Instant match rates are now available for Customer Match lists in Google Ads

When advertisers upload a customer list, Google will now show them the estimated match rate (the percentage of the list that is usable with Customer Match) the company announced Thursday. Match rate data is also be available for previously uploaded customer lists as well.

Improving your match rate. To get the most out of your customer lists and increase your match rate, Google recommends adding as much customer information as you can: “Advertisers who uploaded two types of customer information saw an average list size increase of 28%, and with three types they saw an increase of 35%.”

Keeping your customer lists up-to-date can also provide Google with more information to reach your audience. Traffic and conversions for Customer Match lists increased by an average of 17% after they’ve been updated, according to Google’s internal data.

Google will also automatically show a suggestion on the Recommendations page to remind you to update your lists.

Additionally, fixing any formatting issues can also help to increase your match rates.

Why we care. Prior to this update, advertisers had to wait to see what their match rate was. Having it available instantaneously can help to contextualize performance expectations and enable them to troubleshoot their lists much earlier if the match rate seems inaccurate.

With the deprecation of third-party cookies, advertisers may turn to first-party data to help them reach customers. Customer Match is one way for advertisers to take advantage of the data their customers have given them, and having an instant match rate makes it a bit more transparent and easier to use.