and placement reporting seems like a logical next step in that progression. 

Taking Action: Excluding Irrelevant Placements

Once you've found the placements, you can begin the process of refining where your ads are shown. This is where you can take back a bit of control. While you can't exclude placements at the campaign level for PMax, you can create a placement exclusion list at the account level.  This is like putting a bouncer at the door of a club, telling them which websites, channels, or apps are not allowed. 

To create this list, go to "Tools," then "Shared library," and "Exclusion lists," and finally "Placement exclusion lists."  Here, you can add a list of YouTube channels, YouTube videos, websites, apps, or app categories that you want to exclude from all of your campaigns that have display-eligible inventory. This is a powerful tool because it applies to all campaigns, including Performance Max. 

Another major benefit of using account-level exclusions is that they can also apply to the search partner network.  While you can't see or add negative placements for search partners at the campaign level for search or shopping campaigns, adding an account-level placement exclusion will prevent your ads from showing on those search partner sites if they are also on the list.  

Ultimately, navigating the world of Google Ads placements, especially with newer campaign types like Performance Max, requires a little extra effort. By knowing where to look and how to take action with account-level exclusion lists, you can maintain control over your ad spend and ensure your ads are showing up in the most relevant places for your business.