In August, Google announced long awaited transparency on the Search Partner network. If you consider the only metric being impressions - transparent.
But lets step back - what is the search partner network?
Google defines it's search partner network as:
Sites in the Search Network that partner with Google to show ads. Search partners can extend the reach of Google search ads and listings to hundreds of non-Google websites, as well as YouTube. Like all search ads in the Google search partner network, you are charged only when a user clicks on your ad.On search partners sites, your ads and listings can appear on search pages such as a list of search results, Parked domain search results, site directory pages, product detail pages, YouTube search results and watch pages. Learn more about how search ads might appear in this section.
Sounds good in theory? You're doing well on Google Search and you want to expand? Appearing on touted search partners as YouTube, Maps, DuckDuckGo and CBS sounds pretty good, yeah?
Most seasoned marketers, myself included would tell you no. My standard audit recommendation for over a decade has been to turn it off. Why? Because it's typically been full of parked domains, non brand safe traffic and incentivised searches (bot traffic like malware/adware).
But I'm also a firm believer in testing everything so when Google announced the updates I tested it on one of my main search clients for the past two months.
The Results
YouTube search results (not videos) took out 94% of the inventory. 4% went to ads shown on videos and the remainder went to third party webpages like parked domains and search engines I'd never heard of before.
So.. Should you still run it in 2025?
I normally like to give a definitive answer but the short answer this time is... maybe.
The longer answer...
Yes - you should run it IF
You are bidding towards a value based conversion event that accurately reflects your ultimate ROI (don't do it with weak or proxy metrics).
You can test and measure it on the backend through value track parameters in a CMS or other source of truth
You're looking to grow and expand your search spend and you're maxed out on Google Search. If you're not there yet - Google's owned and operated search is still more lucrative.
No - you should avoid it IF
Any of the above doesn't apply
You're already running Performance Max or Demand Gen campaigns alongside Search. Why? Because you'll already be capturing this lower intent YouTube and other inventory through those automated black box campaigns and by keeping it relegated to those campaigns you'll keep your search campaigns cleaner.
In the case of this specific client, they're already spending close to 50% of the budget on Performance Max campaigns so we decided to revert all search campaigns back to just Google Search only.
How you can see your own search partner performance
If you're opted into search partner traffic, you can see your own performance under the Report Editor -> Content Suitability. As I said earlier, it only has impressions which makes judging true performance harder.
You can also segment by network on the main campaign UI to see how search partners perform at a high level (not placements)
Over to you guys - are you running search partners? Does it work for you?