Google has given YouTube advertisers two new tools to quantify the downstream effect of brand campaigns. In a post published June 29 on the Google Ads product blog, the company confirmed that Attributed Branded Searches is now available globally in Google Ads, and that Shorts Ad Actions are being automatically integrated into Video View Campaign budget optimization.
Attributed Branded Searches Goes Global
Attributed Branded Searches is now available globally as a reporting metric in Google Ads, tracking the volume of searches triggered by an ad impression or view. The metric is designed to give advertisers a direct line between a YouTube ad exposure and a subsequent Google search for that brand, even when the user never clicked the ad.
Google describes the feature as an always-on metric to connect a video campaign to a branded search, showing how ad exposure drives consideration. It functions as a lead indicator for performance, connecting brand media to user search outcomes. Technically, Attributed Branded Searches counts only users who saw a YouTube ad, making it a subset of total branded searches rather than a full search volume figure.
The attribution window applies to branded searches made within seven days of an impression served from Performance Max, Demand Gen, and Video campaigns across Google-owned inventory, including YouTube, Discover, and Gmail.
Google has attached a sales figure to the metric's value proposition. According to Google's announcement, every additional branded search generated on Google is associated with an average $31 increase in sales. That figure is derived from Google and Nielsen IQ offline sales data collected between 2023 and 2025, across a median of 500-plus U.S. campaigns.
Advertisers must contact their Google representative to activate the feature. Setup also requires brand mapping to be configured within the Google Ads account before the conversion action becomes functional.
Shorts Ad Actions Added to Video View Campaigns
Video View Campaigns that are opted into YouTube Shorts will now automatically include Shorts Ad Actions in budget optimization, along with new reporting columns. This change applies automatically; advertisers running eligible campaigns do not need to opt in separately.
Google provided performance data to support the Shorts engagement additions. On average, YouTube Shorts ads with more than 10 seconds of watch time and a like saw 15% more brand consideration and 20% more favorability. The company did not specify the methodology or sample size for these figures in the announcement.
Reporting-Only Status and Activation Requirements
Both features carry important technical constraints that affect how advertisers can use the data. Attributed Branded Searches is a reporting-only metric; it cannot be set as a primary campaign goal, and it cannot be used for bidding optimization. Advertisers who add the "All Conversions" column to their campaign, ad group, or asset-level reports and segment by conversion action will be able to view how many attributed branded searches resulted from their ad impressions.
No historical data exists for the metric. It only tracks impressions after activation is enabled.
The global availability of Attributed Branded Searches marks a significant rollout milestone. Google has also indicated that further product improvements are planned, including support for AI Mode and availability in Display & Video 360, with segmentation of new searchers expected within six months of Google Marketing Live 2026.
What This Means for Brand Advertisers
For agencies and in-house teams managing YouTube brand budgets, these updates change what can be reported to stakeholders after a campaign runs. Attributed Branded Searches provides a behavioural signal, not a survey, connecting video exposure to intent-based search activity. Because the metric lives in the standard Google Ads reporting interface, it does not require a separate brand lift study to produce. Advertisers should note that the feature uses last-impression attribution, meaning if a user is exposed to multiple campaigns before conducting a branded search, only the most recent campaign exposure receives credit. Brand mapping configuration is required before any data can be collected, and the feature remains accessible only through a Google representative at this time.
Google describes Attributed Branded Searches as an always-on metric, positioning it as a persistent reporting layer rather than a flighted measurement study.
