Google Ads news

Welcome to the Google Ads newsletter.

In this newsletter, you read all the news about Google Ads from November

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Demand Gen for DV360

Emirhan Bayutmuş discovered that he now has access to Demand Gen for DV360!

E-barometer

October 2024 Market Index Report from ProfitMetricsThe latest report from ProfitMetrics.io is out and this compares key e-commerce metrics from October 2024 to October 2023, including revenue, orders, ad spend, POAS, ROAS, and gross profit.

Highlights:

Revenue: Increased by 4.7% year-over-year and 5% from last month, reflecting steady market growth.

Gross Profit: Up 3.7% year-over-year and 7.4% from September, showing improved business efficiency.Orders: Grew by 2.7% year-over-year and 4.7% from last month, indicating stable consumer demand.

Ad Spend: Rose 8.7% year-over-year, negatively impacting ROAS and POAS.

ROAS: Declined 5.2% from last month and 3.7% year-over-year, pointing to less efficient ad spend.

POAS: Dropped 3% from last month and 4.7% year-over-year.

Overall: Despite increasing acquisition costs, the e-commerce sector shows strong revenue and profit growth.

This analysis, based on over 24.7 million orders, offers actionable insights for the industry.

New Pmax feature

Google announced this future during Google Marketing live in May, but Dario Zannoni discovered that it is now live.

With these settings, you can configure the following at the campaign level:

- Business Name

- Logo

- Custom Colors

- Font: Optional

Switch to exact recommendation?

Google just mailed me this week with the recommendation to switch to exact match. I have never seen this before normally they always want you to go broader.

Google AdMob

Google AdMob is launching a new app-level setting for high-engagement ads, giving developers more control over ad performance and user experience.

The setting, enabled by default, includes skippable interstitial ads after 15 seconds, 60-second reward periods for rewarded ads, and a multi-step exit process.

While the update aims to boost ad performance, it may impact user experience. Google plans to optimize these ads with a focus on transparency and user needs.

No Ad Label

Anthony Higman posted that Google has introduced a new, subtler way to disclose ads on its Local Business Finder map.

Instead of placing an "Ad" label directly on the listings, as has been the standard, the ad disclosure is now only shown on the photo or the listing inside the map.

This change applies across all business categories and makes it less likely that users will notice the ad disclosure in its new location.

Ad Manager changes

Georgi Zayakov discovered that Google Ad Manager is introducing curation capabilities to help agencies more efficiently discover and activate high-quality inventory and target audiences for their clients.

This feature simplifies workflows, enhances forecasting, and facilitates direct deals with publishers while removing complications like separate payments for data providers and inventory curators. Key partners include Audigent, IAS, LiveRamp, Lotame, and others.

Personalized Ads Policy Update

Personalized Ads Policy Update (November 2024)Starting December 4, 2024, Google Ads will allow personalized ads for social casino game App campaigns, with full access for all advertisers by March 2025.

The "Gambling" sensitive interest category will be updated to exclude these social casino ads, which can be personalized under specific guidelines.

Note: Gambling-related ads in other categories still cannot be personalized. Account suspensions for policy violations will come with at least 7 days' prior warning.

Microsoft updates

Microsoft has expanded its Copilot AI-powered advertising capabilities, introducing several new features to enhance efficiency and personalization for advertisers.

Key updates include a streamlined ad experience within Copilot, a performance snapshot tool for campaign insights, expanded video ad tools with new bid strategies, audience targeting options, and the ability to import Google Ads video campaigns.

Shopping campaigns have also been improved with a simplified setup and enhanced product group management.

These updates aim to optimize workflows, reach audiences more effectively, and improve ad spend management.

New Shopping Label

Barry Schwartz discovered that Google is now promoting the new Google Shopping by placing a "new" label on the Shopping tab link at the top of the Google Search interface.

Search Ad in Display?

Mohd Shahid and Zeeshan Ali observed that a display ad appeared on a third-party website resembling search ads!

Shopping Bag Icon

Barry Schwartz discovered that Google is now testing with a shopping bag icon in shopping.

Positive Google Ads UI Change

Anthony Higman discovered that you can now find automated asset settings way easier. Just go to account-level assets and you will find it:)Before it was really hidden...

