Hey there! I’ve got exciting news for advertisers like me who are constantly looking for better ways to fine-tune our Google Ads campaigns. Google has just introduced new Performance Max asset testing tools that make it easier to analyze creative performance and make data-driven decisions.
Google’s latest update is all about expanding our ability to experiment with Performance Max. Now, I can test creative assets and measure campaign performance more effectively before committing to large-scale changes.
What’s new? Google is enhancing how I run asset experiments in Performance Max campaigns. This update lets me test different creative assets to see which ones drive the best results.
The new feature allows me to compare entirely new asset groups, assess the impact of adding individual assets, or even measure how seasonal content stacks up against evergreen creatives.
I can also test assets generated through Google’s Asset Studio, opening up even more possibilities for creative experiments.
The bigger picture. While Performance Max has automated many aspects of campaign optimization across Google’s inventory, the real challenge has been understanding how creative changes impact results.
The new experiments provide a more controlled environment for evaluating creative decisions before rolling them out across all my campaigns.
Cutting through the noise. With an additional success metric, I can balance multiple objectives—like maximizing conversions and maintaining efficiency targets—by evaluating broader campaign performance rather than relying on a single KPI.
What to look out for:
All experiments, including conversion lift studies, are centralized under one Experiments page.
More experiment and measurement capabilities are on the way.
Support for manager accounts (MCCs) and the Google Ads API will start rolling out soon.
Why it matters. Creative assets are crucial in Performance Max campaigns, but testing new assets always carries some risk. With these new tools, I can validate my creative decisions using data before fully committing any budget.
Stay ahead of the curve. As Google continues to invest in automation and AI-generated creative, asset testing becomes even more vital. Being able to compare human-crafted, seasonal, and AI-generated assets provides deeper insights into what excels in Performance Max campaigns.
The takeaway. Google is empowering Performance Max advertisers like myself with sophisticated testing capabilities. I find it easier than ever to evaluate creative changes, measure results across multiple KPIs, and manage experiments from one place.
First sighted by. This update was first spotted by PPC News Feed.
When I heard that Google had added a new help document to its search developer documentation, I knew I needed to dive in. This new document, “Google Search’s guidance on using third-party SEO tools, services, and advice,” provides updated insights into the world of SEO, especially revolving around the hot topic of generative AI optimization.
Google also revamped its “Do you need an SEO?” guide, adding fresh content around generative AI topics. The intent behind these updates, as stated by Google, is to highlight what to consider when evaluating third-party tools and to simplify existing documentation. They want us to be cautious about trusting these tools and advice without proper verification.
Reading through Google’s new guidance, I found some valuable advice on thoughtfully evaluating third-party SEO services. Here’s how they suggest approaching it:
Evaluate external SEO advice against Google’s official guidelines, think critically about third-party tools, and always verify the claims made by these services.
Evaluate and verify external SEO advice against official Google guidelines
Think critically about using third-party SEO tools and services
Assisting in sitemap generation
Establishing indexing directives
Offering to generate “SEO-optimized” content for you
Providing advice to improve the ranking of existing content
Promising improvements for AI experiences and search formats (“AEO” or “GEO” tools)
While Google doesn’t endorse any third-party tools, they emphasized using Google Search Console for credible data directly from Google Search. We need to be wary of tools claiming to guarantee success since they lack access to Google’s internal ranking data.
With the updated “Do you need an SEO?” document, Google has also covered topics like Optimizing for generative AI. It includes essential reminders that if an SEO uses a third-party tool, one should not assume it’s approved by Google, and during audits, access to Search Console should be limited initially.
In essence, before making any site changes based on third-party audits, it’s crucial to cross-reference their advice with Google’s official resources, especially when it comes to AI optimization strategies.
If your SEO offers an audit, scrutinize what’s involved and avoid granting write access to Search Console at first.
Understanding these updates helps us not only in improving our own SEO strategies but also in promoting ethical and effective use of tools.
The document updates come as a reminder for us to regularly check Google’s official documentation. Staying informed about new guidelines ensures that we’re always on the right path in our SEO journey.
For the first time ever, I discovered that bots are now responsible for the majority of webpage requests worldwide, as shared by Cloudflare’s CEO, Matthew Prince. It’s fascinating to see how the digital landscape is evolving.
In a recent post on X by Prince, I learned that automated traffic currently represents 57.3% of global HTTP requests to HTML content, leaving just 42.7% to us humans, according to Cloudflare’s analytics.
