From my experience, it’s clear that Google is moving forward by retiring several older ad format policies. This change highlights the transition toward innovative, automated campaign strategies in Google Ads.
What’s happening. On March 17th, Google decided to phase out numerous legacy ad format policies, including those concerning form ads, image quality, and more.
What changed. The rationale behind this is that many of these formats have evolved into modern campaigns, making previous policy frameworks obsolete.
Why we care. For us advertisers, this development streamlines Google Ads’ policy landscape, reducing potential confusion from older requirements.
What advertisers should do. It’s essential for us to focus on current Google Ads policies that regulate newer, automated, and AI-driven ad formats.
The bottom line. By streamlining policies, Google is reinforcing a shift toward fewer, more unified standards for today’s modern ad formats.
I’ve just discovered some groundbreaking updates from Google that could transform how automotive advertisers leverage search campaigns. Google is now empowering us by integrating vehicle feeds directly into Search ads, making our inventory more visible with a vibrant and more engaging format.
So, what’s new? Google Ads now allows for vehicle feed integration on Search ads. We can pull from Google Merchant Center to enrich our ads with specific details like make, model, price, and images, all designed to enhance the standard text ad.
Let me explain how it works. These vehicle listings appear as clickable assets alongside our usual Search ads. They can either show up below or beside the main text, offering users a seamless path to either a detailed vehicle page or a broader landing page based on their interaction.
Why should we care? This update is a game-changer. It allows us to showcase real inventory directly in our Search ads, making them more attractive and informative for high-intent users. We can achieve richer visibility and potentially gain more qualified leads by displaying key details upfront in Google Search, without the hassle of extra campaign setup.
What makes this noteworthy is how it brings Shopping-style visual elements to our Search campaigns. We can now feature real inventory without needing separate campaign types, which is a significant advantage.
As advertisers, the benefits are immense. We get a more engaging ad experience, the opportunity for higher-intent leads, and we can use our existing Merchant Center feeds effectively, eliminating the need for duplicate setups.
When it comes to measuring success, we can track performance through the “Click type” segment. This helps us understand user interactions with vehicle listings compared to standard ads, offering insights into what works best.
Matching is another area where Google shines. Their automation decides which vehicles appear based on user intent and query context, marking a shift towards less manual control and more AI-driven ad assembly.
Here’s the takeaway. Vehicle feeds in Search campaigns offer us a powerful way to integrate inventory with intent-driven queries. We can turn standard text ads into dynamic, product-led experiences, significantly enhancing user engagement within Google Search.
Have you ever wondered if your Google Ads attribution window is truly representing how your customers purchase? That’s a question I faced when working with one of my clients, a direct-to-consumer (DTC) retailer in a fiercely competitive industry.
At first, we used the default 30-day click attribution window in Google Ads. But as I discovered, my client’s customers typically converted within 2.2 days. This discrepancy meant that many conversions were mistakenly credited long after the initial interaction.
I realized that to capture the genuine impact of our advertising efforts, particularly the impulse-buying behavior, we needed a shorter attribution window. So, in January, we transitioned the account from a 30-day to a 7-day click window. Here’s what we found.
Our main focus was on Meta Ads, the primary recipient of the marketing budget. With both Meta and Google Ads reporting high sales due to the initial 30-day window, it was challenging to assess where advertising dollars were best spent.
Before making any changes, I delved into the conversion path data, which revealed that customers converted on average in just 2.2 days. A sizable portion of these conversions occurred within a single day.
Rather than abruptly altering our primary conversion action, we decided to carefully test by setting up a new 7-day conversion as a secondary action. This cautious approach helped us monitor any disruptions.
The process went as follows:
Step 1: We duplicated the primary purchase conversion, setting a 7-day click window as a secondary conversion action.
Step 2: We monitored performance over two weeks.
Step 3: We transitioned to primary optimization on January 12, 2026.
Let’s see what happened after we made this change. By comparing data 30 days post-switch to a previous period, we observed changes and improvements.
Results:
Spend decreased by 6.3%.
Conversions rose by 42.9%.
Conversion value increased by 52.1%.
ROAS jumped by 62.3%.
The signs were promising, but I still wanted to check the actual business impact. Examining Shopify sales data, I found a 20% increase in total sales and a 30% increase in net profit.
Our Marketing Mix Modeling (MMM) data revealed:
Google’s incremental ROAS improved by 10% to 1.82.
Meta’s incremental ROAS fell by 25% to 0.59.