Communication Preferences

You can now adjust your communication preferences for Google Ads reps!

Test dynamic ad placement

Google keeps testing with dynamic ad placement! This mean that you can find ads in the middle of an organic page.

Demand Gen Signals?

Thomas Eccel discovered that Google’s Demand Generation campaigns shifted from using fixed “audiences” to “signals.” This change allows for more flexible audience discovery and broader reach in campaigns…

Seller and product rating together

Hana Kobzová discovered that Google can show Seller and product ratings together!

NEW Sale Events

🚨 Dario Zannoni discovered Sale events! Sale events are a new feature on Google, allowing you to promote store-wide sales on non-product-centric surfaces without mapping to specific products.

Unlike promotions, events let you use broader discount ranges, like "Up to 40% off."

How It Works

Sale events appear on various Google platforms but not in product listings. Events can showcase general sales, like "Black Friday - up to 70% off" or "Spring furniture sale - 10% off on dining tables," and require basic details: title, start/end dates, destination URL, and category tags.

Setting Up:

- Submit events via the promotions tab in Merchant Center or with a promotion feed:

- Choose “Show in free listings” only.

- Provide an event-specific URL.

- Add optional promotional images and select applicable product categories.

Google reviews events to ensure policy compliance, including URL and image checks.

For more information read this page.

Note* currently limited to Free Listings in the USA.

LSA app

Barry Schwartz posted that Google will stop supporting the Google Local Service Ads app starting on January 6, 2024!

Conversion Linker update

The conversion linker now stores ad click information in browser local storage also!

GA4 Update

You can view a quota log report in the Google Analytics interface. The quota log report shows who has been consuming API quota on a given property. This allows you to audit problematic users and potentially shut them off.

Wrong mail?

Jack Felstead received an email from Google addressing him as "Mathew" and offering a consultation for a completely random account he never heard of or been connected to....

This is pretty serious. Imagine if Google gave a complete stranger access to your Google Ads account and they went in and made changes without you ever knowing....

Political content update

On November 11, 2024, Google will update the Political Content policy to lift the temporary restrictions on ads with political content relating the US elections.

New Brand Report!

Patrick Gehn discovered that in the Insight section, there is now a new tab called the Brand Report.

NEW Pmax experiments

Patrick Gehn discovered that more PMax experiments are now available! Make sure to share this news and test.

Blue assets test

Wow Google is now testing these blue call out assets under headlines, found by Anthony Higman!

Google Ads Editor Version 2.8: New Features and Updates

Google has announced Ads Editor 2.8

The latest version is available for download, and older versions (2.5 and below) will no longer be supported.

Key New Features:

AI-Generated Images: Create images from text prompts and integrate them directly into your Ads account.

Export to Google Sheets: CSV exports can now be saved as Google Sheets, simplifying data handling.

Resizable Error Pane: The error pane below the main grid is now adjustable for better user experience.

Brand Guidelines: Performance Max campaigns now support brand-specific guidelines at the campaign level, including business name, logo, colors, and fonts.

Image Cropping: Crop images directly within the asset library; cropped images are stored in the library for future use.

Video Enhancements: Users can selectively opt out of generated short or vertical videos via individual checkboxes.

Third-Party Measurement in Performance Max/Demand Gen: Measurement options, initially for video campaigns, are now available for Performance Max and Demand Gen campaigns.

Strict Age and Gender Targeting: In Demand Gen campaigns, “Strict age and gender targeting” ensures that age and gender criteria are precisely followed.

Vertical Video for Demand Gen Ads: The "Generate vertical videos" feature is now available for Demand Gen video ads.

Final URL Suffix in ACe Campaigns: The final URL suffix can now be edited in App campaigns for Engagement (ACe).

Inventory Controls for VVC Campaigns: “Inventory control” is extended to Video Standard campaigns with Target CPV bidding.

Help Center Revamp: Editor errors are now consolidated into a single page for easier troubleshooting.

Deprecated Features

Demand Gen Product Feeds Campaigns: The Demand Gen Product Feeds (DG DPA) subtype is now deprecated; all existing campaigns have been converted to Demand Gen, and new ones cannot be created.

