> Quick answer: Google Ads uses "ad groups," not "ad sets." To compare them, open a campaign, click Ad Groups, enable date range comparison, and use segments to drill into device, network, or time data.
Google Ads doesn't use the term "ad set." That's Meta terminology. The equivalent structure here is an ad group. This guide shows you exactly how to compare them and what to look for.
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What Are Ad Sets in Google Ads?
Google Ads has no "ad sets." The comparable structure is the ad group.
Ad groups as the comparable structure
An ad group sits inside a campaign. It groups ads that share the same keywords and bid settings. Every campaign can hold multiple ad groups. Each ad group targets a different theme or audience intent.
How ad groups organize ads and keywords
Each ad group contains one or more ads and a set of keywords. The keywords control when your ads are eligible to show. The bid settings control how much you pay per click. Keeping themes tight within each ad group improves relevance scores.
Why comparing ad group performance matters
Not all ad groups pull their weight. Some drive cheap conversions. Others burn budget with nothing to show. Comparing them tells you where to cut spend, where to push harder, and which creative angles are working.
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How to Compare Ad Groups in Google Ads
Per Google's Ads Help Center, ad group performance is accessible directly from the campaign view.
Navigate to the Ad Groups view
- Sign in to Google Ads.
- Click Campaigns in the left navigation menu.
- Select the campaign you want to analyze.
- Click Ad groups in the page menu.
All ad groups in that campaign now appear with their performance data.
Select and view key performance metrics
Click the Columns button to customize the table. Add CTR, CPC, conversions, CPA, and conversion rate. Save the column set so you don't have to rebuild it every time.
Use date range comparison (previous period, year, custom)
Click the date range selector in the top right corner. Toggle Compare on. Choose a second date range: previous period, previous year, or custom dates. Google Ads shows percent change in column headers. Click the double-arrow icons in any column header to see full comparison metrics side by side.
Sort and filter ad groups by performance
Click any column header to sort by that metric. Use the Filter button to narrow results by CTR, CPA, status, or any other available dimension. Sorting by CPA descending immediately surfaces your most expensive ad groups.
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Segment Your Data for Deeper Comparison
Per Google Ads documentation on segments, you can split any table into subsets without changing your campaign structure.
Segment by device type
Click Segment, then choose Device. Each ad group row expands to show performance separately for desktop, mobile, and tablet. Mobile CPA often differs significantly from desktop. Act on that gap.
Segment by network (Search, Search Partners, Display)
Choose Network from the Segment menu. This splits results by Google Search, Search Partners, and the Display Network. One ad group can perform well on Search and poorly on Display. Knowing that changes where you bid.
Segment by time period
Choose Day, Week, or Month under Segment. This surfaces trends over time within your selected date range. Useful for catching performance drops and spotting seasonal patterns.
Export custom reports for offline analysis
Go to Reports, then Report Editor. Drag Campaign and Ad Group into the row section. Add your preferred metrics. Per Google's Ads Help Center, you can download reports as a flat or hierarchical table, and you can schedule them to run automatically on any cadence.
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Key Metrics to Compare
Focus on the numbers that connect directly to business outcomes.
Impressions and click-through rate (CTR)
High impressions with low CTR signal a relevance problem. The ad copy isn't matching what searchers expect. That's a creative issue, not a bid problem.
Cost per click (CPC) and conversion cost (CPA)
High CPC can be fine if CPA stays acceptable. High CPA is the real problem. Compare CPA across all ad groups to find where budget is leaking most.
Conversion rate and return on ad spend (ROAS)
Two ad groups can share the same CPC and show wildly different ROAS. Conversion rate usually explains the gap. If rates diverge, check the landing page experience tied to each group.
Quality Score by ad group
Note. Quality Score is assigned at the keyword level in Google Ads, not the ad group level. You can view keyword-level Quality Scores inside each ad group to spot patterns. Low scores mean your ads and landing pages don't match the keyword intent well enough.
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Why Creative Matters in Ad Group Performance
The data tells you what's broken. Creative is how you fix it.
How ad variations affect comparison results
Each ad group can hold multiple ad variations. Drill into the Ads tab inside an ad group and segment by variation to see which copy drives the most clicks and conversions. One strong variation can lift an entire ad group's performance.
Using performance data to inform creative refresh
If CTR drops two months in a row, creative fatigue is likely the cause. Use your comparison data to set a refresh schedule. Replace the weakest variation first. Then test new headlines against your current control.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Does Google Ads have ad sets?
No. Google Ads uses 'ad groups' instead of 'ad sets.' An ad group is the same structural layer — it sits inside a campaign and groups ads with shared keywords and bid settings. The term 'ad set' belongs to Meta (Facebook and Instagram).
How do I compare two ad groups side by side in Google Ads?
Open your campaign in Google Ads, click Ad Groups in the page menu, then use the date range comparison toggle to set two date ranges. Enable percent-change columns by clicking the double-arrow icons in column headers. Sort or filter by CPA, CTR, or conversion rate to compare ad groups directly.
What is the best metric to compare Google Ads ad groups?
CPA (cost per conversion) is usually the most actionable metric. It directly reflects how efficiently each ad group converts spend into results. Pair it with conversion rate and Quality Score to understand whether a high CPA is a bid problem, a creative problem, or a landing page problem.
Can I compare ad groups across different campaigns in Google Ads?
Not directly in the Ad Groups view, which is scoped to one campaign at a time. Use Report Editor under the Reports menu to build a custom report that pulls ad group data across multiple campaigns into a single table for comparison.