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Category: News

Unlocking the Mystery: PMax Now Shows Search Partner Impact
I’ve been eagerly waiting for Google to enhance their Performance Max (PMax) reporting, and now it’s finally here! This new update reveals how much PMax spends on Search Partners and if that traffic actually adds value to our campaigns.

Google has rolled out a significant upgrade to PMax reporting, which gives us advertisers our first opportunity to clearly see how Search Partners influence campaign outcomes. This transparency is a game-changer for those of us managing PPC campaigns.

Driving the news. The update is now live in Google Ads and integrates Search Partners into the PMax channel performance tables. Here are a few things we can now observe:
- How Search Partners contribute to overall PMax results.
- Whether they provide incremental value.
- Comparison of their performance with other PMax channels.
- The total spending directed towards Search Partners.
What’s changing. This added level of transparency allows us to see how PMax distributes the budget across different channels, particularly in search. It’s crucial for understanding whether the Search Partners’ traffic is beneficial or if it detracts from the campaign’s efficiency.

Why we care. In the past, Search Partners’ activity was hidden within PMax, leaving us in the dark about our spending and its impact. Now, this new line of reporting sheds light on a previously invisible segment of search inventory. With this insight, we can assess incremental value, compare performance with other PMax channels, and make more informed decisions on optimization and budgeting. Essentially, we’re now able to measure spending that was invisible, which could directly influence our campaign performance and profitability.

The big picture. While it may seem like a small change, it’s a crucial step towards understanding how PMax works. For those of us running large-scale PMax accounts or analyzing channel profitability, isolating Search Partners’ data can dramatically shape our strategies in optimization, budgeting, and overall planning.

First seen. Google Ads specialist Aleksejus Podpruginas was the first to notice this update, sharing his findings on LinkedIn.

Bottom line. PMax is finally giving us a clearer view of how Google’s automation spends our money. This insight is a pivotal piece of the puzzle that we’ve been missing.

Inspired by this post on Search Engine Land.
December 2, 2025
Google Retires Ads Developer Forums in 2026: What It Means for You
As I reflect on the recent announcement, I realize that Google is taking a big step by sunsetting the ads developer support forums. By 2026, we will need to shift our reliance to official support channels for maintaining the smooth operation of our ad tools.

The upcoming closure will affect three long-standing Google Groups support forums for advertising developers. Google’s aim is to consolidate technical support into more official and structured channels.

Driving the news. It’s important to note that starting January 28, 2026, Google will cease responding to new posts in these forums. While they’ll remain accessible as read-only archives for a short while, eventually, new posts will be completely disabled.

After Jan. 28:
- Support agents will no longer reply on Google Groups.
- Replies to existing threads will initiate a new email conversation with Google support.
- Past discussions and solutions will remain available online for reference.
The shift. Google’s objective is to “streamline technical support channels,” guiding developers towards official tools that have better tracking and response processes, thereby improving our overall experience.

Where developers should go now. Since the announcement, I’ve been exploring the updated developer documentation that Google has provided. It directs developers to the following official support channels:
- Google Ads API
- Google Ads Scripts
- Campaign Manager 360 API – supported by the Campaign Manager 360 team.
Why we care. These forums have served as critical open Q&A hubs for us developers, particularly in dealing with Google Ads API, Google Ads Scripts, and the Campaign Manager 360 API. This change will impact how quickly and effectively we can resolve issues, which are essential for maintaining seamless bidding, reporting, and automation functions.

With the closure of the public forums, we’ll need to adjust our workflows. This means providing more detailed logs and relying less on community-shared solutions. Being prepared for this transition will help us avoid downtime and lapses in performance.

What Google wants from developers. To expedite issue resolution, Google urges us to include comprehensive diagnostic details in support tickets, such as:
- Google Ads API: request ID, full request + response logs
- Ads Scripts: script name, customer ID, execution logs, UI error messages
- CM360 API: profile/account IDs, API method, request + response logs
- All products: clear issue description, expected behavior, repro steps, code snippets, and error messages
Community still has a home. For those of us looking to stay connected with updates and participate in general discussions, Google recommends their “Google Advertising and Measurement Community” Discord server, which isn’t tied to official support.

