Google Ads newsletter - week 49

Welcome to the Google Ads newsletter. In this newsletter, you will read all the news about Google Ads from week 49.

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• Faulty, inaccurate conversion tracking.

You might track 80 out of 100 orders - and see that your ads run unprofitable - when the reality is different.

You feel hesitant to scale ad spend, and clients are skeptical about how you justify distributing ad spending across marketing channels.

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Read more about the ProfitMetrics server-side tracking tool, Conversion Booster, and book a demo with our account managers to get started.

Black Friday Deal - LAST DAY

The PPC industry is changing fast. If you want to be up to date. The Google Ads newsletter is the source that posts all the news, insights, and docs every week.

And instead of clients talking about new changes in the industry to you...(the worst feeling)

You can now suggest new things to them! To make it better I have a Black Friday deal.

You can try the newsletter with the first month for only 1 euro. Subscribe here.

Google Ads

eCommerce Barometer

Black Friday vs. Black Week 2024 Ebarometer: ProfitMetrics.io InsightsThe latest data highlights key trends for Black Friday, Black Week, and November:

Black Friday:

Exceptional growth with turnover up 5.72%, gross profit 6.13%, and orders 11.59%. However, ad spend surged 17.66%, increasing acquisition costs.

Black Week: Declines in turnover (-7.8%) and gross profit (-7.45%) point to a stronger focus on Black Friday campaigns.

November: Overall performance dipped, with turnover down 3.5% and gross profit 7.45%, despite a modest 3.2% rise in orders.

Key takeaway: Black Friday dominates, while Black Week and November face mixed results.

New Google test

Google is testing with new text in advertisements. In this example that Arpan Banerjee send me you see a second line of text in a smaller size.

New Test

Gagan Ghotra & Anthony Higman discovered these news attributes showing up next to the brand name!

Glitch?

Haha found by Sagar Bisht glitch or a good Photoshop 🤣

Ad Strength

Sagar Bisht & Hana Kobzová spotted that Google is now showing this symbol for ad strenght.

GA4 update

Arpan Banerjee discovered that for most properties, you must now have a config command or the Google Tag installed on a web page for custom events to be sent.

New Ad Format test

The new ad format spotted by Thomas Eccel looks like an LSA Ad on top of the search results. When clicking on the Ad get a re-direct to the Google My Business profile.

Shopping Ads X YouTube

Dennis Westphal & Hana Kobzová discovered that Shopping Ads are now live on Google Ads.

Update Integrated CMP

Integrated CMP setup in the Google Tag UI is now fully available for some CMPs.

Connect your CMP (Cookiebot Web CMP by Usercentrics in my case) & configure consent settings within the Google Tag UI in Google Ads, Google Analytics, Campaign Manager 360, or Google Tag Manager.

2 ads in one area

Spotted by Rüdiger Rudolph 2 ads in 1 section and three below that 🤔

New stickers live?

Arpan Banerjee discovers this new image in YouTube ads! Are these the new stickers?

New key events recommendations

Arpan Banerjee just sent to me that Google has released two new streamlined recommendations: Mark as key event or create key events.

Google’s New Dating and Companionship Ads Policy Launching March 2025

Starting March 4, 2025, Google will implement a new Dating and Companionship Ads policy.

Advertisers must complete Google’s certification process to run ads related to dating or companionship services.

Updates will also shift relevant rules from the Inappropriate Content and Sexual Content policies into this new policy, with full enforcement ramping up in the weeks following.

Prohibited Ads:

The policy bans ads that:

- Promote underage dating.

- Misrepresent the target audience through imagery or text.

- Advertise compensated companionship, dating, or sexual acts.

- Promote exploitative dating, mail-order spouses, or deceptive dating services.

Restricted Ads:

Certain ad categories will face restrictions, including:

- Hook-up, fling, swinger, or affair dating services.

- Sexual fetish dating.

- Apps or sites with nudity or sexually suggestive content, including racy imagery on landing pages (e.g., lingerie or partially nude figures).

Restrictions will vary based on factors like user age, local laws, SafeSearch settings, and search queries.

Advertisers must ensure compliance by completing certification or removing affected ads before March 4, 2025.

Where to buy

SERP Alert discovered that Google is testing the where-to-buy card.

No personalization

Barry Schwartz discovered this SERP where you could test with no personalization results.

