Google’s Latest Move with Waze Ads Could Change How Brands Reach You—Here’s What You Need to Know
Ever wondered if your ads could sneak onto your audience’s radar while they’re cruising down the highway? Well, Google just made that a reality by sprinkling Waze ad inventory into Performance Max campaigns aimed at store visits. No extra fuss, just seamless “Promoted Places in Navigation” pins popping up where drivers need them most—perfect timing as holiday road trips ramp up. And that’s not all: now, PMax advertisers get a clearer peek behind the curtain with enhanced channel performance reporting, including insights from Search partners. If you’ve ever felt left in the dark about where your ads show up, these updates might just feel like a beam of sunshine cutting through the digital fog. Ready to see your campaigns hit every corner of the Googleverse while keeping you in the know? Let’s dive into what this means for marketers hunting both online clicks and offline foot traffic. LEARN MORE.
Google is rolling out two key updates to Performance Max (PMax) campaigns — adding Waze ad inventory for store goal campaigns and introducing channel performance reporting for greater visbility.
Why we care. Advertisers using PMax for store goals in the U.S. can now reach drivers directly on Waze through “Promoted Places in Navigation” pins — no extra setup required. The integration automatically optimizes existing assets for store visits or sales, arriving just in time for the holiday travel season, with a global rollout planned for 2026.
Search partner comes to Channel reporting. PMax campaigns are also getting enhanced channel performance reporting, allowing advertisers to see where their ads appear across Google’s network — including Search partners, which will soon be included in the reports and visualizations.
Between the lines. Advertisers have long requested more visibility into PMax’s opaque performance data. These reporting updates signal Google’s effort to make the campaign type more transparent and accountable, especially for brands managing multiple accounts through MCC.
The backstory. The updates follow several September improvements — including bulk reporting, segmentation options, and download capabilities — all designed to make PMax easier to analyze at scale.
The big picture. With the Waze integration and expanded reporting, Google is positioning Performance Max as a full-funnel, omnichannel solution — blending automation with better insights to help advertisers drive both online and offline results.
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