Google Ads Shared Library: What It Is, How It Works + Pro Tips

The Google Ads Shared Library allows you to implement changes across multiple campaigns, centralize settings and assets, and manage shared sets, audiences, and other essential elements in one place. Find out how to harness it like the experts.

Google taps into a whopping 8.5 billion searches every day. That’s a lot of potential eyes on your ads! But juggling multiple ad groups and campaigns in your Google Ads account can feel like trying to keep a dozen plates spinning at once.

Good news: There is a tool that can help save time, boost your return on ad spend (ROAS), and improve the Quality Score of your campaigns. The Google Ads Shared Library will make your campaigns more streamlined, supercharging metrics like click-through rates, ad ranks, and conversions. After all, it’s all about working smarter, not harder — right?

We’re going to zoom in on the Shared Library’s features and best practices to optimize your campaigns. And because we believe in learning from the best, we’re sprinkling in some expert insights from HawkSEM’s very own VP of Growth and Strategy, Steve Dang. He brings a decade of digital marketing prowess across SaaS, ecommerce, and other niches to help our clients achieve an average of 4.5X ROI.

(Image: Adobe Stock)

What is the Google Ads Shared Library?

The Google Ads Shared Library is where you can implement change across multiple campaigns, centralize settings and assets, and manage shared sets, audiences, and other essential elements in one place. Think of the Shared Library as your command center within the Google Ads platform.  Navigating Google Ads, especially for newbies, can sometimes feel like you’re in the cockpit of a spaceship with a gazillion buttons and switches. Google Ads Shared Library keeps all those glowing lights organized. Creating ads across multiple campaigns and strategies can mean tweaking endless minor details, eating up tons of time. With the Shared Library, you can make relevant changes across multiple campaigns with a single click.  For those familiar with Google Ads, the Shared Library is like an evolved version of the AdWords Shared Library, tailored for the modern Google Ads environment. You can also use it to manage negative keyword lists, placement exclusions, and bid strategies across multiple campaigns. (More on that in a minute). “Google Shared Library is a cinch to use and should be used by any resourceful PPC manager,” says Dang. “It was built to be both user friendly and intuitive and can help busy managers save a lot of time on management and execution of common PPC tasks.”

How the Shared Library works

Time to dive a bit deeper into the engine room of the Google Ads Shared Library. From targeting tools to spending controls, let’s unpack the features that make this tool such a game-changer for marketers:

Audience manager

This is where you can create and manage your audience lists for remarketing. Whether you’re targeting people who’ve visited specific pages on your site or those who’ve made a purchase, Audience Manager helps you segment and reach them effectively.

Shared sets

These are your universal sets for targeting. Instead of setting up targeting for each campaign individually, you can create shared sets to apply (or share) across multiple campaigns.

Negative keyword lists

Ever catch certain keywords that don’t align with your campaign? With negative keyword lists, you can keep your ads from showing up for those specific terms, thereby reaching a more relevant audience.

Shared budget

With the Shared Budget, you can allocate a set budget across various campaigns to ensure consistent spending and maximize your ROI.

Bid strategies

Leveraging the Shared Library also lets you manage your bid strategies seamlessly. This allows for a more cohesive approach to controlling your cost per click (CPC) and hitting your target cost per action (target CPA) while getting the most bang for your buck.

Asset library

The Asset Library is your creative hub for managing and storing all your images, videos, ad copy, and templates. It allows for easy access and organization of your creative elements, ensuring consistency across campaigns and saving you time in locating and reusing assets.

Location group

Want to target ads based on specific geographic areas or patterns of interest? Location groups allow you to do just that. For instance, we helped winter apparel brand 686 target ads to places in the U.S. with high interest in cold-weather gear. This allowed them to reach a more engaged audience, bringing a significant boost in their earnings from ads compared to the previous year.

Placement exclusions

In the same way that you want to target the right audience, you want to make sure your ads appear in the right places.  Say you’re selling organic, eco-friendly cleaning products—you probably wouldn’t want your ads showing up on sites or pages promoting chemical-heavy cleaning solutions. Placement exclusions let you dictate where you display campaigns, giving you more control over your ad placement. As you can see, both beginners in digital marketing and experienced PPC experts benefit from understanding the Shared Library. It can help you save time and optimize your ad spend on a whole new level. So, how do you actually get to your Shared Library? Let’s break it down in steps.

(Image: Adobe Stock)

How to use the Google Ads shared library

If you’re ready to use the Shared Library, here’s how to find it:

1. Log into your Google Ads account: If you don’t have one, it’s easy to set up.
2. Access the main dashboard: Once logged in, you’ll see your main dashboard. This is where the marketing magic happens!
3. Locate the Tools & Settings: On the top right corner, you’ll find a wrench icon labeled “Tools & Settings.” Click it.
4. Find the Shared Library: Under the “Shared Library” section, you’ll see various options. This is your gateway to all your shared resources.
5. Explore the options: Here, you can access and manage:
   • Shared Sets
   • Audience Manager
   • Negative Keyword Lists
   • Placement Exclusions
   • Asset Library
   • And more
6. Make adjustments: Depending on what you want to do, look for the “plus” button to create new shared sets, add negative keywords, adjust your bid strategies or remarketing lists, and more. The interface is designed to be intuitive, so don’t hesitate to click around and explore.

