Google Ads is not AdWords: a 180° shift in control, transparency, measurement, and attribution
I ran AdWords when keyword lists, match types, and manual CPC were the primary levers. Since Google rebranded AdWords to Google Ads on July 24, 2018 Google Ads Help Center: AdWords is now Google Ads, the platform became a different machine. Automation drives bidding, matching, placement, and even creative. This guide is the full synthesis of my three deep dives: the narrative of what changed, a control-focused pros/cons analysis, and an exhaustive catalog of campaign types from legacy to current. I am also layering measurement and attribution, because data quality and credit assignment are the new choke points.
Big picture shifts since 2018
- Rebrand with scope expansion. Google Ads spans Search, Display, YouTube, Discover, Gmail, and Maps Google Ads Help Center: AdWords is now Google Ads.
- Performance Max unified channels. A goal-based campaign that accesses all Google inventory and complements Search; it absorbed Smart Shopping and Local in 2022 Google Ads Help Center: About Performance Max Google Ads Developer Blog: Smart Shopping & Local upgrades to PMax.
- Discovery upgraded to Demand Gen. Global upgrade completed in 2024, adding Shorts and in-stream inventory, lookalike segments, creative A/B testing, and flexible bidding including Maximize Clicks Google Ads Help Center: About Demand Gen campaigns SA360 Help: Discovery upgrade timeline Google Ads Help Center: Demand Gen bidding options Google Ads Help Center: Demand Gen creative experiments Google Ads Help Center: Bidding strategies overview.
- Video Action campaigns removed. New VAC creation ends April 2025 and existing VAC auto-upgrade to Demand Gen begins July 2025 Google Ads Help Center: Video Action upgrade timeline.
- Display simplified. Smart Display and Standard Display merged into one Display campaign type in 2021 Google Ads Blog: Display campaigns made easy.
- Gmail Ads sunset. Standalone Gmail campaigns ended in 2021 and inventory moved under Discovery, now Demand Gen Search Engine Journal: Gmail Ads absorbing into Discovery.
- Match types loosened. Exact match now includes same-meaning close variants (2018). In 2021, phrase absorbed BMM behavior and Google changed identical-query preference logic Search Engine Land: Exact match expands to same-meaning variants Google Ads Help Center: Phrase match & BMM changes Search Engine Land: Identical-to-query keyword preference update.
- Search term visibility reduced. Since Sept 2020, the Search Terms report shows only queries with “significant” volume; large portions of spend became invisible at launch Search Engine Land: Google limits search terms reporting.
- RSAs replaced ETAs. As of June 30, 2022, you cannot create or edit Expanded Text Ads; RSAs are the path Google Ads Help Center: Sunset of Expanded Text Ads.
- Call ads to RSAs. Google is upgrading call ads into RSAs with additional fields and policies Google Ads Help Center: Upgrade call ads to RSAs.
Master campaign catalog: AdWords legacy vs Google Ads 2025
| Family | AdWords / Legacy | Status | Google Ads 2025 | What changed | Primary sources |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Search | Standard Search, Expanded Text Ads, Call-only | Changed | Search with RSAs and Smart Bidding; call ads migrating to RSA | RSAs replace ETAs; match types relaxed; call ads migration | Google Ads Help Center: ETA sunset, Google Ads Help Center: Phrase + BMM update, Google Ads Help Center: Call ads upgrading to RSAs |
| Dynamic Search Ads | DSA available late AdWords era | Active | DSA targets based on website content, with auto headlines and landing pages | Keywordless search coverage, optional page feed targeting | Google Ads Help Center: About Dynamic Search Ads Google Ads Help Center: Create a DSA campaign |
| Display | Standard Display, Smart Display, Gmail Ads | Merged | One Display type with optional automation; Gmail via Demand Gen | Smart + Standard unified; Gmail standalone sunset | Google Ads Blog: Display merge announcement SEJ: Gmail to Discovery |
| Video | TrueView in-stream, discovery, bumper, Video Action | Upgrading | Video subtypes by goal; Video Action upgrading to Demand Gen | Outcome focus; Shorts and in-feed via Demand Gen | Google Ads Help Center: VAC removal Google Ads Help Center: About Demand Gen |
| Shopping | Standard Shopping, Smart Shopping | Smart sunset | Performance Max for retail; Standard Shopping still available | PMax absorbed Smart; Standard remains for control and reporting | Google Ads Developer Blog: Smart to PMax Google Ads Help Center: Create Standard Shopping Google Ads Help Center: Standard vs PMax experiment |
| Local | Local campaigns | Upgraded | PMax for Store Goals, Local Inventory Ads | One campaign covers Maps, Search, YouTube, Display | Google Ads Help Center: PMax for store goals SA360 Help: Local inventory ads with PMax Google Ads Editor Help: Local campaigns deprecated |
| Discovery | Discovery campaigns | Replaced | Demand Gen across Discover, Gmail, YouTube feeds and Shorts | Lookalikes, creative A/B tests, flexible bidding | Google Ads Help Center: About Demand Gen Google Ads Help Center: Lookalike segments Google Ads Help Center: Demand Gen experiments |
| App | Universal App Campaigns | Renamed | App campaigns for install, engagement, pre-registration | Same cross-network automation | Google Ads Help Center: About App campaigns |
| Smart (Express) | AdWords Express | Replaced | Smart campaigns in Google Ads | Simplified SMB path with minimal levers | Google Ads Help Center: About Smart campaigns |
Control, measurement, attribution: the real tradeoffs
Below, every major change includes concrete pros and cons across the three dimensions that matter: Control, Measurement, and Attribution.