Prince’s Prediction Hits Early. Interestingly, Prince had forecasted in March during SXSW that AI bots would outnumber humans online by early 2027. He anticipated this shift due to the increasing prevalence of agent-driven browsing. Yet, it seems that the future arrived ahead of his expected timeline.
Why this Matters to Me. We are now stepping into an ‘agentic’ era of search, where bots might soon dominate webpage requests. This change underscores the need for us to make content that is not only machine-readable but also authoritative and easily interpretable by AI systems.
Changing Browsing Patterns. Prince has pointed out that AI agents generate significantly more web activity compared to us. While I might browse a few sites when shopping, an AI agent could hit thousands, resulting in genuine traffic without the usual clicks or ad views.
The Measurement Dilemma. This shift presents a fresh challenge for publishers, retailers, and brands like mine: while traffic numbers may rise, human engagement and revenue may not follow suit.
The Big Question. Prince earlier raised a thought-provoking question: with bots now forming the majority, what funds the web? This transition from human to bot dominance makes this question critical to ponder.
I’ve been following Microsoft’s latest moves in the advertising world closely, and there’s some exciting news for those in the crypto space. Microsoft is now offering more premium ad inventory to cryptocurrency advertisers, all while ensuring compliance with existing requirements.
Now, if you’re in the crypto exchange business, this move could open up new doors for you. Essentially, Microsoft has decided to expand the reach of Audience Ads for cryptocurrency exchanges in markets where crypto advertising is already allowed, which could mean greater visibility and reach.
The big picture: This update is about more than just new ad spots. It’s about giving eligible exchanges a shot at being seen across a wider network via Microsoft’s Audience Ads inventory, moving beyond the confines of traditional search placements.
You might be wondering what exactly is changing. Well, Microsoft’s ad policies have been updated, and now cryptocurrency exchanges that meet the necessary compliance checks can use Audience Ads across all approved crypto advertising markets.
The catch? This expansion is strictly for those advertisers who adhere to Microsoft’s Cryptocurrency and Related Products policies, along with any local laws and regulations that might apply.
Why we care. In the world of advertising, Audience Ads provide a valuable opportunity. They let me, as an advertiser, reach users effectively across Microsoft’s native advertising network. This includes placements on various content, news, and partner sites, providing a broader canvas to engage with potential customers.
For those of us in the cryptocurrency exchange field, this means a chance to boost awareness and connect with potential users beyond the intentions guided by search. It’s an opportunity to deeply engage and build relationships.
The fine print. Though this sounds promising, Microsoft hasn’t relaxed its stringent requirements for cryptocurrency advertising. Advertisers still need to meet all eligibility criteria, sticking to Microsoft’s policies for Cryptocurrency and Related Products, which vary depending on the market and regulatory landscape.
What to watch. I’ll be keeping a close eye on how this expanded inventory is adopted by cryptocurrency exchanges. Will this lead to more widespread use of Audience Ads? Also, I’ll be curious to see if Microsoft will eventually broaden its crypto advertising reach into additional markets. Stay tuned!
Recently, I discovered that Google has updated its personalized advertising policy documents. This change clarifies how restrictions on sensitive audience targeting are applied to Demand Gen and Discovery campaigns, especially when promoting sensitive products or services.
The big picture. The update is part of Google’s “Restricted targeting in Personalized Advertising” policy documentation. It focuses on providing a clearer understanding of potential ad serving limitations rather than implementing new policy restrictions.
What’s changing. In June, Google updated its help documents to offer more insights on how Demand Gen and Discovery campaigns intersect with personalized advertising restrictions.
These changes particularly address campaigns targeting products and services associated with sensitive interest categories.
The fine print. It’s important to note that this update serves as a clarification of existing policy guidance and is not a new policy announcement.
Google states that the revised documentation now includes more information regarding the serving implications when advertisers use audience targeting for products or services falling into restricted categories.
Sensitive interest categories can include areas such as:
Health conditions
Financial hardship
Personal difficulties
Other topics that Google considers sensitive under its personalized advertising policies
Between the lines. In using Demand Gen campaigns, I heavily rely on audience signals and personalized targeting to reach users on platforms like YouTube, Discover, and Gmail.
As the usage of Demand Gen grows, the need for clarity on how Google’s sensitive interest policies affect audience eligibility, reach, and campaign delivery has become more critical.
Google’s documentation update indicates a response to these inquiries by providing us with clearer guidance on when targeting restrictions might limit campaign performance.
Why we care. For those of us running campaigns in regulated or sensitive industries, understanding these restrictions has become pivotal in our campaign planning and audience strategies.
What to watch. If you’re handling Demand Gen campaigns in sectors like healthcare or financial services, it’s vital to review the updated guidance to see if targeting choices might affect your reach or ad delivery.