Ad Credit Change

Anthony Higman discovered that Google is changing its free ad credit promotions for new clients. Ad credits will no longer be applied automatically; instead, you'll need to manually choose from one of three available credit options to activate them.

New Asset report

Patrick Gehn discovered that at account level, you can now view the statistics and quality of your Assest!

Google will also show you what actions you can take to improve the quality.

New survey style

YouTube is testing a new style for the Ads Survey!

Customer Match update

Arpan Banerjee just send me that advertisers may lose customer match if their ads have the potential to cause harm to users or create poor user experience.

Pmax Vehicles Beta NL, DE, IT, and ES

Jochem Timmers just posted that PMax for Vehicles is now in beta for NL, DE, IT, and ES. For more information read this article.

Travel Feed?

Lluc Berrio Penycate & Barry Schwartz discovered that Google might be rolling out the new travel ads feed format.

Top 100 Products

Google has released the top 100 products for the holiday season! You can check them here.

No Ads experience Meta

Meta is introducing a reduced-price subscription for ad-free Facebook and Instagram in Europe, now €5.99/month on the web and €7.99/month on mobile.

Users can also opt to see “less personalized” ads based on minimal data (age, location) instead of highly personalized ads.

This change, driven by EU regulatory feedback, allows free access with limited data use, though ads may be less relevant.

Meta asserts that personalized ads support economic growth, especially benefiting small EU businesses.

First-party cookie controls

In Google AdSense accounts, first-party cookie controls are being updated to streamline management and enhance third-party demand access.

The settings for 'first-party cookies' and 'first-party cookies for personalization' have been combined into one control.

By enabling this new control, It will activate all uses of first-party cookies, including sharing with demand sources and personalization.

Starting 4 December 2024, first-party cookies will also be shared with Authorized Buyers, except for users in the EEA, Switzerland, UK, and California.

For those already using cookies for personalization, sharing with Authorized Buyers will be on by default; otherwise, it will stay off.

Google Ads Script consent unbundling

Starting in January 2025, Google Ads scripts will support consent unbundling, allowing users to authorize specific OAuth scopes rather than using an all-or-nothing approach.

During script authorization, users must select all necessary permissions to avoid execution errors. Existing scripts will continue to function without action, unless modified, which would require reauthorization.

This change is part of a broader rollout of consent unbundling across all Google OAuth applications.

Product Studio

Product studio is now available in the Netherlands!

BIG YouTube & Demand Gen Update

YouTube has announced a suite of new features aimed at enhancing brand engagement through ads and partnerships, especially focusing on YouTube Shorts and creator collaborations.

Below is a summary of the most important changes:

- Piloting Shorts-only buying in Demand Gen and also campaigns that showcase only your horizontal creative in-stream.

- Stickers on Shorts ads will be available to all retailers by the end of the year. Stickers, created automatically from images in your product feeds

- Animated image ads globally available for Demand Gen campaigns. Note that Animated image ads in Demand Gen pull product images from your Google Merchant Center feeds and animate them into one appealing unit.

- Google is testing a new central place to manage creator partnerships. This new page will be rolling out to relevant accounts over the next few months.

- Introducing third party sales lift measurement for Shorts ads in the months ahead.

- Expanding source for which viewers of Shorts can be added to your data segments, across both organic Shorts and Shorts ads

- Format buying controls are now available around the world on Video View Campaigns

- Testing a new central place to manage creator partnerships. This new page will be rolling out to relevant accounts over the next few months.

- Google is introducing a new video linking API so you can manage multiple requests at once.

- Enabling creators to tag partners in their brand videos

- Launched the ability to own 100% share of voice on select top creator channels for your awareness campaigns. YouTube Select Creator Takeovers are now generally available in the US, and will be expanding to select global markets in 2025.

- Google recently made partnership ads available to all advertisers globally across all AI-powered campaign types in Google Ads

Google Ads Scams

Caterina Mariani discovered what looks like a scam for a Microsoft Ads query. The ads is redirecting to aIt redirects to “https://lnkd.in/eP8XxsiD and she checked on the transparency center it’s a company from Hong Kong...

I also got two other messages about these scams, so watch out...

GA4 - Data Access History and API Quota Usage

Brais Calvo Vázquez discovered that the option to view data access history and API quota usage, both at the account and property level, begins to appear in the interface.

