Microsoft Advertising today launched the Publisher Content Marketplace (PCM), a system that lets publishers license premium content to AI products and get paid based on how that content is used.

How it works. PCM creates a direct value exchange. Publishers set licensing and usage terms, while AI builders discover and license content for specific grounding scenarios. The marketplace also includes usage-based reporting, giving publishers visibility into how their content performs and where it creates the most value.

Designed to scale. PCM is designed to avoid one-off licensing deals between individual publishers and AI providers. Participation is voluntary, ownership remains with publishers, and editorial independence stays intact. The marketplace supports everyone from global publishers to smaller, specialized outlets.

Why we care. As AI systems shift from answering questions to making decisions, content quality matters more than ever. As agents increasingly guide purchases, finance, and healthcare choices, ads and sponsored messages will sit alongside — or draw from — premium content rather than generic web signals. That raises the bar for credibility and points to a future where brand alignment with trusted publishers and AI ecosystems directly impacts performance.

Early traction. Microsoft Advertising co-designed PCM with major U.S. publishers, including Business Insider, Condé Nast, Hearst, The Associated Press, USA TODAY, and Vox Media. Early pilots grounded Microsoft Copilot responses in licensed content, with Yahoo among the first demand partners now onboarding.

What’s next. Microsoft plans to expand the pilot to more publishers and AI builders that share a core belief: as the AI web evolves, high-quality content should be respected, governed, and paid for.

The big picture. In an agentic web, AI tools increasingly summarize, reason, and recommend through conversation. Whether the topic is medical safety, financial eligibility, or a major purchase, outcomes depend on access to trusted, authoritative sources — many of which sit behind paywalls or in proprietary archives.

The tension. The traditional web bargain was simple: publishers shared content, and platforms sent traffic back. That model breaks down when AI delivers answers directly, cutting clicks while still depending on premium content to perform well.

Bottom line. If AI is going to make better decisions, it needs better inputs — and PCM is Microsoft’s bet that a sustainable content economy can power the next phase of the agentic web.

Microsoft’s announcement. Building Toward a Sustainable Content Economy for the Agentic Web

As part of the v23 Ads API launch, Performance Max campaigns can now be reported by channel, including Search, YouTube, Display, Discover, Gmail, Maps, and Search Partners. Previously, performance data was largely grouped into a single mixed category.

The change under the hood. Earlier API versions typically returned a MIXED value for the ad_network_type segment in Performance Max campaigns. With v23, those responses now break out into specific channel enums — a meaningful shift for reporting and optimization.

Why we care. Google Ads API v23 doesn’t just add features — it changes how advertisers understand Performance Max. The update introduces channel-level reporting, giving marketers long-requested visibility into where PMax ads actually run.

How advertisers can use it. Channel-level data is available at the campaign, asset group, and asset level, allowing teams to see how individual creatives perform across Google properties. When combined with v22 segments like ad_using_video and ad_using_product_data, advertisers can isolate results such as video performance on YouTube or Shopping ads on Search.

For developers. Upgrading to v23 will surface more detailed reporting than before. Reporting systems that relied on the legacy MIXED value will need to be updated to handle the new channel enums.

What to watch:

• Channel data is only available for dates starting June 1, 2025.
• Asset group–level channel reporting remains API-only and won’t appear in the Google Ads UI.

Bottom line. The latest Google Ads API release quietly delivers one of the biggest Performance Max updates yet — turning a black-box campaign type into something advertisers can finally analyze by channel.

Search marketing is still as powerful as ever. Google recently surpassed $100 billion in ad revenue in a single quarter, with more than half coming from search. But search alone can no longer deliver the same results most businesses expect.

As Google Ads Coach Jyll Saskin Gales showed at SMX Next, real performance now comes from going beyond traditional search and using it to strengthen a broader PPC strategy.

The challenge with traditional Search Marketing

As search marketers, we’re great at reaching people who are actively searching for what we sell. But we often miss people who fit our ideal audience and aren’t searching yet.

The real opportunity sits at the intersection of intent and audience fit.

Take the search [vacation packages]. That query could come from a family with young kids, a honeymooning couple, or a group of retirees. The keyword is the same, but each audience needs a different message and a different offer.

Understanding targeting capabilities in Google Ads

There are two main types of targeting:

• Content targeting shows ads in specific places.
• Audience targeting shows ads to specific types of people.