Clearly, the 7-day window gave us better clarity on channel contribution. But I must admit, we were also refining campaigns, which contributed to these outcomes. Still, performance remained stable, and transparency increased.
With Google’s window shortened, we successfully limited overlap with Meta, which had previously been capturing credits for conversions likely influenced by other channels. It’s now easier to gauge the incremental impact of our efforts.
The quicker attribution provided faster insights into campaign performance, tightening feedback loops for optimization. Here’s how we benefited:
Reduced delayed attribution.
Enhanced feedback loops for optimization.
Improved performance diagnostics.
This shift also affected Smart Bidding by providing fresher signals for bid strategies, enabling the system to respond quicker to changes like bid adjustments and budget shifts.
I found that a cleaner attribution structure built stronger confidence for campaign optimizations, helping my client make smarter investments.
Ultimately, while not a miracle solution, this adjusted approach significantly complemented other campaign enhancements, improving overall strategy.
Do consider potential trade-offs if you plan to shorten your attribution window like this. Be prepared for an initial dip in reported conversions and a recalibrating phase for smart bidding. Most importantly, ensure this approach aligns with your sales cycle.
In summary, the core objective wasn’t merely updating platform metrics. It was about improving insights and facilitating well-informed decisions. The right solution depends on the congruence between your attribution settings and actual buying behaviors.
I’ve noticed that Google is making strides in enhancing metric visibility within Performance Max, which is a fantastic development for those of us managing campaigns. Now, advertisers like me can gain deeper insights into how our creative decisions, especially regarding video, are influencing ad performance.
What’s changing? Google Ads has rolled out a new segment in their Performance Max reporting called “Ads using video.” This update allows us to dissect our campaign results, focusing on whether or not video assets were part of the mix. It’s a game-changer for those of us using videos in our ads.
Why is this important? As a marketer, being able to compare how campaigns with and without video perform is invaluable. This clear distinction helps me understand the role video plays in our automated strategies, allowing for more data-driven decisions.
The insight into whether investing in video assets is paying off answers a pivotal question in the automated marketing arena. Now, I can make informed choices about creativity and budget allocation within Google Ads.
Looking deeper. As video content continues to grow in importance across platforms like YouTube and beyond, this new feature lets me confirm the effectiveness of our video-based investments in automated campaigns.
The takeaway. This added segment provides clarity to the Performance Max reports, helping us as advertisers to assess the value of video without altering how campaigns are currently managed in Google Ads.
First observed. This update was first noticed by Hana Kobzova, founder of PPC News Feed.
Recently, I’ve noticed that YouTube is testing a pretty intriguing feature—a sticky banner that keeps ads visible even after I’ve hit the ‘skip’ button. This seems to offer advertisers a chance for extended exposure, way beyond the initial view.
What’s Happening? Picture this: I skip an ad, expecting it to vanish forever, but instead, a branded card remains on my screen until I decide to dismiss it. YouTube is experimenting with this sticky banner overlay, altering how I perceive skippable ads.
How It Works Usually, when I skip an ad, I return to my video uninterrupted. But with this test, a persistent banner tied to the skipped ad stays visible in the player, keeping the advertiser in my line of sight longer than expected.
Why This Matters to Us For me, as a viewer, this new feature could mean that even my quick skips won’t completely erase the advertiser’s presence. It’s interesting to see how this could increase brand recall without me watching the full ads.
What’s curious is how this affects ad performance metrics, as impressions and engagements could extend beyond that initial skip, giving brands more value from the same ad space in Google’s ecosystem.
Why It’s Notable Traditionally, skipping an ad has meant saying goodbye to it as soon as I hit that button. However, this format shifts the dynamic by offering a second chance for exposure, even when I opt out of watching the full ad experience.
Impact for Advertisers This update means advertisers might enjoy extended brand visibility and recall. However, it could also change how I and other users perceive these ad interruptions, potentially affecting engagement metrics.
The Bottom Line If this sticky banner test becomes widely used, it could redefine what a ‘skipped’ ad means for me—transforming a skip into a more continued, low-friction exposure rather than a complete exit for advertisers on YouTube.
First Seen This update was first brought to my attention by Adsquire’s Founder & CEO, Anthony Higman, who shared his insights on LinkedIn.
The latest update of Google Ads Editor has really opened up a world of possibilities for me as an advertiser. Now, I’m enjoying enhanced creative flexibility and budget control, which are crucial in today’s fast-paced AI-driven advertising landscape.
Google has significantly expanded its capabilities in the Ads Editor, providing us with better tools to manage creativity, automation, and budget precision. This is particularly handy as AI-driven campaign types continuously evolve.