1) Smart Bidding replaced manual bid control
What changed: tCPA, tROAS, Max Conversions, and Max Conversion Value at auction time. Required in PMax Google Ads Help Center: About Performance Max.
Pros
- Real-time signals at scale reduce manual work and often increase volume when conversion tracking is clean.
Cons: Control
- Less bid-by-keyword and less rapid surgical reaction if signals are noisy or goals are misconfigured.
Measurement & Attribution
- Performance depends on accurate conversion setup, enhanced conversions, and consent-mode modeling Google Ads Help Center: Enhanced conversions Google Ads Help Center: Consent Mode Google Ads Help Center: Modeled conversions.
2) Match types loosened and identical-query preference changed
What changed: exact includes same-meaning close variants (2018). In 2021 phrase absorbed BMM behavior, and phrase or broad identical to a query are preferred when eligible Search Engine Land: Exact match expands Google Ads Help Center: Phrase + BMM changes Search Engine Land: Identical-query preference.
Pros
- Less need for bloated lists and synonyms. Algorithms capture same-intent queries you did not enumerate.
Cons: Control
- Exact is not exact. Negative keyword workload rises. Google also offers a broad-match campaign setting that can change prioritization and control Google Ads Help Center: Broad-match campaign setting.
Measurement & Attribution
- Keyword-level intent blurs, which complicates query-to-creative diagnostics and multi-touch path analysis.
3) Search terms transparency reduced
What changed: since Sept 2020 Google shows only “significant” queries in reports. Google later introduced Search Terms Insights to aggregate some visibility, including for PMax Search Engine Land: Search terms limitation Google Ads Help Center: Search terms insights.
Pros
- Less report noise if your team is small. Focus on outcomes over tails of data.
Cons: Control
- You cannot fully police waste. Some paid clicks are invisible, limiting negative-keyword hygiene.
Measurement & Attribution
- Blind spots reduce query-level contribution analysis. Modeled conversions and DDA mitigate but do not replace ground truth Google Ads Help Center: Data-driven attribution (DDA).
4) RSAs replaced ETAs
What changed: ETAs creation ended June 30, 2022. RSAs assemble up to 15 headlines and 4 descriptions. Asset-level ratings show Learning, Low, Good, Best Google Ads Help Center: ETA sunset Google Ads Help Center: RSA asset reporting Google Ads Help Center: Ad Strength.
Pros
- Faster creative testing and higher odds the ad fits the query context. New campaign-level asset reporting improves visibility Google Ads Help Center: Asset reporting.
Cons: Control
- You cannot guarantee message order across auctions at scale. Pinning helps but reduces flexibility.
Measurement & Attribution
- Asset ratings are relative and impression-weighted, not full combo performance. Use combos report plus GA4 to tie copy themes to assisted conversions GA4 Help: Attribution in GA4.
5) Performance Max unified channels, added control levers over time
What changed: one campaign spans Search, Shopping, Display, YouTube, Discover, Gmail, Maps Google Ads Help Center: About Performance Max. Google later added campaign-level negative keywords, brand exclusions, and Search Themes Google Ads Help Center: Negative keywords at account/campaign level Google Ads Help Center: Brand exclusions for PMax Google Ads Help Center: Search themes. Limits recently expanded for search themes and negative keywords Search Engine Land: PMax search themes limit expanded Search Engine Land: PMax negative keyword limits expanded.
Pros
- Incremental reach across all surfaces with one budget. Asset groups and new controls reduce brand cannibalization risk.