For example, targeting [flights to Paris] is content targeting. Targeting people who are “in-market for trips to Paris” is audience targeting. Google builds in-market audiences by analyzing behavior across multiple signals, including searches, browsing activity, and location.

The three types of content targeting

• Keyword targeting: Reach people when they search on Google, including through dynamic ad groups and Performance Max.
• Topic targeting: Show ads alongside content related to specific topics in display and video campaigns.
• Placement targeting: Put ads on specific websites, apps, YouTube channels, or videos where your ideal customers already spend time.

The four types of audience targeting

• Google’s data: Prebuilt segments include detailed demographics (such as parents of toddlers vs. teens), affinity segments (interests like vegetarianism), in-market segments (people actively researching purchases), and life events (graduating or retiring). Any advertiser can use these across most campaign types.
• Your data: Target website visitors, app users, people who engaged with your Google content (YouTube viewers or search clickers), and customer lists through Customer Match. Note that remarketing is restricted for sensitive interest categories.
• Custom segments: Turn content targeting into audience targeting by building segments based on what people search for, their interests, and the websites or apps they use. These go by different names depending on campaign type—“custom segments” in most campaigns and “custom search terms” in video campaigns.
• Automated targeting: This includes optimized targeting (finding people similar to your converters), audience expansion in video campaigns, audience signals and search themes in Performance Max, and lookalike segments that model new users from your seed lists.

Building your targeting strategy

To build a modern targeting strategy, you need to answer two questions:

• How can I sell my offer with Google Ads?
• How can I reach a specific kind of person with Google Ads?

For example, to reach Google Ads practitioners for lead gen software, you could build custom segments that target people who use the Google Ads app, visit industry sites like searchengineland.com, or search for Google Ads–specific terms such as “Performance Max” or “Smart Bidding.”

You can also layer in content targeting, like YouTube placements on industry educator channels and topic targeting around search marketing.

Strategies for sensitive interest categories

If you work in a restricted category such as legal or healthcare and can’t use custom segments or remarketing, use non-linear targeting. Ignore the offer and focus on the audience. Choose any Google data audience with potential overlap, even if it’s imperfect, and let your creative do the filtering.

Use industry-specific jargon, abbreviations, and imagery that only your target audience will recognize and value. Everyone else will scroll past.

Remember: High CPCs aren’t the enemy

Low-quality traffic is the real problem. You’re better off paying $10 per click with a 10% conversion rate than $1 per click with a 0.02% conversion rate.

When evaluating targeting strategies, focus on conversion rate and cost per acquisition, not just cost per click.

Search alone can’t deliver the results you’re used to

By expanding beyond traditional search keywords and using content and audience targeting, you can reach the right people and keep driving strong results.

Watch: How to build a modern targeting strategy like a pro + Live Q&A

People inspecting ChatGPT responses are spotting references to ads in the page source. One line reads: “InReply to user query using the following additional context of ads shown to the user.” The reference appears even when no ad is actually displayed.

Driving the news. Digital Marketer Glenn Gabe first flagged the issue on X after noticing the ad-related language in ChatGPT’s source code. Others have since replicated it while testing commercial queries like auto insurance.

Why we care. Ads in ChatGPT have been talked about for weeks. This piece of code spotted signals that ChatGPT ads are moving from concept to near-launch, creating a new, high-intent advertising channel. The presence of ad logic in the system suggests targeting and eligibility are already being tested, favoring early advertisers.

With limited inventory and ads likely woven into conversational responses rather than shown as banners, this could become premium, high-impact real estate that directly competes with organic answers.

Between the lines. The ads aren’t visible, but the logic appears to be live. That suggests OpenAI may already be testing ad eligibility, suppression rules for paid tiers, or internal triggers ahead of a broader rollout.

Context. OpenAI confirmed in January that ads are coming to ChatGPT for some users. The company said ads would be sold on an impression basis, and early indications suggest they won’t be cheap.

Bottom line. ChatGPT may not be showing ads yet — but the infrastructure is already in place.

Dig deeper. Glenn Gabe spots code that shows ChatGPT ads is imminent.

Ads are now being tested in ChatGPT in the U.S., appearing for some users across different account types. For the first time, advertising is entering an AI answer environment – and that changes the rules for marketers.

We’ve used AI as part of ad creation or planning for years across Google, LinkedIn, and paid social. But placing ads inside an AI system that people trust to help them think, decide, and act is fundamentally different. This is not just another channel to plug into an existing media plan.