What’s new. With the 2.12 release, I’m excited to explore the updates across Performance Max, Demand Gen, and video campaigns. The focus here is on scaling creative assets and enhancing workflow efficiency.
Creative expansion. I’m now able to include up to 15 videos per asset group in Performance Max campaigns. This is a game-changer, allowing me to offer more variations for Google’s AI to test. Additionally, the introduction of 9:16 vertical images caters to the growing demand for mobile-first formats.
Campaign upgrades. Demand Gen campaigns have seen several exciting enhancements. New customer acquisition goals, brand guideline controls, and hotel feed integrations are just a few updates. The new minimum daily budget and streamlined campaign build flow are set to improve campaign stability and setup.
Video & AI control. I’m appreciating the updates to non-skippable video formats and real-time bid guidance. They offer greater control over performance, and with new text and brand guidelines, I can ensure my AI-generated assets stay true to my brand.
Budgeting shift. The new total campaign budget feature is ideal for setting fixed spends over defined periods, like promotions or seasonal bursts. It’s great to see Google automatically pacing the delivery, ensuring every dollar counts.
Workflow improvements. With improvements like account-level tracking templates, better visibility into Final URL expansion performance, and clearer campaign status filters, my campaign management has become much more efficient.
Why I care. These updates provide me with enhanced creative flexibility and control over AI-driven campaigns, particularly in Performance Max and Demand Gen. Features like increased video limits and total campaign budgets empower me to test more, scale faster, and manage spend efficiently.
Moreover, the improvements in workflows and brand safeguards make it easier for me to guide automation while ensuring consistency and performance across Google Ads.
Between the lines. This update is part of a broader trend where, as automation rises, Google provides more ways to guide AI instead of manually controlling every aspect.
The bottom line. Google Ads Editor 2.12 isn’t about one standout feature. It’s about incremental improvements across creative assets, automation, and control, helping me refine my approach to increasingly AI-driven campaigns.
I find it fascinating how AI is transforming the world of Google campaigns, particularly through tools like Performance Max (PMax) and AI Max. The reliance is shifting from long keyword lists to automation, audience insights, and machine learning, presenting new opportunities with a speed and scale beyond human capabilities.
At a recent SMX Next event, PPC experts Nikki Kuhlman from Jumpfly, Brad Geddes of Adalysis, and Christine Zirnheld from Cypress North shared insights on integrating PMax and AI Max within our broader campaign strategies. They explored how to balance automation with human input, showing where personal strategy still trumps AI.
AI Max for Search is an opt-in setting that extends keywords without needing a broad match, utilizing site resources to craft personalized ad content. This approach ensures more relevant ads and landing pages that meet user expectations.
I’ve noticed remarkable results with AI Max when used in blog content, a departure from traditional Digital Search Ads (DSA) approaches. These campaigns now guide users toward specific products, not just general reading, resulting in higher conversions.
When testing AI Max for Search, experts recommend using it on established campaigns with data, starting with A/B tests rather than full-scale changes. It’s essential to monitor landing page quality and search queries, incorporating negative terms where necessary.
Initial experiments in match type performance suggest exact match tends to deliver the best conversion rates, especially in campaigns with robust data volumes. However, broad match can be surprisingly effective when data is scarce, thanks to its ability to leverage previous user search history.
For those working within ecommerce, broad match might yield higher average order values from shoppers still exploring their options, even if conversion rates dip.
PMax has shown its potential in lead generation, contrary to common belief that it suits only ecommerce. The key is aligning campaign goals with true bottom-of-funnel conversions rather than mere form submissions.
With increased control options, PMax is now viable even in regulated industries. Device control features, for instance, are a strategic advantage for B2B campaigns, allowing targeted CPA adjustments across different platforms.
AI Max for Search is showing early promise in financial services, where it outperforms standard search despite being in a highly competitive keyword environment. This showcases AI Max’s potential to deliver better quality leads throughout the conversion funnel.
Ultimately, the future of PPC lies in a strategic blend of AI-driven tools and human oversight, ensuring campaigns are optimized not just for immediate conversions but long-term success. By correctly applying automation, we can achieve unprecedented results in search campaigns.
I just discovered that Google Ads has given the Asset Optimization layout for Demand Gen a sleek makeover. The updated panel enables advertisers like me to easily streamline creative formatting and placement through a few toggles.
Why we care. If you’re managing a large volume of creative, this central panel makes life much easier. It reduces manual labor by allowing us to enable or disable automation features quickly.