The bottom line. Transitioning away from public troubleshooting forums towards standardized, direct support should streamline issue handling. However, it might also diminish the community-shared knowledge we’ve come to rely on.

Inspired by this post on Search Engine Land.
December 2, 2025
OpenAI CEO Urgently Enhances ChatGPT, Halts Ad Plans
When I got the news about OpenAI CEO Sam Altman’s recent decision, it was clear this was no ordinary update. Sam called a ‘code red’ to overhaul ChatGPT’s performance—an action so crucial that it has temporarily put a stop to any advertising plans.
In an internal memo shared by The Wall Street Journal, it was revealed that our main focus now is on improving the assistant’s personalization, speed, reliability, and its capability to tackle a wider variety of questions. With this focus, daily calls and team reassignments across the company are underway to ensure we enhance ChatGPT swiftly.
Driving the news: During a recent meeting, Sam emphasized the urgency of making ChatGPT better and more intuitive. Nick Turley, who leads the ChatGPT team, also reassured us that user intuition and personalization are top priorities.
- The entire company is now singularly focused on accelerating these improvements.
- We even have temporary team reassignments to keep everyone aligned and focused on this mission.
Why now? The competition is catching up fast. Google’s upgraded Gemini model has recently outperformed us on key benchmarks, contributing to Google’s rising stock value.
- Google: Their upgraded Gemini model has recently outshone OpenAI’s metrics.
- User growth: Gemini’s user base has surged, going from 450 million in July to 650 million by October, thanks in part to new features like the Nano Banana image generator.
- Anthropic: They’re making headway in the corporate sector, gaining a reputation as the ‘safer, more predictable’ provider of language models.
On top of fierce competition, OpenAI faces financial hurdles as well, particularly with plans for massive data-center investments. Remaining unprofitable and reliant on continuous fundraising, the need to hit $200 billion in revenue by 2030 looms large for us.
What’s getting delayed: In our effort to prioritize ChatGPT’s quality enhancements, we’ve decided to postpone:
- Advertising initiatives
- AI agents for health and shopping
- A personal assistant called Pulse
What’s next: I’m excited to share that a new reasoning model, outperforming Google’s latest Gemini release, is just around the corner.
- Not long ago, we also experienced a ‘code orange,’ indicating a pressing need to improve ChatGPT’s warmth and instruction-following capabilities, which has since been addressed in a recent update.
Why we care. Our shift in focus from advertising avenues to product enhancement highlights our commitment to quality. Those waiting to use ChatGPT for advertising will, unfortunately, have to hold out a bit longer.
Flashback. This situation reminds me of past intense moments in the tech industry. Remember when Google considered ChatGPT an existential threat? That led to its own ‘code red,’ with significant internal shifts and rapid advancements.
- Founders returned: Google’s own co-founders re-engaged in product meetings to tackle these challenges.
- Search overhaul: Google accelerated its efforts to enhance conversation capabilities within Search.
- Product surge: A slew of new AI products emerged from Google as part of this initiative.
The report. I found the detailed analysis in the original OpenAI Declares ‘Code Red’ as Google Threatens AI Lead report quite insightful.

Inspired by this post on Search Engine Land.
December 2, 2025
Google’s Partner Match: Precision Targeting for YouTube
I’m thrilled to share that Google is launching an innovative tool called Partner Match, designed to revolutionize how advertisers can target YouTube audiences using third-party hashed data. This advancement is detailed in newly released help documentation, and it’s poised to make a significant impact.
What advertisers must do: Activating Partner Match is straightforward. Advertisers need to:
1. Authorize the data partner
2. Accept the Partner Match terms
3. Apply the generated audience lists during campaign setup
Why we care: Partner Match could provide advertisers with precise targeting at a time when reaching audiences is increasingly challenging. It’s expected to enhance alignment between brands’ first-party signals and YouTube delivery, making Video Reach, Video Views, and Demand Gen campaigns more effective.
Remarkably, its global availability—with a few exceptions—makes Partner Match one of YouTube’s most scalable targeting innovations in recent years.