The biggest question is not targeting. It’s psychology. If advertisers simply replicate what works in search or social, performance will disappoint, and trust may suffer.

To succeed, brands need to understand how and why people use ChatGPT in the first place and what that means for attention, relevance, and the customer journey.

ChatGPT is a task environment, not a feed

People open ChatGPT to do something. That might be:

• Solving a specific problem.
• Refining a shortlist.
• Planning a trip.
• Writing something.
• Making sense of a complex decision. 

This is very different from feed-based platforms, where people expect to scroll, be interrupted, and discover content passively.

In task-based environments like ChatGPT, behavior changes:

• Goal shielding: Attention narrows to completing the task, filtering out anything that does not help progress.
• Interruption aversion: Unexpected distractions feel more irritating when someone is focused.
• Tunnel focus: Users prioritize clarity, speed, and momentum over exploration.

This is why clicks are likely to be harder to earn than many advertisers expect. If an ad does not help the user move forward with what they are trying to achieve, it will feel irrelevant, even if it is topically related.

Add to this the fact that trust in AI environments is still forming, and the tolerance for poor or interruptive advertising becomes even lower.

Dig deeper: OpenAI moves on ChatGPT ads with impression-based launch

When there are no search volumes, behavior becomes the strategy

For years, search volume has shaped how we plan.

Keywords told us what people wanted, how often they wanted it, and how competitive demand was. That logic underpinned both SEO and paid media strategy.

ChatGPT changes that.

People are not searching for keywords. They are outsourcing thinking. They describe situations, ask layered questions, and seek outcomes rather than information alone.

There is no query data to optimize against. Instead, success depends on understanding:

• What job the user is trying to get done.
• Which part of the journey they are choosing to outsource to AI.
• What kind of help they need in that moment.

This is where behavioral insight replaces keyword demand as the strategic foundation.

From keyword intent to behavior mode targeting

Rather than planning around queries, advertisers need to plan around behavior modes, the mindset a user is in when they turn to ChatGPT. 

A useful way to think about this is:

• Explore mode: The user is shaping a perspective or seeking inspiration.
• Ads that work here help people start, offering ideas, options, or reframing the problem.
• Reduce mode: The user is simplifying and narrowing choices. Effective ads reduce effort by clarifying differences and highlighting relevant trade-offs.
• Confirm mode: The user is looking for reassurance. This is where trust matters most: proof, reviews, guarantees, and credible signals.
• Act mode: The user wants to complete the task. Ads that remove friction perform best, clear pricing, availability, delivery, and next steps.

These modes closely mirror the human drivers we already recognize in search behavior: shaping perspective, informing, reassuring, and simplifying.

The difference is that ChatGPT compresses these moments into a single interface.

Dig deeper: What AI means for paid media, user behavior, and brand visibility

In ChatGPT, relevance is functional, not topical

A key shift advertisers need to internalize is that relevance in ChatGPT is not about being related. It is about being useful.

An ad can be perfectly aligned to a category and still fail if it does not help the user complete their task.

In a task environment, anything that creates extra work or pulls attention away from the goal feels like friction. This means the creative rules change.

High-performing ads are likely to behave less like traditional advertising and more like:

• Tools.
• Templates.
• Guides.
• Checklists.
• Shortcuts.
• Decision aids.

They fit into the flow of what the user is doing.

Generic brand ads, pure awareness messaging, and content that feels like a detour are likely to underperform.

Dig deeper: Your ads are dying: How to spot and stop creative fatigue before it tanks performance

Helpful content becomes the bridge across channels

The same assets that make a strong ChatGPT ad – practical guides, frameworks, calculators, explainers, and reassurance-led content – also do much more than support paid performance. 

They build authority for SEO and generative optimization, earn coverage and credibility through digital PR, and reinforce brand trust across social and owned channels.

This is where silos start to break performance.

Paid media teams cannot create “helpful ads” in isolation if SEO teams are working on authority, PR teams are building trust signals, and brand teams are shaping voice independently. In AI-led discovery, these signals converge.

The most effective ads may borrow from:

• Brand voice for clarity and consistency.
• Trusted voice through reviews, experts, or third-party validation.
• Amplified voice via media coverage and recognizable authority.

The line between advertising, content, and credibility becomes increasingly blurred.

Measurement needs a reset

Judging ChatGPT ads purely on click-through rate risks missing their real impact.

