Google has officially added Search Partners as a visible segment inside Performance Max channel reporting. Google’s pitch is simple: more transparency. Advertisers can now see how much of their PMax performance is coming from Google Search versus the Search Partners Network (SPN).
On the surface this is a welcome change, but (as always) the context matters.
Over the past six months, Google has overhauled the Search Partners Network by removing lower-quality sites, tightening eligibility, and cutting out many of the placements that gave SPN its less-than-stellar reputation. Only after that cleanup did Google follow through on its earlier promise to report on Search Partners performance.
In short: Google didn’t just add reporting. It fixed the problem first.
How Will This Impact Your Firm?
- Clearer insight into PMax performance– You can finally see how much traffic and conversions come from Search vs. Search Partners.
- Better trust in SPN traffic– With scammy placements removed, Search Partners is no longer the free-for-all it once was.
- Smarter optimization conversations– This data makes it easier to evaluate whether PMax performance is driven by high-intent search or broader partner inventory.
- Incremental improvement– SPN isn’t perfect, but it’s meaningfully better than it was a year ago.
Our take:
This update doesn’t suddenly make PMax perfect but it does make it more usable. Search Partners has long been the murkiest part of Google Ads and this move suggests Google knows that. By cleaning up the network and then exposing the data, Google is slowly making PMax a more transparent and defensible channel. Our team can not only spot these changes, but act accordingly to benefit your firm’s search success.
