Google has expanded the product reporting available to advertisers using Merchant Center data. Product-level figures in Performance Max are no longer limited to ads serving on Search networks: the report now includes activity across all Performance Max networks, alongside product reporting for video, App and Demand Gen campaigns.
For retailers in Bath and across the South West, that should make the Products tab more useful. It also comes with an important warning: the change can create a one-off increase in reported impressions, clicks and other figures. A sudden jump may reflect broader reporting coverage, rather than a sudden change in customer demand or campaign performance.
What has changed?
Google says its product report now offers a consolidated view of how individual Merchant Center products perform across channels including Search, YouTube, Discover and Gmail. Previously, metrics such as cost and conversions for Performance Max products were available only when those products appeared in ads on Search networks.
The expansion began in June 2026. It means advertisers can inspect performance by item, brand or category across more of the places where Performance Max can serve. Google also says advertisers can segment the figures by network, which should help separate product engagement on YouTube from activity on Search, for example.
This is a reporting change, not a new campaign type or a promise of extra sales. The immediate benefit is better visibility into activity that was already happening but was not fully represented in the product-level report.
Why the apparent jump needs context
If you compare a recent period with an earlier one, the numbers may not be measuring precisely the same scope. Google specifically warns that the expanded coverage may cause a one-time rise in Performance Max metrics.
That matters when reporting to a shop owner, finance team or board. A chart showing more product impressions after the change does not necessarily mean your products became more competitive overnight. Before celebrating or worrying, annotate the reporting change and compare like with like where possible.
Conversion value and return on advertising spend still deserve close attention, but they should be read alongside margins, stock position and the quality of the underlying conversion tracking. Broader data does not repair weak tracking. If purchases, revenue or basket data are incomplete, a more detailed product report can still give a misleading picture.
Four checks for local retailers
1. Segment performance by network
Start by looking at where engagement and conversions occur. A product that attracts attention on YouTube may behave differently from one that converts through Search. Network detail can help explain those differences, but avoid judging a channel from a very small sample.
2. Look for genuine product winners
Filter by conversions, conversion value and return on advertising spend, then compare the result with commercial reality. A high-revenue product is not automatically a high-profit product. Google recommends using conversions with basket data where possible, as this can help connect advertising activity with the products actually purchased.
3. Check eligibility and stock problems
The report can flag products that are not eligible to serve because of feed disapprovals or out-of-stock status. For a small retailer, fixing a problem on a dependable seller may be more valuable than making another round of broad campaign changes. Review the Status and Issues columns regularly, especially during seasonal promotions.
4. Review overlap before restructuring campaigns
The same item can appear in more than one campaign. Google suggests using the report to identify overlap and understand performance fluctuations. Do not rush to reorganise the account on the strength of a few days of expanded data, though. Check campaign goals, budgets, product groups and conversion history before consolidating anything.
Product feeds matter even more when reporting improves
More visibility makes feed quality easier to diagnose. Clear titles, accurate product types, current prices, working landing pages and useful custom labels all affect how easily an account can be understood and managed.
If a brand or category performs particularly well, custom labels can help group stock according to margin, season, bestseller status or another commercially useful characteristic. Those labels should reflect how the business actually makes decisions, rather than becoming an overcomplicated filing system.
For businesses managing Google Ads in Bath, the practical opportunity is better diagnosis: which products are visible, where they appear, which ones generate worthwhile outcomes and which ones are being held back by feed or stock issues. Our broader guide to search marketing explains how paid and organic activity can work together rather than being judged in isolation.
What to do next
Open the Products tab at account and campaign level, note the date when broader figures appear in your account, and add that context to your regular reporting. Check network segments, eligibility issues and your most commercially important products before changing bids or budgets.
The expanded report should reduce some of the opacity around Performance Max. It will not remove the need for sound conversion tracking or commercial judgement, but it gives local retailers a better starting point for asking the right questions.