“It is especially useful if you are collaborating with other team members, as they can leverage prior efforts/assets without having to reinvent the wheel,” says Dang. “Even for the same manager, it helps save time because you can easily recall or reuse previous assets.”

7. Save your changes: This ensures that all your PPC campaigns reflect your updates.
8. Review regularly: We don’t need to remind you how ever-evolving the digital marketing landscape is. Get into the habit of regularly auditing your Google Ads Shared Library to catch any hiccups and keep everything optimized and up-to-date.

The benefits of using Google Ads Shared Library

The Google Ads Shared Library isn’t just another run-of-the-mill tool in your digital marketing arsenal — it’s a powerhouse that, when used correctly, can transform how you manage and optimize your campaigns. Let’s run through some of its standout perks.

Centralized management

No more hopping between campaigns to adjust settings. With Shared Library, you have a centralized hub to universally apply negative keyword lists, bid strategies, and more to multiple campaigns. This saves you time while minimizing your risk of mistakes.

Consistency across campaigns

When it comes to Google, consistency is key. Maintain uniformity in your targeting, bidding, and exclusions across multiple ads. This is especially ideal for brands with many campaigns that need consistent brand messaging and targeting strategies.

Efficient budgeting

By centralizing bid strategies and using the shared budgets, you’ll wisely allocate your ad spend. You know what that means? Better ROI.

Enhanced targeting

With shared sets and audience lists, you can refine your audience targeting strategy and get your ads in front of the most relevant segments.  Say you’re launching a new line of vegan skincare products, for example. You can target an audience segment of ‘Eco-conscious Shoppers’ to help your ads reach people who value cruelty-free and sustainable products.

Optimized ad performance

Excluding certain placements and keywords makes your ads more likely to appear in relevant contexts. The outcome? Fewer wasted impressions and clicks. As for the most important contributors to great results? “Shared negative lists, placement exclusions, and audience managers,” says Dang. It’s not all sunshine and rainbows, though. Like any tool, the Shared Library has a learning curve. That said, the potential benefits far outweigh the initial challenges that come from familiarizing yourself with the tool. And with the insights from this article and HawkSEM’s expertise by your side, you’re already a step ahead. On that note, there are some landmines you’ll want to sidestep.

Mistakes to avoid using Google Ads Shared Library

Google Ads Shared Library is a breeze once you get the hang of it. But even the savviest advertisers trip up from time to time. Here are a few more missteps marketers often make and how to work your way around them:

Not integrating Shared Library with other Google tools

While the Google Ads Shared Library is a powerhouse on its own, it’s not a solo act. One common oversight is not integrating the Shared Library with other Google tools like the Google Ads Editor. This free, downloadable application manages your Google Ads campaigns and makes bulk changes offline — a real boon for those handling large accounts or multiple campaigns. By integrating the two, you can streamline and scale your campaigns even more to increase consistency and make the most of both tools’ features.

Over-relying on shared sets

While shared sets are a win for efficiency, applying them to every campaign can lead to missed opportunities. It’s like sticking to the same coffee order every day and never trying that tempting pumpkin spice syrup. Sometimes, a little dash of customization can make all the difference.

Neglecting negative keyword lists

One of the most common mistakes is not using negative keyword lists effectively. Say a local shoe store doesn’t want its ads to appear for search terms like “shoe repair.” By not setting up a negative keyword list, they could be wasting ad spend on irrelevant clicks.

Not monitoring bidding strategies

It’s tempting to set and forget bid strategies, but this can cost you—literally. As highlighted by Search Engine Journal, the key to top-tier bidding is frequent check-ins, especially during business peaks like product launches. This way, you make sure you’re spending wisely and staying in tune with market trends.

Overlooking placement exclusions

Some brands have encountered public backlash and controversy due to improperly positioned ads. Without proper placement exclusions, your ads might appear in irrelevant or inappropriate places. Additionally, placement exclusions can help you avoid wasted ad spend from placements that just aren’t generating any qualified leads. You don’t want your ecommerce biz to see a dip in sales because your eco-friendly product ads ended up on sites promoting non-sustainable practices.

Relying exclusively on Google’s tools

At HawkSEM, we don’t put all our eggs into Google’s basket. We enhance our campaign strategies with ConversionIQ, our proprietary tech that helps us understand and optimize cross-channel campaigns for conversions.  By combining the power of Google Ads Shared Library with insights from ConversionIQ, we ensure that our clients’ campaigns are streamlined and highly effective in driving meaningful results. By dodging these all-too-common hiccups and tapping into the wealth of expertise at your fingertips, you set your campaigns on a trajectory for success—priming them for a victory lap.

The takeaway

In the fast-paced world of SEM, mastering tools like the Google Ads Shared Library keeps you ahead of the curve. This feature-rich hub is designed to simplify your campaign management, giving you a devoted space to fine-tune targeting, budgeting, and overall ad performance. Even with the right tools, you have to know how to wield them with precision and purpose. That’s where we come in.  With our unique expertise, innovation, and signature HawkSEM grit, we’ll send you on a triumphant voyage through the Google Ads landscape.  The evolution of Google Ads and its Shared Library makes for an exciting journey ahead.  With HawkSEM behind you, you’re more than a spectator — you’re a trailblazer, ready to harness the future and turn it into your competitive edge. It’s your turn to blaze a trail to the top — Partner with HawkSEM today.