What’s new. This layout refresh organizes three main automation features into a more user-friendly interface:
Auto-generated shorter videos let AI trim existing videos for broader placements.
Automatic video resizing ensures our videos fit multiple aspect ratios, optimizing for wider coverage.
How it works. The new panel displays simple toggles like Resized videos and Image assets, making it straightforward for us to activate or deactivate each feature without sifting through several submenus.
Bottom line. If you’re running Demand Gen campaigns like me, it’s time to dive into the Asset Optimization panel and review which automations are turned on. Don’t miss out on features like video resizing and landing page image pulls as they can expand your reach effortlessly.
And, ensure your landing pages are visually appealing; Google will draw directly from them. As more AI tools roll out, I’m shifting my workflow to focus on high-quality source assets and letting Google handle the optimization of formats and placements.
Over the past nine months, I’ve put Google AI Max to the test, conducting 23 in-depth analyses with 16 well-established advertisers across diverse sectors. My goal? To truly harness the capabilities of this campaign for optimal outcomes.
Of course, your own tests and insights might differ, and that’s where the real conversation begins. I’m eager to engage in a dialogue about AI Max, encourage replication of my analyses in your accounts, and explore outcomes unique to your data.
Before you dive into your AI Max tests, consider some critical elements. Two stand out:
Your campaigns must bid on crucial conversion actions relevant to your business. Utilize tools like Enhanced Conversions to polish your conversion strategy. Aim for value-based bidding when possible. Additionally, ensure your campaigns are not restricted by budget limitations. This is particularly important with AI Max as it opens up new targeting opportunities.
Let’s delve into some key insights I’ve gathered from testing AI Max.
AI Max can reach its full potential when you activate all three core features:
Search term matching.
Text customization.
URL optimization.
Campaigns that leveraged all three features saw a 40% higher success rate compared to those that only used search term matching.
Text customization can significantly enhance performance, increasing return on ad spend and extracting more value per impression. While it’s more frequently applied to headlines than descriptions, the benefits are clear.
One exciting outcome of text customization is the observable boost in Quality Score. Our analysis showed that enabling this feature improved Quality Score from 6.8 to 7.3, with ad relevance seeing the most significant rise.
Given these findings, I encourage testing all three features if possible, especially since our tests showed that only half of the campaigns utilized text customization and even fewer activated URL optimization.
If you’re testing AI Max, consider implementing it across your entire account rather than selectively. This approach facilitates a more comprehensive assessment of its impact.
Not all new AI Max traffic will be completely new to your account, with 54% of queries having been previously captured by other campaigns. Despite this, AI Max still provides an additional uplift in conversion value.
Ensure you evaluate AI Max by looking at overall account performance rather than isolated campaign tactics. Additionally, monitor how AI Max interacts with other campaigns, notably Dynamic Search Ads (DSA), since overlapping capabilities can sometimes hinder performance.
Once you’re comfortable with AI Max, explore additional testing opportunities such as partnering it with Search Bidding Exploration (SBE) for achieving even greater customer reach.
Finally, it’s crucial to experiment beyond AI Max’s current scope. Consider alternative strategies and the evolving balance between segmentation and consolidation within your account structure.
Have you heard the news? Google Ads is taking the advertising world by storm with its latest feature: AI voice-over for Performance Max video ads! They’re rolling out this innovative enhancement, automatically narrating video ads with realistic voice-overs, unless, of course, we choose to opt out by March 20.
Google is enhancing viewer engagement and ad performance by utilizing advanced AI voice models. This update will make ads more appealing without any additional creative output on our part. Exciting, isn’t it?
Why this matters to us. If we don’t actively opt out by March 20, our video ads will automatically benefit from Google’s AI voice models. This could transform how our ads sound to viewers, all without any creative effort on our part.
How does it work?
This feature kicks in only when videos lack a voice track.
Google’s AI chooses text from the headlines and descriptions we’ve provided and crafts a realistic voice-over from it.
The voice-over is seamlessly layered onto the original video, transforming it into a new asset.
The catch. This process is set to default, meaning our ads will be automatically eligible for voice enhancements unless we opt out proactively.
Key dates. We have until March 20 to decide if we want to exclude our ads from this feature. To step back from this feature, we need to adjust the video enhancement control settings. After the deadline, any ad with video enhancement control will be open to voice-enhanced updates automatically.
Action steps for us as advertisers. Configuring our video settings is simple. Just visit your Google Ads portal to make any necessary adjustments.
First seen. This update was brought to light by Paid Search specialist Arpan Banerjee in a LinkedIn post. Take a look at his insights here.