In many cases, these ads may influence decisions without triggering an immediate click. They may help a brand enter a shortlist, feel safer, or be remembered when the user returns later through another channel.

More meaningful indicators may include:

• Shortlist inclusion.
• Brand recall.
• Assisted conversions.
• Branded search uplift.
• Direct traffic uplift.
• Downstream conversion lift.

This reinforces the need for teams to work more closely together. If performance is distributed across the journey, measurement and accountability must be too.

Dig deeper: AI tools for PPC, AI search, and social campaigns: What’s worth using now

The brands that win will understand behavior best

This is not simply a new ad format. We are looking at a behavioral shift.

The brands most likely to succeed will not be the ones that move fastest or spend the most. They will be the ones who understand:

• What people actually use ChatGPT for.
• Which moments of the journey are being outsourced to AI.
• How to support those moments without breaking trust.

A practical starting point is returning to jobs-to-be-done thinking. Map the actions that happen before someone buys, inquires, or commits and identify where AI reduces effort, uncertainty, or complexity.

From there, the question becomes more powerful than “how do we advertise here?”:

How can we be genuinely helpful at the moment it matters?

That mindset will not only shape performance in ChatGPT, but across the wider future of AI-led discovery. And in that world, behavioral intent will matter far more than keywords ever did.

For years, conversations about paid media have revolved around one question: should companies build in-house teams or outsource to agencies?

That debate makes sense, but it misses the real issue. The problem isn’t where paid media sits in the org chart. It’s how performance leadership is structured.

Many companies run Google Ads and other paid channels with capable teams, solid budgets, and documented best practices. Campaigns are live. Dashboards are full. Optimizations happen on schedule. Yet:

• Results stall. 
• Pipelines flatten. 
• Budgets get questioned. 
• Confidence in paid advertising erodes.

This is rarely a talent issue. It’s usually a structural one.

The plateau most in-house teams eventually hit

Across dozens of B2B paid media accounts, from SaaS to service businesses spending five figures a month, we see the same pattern.

Performance does not collapse overnight. It slows gradually.

Campaigns keep running. Costs look stable. Leads still come in. But growth stalls. Leadership sees motion without insight. Decisions turn reactive. Paid media shifts from a growth engine to a cost center that has to defend its existence.

The gap isn’t effort or execution. Over time, strategy narrows when teams work in isolation.

Why ‘more headcount’ rarely fixes the problem

When performance stalls, the default response is to hire. A new specialist. A channel owner. A more senior role.

Extra resources can ease the workload, but headcount alone rarely fixes the real problem. 

In in-house teams, three challenges are consistent:

1. Tracking and leadership visibility

Leadership teams often lack a clear, shared view of how paid media drives pipeline and revenue. The data exists, but it’s scattered across disconnected platforms, tools, and dashboards. 

Without strong integrations, even well-run campaigns operate with weak feedback loops, limiting how much they can improve.

2. Structure and skill ceiling

Many teams try to follow proven best practices. The issue isn’t intent. It’s context. What works for one company or growth stage can be ineffective, or even harmful, for another. 

Without external benchmarks or fresh perspectives, teams struggle to see what actually applies to their business.

3. Lack of systematic testing

Day-to-day execution eats up available capacity. Teams focus on keeping things stable instead of pushing performance forward. Testing starts to feel risky, even though real gains usually come from the few experiments that work.

Over time, this creates the illusion of optimization: steady activity without meaningful progress.

The same mistake happens before ads ever launch

These structural issues don’t just affect companies already running paid media. They often show up earlier, before the first campaigns even launch.

In many B2B organizations, paid advertising enters the picture when growth from outbound sales, partnerships, or organic channels starts to slow. 

Budgets roll out cautiously. Execution gets delegated. Results are expected to emerge from platform defaults.

What’s usually missing is strategic ownership:

• Clear definitions of success that go beyond surface-level metrics
• Tracking that ties spend to pipeline, not just lead volume
• A testing roadmap aligned with revenue goals

Without this foundation, early results disappoint. Budgets get cut. Confidence fades. Paid media gets labeled ineffective before it has a real chance to work.

Ironically, this early phase is where external perspective can deliver the greatest long-term impact. It’s also when companies are least likely to seek it.

The structural advantage of outsourced performance leadership

Outsourcing is often framed as a way to cut costs or add execution power. In reality, its biggest advantage is perspective.