Inspired by this post on Search Engine Land.

How it works: Partner Match empowers approved partners to upload hashed user data, such as email addresses, names, or ZIP codes. Google then aligns this data with signed-in YouTube accounts, enabling advertisers to target these tailored audience segments effectively.
- Video Reach campaigns
- Video Views campaigns
- Demand Gen campaigns (YouTube channel only)
Though it won’t support ad sequences or YouTube Select guaranteed deals, the flexibility it offers is remarkable.
Where it’s available: Partner Match will be rolled out globally, with exceptions in the UK, Switzerland, and the EEA. That said, advertisers in these regions can still reach audiences in eligible countries.
What advertisers must do: Activating Partner Match is straightforward. Advertisers need to:
1. Authorize the data partner
2. Accept the Partner Match terms
3. Apply the generated audience lists during campaign setup
Why we care: Partner Match could provide advertisers with precise targeting at a time when reaching audiences is increasingly challenging. It’s expected to enhance alignment between brands’ first-party signals and YouTube delivery, making Video Reach, Video Views, and Demand Gen campaigns more effective.
Remarkably, its global availability—with a few exceptions—makes Partner Match one of YouTube’s most scalable targeting innovations in recent years.

Inspired by this post on Search Engine Land.
December 1, 2025
Boost Campaign Success with Microsoft’s New Ad Tools

I’ve recently discovered some exciting updates from Microsoft Ads that promise to enhance the way we manage and analyze our advertising campaigns.

With these updates, we now have the ability to see individual asset disapprovals—meaning that if a particular image, headline, or text in our ad doesn’t meet standards, it can be addressed without disrupting the entire campaign. What a relief to know that one small glitch won’t pause everything!

Additionally, conversion reporting has become much more transparent. We can track how long it takes for 90% of conversions to be recorded post-click, whether they happen online or offline. This clarity is essential for refining our bidding strategies and assessing campaign performance with better precision.

These changes tackle two big challenges we face as advertisers: minimizing wasted spend due to blanket ad disapprovals and clearing up the murkiness of conversion lag.

Why this matters to me.

The ability to address ad issues at the asset level keeps our campaigns live and our revenue steady, while the new conversion metric improves data accuracy. It helps me make informed decisions on bidding and pacing across platforms, ultimately leading to better resource management.

In short, these enhancements make managing Microsoft Ads more predictable and efficient.

The updates were initially shared by John Sargent on LinkedIn and confirmed by Microsoft Ads Liaison Navah Hopkins. For those of us handling multi-platform campaigns, this is a major step forward in gaining better control and clearer data insights.

Inspired by this post on Search Engine Land.

December 1, 2025
Gemini 3 and Nano Banana Pro Now Reach 120 Countries

After only releasing in the U.S. a few weeks ago, I’m excited to share that Gemini 3 is now available in 120 countries worldwide for English searches.

Gemini 3 launched in AI Mode recently, and now it’s thrilling to see Google expanding it to numerous countries and territories. Robby Stein from Google mentioned, “Gemini 3 is now accessible in AI Mode, covering nearly 120 regions in English.”

Exploring AI Mode with Gemini 3. Google has introduced AI Mode in Search, which employs Gemini 3 to deliver new, dynamic UI experiences. Imagine immersive visual layouts and interactive tools generated instantly based on your search query!

With its capability for complex reasoning, Gemini 3 enhances Search by providing dynamic experiences designed to make our searches more intuitive and engaging.

Just last week, Google started automatically using Gemini 3 for selected AI Mode queries, marking a new era for search intelligence.

More Insights. According to a recent Google blog post, “We are bringing our smartest model, Gemini 3, to AI Mode in Google Search in nearly 120 countries and territories in English.”

This expansion presently caters exclusively to Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers, offering them a more interactive and enriched search experience.

Google explains, “With this expansion, it’s now simpler to pose any question and quickly gain a deeper, more useful understanding.”

Update on Nano Banana Pro. Google is also introducing the “latest generative imagery model, Nano Banana Pro, to AI Mode in additional English-speaking countries, making it available today for Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers.”

