New generation of Search Ads 360 is coming – How to prep for this?

Q1 2024 r. is when the current version of Search Ads 360 is going to be shut down by Google. Those who want to keep using the platform during their campaigns will have to migrate to the new SA360. All this means the greatest change in the tool, something that its users haven’t seen within the last 10 years.

Why is the previous Search Ads 360 going away?

Google has always been striving to provide its users with top-shelf, state-of-the-art solutions. Therefore, the shutdown of the current version of Search Ads 360 is necessary to grant users access to the latest features and upgrades. New Search Ads 360 offers several benefits such as:

• Brand new user interface – far more intuitive and easy to use. What is more, the new interface is twin similar to the Google Ads interface. Users will surely learn how to navigate it much faster.

• Support for more Google, Microsoft and Yahoo search engine features and campaign types

• New tools for companies to facilitate reporting, payments and optimization

• Integration with tools such as Big Query, Ads data hub, Google Analytics 4

How do I prep for the migration to the new Search Ads 360?

The migration process is definitely going to take time and some effort. To facilitate it, Google offers the following resources:

• “The New Experience Hub” in the Search Ads 360 panel – We recommend visiting this page as often as possible. The “tasks” page contains key info about account migration and what’s new. Once you’ve entered the new version information center, information about the planned update of the bidding strategy and budget management will appear in the foreground, where you need to select the automatic migration date. This section plays an important role. Most of the features in the new Search Ads 360 will be unlocked only after you’ve migrated the bidding strategy. Below there is a “tasks list” section with two tabs: “to do” and “completed”. The to-do tab provides information about the features that require attention or action. The “completed” tab provides information about those features that have been successfully migrated automatically.

The ”to-do” list may contain the following tasks:

• Migrate automatic rules

• Transfer files using SFTP

• Migrate custom columns

• Migrate saved views

• Migrate company databases

• Migrate scheduled downloads and reports

• Migrate web queries

• Migrate labels

The “what’s new” section contains information about new features added to the tool and divided into areas such as: measurement and bidding strategies, conversions, reporting, etc.

Screen from Search ADS 360 Tool

Next to the Tasks. You might want to look at the ”Feature Status” page where you’ll find FAQs and a list of features with a breakdown into search engines and the features that agencies will benefit from.

Screen from Search ADS 360 Tool

“The New Experience Hub” is not only a valuable source of information. Some other resources that will come in handy are:

• The migration tool automatically transfers data from the previous version to the new one

• Entries on the migration in the New Experience Hub

• ”SA360 On Air Series” product video tutorials on the Google Marketing Platform YouTube channel

How do I plan my migration to the new Search Ads 360?

Important migration tips:

• Start planning your migration as early as possible

• Do not migrate on days when you plan promotions, e.g. Black Friday

• Test the new version of Search Ads 360 before migrating.

• Read the migration entries in the New Experience Hub

• Use the Google migration tool

Summary

The shutdown of the previous version of Search Ads 360 is an important event for all platform users. To facilitate this process, Google is offering users a wide range of resources to fully explore the new features of Search Ads 360. This will allow a seamless transition to the next generation of Search Ads 360. However, if you don’t feel comfortable going through this process on your own, we encourage you to purchase the platform through SalesTube. We are the largest reseller of Google Marketing Platform in the CEE region with a multitude of experts providing tool support.