Google Ads Brand Linking Experiment Feature

01/12/26
Source: Search Engine Roundtable by barry@rustybrick.com (Barry Schwartz). Read the original article

TL;DR Summary of Google Ads’ New Brand Linking Feature in Labs

Brand Linking is a new experimental feature in Google Ads Labs designed to enhance brand connection between ads and user intent. It aims to improve how Google understands brand relationships and supports automated campaigns like Performance Max and Demand Gen. While it doesn’t replace brand campaigns or offer manual controls yet, it helps refine targeting and lays groundwork for better brand lift measurement. The feature is currently in limited rollout and not widely documented.

Optimixed’s Overview: Enhancing Google Ads with Brand Linking for Smarter Automated Campaigns

Introduction to Brand Linking

Google Ads is experimenting with a new feature called Brand Linking within its Labs section. This tool is designed to improve the connection between your brand, your advertising efforts, and user intent across the Google ecosystem.

Key Benefits of Brand Linking

  • Better Brand Intent Identification: Helps Google discern true brand and related intent from user queries.
  • Improved Campaign Matching: Enhances inventory and creative alignment specifically for Performance Max and Demand Gen campaigns.
  • Stronger Brand Lift Modeling: Lays a foundation for more accurate brand lift and incrementality measurements.
  • Noise Reduction: Minimizes irrelevant early discovery traffic to improve campaign efficiency.

What Brand Linking Does Not Do Yet

  • Does not replace existing brand campaigns.
  • Does not provide manual targeting options.
  • Does not guarantee immediate performance improvements.

Current Status and Outlook

Brand Linking is currently in a limited rollout phase, spotted by early users but without extensive documentation or public announcements. Its focus on strengthening brand signals aligns with Google’s broader shift toward automation and machine learning-driven advertising strategies. Marketers using Performance Max and Demand Gen campaigns should watch this space as it develops.