Hey there, have you heard about Google’s latest feature within Google Discover? They’ve just launched Search profiles in the U.S., and it’s a game-changer for publishers like me. These profiles act as enhanced landing pages where my audience can not only follow me but also see a collection of my latest articles, videos, and social media posts all in one convenient spot.
Google has been working on this for quite some time, refining and testing it over several months. They’ve even made some tweaks, such as adding shortnames, which make it even easier to share these profiles.
“Search profiles give publishers and creators a central place to showcase their latest articles, videos, and social posts. People can easily follow sources from their profile, so they’re more likely to see that content on Discover, found on the home screen of the Google app.”
It’s described as a “new way for publishers and creators to shape their presence on Search. Search profiles are a dedicated, shareable space to highlight content across platforms and help audiences find accurate, up-to-date information about sources on Search.”
What it looks like: Curious to see it in action? Here’s a video demonstration:
Managing Your Search Profile: If you’re a publisher or creator with a significant following on a major social or video platform, you’re in luck! You’ll be able to claim your Search profile, personalize it with an avatar, bio, and links to your website and social media platforms.
Once you claim your profile, it might even create a Knowledge Panel for you, or enhance your existing one with updated details and a direct link to your profile.
If you’re interested in setting up your own Search profile, check out this guide for creating a profile, claiming an existing one, and managing it.
Availability: Currently, this feature is available in the U.S. for users and publishers who meet a certain follower threshold. Here’s what you need:
TikTok: 300,000 followers
YouTube: 100,000 subscribers
Instagram: 100,000 followers
X: 100,000 followers
Why This Matters: As a publisher, I’m always looking for ways to get more visibility. Google’s new feature allows us to increase our reach not just on Google platforms but across our entire digital presence. It’s an exciting time, though one has to ponder whether this will be enough in the fast-paced world where AI continues to evolve.
Every time I run Google Ads campaigns, one thing I never skip is conversion tracking. It’s essential for measuring success. But here’s a question: why would I ever run ads without uploading my customer list? That’s a key part of gaining an edge in today’s digital landscape.
With third-party cookies fading away and privacy regulations tightening, I’ve noticed how much of the traditional tracking capabilities we relied on are becoming less effective. That’s where my own first-party data comes in, standing strong as the best tool I have to guide Google’s automation processes.
Think about it with me: if everybody has the same access to Google’s Smart Bidding and AI algorithms, relying on the same shared data won’t set me apart. The real advantage is in offering unique data that I alone hold—my customer list.
The $50,000 Threshold Myth for Customer Match
Let’s tackle the primary hurdle first. To leverage Customer Match for direct campaign targeting or exclusions, Google asks for a few things: good account standing, at least 90 days of spending history, and a lifetime spend of US$50,000.
If my account hasn’t reached that point, it doesn’t mean Customer Match is off the table for me. I still upload my customer list into Google Ads right away. Here’s why: even without direct targeting, that list becomes a crucial AI signal. Google Ads then uses it to enhance Smart Bidding and optimized targeting efforts by learning from my customer base’s traits and identifying similar high-converting prospects.
Plus, uploading a list gives me access to Audience Insights in Audience Manager. It’s amazing! I can dig into demographic data to see which Google audience segments my customers belong to—at no cost. This insight sparks new ideas for Demand Gen audience targeting and creative ad strategies, such as adjusting landing pages or ad creatives.
Customer Match Campaign Compatibility
I’ve observed that once my account surpasses the lifetime spend threshold, Customer Match becomes a natural fit for campaigns on Search, Shopping, Gmail, YouTube, and Display. It allows me to seamlessly apply my customer list for targeting or exclusion across various campaign types.
Though Performance Max lacks audience targeting capabilities, my strategy involves excluding data segments, including my customer list. This way, I achieve similar benefits via Customer Lifecycle goals.
Customer Match Unlocks Customer Lifecycle Goals
In my experience, Customer Lifecycle Goals have been invaluable in Search, Shopping, and Performance Max campaigns. It allows me to better prioritize different user segments according to campaign needs.
For instance, with “New Customer Only” mode, the customer list acts as a strict exclusion so I focus solely on acquiring new clients. Meanwhile, the “Customer Retention” mode does the opposite, concentrating only on my customer list to promote repeat purchases. There are other modes too, like New Customer Value and High Value Customers, all made possible through Customer Match.
