> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://support.sayprimer.com/primer/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://support.sayprimer.com/primer/use-cases/branded-search-exclusion-audiences.md). # Branded Search Exclusion Audiences ### **Protect Your Brand Search Budget by Filtering Out Low-Value Traffic** Your brand terms attract lots of clicks—but not all lead to pipeline. Customers logging in, job seekers, and free users can drain spend without generating revenue. Primer helps you build exclusion audiences that keep branded search lean and focused on **real opportunities**. Want to cut waste and improve efficiency? Check out Primer’s [Branded Search](https://www.sayprimer.com/use-cases/primer-branded-search-exclusion) guide. {% embed url="" %} ## **How to Add an Exclusion Audience to an Existing Search Campaign:** {% embed url="" %} Follow these steps to exclude a specific audience from an existing search campaign: * **Select the Campaign** * Navigate to your list of campaigns. * Select the campaign you want to edit. * **Access the Audiences Section** * In the campaign’s settings menu, go to **Audiences** (found under the Audience, Keywords, and Content section). * Scroll down and click **Edit Exclusion**. * **Choose the Exclusion Level** * Specify whether you want to exclude the audience at the campaign or ad group level (if applicable). * Locate the campaign (or ad group) you want to edit. * **Add Exclusion Audiences** * You’ll see any existing exclusion audiences already applied. * To add more, enter the name of the audience you want to exclude in the search field. * Select the audiences you wish to exclude and click **Save**. * **Monitor Performance** * To gauge the impact of your exclusion audiences, compare campaign performance from the period before you applied the exclusions to the period after. This helps you confirm the effectiveness of your strategy. ## How to Set Up a Google Campaign Experiment for Search Exclusions {% embed url="" %} Once you’ve built your exclusion audiences in Primer, the next step is to measure their impact on your Google Search campaigns. The cleanest way to do this is by setting up a **campaign experiment** in Google Ads. Here’s how: *** ### Step 1: Create a New Experiment 1. In Google Ads, go to **Campaigns** → **Experiments**. 2. Click the **big “+” button** to create a new experiment. 3. Ignore Google’s recommended experiments — instead choose **Custom**. 4. Select **Search** as the campaign type. *** ### Step 2: Define Your Base and Treatment Campaigns * **Base Campaign**: Your standard Search campaign with no exclusions applied. * **Treatment Campaign**: A duplicate of your base, but with your Primer exclusion audience(s) applied. Name your campaigns clearly so you can keep track. For example: * Control = “Search – No Exclusions” * Treatment = “Search – With Exclusions” *** ### Step 3: Apply the Exclusion Audience 1. Inside the treatment campaign, navigate to **Audiences** in the left-hand menu. 2. Open the **Exclusions** table. 3. Add your Primer exclusion audiences here (e.g., existing customers, competitors, job seekers). 4. Save your changes. *** ### Step 4: Configure Experiment Settings 1. Go back to the top and click **Schedule**. 2. Set your **Experiment Goals** (most B2B teams focus on *Conversion Value* or *Conversion Value / Cost*). 3. Keep the split **50/50** between control and treatment. 4. Open **Advanced Options** and make sure to select **Cookie-based split**. * ✅ Cookie-based ensures each user is stuck to one arm (control or treatment). * ❌ Search-based splits assign at the query level, so the same user can fall into both groups — skewing results and artificially raising CPCs in the treatment. * More info: [Google Help Article](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/6261395) *** ### Step 5: Double-Check Smart Bidding and Signals If you’re using Smart Bidding or optimized targeting: * By default, Google **auto-includes all Customer Match lists in your account as a bidding signal**, even if they’re not explicitly applied. * This can contaminate your control, since it may still “know” about your exclusion audiences. * To avoid this: opt out of Customer Match as a Smart Bidding signal at the account level during tests. * More info: [Google Help Article](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/10550383) *** ### Step 6: Launch and Monitor 1. Confirm you don’t have EU political ads selected (a compliance checkbox). 2. Click **Create Experiment**. 3. Your experiment will now run live. You can monitor results under **Experiments** to compare conversion value, CPC, and ROI between control and treatment. *** ### Pro Tips * **Avoid “Observation” mode**: Always apply your exclusion audience as a true **Exclusion** at the campaign level, not just as an “Observation.” * **Duration matters**: Run your test long enough to collect statistically meaningful data (Google will show experiment confidence levels). * **Expected results**: Typically, exclusion campaigns show improved efficiency — fewer wasted clicks, higher conversion value per cost. *** 👉 By following this setup, you’ll get a clean, side-by-side read on how your exclusion audiences impact search performance. --- # Agent Instructions This documentation is published with GitBook. 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