Note that:

- Data access history available only for 360 accounts

- Administrator role required

New Google Maps update

Hester Geerdink just texted me that you can now search in Google Maps for items to find nearby stores that have them in stock so you can pick up what you need.

LSA in business search

Anthony Higman discovered that Google is now showing LSA direct business search on the Business Finder Map now.

Anchor Ads

Google announced the upcoming expansion of anchor ads with collapsible anchors. Collapsible anchors enhance ad visibility, resulting in improved performance.

These ads automatically expand in height on mobile devices to increase viewability, while allowing users to easily collapse them.

If you already have anchor ads enabled, no action is needed. We’ll automatically activate collapsible anchors over the next 30 days.

Orange link test

Andrew Boyd discovered that links in dark mode are showing up orange instead of the blue!

Stop advertising EU

Google will stop serving political advertising in the EU ahead of new regulation in October 2025!

The EU's upcoming Transparency and Targeting of Political Advertising (TTPA) regulation poses significant challenges, including broad definitions and insufficient election data, making compliance unfeasible.

As a result, Google will cease political ads in the EU before October 2025, including on YouTube.

Structured Data Files (SDF) v8

Structured Data Files (SDF) v8 is now available, allowing users to upload and download SDFs in Display & Video 360's UI and API.

This update adds support for Demand Gen Line Item, Ad Group, and Ad resources, plus a companion banner field for YouTube and Demand Gen Ads.

Details on changes and migration steps from previous versions are in the release notes and migration guide.

For assistance, users can consult the support guide or contact support directly.

Automatic discounts Chrome

Google has emailed some Google Merchant Center users about a new Chrome feature that shows their promotions directly in the browser during the holiday season!

Dynamically Adapt Ads

Thomas Eccel discovered new search ads that dynamically adapt when you scroll over the image assets!

*Anthony Higman spotted those new ads and Govind Singh shared this video.

Meta Views

Meta is standardizing performance metrics across Facebook, Instagram, and Threads, making “views” the primary measure of content performance.

Key Updates:

Views Across All Content: Views now apply to all content types. On Facebook and Threads, views count every time a post appears on a screen, including repeat views by the same user. For Reels, a view is recorded each time a video plays.

Transparency: Threads now show view counts, like Instagram Reels and Stories, giving creators insights into reach, though the value for casual users is unclear.

Why It Matters:This shift simplifies tracking for creators and brands, aligning metrics across platforms. By focusing on exposure, Meta emphasizes brand awareness, but advertisers must assess if increased views translate to meaningful outcomes like clicks or conversions.

Bigger Picture:This mirrors trends like X’s focus on views, highlighting platforms’ prioritization of visibility. Critics note that views alone can be misleading without engagement context.

Bottom Line:Meta’s focus on views reinforces its drive to maximize exposure and engagement. For creators and brands, it’s a reminder to adapt strategies as platform metrics evolve.

New Google Travel experience

Rudolph Dekker spotted a new user experience on the SERP for Google Travel.

This SERP shows a more prominent display of Google Hotel Ads and Property Promotion Ads, including similar alternatives on brand name searches.

Chocolate AI

Christoph Scherf just posted about a new future called Chocolate AI, an open-source demonstration showcasing how Generative AI can change marketing with the power of tools like BigQuery, Gemini, Spanner, and Vertex AI on Google Cloud. Explore the details on GitHub.

Recommendations GA4

Florijan Abazi discovered that GA4 has now recommendations you can apply.

Mail new user GMC

Emmanuel Flossie discovered that you will now receive an email if a new user is added to a Google Merchant Center account!

Eligible section Ads

Christine Zirnheld discovered that Ad Preview Diagnosis info is now available in the ads tab for RSAs!

New LSA favicon

Anthony Higman discovered a new favicon for LSA Ads.

New Merchant Center Recommendations in GA4

Arpan Banerjee just send me that Google will now help you identify and fix product disapprovals from Google Merchant Center, ensuring your items can appear in Google Shopping results and Shopping ads.

These new recommendations, found in Google Analytics on the Home page, Insights hub, Reports snapshot, and the Acquisition overview report, alert you to issues preventing your products from being approved in Google Merchant Center.