Now, you may wonder when to prefer this over direct targeting or exclusion. Here’s my 1% Rule for lifecycle goals: if my active customer list doesn’t represent 1% of my target geographical location’s population, using lifecycle goals may not be necessary. For instance, in the US with its 340 million population, I’d need around 3.4 million users for these goals to be impactful, according to my rule.
Conversion-Based Customer Lists: Another Customer Match Feature
When paired with Enhanced Conversions, Customer Match introduces another valuable feature: Conversion-Based Customer Lists. I’ve found that this bridges the gap between isolated conversion actions and ongoing data segment management.
While a conversion may be a momentary action, a data segment is a dynamic list of users—like a customer list or website remarketing list. Conversion-based lists automatically generate a list of users who’ve completed specific conversion actions like purchasing, making this process effortless and continuously updated.
Technical Execution: How to Upload Your Customer List
Securing my customer data in Google Ads is simple once I head to Tools > Data Manager for checking direct integrations. Platforms like Shopify, HubSpot, and Salesforce link directly, keeping my data synced effortlessly. Otherwise, I can always opt for a manual upload via CSV through Tools > Shared Library > Audience Manager.
The key is to keep this data fresh. One mistake I’d often seen is not updating lists, leaving them outdated. For those with regular leads or transactions, a daily update makes sense. In contrast, those with a slower pace might only need bi-weekly or monthly reminders to refresh data.
It’s crucial to remember that user consent is a must for uploading data on Google Ads. Using bought lists from third parties can breach Google’s policy and local privacy laws. My website’s privacy policy must clearly disclose sharing user data with third parties like Google for advertising.
The Exception: Who Shouldn’t Use Customer Match
If I operate within sensitive industries, such as healthcare or finance, unfortunately, Customer Match isn’t an option due to restrictions that prevent data misuse.
However, if my field is less sensitive, Customer Match is invaluable. My proprietary data is one of the most powerful competitive advantages, offering Google’s AI the precise framework it requires to identify my next top customer.
This entry is part of an ongoing series on Search Engine Land, ‘Everything You Need to Know About Google Ads in Under 3 Minutes.’ Through each installment, Jyll introduces a different Google Ads feature, delivering insights to maximize results in just three minutes.
Tuesday was quite a day as I experienced a significant Shopify disruption impacting essential commerce functions. Many merchants, including myself, found it challenging to manage our stores, while customers faced difficulties completing their purchases.
The big picture. Shopify confirmed that issues affected multiple services, such as storefronts, checkouts, the admin dashboard, and Retail POS. I’m sure other merchants felt the effect just as I did, struggling to maintain access to Shopify Support during this downtime.
What happened. Shopify first acknowledged the problem at 9:27 a.m. EDT. We were informed that merchants might face access issues with:
Shopify Admin
Retail POS
While dealing with my own frustrations, I realized customers may encounter issues with storefronts and checkouts, making the day particularly challenging for those relying on Shopify Support.
Why we care. It’s crucial to monitor storefronts and checkouts; their unavailability means paid traffic can’t convert to sales, risking wasted ad spend and misaligned campaign performance data. For those running ads on platforms like Google or TikTok, keeping a close eye on performance during such outages is vital in assessing campaign results.
Latest status. By 10:37 a.m. EDT, Shopify reported identifying the root cause, noting improvements. “We’ve identified the problem and are seeing recovery from our mitigation efforts,” Shopify updated us, pledging continued monitoring.
Earlier updates at 9:45 a.m. EDT mentioned Shopify actively investigating the situation. It’s a relief to see progress, but vigilance remains necessary.
Between the lines. Given Shopify’s vast reach, even brief interruptions can immediately affect merchants’ revenue, especially when checkouts are compromised. This outage was a stark reminder of how pivotal continuous platform availability is for businesses.
For anyone with ongoing promotions or high-traffic campaigns, disruptions translate into lost sales and frustrated customers, something we all dread as business owners.
What to watch. While Shopify mentioned recovering services, I, like many, will keep monitoring until the incident is declared entirely resolved. It highlights our dependence on core platform providers like Shopify for crucial ecommerce functions.
The outage serves as a potent reminder of how much ecommerce relies on a few key platforms. Ensuring diversifications and contingencies is more important than ever.
First spotted. A heads-up on this issue came from Senior Paid Media Manager Ayisha Yousef, who encountered an error message and shared it on LinkedIn. This alerts us of how even internal team members aid in monitoring ongoing situations.
As someone who eagerly follows Google’s updates, I was thrilled to learn about the latest developments in Google Search Console. Recently, Google has started to roll out new Search Generative AI performance reports. These reports, along with a feature to block your content in AI responses, are designed to give website owners more control.