Audience Segment Errors in Demand Gen Campaigns

Rakshit Shetty just texted me about an error in the audience segment.

Are you seeing "Unsupported Audience Segment" when setting up your Demand Gen campaigns?

You’re not alone—I’ve got your back!

What’s Up?

- Tons of users have reported this to Google.-

Good news:

A fix is in the works, and updates are rolling out!

Quick Tip:

- Google says to launch the campaign anyway, but serving issues seem minimal.

New Tools to Boost Agency Efficiency

Google has introduced enhanced tools and curation capabilities in Google Ad Manager to help agencies optimize workflows, improve forecasting, and manage direct publisher deals more effectively.

Key Highlights:

New Curation Capabilities:

- Simplifies discovering and activating ideal inventory.

- Allows agencies to connect with trusted partners and access curated inventory packages and data segments directly in their accounts.

- Eliminates the hassle of separate billing for data providers and curators.

Enhanced Inventory Control:

- Supports integration with partners like Audigent, IAS, LiveRamp, Scope3, and more.

- Agencies gain insights for accurate forecasting and improved audience match rates.

- Focus on sustainability by selecting low-emission inventory segments.

Streamlined Programmatic Buying:

- Unified tools for reporting, discovery, and forecasting across DSPs.

- Simplifies negotiation with publishers using a single deal ID for buying platforms, including Display & Video 360 and Yahoo DSP.

Impact:

- These updates enhance agency-publisher collaboration, simplify operations, and provide tools for sustainability

-focused and data-driven advertising.

- Agencies can explore these features with their Google representative for further optimization.

Display & Video 360 API - December 2024 Update

New Features:

- Support for additional exchanges.

- Increased max page size to 5000 for audience list requests.

Set pageSize to this value for better quota use.

Actions:

- Update your client library.

- Check release notes for details.

- Use the new support form for assistance.

New Feedback system

YouTube has a new "feedback" format to ask users if targeting for a specific Demand Gen/YouTube ad is accurate or not.

Without headlines & description

Thomas Eccel spotted this Demand Gen ad without headlines and descriptions!

Line Items DV360

Emirhan Bayutmuş discovered that line items are now available in DV360 for everybody.

Looker Studio Update - December 5, 2024:

New Learning Resources in Looker Studio Labs:

Learn basic and advanced features with Cloud Skills Boost Labs:

- Create a report in Looker Studio.

- Looker Studio Pro Essentials.

New Conversational Analytics Guide:

- An educational guide to help you use Conversational Analytics, a Gemini feature in Looker.

- Access it by selecting Create > Conversation.

Autogenerated Chart Titles:

- When the Show title option is enabled, Looker Studio automatically generates chart titles based on the chart type and the fields used.

- Users can also add custom titles by editing the Title field.

Expanded Data from the New Search Ads 360 Connector:

Additional fields now available for visualization:

- Conversions (by conv. time).

- All conv. rate.

- Cost / client account conv.

- Google Ads Auction-time bidding.

- Currency code.

These updates enhance usability, visualization, and analytical capabilities in Looker Studio.

Drive offline sales with online ads

It looks like Google has released a new guide on how to drive offline sales with online ads.

Tips for Driving Offline Sales with Online Ads:

Build Your Digital Shop Front

- Create a Business Profile to manage your locations on Google Search and Maps, ensuring customers can easily find your shop online and offline.

Deliver Compelling Ad Creative

- Use location-based messaging, attractive promotions (e.g., "15% off" or "Buy One Get One Free"), and engaging visuals like short videos and clear images to encourage store visits.

Use the Right Tools

- Leverage Smart Bidding, Performance Max, and Local Inventory Ads to optimize for shop visits and omnichannel sales.

Measure the Offline Impact of Online Ads

- Utilize tools like shop visits conversions, local actions, and shop sales measurement to track how online ads influence in-store visits and sales.

For more information read this article.

Update Google Ads Personalized advertising policy

Google has updated the Google Ads Personalized advertising policy for improved organization, clarity and readability.

This update, which will be published December 6, 2024, is administrative only and does not change the substance or the enforcement of the Personalized advertising policy.

Week 49 finished

That's all the news from week 49! If you want to read all the news, check my website.

Want to sponsor the newsletter? Send me a message or mail to info@adriaan-dekker.nl