Official announcement Demand Gen D & V 360

Google announced that Demand Gen is now available in Display & Video 360!

New membership pricing info

Emmanuel Flossie discovered that Google has added the following new info on membership pricing: As part of free membership signup, Merchants may verify the new account information via an activation code sent by email or by SMS.

Looker Studio Update - November 21, 2024

View All Filters: Report viewers can now see all filters applied to a report, even those they can’t edit.

Filter Value Suggestions: Editors can choose from suggested filter values based on the underlying data when using "Equal to (=)" or "In" conditions. This works for all data connectors and can be disabled.

Looker Connector Enhancements:

Filter-only fields can be used as report controls or quick filters.

Filter value suggestions are now displayed using LookML's suggest_dimension and suggest_exploredefinitions for "Equal to (=)" and "In" conditions.

Google Ads Policy Update: Misleading Ad Design

Starting January 23, 2025, ads using standalone buttons in image ads without clear context or with disproportionate prominence will be restricted. Full enforcement will roll out over 8 weeks.

Violations won’t lead to immediate account suspension; a warning will be issued at least 7 days in advance.

Review your ads and remove non-compliant ones by January 23, 2025.

New GA4 feature

New GA4 feature spotted by Kyle Rushton McGregor the ability to copy exploration reports across properties.

AI Sales Assistant

Google is testing with an AI Sales Assistant directly in search results! Very interesting. Video credits SERP Alert

Update to Discover Feed Advertising Policies

I just got this message from Arpan Banerjee that starting January 2025, Google will streamline advertising policies to simplify compliance and enhance clarity.

Key Changes:

Retirement of Discover Feed-specific requirements: The Discover Feed ads format requirements will be removed.

Unified Ad Standards for YouTube & Discover Feed: Image, text, and video policies will be consolidated under YouTube Ad Standards, ensuring consistency across platforms. Gmail will align with Google Ads and Personalized Ads Policies.

What This Means:

Simplified Compliance: Manage ad quality guidelines under a single, unified standard.Streamlined Process: Save time aligning with one set of policies.

New confirmation box

Hana Kobzová discovered that Google Ads has added a new confirmation box for various appeal types!

Audience insights DV360 Line items

Emirhan Bayutmuş discovered that audience Insights for DV360 Line İtems are now available.

V202411 Google Ad Manager API

The v202411 release of the Google Ad Manager API is now live as of November 21, 2024.

Key updates include:

- Support for INVENTORY_FORMAT reporting dimensions.

- Removal of GOOGLE as a GrpProvider.

- The EndDateTime field in the PublisherQueryLanguageService Line_Item table has been renamed to ServingEndTime to better distinguish it from LineItem.endDateTime.

The value remains inclusive of any grace period. These changes are effective immediately.

New Policy Japan

In January 2025, the Japan country-specifics of the Healthcare and medicines policy will be updated to allow online pharmacies and telemedicine providers to promote prescription drug services.

Update Taiwan Policy

On November 5, 2024, Google updated the disclosing info in relation to “Act for Prevention and Control of Hazards of Fraudulent Crimes” of Taiwan (“Taiwan Anti-Fraud Act”).

API 2025 Schedule

Google released their API 2025 release and sunset schedule!

Creative Studio Q1

Deepak Prajapati discovered that Ads Creative Studio will sunset in 2025 Q1.

GA4 Issue

GA4 had some issues with registering data that issue is now fixed.

Response Google DOJ

Georgi Zayakov sent me a new article from Google where they react to the DOJ case and the consequences for them.

The U.S. Department of Justice's (DOJ) recent proposal in its lawsuit against Google would have severe consequences for both consumers and America’s global tech leadership. Instead of addressing the case's main issue, the DOJ has suggested drastic changes that go far beyond the court's original ruling.

These changes could harm Google's products, including Search, Chrome, and potentially Android, compromising security, privacy, and user experience.

The proposal also risks disclosing sensitive personal data and stifling investment in AI, a key innovation where Google plays a leading role.

Additionally, it could disrupt businesses like Mozilla and introduce excessive government control over Google's operations, harming consumers and the broader tech ecosystem.

This extreme intervention could undermine America's technological competitiveness at a critical time. Google plans to offer its proposals in response next month.