Cons: Control
- Limited per-network steering and partial query visibility. Keep brand Search and Standard Shopping for strong guardrails.
Measurement & Attribution
- Reporting is aggregated by design. Use PMax Search Terms Insights, brand exclusions, and experiments to isolate lift Google Ads Help Center: Performance Max experiments.
Campaign-type pros and cons with a control, measurement, and attribution lens
Search
| Subtype | Control | Measurement | Attribution | Key links |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard Search (RSAs) | High keyword control with negatives. Less control over ad assembly. Identical-query preference clarified in 2021 Search Engine Land: Identical-to-query update. | Query visibility limited for low volume since 2020 Search Engine Land: Search terms limitation. | Use DDA and GA4 to value assisted conversions across channels Google Ads Help Center: DDA GA4 Help: Attribution. | Google Ads Help Center: About text ads |
| Dynamic Search Ads | Keywordless coverage via site content and page feeds. Control through URL targets and negatives Google Ads Help Center: About DSA. | Search terms appear but can be broad. Ensure clean site taxonomy for relevance. | Useful for discovery paths that traditional keywords miss. Attribute with DDA to capture lift. | Google Ads Help Center: Create a DSA campaign |
Display
| Subtype | Control | Measurement | Attribution | Key links |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Display (manual) | Manual placements, topics, audiences. You can disable optimized targeting Google Ads Help Center: Optimized targeting. | Placement reports allow pruning. View content categories and exclusions. | Upper funnel. Use GA4 engaged-view and view-through contributions, then DDA. | Google Ads Blog: Display merge |
| Display (automated path) | Faster scale with optimized targeting. Less placement steering Google Ads Help Center: Optimized targeting. | Aggregated. Rely on lift and conversion modeling. | Experiment holdouts where possible. Monitor incremental reach. | Google Ads Help Center: About Display ads |
Video
Legacy TrueView split into modern goal-based subtypes. Video Action will migrate to Demand Gen in 2025.
| Subtype | Control | Measurement | Attribution | Key links |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Video reach, awareness | CPM focus. Context and exclusions available. Less granular when using optimized targeting. | Brand Lift and Search Lift recommended Google Ads Help Center: Lift measurement. | DDA plus lift studies to quantify contribution. | Google Ads Help Center: VAC upgrade |
| Video Action (sunsetting) | Conversion-focused but being replaced by Demand Gen in 2025. | Will shift to Demand Gen reporting and formats. | Migrate and retest A/B to preserve baselines. | Google Ads Help Center: Timeline |
Shopping and Local
| Subtype | Control | Measurement | Attribution | Key links |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard Shopping | High control of product groups, priorities, negatives, and query visibility. | Query-level and SKU-level clarity. | Great for margin protection and clean brand vs non-brand analysis. | Google Ads Help Center: Create Standard Shopping Google Ads Help Center: Standard vs PMax experiment |
| PMax for Retail | Automation first. New controls: campaign-level negatives, brand exclusions, search themes. | Aggregated, with Search Terms Insights. No hard channel splits. | Use PMax experiments to quantify incremental value Google Ads Help Center: PMax experiments. | Google Ads Help Center: About PMax |
| PMax for Store Goals | Feeds, locations, and assets. Google AI optimizes across Maps, Search, YouTube, Display. | Measures store visits, store sales, local actions Google Ads Help Center: PMax for store goals. | Local Inventory Ads integrate to show nearby availability SA360 Help: Local inventory ads with PMax Google Ads Help Center: Local Inventory Ads FAQ. | Google Ads Help Center: Store goals |
Demand Gen (Discovery successor)
| Area | Control | Measurement | Attribution | Key links |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Audiences | Lookalike segments available only in Demand Gen Google Ads API: Lookalike segments. Similar Audiences were sunset in 2023 Google Ads Developer Blog: Similar Audiences deprecation. | Segment-level reporting. Use experiments for causality. | Use DDA with GA4 to value assist from feeds and Shorts. | Google Ads Help Center: Lookalike segments |
| Creatives | Image, carousel, video. Creative A/B experiments supported Google Ads Help Center: Demand Gen experiments. | Lift studies recommended for awareness and consideration Google Ads Help Center: Lift measurement. | Track assist via GA4 model comparison with longer lookbacks. | Google Ads Help Center: About Demand Gen |
| Bidding | Supports Maximize Clicks, Max Conversions, tCPA, tROAS Google Ads Help Center: Demand Gen FAQ Google Ads Help Center: Bidding strategies. | Click-based or conversion-based optimization as needed. | DDA recommended. Attribute view-through and engaged-view for YouTube. | Google Ads Help Center: Demand Gen FAQ |
Audience shift: from explicit targeting to signals
Google removed Similar Audiences in 2023 Google Ads Developer Blog: Similar Audiences deprecation. Optimized Targeting now expands beyond your selected audiences by default for Display, Video, and formerly Discovery Google Ads Help Center: Optimized targeting. In PMax, audience signals guide, not restrict, reach Google Ads Help Center: Audience signals in PMax.
