Google Ads: Greater Control over Channels and Negative Keywords – SEM News #1 May 2026

Advertisers can now decide whether they want to run ads across all channels or select only specific placements right at the start of the campaign configuration.

This is a significant shift from the previous approach, especially in the context of automation and Performance Max campaigns, where control over delivery was limited.

What does this mean for you?

From a media management and campaign efficiency perspective, this change has a real operational impact:

• Greater budget control – the ability to select channels at the setup stage reduces the risk of budget “spillover” into low-intent inventory (e.g., Display vs. Search),
• Better CPA and ROAS management – isolating channels allows for more precise efficiency management and limits the impact of underperforming placements on overall results,
• A return to a more conscious media strategy – this represents a partial rollback toward greater specialist decision-making power, rather than relying entirely on black-box algorithms.

A new functionality has appeared in the Google Ads ecosystem: the ability to preview the impact of negative keywords before they are added to a campaign.

Advertisers can now test up to several negative phrases and see the estimated impact on campaign results without the risk of interfering with live traffic.

What does this mean for you?

• Reduction of the risk of poor decisions – negative keywords can improve results just as easily as they can worsen them. The preview eliminates “shots in the dark” and allows for data-driven decision-making,
• Better management of scale vs. traffic quality – you can assess whether excluding a specific phrase will overly restrict volume (which is particularly important for Smart Bidding and PMax),
• Greater control in an automated environment – in a world where algorithms are making more and more decisions, this tool restores some control over traffic quality—without the need for manual testing on a live campaign.