New Customer Match for Google Analytics

Google now allows you to use Customer Match to enhance Analytics audiences exported to linked advertising products like Google Ads, Display & Video 360, and Search Ads 360. By matching hashed, consented first-party data with Google data, this feature:

- Expands your addressable audience when other identifiers are unavailable.

- Maximizes remarketing efforts by reaching highly relevant audiences.

How to Enable Customer Match:

- Set up user-provided data collection on your website.

- Link your Google Analytics property with your advertising products.

- Enable personalized advertising.This integration improves campaign reach and effectiveness by leveraging your first-party data.

New Shopping experience

Google is transforming shopping experiences both online and in-store with AI-powered updates:

AI-Powered In-Store Insights:

Google Lens now provides tailored product details for in-store shoppers, showing price comparisons, reviews, and similar products. This is powered by the Shopping Graph’s 45 billion+ product listings and AI advancements. Available in the U.S. for beauty, toys, and electronics.

Local Product Search in Maps:

Starting this holiday season, Google Maps lets users search for specific items (e.g., festive sweaters) and see nearby stores with relevant inventory. Available soon in the U.S.Expanded

Payment Options:

Google Pay adds Afterpay, with Klarna coming soon, alongside buy now, pay later options from Affirm and Zip. Virtual cards now include Discover for secure transactions. Google is also piloting tools to help merchants detect and prevent fraud.

New sitelinks test

Arpan Banerjee discovered this new design test with the sitelinks from Google Ads.

New account creation

Goran Vuzem discovered a new account creation when you're creating an account from MCC!

Conversion Action WhatsApp

Arpan Banerjee discovered that it looks like Google has introduced a new conversion action called "conversation started." He believed this appeared when the WhatsApp message asset was used.

New Demand Gen settings

Campaigns can now be duplicated and automatically saves the URL, logo, titles, and descriptions so you only have to change the creatives.

So, if for example you have a video + feed, you can duplicate it for the image + feed format, removing the videos, keeping everything else and only having to upload the new videos to Google.

Discovered by CrackPPC - Digital Marketing Agency - Google Shopping & Merchant Specialists

Improvements to Google Analytics cost data import

Google has made it easier to understand your imported ads cost data in Google Analytics.

You can now get insights into your imported cost data even if there was no matching record for the required dimensions.

In an effort to reduce friction and increase the usefulness of your imported cost data, Google has changed how Google Analytics handles unmatched imported cost data.

Google Analytics will now report your cost, impressions and/or clicks on any combination of the imported required dimensions.

This change gives you a more complete and accurate view of your advertising performance, leading to better informed decisions and more effective campaign optimization.

New Tracking setup design

Soufiane Cheffaj discovered that Google is testing a new Tracking setup design!

Extra information on NFL Sunday Ticket Lineup Targeting on YouTube

Google posted new information about the NFL Sunday Tick Lineup Targeting.

When booking NFL Lineup ads (US only) on YouTube, only a limited set of targeting options are available to "ensure" optimal performance.

Supported Targeting:Age (2+ buckets), Gender, Location (minimum 5 states), and Campaign duration (at least 2 weeks).

Discouraged Targeting:Languages, Devices, Demographics, and Audience/Channel Exclusions may cause underdelivery.

Ad Formats:Non-skippable, skippable in-stream ads, and bumper ads.Restrictions:No politics, gambling, or pharmaceuticals ads allowed.

For more information read this.

Change enhanced conversions

Starting in May 2025, Google Ads will automatically upgrade your account to use enhanced conversions at the account level if no action is taken.

Here's how the change impacts your account and settings:

Automatic Selection of Implementation Method:

If you haven’t manually chosen an implementation method for enhanced conversions, Google will select one based on your current setup.This means if you're using both Google tag and Google Tag Manager, Google will default to one of these methods and apply it to all your conversion actions.Impact on

Existing Conversion Actions:

Existing Actions with Enhanced Conversions: These will continue benefiting from enhanced conversions at the account level, with no disruption.Existing Actions without Enhanced Conversions: These will be automatically upgraded to use enhanced conversions, unless they were explicitly opted out.

New Conversion Actions:

Any new conversion actions you create after the upgrade will inherit the account-level enhanced conversions settings, meaning they’ll automatically have enhanced conversions enabled.