Pros
- Finds new demand beyond your lists. Reduces setup friction.
Cons: Control
- Signals are not hard targeting. Expect traffic outside your declared audience. Turn off optimized targeting when you truly need strict control Google Ads Help Center: Optimized targeting.
Measurement & Attribution
- Attribution must account for assist from exploratory audiences. GA4 DDA helps reconcile cross-surface paths GA4 Help: Attribution.
Auto-applied recommendations and Optimization Score
Google lets you auto-apply recommendation categories and shows an account Optimization Score. Both are optional Google Ads Help Center: Manage auto-apply recommendations Google Ads Help Center: Optimization Score.
Pros
- Saves time and catches basic hygiene tasks.
Cons: Control
- Auto-applies can change match types, bids, or budgets away from strategy. Keep them off or narrow to safe categories.
Measurement & Attribution
- Score is not a business KPI. Evaluate by lift tests and profitability, not by score changes alone.
Measurement and attribution essentials
- Data-driven attribution is default. Most conversion actions default to DDA; you can switch if needed Google Ads Help Center: About attribution models.
- Modeled conversions fill gaps. Google uses modeling when consent or identifiers are missing Google Ads Help Center: Modeled conversions Google Ads Help Center: How conversion modeling works.
- Enhanced conversions improve match. Hashing first-party data increases accuracy and improves Smart Bidding Google Ads Help Center: Enhanced conversions.
- Consent Mode. Pass consent signals so tags adapt and modeling can recover performance Google Ads Help Center: Consent Mode Google Tag Platform: Consent implementation guide.
- GA4. Use GA4 attribution reports and model comparison for channel-mix decisions GA4 Help: Attribution.
Standard Shopping absolutely still exists
Even though Smart Shopping was upgraded to PMax, you can still create and optimize Standard Shopping campaigns outside of PMax, and you can run an experiment to compare the two in your own account Google Ads Help Center: Create Standard Shopping Google Ads Help Center: Standard vs PMax experiment.
| Shopping option | Control | Measurement | Attribution | Best use | Key links |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard Shopping | High. Product groups, priorities, negatives, query-level pruning. | SKU and query clarity. | Clean brand vs non-brand modeling. | Protect margins on core SKUs. Maintain insight and guardrails alongside PMax. | Google Ads Help Center: Create Standard Shopping |
| PMax for retail | Automation first with new guardrails. | Aggregated insights, search themes, search terms insights. | Run lift experiments to prove incremental value. | Incremental reach and value when feeds and tracking are healthy. | Google Ads Help Center: About PMax |
FAQ markers to prevent confusion
- Can I still run standalone Shopping that is not PMax? Yes. Standard Shopping remains available and documented Google Ads Help Center: Create Standard Shopping. Google even provides an experiment to compare it against PMax Google Ads Help Center: Standard vs PMax experiment.
- Did you cover removal of Video Action campaigns? Yes. New creation ends April 2025 and upgrades start July 2025 Google Ads Help Center: VAC upgrade timeline.
- Where did Discovery go? It was upgraded to Demand Gen in 2024, with lookalikes, Max Clicks, and creative experiments Google Ads Help Center: About Demand Gen Google Ads Help Center: Demand Gen bidding Google Ads Help Center: Demand Gen experiments.
- How do I regain control in PMax? Use campaign-level negatives and brand exclusions, expand search themes carefully, and keep Standard Shopping and brand Search as control layers Google Ads Help Center: Negative keywords (account/campaign) Google Ads Help Center: Brand exclusions Google Ads Help Center: Search themes.
Operator’s checklist
- Control. Keep brand and critical non-brand queries in standard Search. Pin RSA elements only when legal or brand requires.
- Guardrails. In PMax, configure brand exclusions, campaign-level negatives, and search themes that reflect your economics.
- Measurement. Turn on enhanced conversions and consent mode. Verify conversion taxonomy and GA4 linking.
- Attribution. Use DDA in Google Ads and GA4 model comparison. Run experiments for PMax and Demand Gen to prove incremental lift.
- Recommendations. Disable auto-applies that conflict with strategy. Treat Optimization Score as a hint, not a mandate.
