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Shopping optimization score

An optimization score is an estimate of how well your Google Ads account is set to perform, and is used to measure the potential for account optimization based on actions you can take that Google can automatically recommend.

In your Google Ads accounts, the default view for the “Recommendations” page is set to the gross optimization score. If you dismiss an opportunity for optimizing your account, this will be reflected in the gross score. If you hover over the gross optimization score, you’ll be able to see the net optimization score. CSS Insights uses the net optimization score to measure the amount of opportunity available for account optimization. The net optimization score doesn’t change if you dismiss a recommendation.

The Shopping optimization score assigns a percentage of 100 points to a group of recommendations based on the likelihood that the recommendations will improve account performance (for example, conversions, impressions, clicks, spend, etc.) over time. Algorithms are used to create recommendations for a campaign based on their estimated impact on performance. Points are assigned to each recommendation accordingly.

For example, an account with a Shopping optimization score of 80 shows recommendations worth 20 points for Smart Shopping campaigns. Dismissing this recommendation will increase the gross optimization score to 100. However, the net optimization score will remain at 80 as the recommendations were not implemented.

Note: CSS Insights may refresh 24-48 hours after the Google Ads interface.

CSS groups

CSS Insights gathers information about your CSS’s Google Ads opportunities and lets you view your Shopping optimization score and progression across all your accounts. A graph shows the daily optimization score progression for your CSS to help you keep track of improvements.
CSS Insights CSS group page screen, optimization score progression is shown on a graph
Note: There is a quarterly refresh that recalculates scores every second or third week of each quarter. This refresh may have an impact on your aggregated optimization score and available headroom. If you see a sudden drop in optimization score, then it would be because of this refresh

CSS domains

The CSS domains page lets you view a list of all the domains within a CSS group, including optimization score for each CSS domain. You can use this data to understand which domains have the maximum headroom for improvement and focus on domains that need attention. After this, you can move to the accounts view and focus on accounts with maximum opportunity for optimization.

CSS Insights domain page overview screen

The CSS domains page includes the following columns:

  • Domain: Lists the name for each CSS domain affiliated with the CSS group.
  • Net optimization score: The measure of how much optimization potential exists based on actions you can take that Google can automatically recommend.
  • Net optimization score WoW: The week over week progression of the net optimization score for each domain.

The tool displays headroom opportunities based on the below sections.

  • Keywords & targeting: Highlights opportunities that focus on increasing the reach and traffic with headroom in audience, search partners, targeting all shopping offers, etc.
  • Bids & budgets: Focuses on bidding and budget opportunities that can enhance the performance of your Shopping ads campaigns.
  • Repairs: Focuses on ensuring that all ad groups have ads, disapproved products are fixed, and a few other feed and merchant center account related opportunities.
  • Automated campaigns: Highlights opportunities to automate your campaigns.
  • Ads and extensions: Recommendations to help you refine your ads, improve clickthrough rates (CTR), and maximize the performance of your ads.

Accounts

The “Accounts” page shows you a list of all the Google Ads accounts that you have access to, along with their Shopping optimization scores and quantified opportunity for each section. You can navigate to the respective Google Ads accounts by clicking on the Google Ads account ID. Once you click into a specific account, you will see changes over a period of seven days (WoW). You can filter by spend, domains, Google Ads account name, and Google Ads account ID.

CSS Insights Account page overview screen, the section overview column is selected

You can also deep-dive into one of five recommended areas: Keywords & targeting, Bidding & budgets, Repairs, Auto campaigns, and Ads & extensions. To filter by type, click on the name of the area you want to see. For example, select Bidding & budget to see all of the opportunities within this area.

CSS Insights Account page overview screen,; the bidding and budgets column is selected

By selecting the three-dot menu 3 dot icon on the top right corner of the table, you can also download these recommendations as a CSV file.

Apply filters by clicking on the filter icon Download and selecting one of the following options: Google Ads account name, CSS domain, Google Ads account ID.

 

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