Tag Settings Consolidation:

All your enhanced conversion settings will be managed at the account level, meaning individual conversion action settings will no longer exist.If you have Google tag settings set up for other features like Google Analytics, those settings will be merged with the new account-level enhanced conversion settings.

Action Required:

To avoid any automatic changes, you should choose one of the following implementation methods before the May 2025 deadline:

Google Tag

Google Tag Manager

Google Ads API

You can manage and update these settings in your Google Ads Data Manager.

By May 2025, if you haven’t selected a method or opted out, Google will automatically apply the account-level enhanced conversion setup based on your current configuration.

To ensure seamless performance and avoid disruptions, select your preferred data collection method ahead of time.

For more information read this.

DOJ Case against Google

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) is planning aggressive remedies following its antitrust victory against Google, including a potential forced sale of Google's Chrome browser.

This action stems from the DOJ's successful case against Google's search monopoly, and the proposed remedies aim to increase competition in the digital marketplace.

Key proposals include forcing Google to sell Chrome, separating Android from Google Search and Play, expanding advertiser control, restricting Google's AI content use, and banning exclusive search contracts.

These measures are designed to limit Google's ability to cross-promote its products, which the DOJ argues has stifled competition.

Google has criticized these proposals as overly broad, and the judge's response will determine how significantly Google's business model may need to change....

Top Changes Google Ads

Google released a page with what they think are their top launches of 2024. You can check it here.

Encrypt Data

Ginny Marvin posted that advertisers now also have the option to encrypt their data themselves and receive proof. This optional technique works using customer-owned encryption keys managed by Google Cloud Key Management Service. There is a nominal cost associated with this option.

In Store & Online

Sachin Patel & Barry Schwartz discovered this "in store" and "online" tab sponsored ads interface for its search ads and a near you tab. Looks new to me!

New Carousel test

Thomas Eccel discovered this new carousel test from Google.Not that when clicking on the Ad, you won't get redirected to the website but the Google My Business site will open.

New shopping incentive

Arpan Banerjee spotted a new promotion incentive I had not seen before. It is called Cashback! Have you guys seen this before?

Roll-out AI overview Ads

Google has started integrating sponsored ads into its AI Overview feature, as seen in a recent U.S. mobile search example shared by James F Gibbons on X & Barry Schwartz. This marks an initial rollout of paid listings in AI-driven search summaries.

New Feature in Google Merchant Center - Sale Price Suggestions

Yash Mandlesha discovered that Google has introduced a new feature called Sale Price Suggestions in Google Merchant Center, designed to optimize pricing for businesses running Shopping Ads.

Big promotion screen

Barry Schwartz discovered that Google Ads is pushing this big promotion full screen, looks like they also want some profit in Q4.

New Photo Test

Anthony Higman discovered a new test where photos are smaller & centered on a grey background.

Ad Grants

Jason King discovered that you can see if Ads are funded by Google Ad Grants.

Pmax Retail guide

Yesterday Google launched a short "guide" on how to get your Performance Max campaigns ready for the retail holidays. For more information go to this page.

Payment section change

Anthony Higman stated that the payment methods section in Google Ads is going away soon and will be moved to the billing section as a drop-down.

Google lowers the price for advice

Florijan Abazi & Hana Kobzová discovered that Google has changed the price for advice. Before a 45-minute consult was 50 USD.

Prompting search engine

Jordan Fry discovered that ChatGPT is prompting users to download their new Chrome extension which would switch the default search engine to ChatGPT Google then prompts you to change it back.

LSA

LSA are now showing up in the search results discovered by Anthony Higman & Leonard Raleigh!

Asset coverage reporting Pmax

Maximilian vom Eyser just posted that asset Coverage Reporting in PMax campaigns is now available to more advertisers globally. The rollout is ongoing, but check if your accounts are available.

UPDATE: Google’s Compliance with the Digital Markets Act (DMA)

Rudolph Dekker just sent me that to align with the EU’s DMA, Google has made major changes to its search services in Germany, Belgium, and Estonia.

Key Changes:

Hotel-related features: Temporarily removed from Google Search.

No maps or rich results: Results will show only simple website links (“ten blue links” format).