Why This Matters. Google’s continuous updates, both in terms of visuals and user experience, aim to make AI Mode the search experience Google envisions. As Google’s efforts to entice users into AI Mode continue, it’s clear they’re committed to refining that experience to meet their high standards.

Inspired by this post on Search Engine Land.

December 1, 2025
Experience Google’s Enhanced AI Mode on Search Pages

Recently, I’ve noticed that Google is testing new ways to push us from AI Overviews into their AI Mode interface on Search. When I click the “Show more” button in some AI Overviews, I’m automatically taken into AI Mode. It’s fascinating because I can continue to explore deeper into topics directly within this interface, enhancing my search experience.

Insight From Google. Robby Stein from Google recently announced that this testing is taking place on a global scale. As I use my mobile device, I can easily delve deeper into AI Mode without leaving the search results page. This seamless integration is designed to enhance how we interact with AI-driven search features.

There’s even a video that showcases how this works, sourced directly from Robby Stein’s announcement:

(2/2) This means you’ll continue to get an AI Overview as a helpful starting point, and now you can also ask conversational follow-up questions in AI Mode – right from where you are.

It’s one seamless experience: a quick snapshot when you need it, and deeper conversation when…
— Robby Stein (@rmstein) December 1, 2025

Previous trials. It’s intriguing to me that Google has been experimenting with this since October 2025. The frequent tests likely suggest they’re moving toward a full rollout. This makes me optimistic about how this feature might evolve over time.

The potential downside. I am concerned that fewer people might click through to external sites from Google Search AI Overviews. Instead of providing expanded links and resources, the “Show more” button directs users to a detailed AI response, potentially reducing the traffic to our websites.

Our focus. It’s crucial for us to stay informed about these tests and prepare for any potential impacts on our web traffic. This change might make it more challenging to generate visits from Google Search, affecting the overall visibility of our content and websites.

Inspired by this post on Search Engine Land.

December 1, 2025
Google Withdraws EU Complaint as New Microsoft Probe Begins

I witnessed Google take a major step by pulling back its antitrust complaint against Microsoft following a new EU investigation into cloud licensing practices. This decision marks a pivotal moment in the ongoing tug-of-war between tech giants.

Driving the news. Just as the European Commission initiated fresh inquiries into whether Microsoft’s Azure and Amazon Web Services are compliant with the Digital Markets Act (DMA), Google decided to let go of its 2024 complaint. This complaint was primarily focused on what Google considered Microsoft’s unfair cloud licensing strategies. Nevertheless, Google assures us that pulling back doesn’t equate to giving up.

What they’re saying. Giorgia Abeltino, who leads public policy at Google Cloud Europe, emphasized, “We filed our antitrust complaint…to give voice to our customers and partners.” She reaffirmed Google’s commitment to the concerns initially raised.

Why we care. The EU’s deep dive into Microsoft’s cloud operations might just revolutionize the infrastructure supporting various ad-tech tools, measurement systems, and AI workflows. Should regulators enforce changes to Microsoft’s Azure, we may see a more competitive landscape emerging, benefiting us with cost reductions and improved tool interoperability.

Simply put, competition within the cloud domain influences the speed, affordability, and dependability of the tools advertisers depend on daily.

The backdrop:

I observed that Google accused Microsoft of using restrictive software licensing to make other cloud services less appealing.

This complaint followed closely after Microsoft resolved a related dispute with the cloud advocacy group CISPE.

It’s worth noting that other Microsoft and Amazon sectors, such as Windows and Amazon’s marketplace, are already under the ambit of the DMA.

State of play. While the EU remains vigilant in monitoring cloud competition, Microsoft has opted not to comment on these developments.

Bottom line. Google’s decision to withdraw isn’t a retreat but rather a shift of focus as the regulatory battleground opens new fronts with EU scrutiny on Microsoft and AWS drawing sharper lines with tougher regulations soon on the horizon.

Inspired by this post on Search Engine Land.

December 1, 2025
Unveiling ChatGPT Ads: OpenAI’s Android Code Signals Future Plans
I’ve recently come across some interesting developments regarding ChatGPT ads. OpenAI seems to be testing these ads, as evidenced by recent Android code discoveries and user reports suggesting an imminent rollout.

