Google Search Partners in 2025: Still a Goldmine, or Just Garbage in a Fancy Hat?

Demand Mojo
May 1
3 min read

A surreal, cartoon-style carnival scene featuring a raccoon in a Google shirt and top hat eagerly grabbing stacks of cash from a customer. The booth is labeled “Google Mystery Clicks” with flashing signs for CTR, ROI, and “Invalid Lead.” Fictional search engine names like “Zoogle,” “ClickNGo,” and “BlipFinder” appear on signs and balloons in the background, evoking a chaotic, satirical take on Google Search Partners. — Step right up and waste your budget! Google Search Partners: where mystery clicks, raccoon middlemen, and ‘BlipFinder’ impressions await. Guaranteed confusion, questionable ROI, and neon regret sold separately.

If You're Still Using Google Search Partners in 2025, Blink Twice If You Need Help

Look, we’ve all been there. You launched a Google Ads campaign. You checked the little box that says “Include Search Partners” because Google suggested it—and who’s going to argue with the $1.9 trillion algorithm overlord?

But let’s be honest: it’s now 2025, and Search Partners still feel like a Vegas slot machine rigged by raccoons.

So what gives? Is this mysterious network of off-brand search engines and sketchy toolbar apps finally worth your ad dollars? Or is it just another way to burn through your budget faster than a crypto bro at an NFT convention?

Let’s get into it.

Wait, What Are Google Search Partners (Again)?

For the blissfully uninitiated, Google Search Partners are third-party websites and search engines (like AOL... yes, that still exists) that can show your search ads. This includes:

Other search engines (that nobody uses on purpose)
Old forums still running on phpBB
Websites your dad might click thinking it’s Google
And possibly an Ouija board that serves ads in Latin

The kicker? You don’t get to see exactly where your ads appear. It’s like bidding on mystery meat at an auction and hoping it’s filet mignon, not squirrel jerky.

The “Goldmine” Theory

Some marketers claim Search Partners work great… in very specific cases:

Hyper-local campaigns with minimal competition
B2B niches with ultra-cheap CPCs
Brands testing top-of-funnel reach (and willing to eat weird traffic for data)

If you monitor performance by network, exclude the under performers, and build negative placement lists like a caffeinated raccoon in a Red Bull factory… it might pan out.

But let’s be real: 95% of advertisers don’t do that.

Why It’s Still Mostly a Garbage Fire

Here’s what you're really getting with Search Partners in 2025:

🚫 No transparency: You can’t see where your ads showed. Still.
📉 Lower conversion rates: Surprise! People who click on your ad from “weirdsearchplus.biz” aren’t high-intent leads.
💸 Inflated CTR metrics: Some clicks look cheap—but they don’t convert.
🎩 Limited controls: You still can’t make bid adjustments by partner. Just “on” or “off.” Because nuance is overrated, apparently.

It’s 2025 and Google’s Search Partner network still operates like a shadowy carnival ride: flashy, unpredictable, and probably violating several FTC regulations.