These changes aim to comply with the DMA but have impacted suppliers like hotels and airlines, with some reporting up to 30% fewer direct bookings.

Google seeks to balance compliance with innovation and user value.

Local Map

Anthony Higman discovered that Google is now showing ads at the top of each page in the local map!

£7 billion class action lawsuit in the UK

Google is set to face trial in a £7 billion class action lawsuit in the UK, following the Competition Appeal Tribunal's decision to proceed.

The lawsuit, filed by consumer rights advocate Nikki Stopford, accuses Google of abusing its dominant search engine position to inflate advertising costs, which are passed on to consumers.

Allegations include forcing Android manufacturers to pre-install Google apps and paying Apple billions to remain the default iPhone search engine.

The case includes all UK consumers aged 16 and over unless they opt out. Google, which denies the claims, argues the case lacks merit.

The trial adds to Google’s mounting legal challenges, including scrutiny from the US Department of Justice, which has proposed measures like selling Chrome to curb Google’s dominance.

Meet Copycat

Christoph Scherf announced a new open solotion tool called CopyCat.

Powered by Gemini, Copycat analyzes your Search ads to create custom, on-brand ads for new keywords—fast and effortless. Open-source on GitHub.

Check it out here.

New Custom Channel Groups support manual ad content

You can now use the manual ad content parameter as a condition group when creating a new custom channel!

New Black buttons

Emil Buur 🧬 discovered that Google is testing with black buttons.

Coming Soon: Display & Video 360 Updates (Nov 11, 2024)

Arpan Banerjee just sent me these new updates for DV360:Floodlight Picker Update:

See assigned advertisers for Floodlight Configuration IDs to simplify report setup.

YouTube Ad Previews: Preview video creatives across formats and devices in real-time.

New Cross-Media Metrics: Gain insights with "TV Campaign Reach" and co-viewing metrics in Cross-Media Reach reports.

Gold buttons

Leonard Raleigh & Barry Schwartz discovered that Google is testing with gold buttons for Phone calls!

Account Administrators

Google Ads has rolled out a new feature that allows Google Ads account administrators to grant access to a service account. Once the access has been granted, you can use the service account credentials to make API calls to that Google Ads account and other accounts in that hierarchy, if applicable.

Bug Shopping

Arpan Banerjee discovered an error in the shopping results!

Key Updates to Demand Gen Campaign Policies (Effective January 2025)

Google has made updates for Demand Gen, this was announced last week but they now provided more information.

Policy Simplification:

- Demand Gen campaign policies are being retired and integrated into unified ad requirements for YouTube, Discover feed, and Gmail.

- A single, clear set of standards will replace current Demand Gen-specific guidelines.

Unified Ad Standards:

- All image, text, and video assets must meet YouTube’s ad quality policies and Google Ads editorial standards.

- Stricter enforcement on clarity, spelling, grammar, and visual quality.

Prohibited Content:

- Bans on exaggerated claims, violent or distressing imagery, overly sexual content, and misleading interactivity.

- Restrictions on ads emphasizing personal attributes or promoting sensitive or invasive topics.

Automated Reviews:- Enhanced automated checks for ad quality; disapprovals may lead to temporary or permanent suspension if violations persist.

Simplified Compliance:- Centralized policies streamline adherence and reduce confusion.- Resources, including YouTube ad guidelines and Google Ads support, will assist advertisers during the transition.

Generate report

Slobodan Jelisavac just posted that he saw the generate report function live! Now this is a new feature that is slowly rolling out. I have seen it before but if you have not seen it check your reports tab and see if you have access!

BF Results

Black Friday 2024 saw a 3.4% year-over-year increase in spending, driven by a 14.6% rise in online sales, while in-store sales grew just 0.7% (Mastercard).

Adjusted for inflation, in-store spending declined 8% (Facteus). Popular purchases included makeup, Bluetooth speakers, and espresso machines.

E-commerce platforms like Amazon, Walmart, Shein, and TikTok Shop thrived, while traditional retailers like Macy's and Target faced muted sales.

The shorter holiday season and consumer preference for online bargains were key factors in the shift toward digital shopping.

November finished

That's all the news from week November If you want to read all the news, check my website.

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