Currently, these features are being introduced to a select group of website owners in the UK, but there are plans to expand access in the near future. This gradual rollout allows us to get accustomed to these changes before they become widely available.
Exploring the Search Generative AI Performance Report
The new AI performance report in Google Search Console is something I’ve been anticipating. Although it doesn’t cover everything, it does provide some important insights into how our content is performing within AI responses, AI Mode, and AI Overviews on Google Search. The report includes data on impressions, pages, countries, devices, and dates. However, a notable omission is click data, so we’re left guessing about the exact number of searchers clicking through to our sites from AI responses.
Google stated:
– We’re rolling out new insights for website owners regarding their pages’ appearances in generative AI Search features. These insights include impressions metrics and information on which pages appear in AI responses and in which countries. We’re working closely with website owners to determine what insights would be most helpful and will expand the metrics available over time.
Additionally, Google shared more details about the metrics we can expect:
– Impressions: Frequency of your site’s URLs appearing in generative AI features in Search and Discover.
– Pages: Identifying URLs that appeared within AI features.
– Countries: Understanding visibility on a country basis.
– Devices: Identifying the devices used to view your website. Available for Search results.
– Dates: Monitoring performance with hourly, daily, weekly, and monthly granularity.
I inquired about click data from a Google representative, who mentioned that they are exploring additional metrics that will help inform our strategies in the future.
Initially, this report is available to a subset of users in the UK, with plans to expand globally in the future.
Another exciting feature Google introduced is the ability to block your content from appearing in AI search features like AI Overviews, AI Mode, or AI Discover. Google described this as a “new toggle” within Google Search Console, allowing us to decide whether or not our site should be part of these AI search features.
Google notes that opting out will prevent your site from receiving traffic or impressions from these features. Importantly, this control won’t affect your ranking in standard search results outside of generative AI Search features, so there’s no risk of negatively impacting core web search visibility.
Again, like the performance report, this toggle is currently available to a subset of UK website owners, with plans to widen access as they complete further testing. Google had promised these controls after facing some backlash from the EU, and it’s promising to see them starting to roll out now.
One study even showed that 1/3rd of SEOs are willing to block Google from showcasing their content in AI search features.
Why It Matters
As site owners and publishers, many of us have been asking for control over how and if our content appears in Google’s AI features. Now, we have just that. Although it’s initially limited, I’m hopeful these features will eventually be available to all.
Moreover, we’ve been requesting AI Search reporting from Google from day one. With Google’s announcement following Bing’s release of its own AI performance report, we’re taking a significant step forward. While Google’s report currently targets UK site owners and lacks click data, it holds promise for a global rollout soon.
I’m excited to share that Microsoft has launched a groundbreaking search service specifically designed for AI-agents, as agents have unique search requirements compared to humans.
I’ve learned that Microsoft’s latest innovation, Web IQ, is here to bridge AI systems with real-time intelligence online. As a suite of AI-native grounding APIs, Web IQ sources fresh data, be it web pages, news, images, or videos, as announced by Microsoft here.
What is Web IQ? Web IQ is all about connecting AI systems to real-world updates, leveraging Bing’s index for superior understanding. I find it fascinating how it uses the same infrastructure as Microsoft Copilot and other leading LLMs, like ChatGPT.
However, I discovered that Web IQ’s APIs are newly developed for efficiency and relevance, crucial for serving Bing, Copilot, and ChatGPT queries rapidly.
For AI-Agents, Not Humans. Web IQ tailors search results specifically for AI-agents. Unlike human-oriented Bing Search, ranking isn’t a priority here, as agents need swift information extraction, as stated by Jordi Ribas, President of Search & AI at Microsoft.
Unlike us, AI-agents don’t just issue a single query; they delve deeper and continuously expand their search. This paradigm shift meant re-architecting search from indexing to orchestration, aligning it with AI needs, as per Microsoft’s insights.
Given the frequency of searches AI-agents perform, Microsoft designed Web IQ to operate efficiently, minimizing token usage to deliver better and faster results. It’s currently 2.5 times faster than its nearest competitor.
Access and Availability. At present, Web IQ supports Microsoft Copilot, OpenAI’s ChatGPT, and other large LLM platforms. As Microsoft scales this technology, I expect wider access to follow.
If you want to express interest in Web IQ, Microsoft encourages you to visit this page.
Why this Matters. As we witness the web transforming to accommodate agentic technologies, keeping an eye on these developments is vital. Websites, including mine, must evolve alongside these AI advancements.
AI-agents aren’t just a trend; they’re part of the web’s next evolution. I’m preparing to embrace this change, and I suggest you do too.
