Ever felt like the ads you see online are following you a little too closely? Or maybe you’re tired of seeing ads that are totally irrelevant (or worse — annoying)? The good news is: you actually have more control than you think.
Google’s My Ad Center lets you take the driver’s seat when it comes to the types of ads you see across Google services like Search, YouTube, and Discover.
What You Can Customize
Once you’re in My Ad Center, you’ll find a simple dashboard where you can adjust your ad experience in a few powerful ways:
1. Topics and Brands
Want to see more ads about pets and fewer about jewelry? Prefer car ads over home furniture? You can fine-tune your ad preferences by choosing from categories like:
- Pets & Animals
- Social Networks & Online Communities
- Jewelry
- Women’s Clothing
- Building Construction & Maintenance
- TV Broadcasting
- Music & Audio
- Vehicle Dealers
- Online Grocery Shopping & Grocery Delivery
- Hotels, Motels & Resorts
- Games
- Real Estate
- Food
- Health Care Services
- Internet Service Plans
- Movies & Films
- Restaurants
- Clothing
2. Sensitive Topics
Don’t want to see ads related to more personal or triggering subjects? Google allows you to limit ads from showing on certain sensitive topics:
- Alcohol
- Dating
- Gambling
- Pregnancy & Parenting
- Weight Loss
You can’t block them completely, but this setting significantly reduces their frequency.
3. Privacy and Data Controls
You can also manage what data Google uses to personalize ads:
- Review what account info is being used
- Control what types of activity Google tracks
- See and adjust the demographic categories (like age and gender) associated with your account
Think of it like a dimmer switch for ad personalization — you’re not just on or off, you get to adjust.
Why It Matters
Whether you’re a digital marketer like me, or just a curious internet user, understanding how Google serves you ads gives you better awareness — and more control. It’s also a useful tool to teach clients or audiences who may not know they have these options.
At the end of the day, ads aren’t going away. But with My Ad Center, they don’t have to be intrusive or irrelevant.