Google Ends Language Targeting for Search Campaigns Globally

Image credit: Search Engine Journal

Google Ads will eliminate campaign-level language targeting settings for Search campaigns and Search inventory within Performance Max starting in late September, shifting to automated language matching.

The global change means Google’s advertising platform will primarily rely on the language of ad creatives and landing pages, combined with its understanding of user languages, to determine ad delivery.

Google confirmed its system will consider factors such as query language, user settings and Google AI signals to match ads with users.

For Performance Max campaigns, the campaign-level language setting will no longer apply to Google Search inventory, though it will remain active for other advertising channels, according to Google.

The company stated its AI-based ad group prioritization system will determine the most suitable language match when a user understands multiple languages.

This shift has prompted concerns among advertisers in regulated industries, who have questioned how they will document ad delivery for compliance purposes without explicit language targeting reports.

Google acknowledged an English search query could potentially trigger an ad in another language, such as French, if the user understands that language and Google’s system prioritizes it as the best match.

Developers using the Google Ads API have been advised by Google to cease sending language criteria when creating or updating Search campaigns, as existing criteria will no longer influence targeting decisions.

The move represents a further step by Google toward automating ad campaign management, leveraging artificial intelligence to optimize ad placement and user experience.

Source: Search Engine Journal