Liam Walsh
Liam is a Co-Director at Intelligency and heads up the agency's Digital Intelligence & Paid Social activity. Over the last decade, he has worked with brands from the world of sports such as Premier League clubs to entertainment such as Channel 4 and Disney.
Google’s latest quiet update to its Channel Performance report—introducing a new, though currently inactive, “Campaign Type” field—has caught the attention of marketers and PPC professionals alike. While the feature isn’t yet functional, its appearance signals Google’s continued move toward unified, cross-channel transparency in reporting.
Defining “Campaign Type” in Google Ads
In the Google Ads ecosystem, Campaign Type classifies an ad by its format and placement—such as Search, Display, Video, Shopping, or Performance Max (PMax). Historically, Channel Performance data has been limited to PMax campaigns, leaving advertisers without a cohesive view of how different campaign formats contribute to overall performance. The introduction of this new field suggests that Google may soon enable more comprehensive, side-by-side comparisons across campaign types, providing a clearer picture of multi-channel impact.
Subtle Change, Significant Implications
Although the “Campaign Type” field is not yet active, its mere presence indicates Google’s ongoing evolution toward integrated performance reporting. Recent updates—like the addition of ROAS (Return on Ad Spend), CPA (Cost per Acquisition), and enhanced segmentation within Asset Group reports—reinforce this direction. Together, these updates point to a future where advertisers can view campaign outcomes in a single, streamlined interface, thereby reducing their reliance on fragmented data sources and enhancing decision-making.
What This Means for Marketers
For now, this update doesn’t alter how data is displayed, but it provides a clear preview of where Google Ads reporting is headed. As Google continues to merge and simplify campaign reporting, marketers can expect greater visibility across formats, improved optimisation opportunities, and deeper insights into cross-network performance. This evolution aligns with Google’s broader push toward automation and transparency—offering marketers the tools to make smarter, data-driven decisions across every campaign type.