From what I’ve gathered, OpenAI appears close to launching ads in the ChatGPT Android app. Recent code analyses reveal potential integration, and some users have even spotted ads popping up in real-time.

What’s new? The latest ChatGPT Android beta (v1.2025.329) hints at an ad system. TestingCatalog found intriguing code references, such as:
- “ads feature”
- “bazaar content”
- “search ad”
- “search ads carousel”
These references suggest a possible framework for ads, likely centered around search and product recommendations, rather than intrusive ads in chat.

Zoom out. Ads in ChatGPT could help OpenAI manage costs for free users as the platform grows in commercial use. Paid subscribers might continue enjoying an ad-free experience.

Meanwhile. Interestingly, a ChatGPT Pro user paying $200/month noted an ad that seemed to appear during a conversation about Elon Musk’s podcast interview, suggesting some testing is already in place.
- “Wild. At least match the ad to the topic next time!” Yuchen Jin wrote on X.
What’s next? Although no timeline is set, the Android code developments indicate that ads are moving from theoretical to practical implementation, ushering ChatGPT towards an ad-supported future.

Why we care. The evolution towards a Google-like ad model in ChatGPT is intriguing, especially with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman’s fondness for Instagram ads. This direction offers brands a vital opportunity to engage with nearly a billion users worldwide.

Over the last year, OpenAI has shifted its stance on ads, moving from overt reluctance to a quiet acceptance and preparation for an ad-supported model.

Catch up quick. Initially, there was no intention for ads, but recent shifts show OpenAI gearing up for this transformation.
- Late 2024: Executives initially dismissed the idea, with OpenAI’s CFO and CEO showing little interest.
- Early 2025: Internal forecasts leaked, forecasting significant revenue from user monetization, indicating that ads were inevitable.
- Mid-2025: Development began, with hiring to build and manage an internal advertising platform.
- Late 2025: Sam Altman’s perspective shifted, hinting at a “cool” advertising model that benefits users.
Inspired by this post on Search Engine Land.
December 1, 2025
Unlock New Potential with Google’s Revived Website Optimizer
I’ve recently discovered that Google is testing a revamped version of its old ‘Website Optimizer,’ and I couldn’t be more intrigued. Google Ads has quietly updated its documentation, suggesting a new built-in A/B testing tool that’s seamlessly connected to GA4.

Several new Google support pages caught my eye. They describe the ‘Website Optimizer,’ which is poised to appear under the Reporting tab in Google Ads. The name brings back memories of the original Website Optimizer from 2008—notably, its later iteration as Google Optimize, which was retired in 2023. However, this current version promises something fresh and exciting.

How It Works
- You’ll need access to Google Ads and admin permissions on a linked GA4 property.
- No GA4 property? No problem—Website Optimizer will create one for you.
- Google’s documentation hints that this tool will simplify experiments directly through Google Ads, making setup much easier than older tools.
Why It’s Important This built-in experiment tool offers advertisers a seamless way to test landing pages, enhance on-site user experience, or improve conversion flows—all without the hassle of third-party tools or complex analytics setups.

The Implications Google’s discontinuation of Optimize left a void; however, the reintroduction of Website Optimizer could mean Google is keen on integrating experimentation capabilities directly into Google Ads and GA4.

Key Features to Watch
- Will it offer full A/B testing or a simpler, automated optimization feature?
- Is server-side testing in the cards—something missing from previous versions?
- When will it officially roll out to user accounts?
The Bottom Line It’s exciting to anticipate that Google is preparing to offer us an integrated way to boost our website performance once more. However, everything currently resides behind early documentation clues.

Dive Deeper Insights into these developments came from PPC News Feed owner, Hana Kobzová. Here’s what she discovered:

How can I share Website Optimizer access with my teammates?

Do I have to use HTML for my original content and variations when using Website Optimizer?

Do I need to give my MCC manager special access for Website Optimizer?

Do I need an Analytics account to use Website Optimizer?

Inspired by this post on Search Engine Land.
December 1, 2025

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