What Is It?
The Performance Comparison tool lets you compare almost any combination of campaigns, ad groups, labels, networks, and devices in your Google Ads, Microsoft Ads, and Amazon Ads accounts. It can be used to isolate problem areas in the account by drilling down to the campaign level for each device and network.
Note: Search Partners and YouTube data comparison is not available for analyzing Microsoft Ads accounts. Labels, Networks, and Devices data comparison is not available for analyzing Amazon Ads accounts.
Why Use It?
With the Performance Comparison Tool, you can:
Quickly compare the performance of different networks, devices, campaigns, or ad groups to identify where results are underperforming or exceeding expectations.
Identify performance gaps so you can prioritize optimization efforts.
Drill deeper into performance data by segmenting results by device, network, campaign, or ad group to uncover the exact source of inefficiencies.
Save time during account analysis by quickly generating structured comparisons instead of manually exporting and analyzing data across multiple reports.
Quick tips on how to use it to find areas that need to be optimized
Start by comparing the search and display network with each other.
Select 'Google Search and Search Partners' in Selection 1 and 'Display Network' in Selection 2. Click compare to see the results.
If you see in the results that, for example, there's a big gap between the networks' cost/conversion (CPA) where its higher on the display network than on the search network, you can use the comparison tool to drill deeper and find what device is causing the problem.
Perform an in-depth analysis of the performance of various campaigns and ad groups on different networks and devices. Eg: Compare the performance of mobile on display network v/s desktops on display.
Segment Results
The result segmentation option is a great way of viewing the details of performance changes by device, network, campaign, and ad group, with much more granular detail for each.
For example, in the screenshot below, you'll see the results segmented by device, where you'll have a row for each (computers, mobile devices with full browsers, tablets with full browsers, others, and devices streaming content to TV screens).
For each metric, you'll have 3 columns: Date 1, Date 2, and Change. This means that you'll see data for Impressions during 15 - 21 July, 22 - 28 July and the changes in performance between these two-time frames.
This is also broken down by each device, giving you great insights into where your optimizations should focus on.
Use Cases
Identify Underperforming Networks
Problem: You notice that overall campaign performance has declined, but it is unclear whether the issue is coming from Search or Display traffic.
Solution: The tool compares Google Search and Search Partners with the Display Network. By reviewing metrics such as cost, conversions, and cost per conversion (CPA), you can quickly identify performance gaps between the two networks.
This comparison helps you quickly identify which network is underperforming so you can adjust bids, budgets, or targeting strategies to improve overall campaign efficiency.
Compare Campaign Performance Across Networks
Problem: Performance varies significantly across networks. Without a clear breakdown, it is difficult to determine whether certain campaigns should run only on specific networks.
Solution: The tool analyzes campaign-level performance across networks. By drilling down into the results, you can compare how each campaign performs on Search versus Display.
Additionally, you can then segment the results to review performance by device or ad group to identify the exact areas that need improvement.
Demo Video