External performance teams work across many accounts, industries, and growth stages. They:

• Spot patterns earlier. 
• Know when platform recommendations favor spend growth over business outcomes. 
• Question assumptions internal teams may have stopped challenging.

That outside view matters most in areas like tracking architecture, platform integrations, and account structure, where partial best-practice adoption can quietly erode performance.

A common scenario looks like this: 

• Teams follow platform guidance but leave underlying martech gaps unresolved. 
• Systems don’t talk to each other. 
• Optimization signals weaken. 
• Budget efficiency drops, even though campaigns appear fully compliant.

When outsourcing actually works — and when it doesn’t

Outsourcing isn’t a cure-all. It breaks down when companies expect external partners to fix performance in isolation, or when strategy and execution live in separate worlds.

It works best as a hybrid model:

• Internal teams own execution and business context
• External experts bring strategic direction, structural resets, and ongoing challenge

In this setup, partners don’t replace teams. They raise the bar.

That’s why a specialized Google Ads agency creates the most value when the goal isn’t just running campaigns, but turning paid media back into a predictable, scalable growth lever.

A smarter model: External strategy, internal execution

High-performing organizations are increasingly separating strategy from execution volume.

They bring in outside expertise not because something is broken, but because they want:

• Objective assessments of performance and structure.
• Stronger attribution and tracking foundations.
• Disciplined experimentation frameworks.
• Clear accountability at the leadership level.

This approach builds momentum before budgets get cut, not after results decline. It also helps leadership understand why paid media performs the way it does, restoring confidence in the channel.

What high-performing companies do differently

Organizations that avoid long plateaus tend to:

• Treat paid media as a system, not a standalone channel.
• Invest early in clear tracking and strong integrations.
• Invite external challenge before performance slips.
• Accept that most tests will fail, knowing the few wins will compound.

In this context, outsourcing isn’t about cost efficiency. It’s about preserving strategic sharpness as platforms and markets evolve.

Final thought

The in-house versus outsourced debate reduces a deeper issue: who owns performance direction, and how often it gets challenged?

As paid media platforms automate and evolve, the companies that sustain growth aren’t the ones with the biggest teams. They’re the ones with the clearest perspective.

On episode 339 of PPC Live The Podcast, I speak to Kirk Williams, a long-time PPC professional who’s been in the industry since 2009. Kirk is the founder of Zato, a specialist PPC micro-agency, and the author of Ponderings of a PPC Professional and Stop the Scale. He’s also a familiar face on the global conference circuit, speaking at events like BrightonSEO, SMX, HeroConf, and more.

The big f-Up: Taking on the wrong clients

Kirk’s biggest mistake wasn’t a platform error or a bad bid — it was taking on clients who weren’t a good fit.

He explains that these decisions often came during moments of pressure: wanting to grow quickly, dealing with client churn, or navigating tougher economic periods. In those moments, warning signs were present, but ignored.

The result? Short-lived client relationships that drained time, energy, and morale.

Why “bad fit” clients are so costly

Kirk is careful to define “bad” not as morally wrong, but simply misaligned. A poor fit client creates several hidden costs:

• Emotional tax: Team members become drained by friction, conflict, and constant tension.
• Time tax: More calls, more explanations, more conflict resolution.
• Financial tax: Reduced profitability and, in some cases, refunded fees just to exit cleanly.

Over time, these costs compound and take focus away from clients where the agency can truly deliver value.

Red flags Kirk wishes he’d acted on sooner

Looking back at one particular client, Kirk shares several early warning signs he now takes far more seriously:

• Emotionally immature communication during discovery
• Aggressive or defensive reactions to pricing discussions
• Lack of respect for the agency as a separate business with its own boundaries
• A mindset that the agency exists solely to “serve” the client

These behaviors often signal deeper issues that surface later as unrealistic expectations and ongoing conflict.

Fit is about personality and expectations

Kirk emphasizes that fit isn’t only about whether someone is “nice.” You can have a pleasant contact who still isn’t a good match.

A major issue arises when clients expect PPC to outperform what the channel is realistically capable of delivering. If a business believes Google Ads alone should drive all growth — without brand, CRO, or other marketing channels — the relationship is set up to fail.

When expectations and reality don’t align, no amount of optimization will fix it.

The industry fit reality check

Some industries and client types simply aren’t a fit for every agency. Kirk openly shares that he avoids legal clients, not because they’re “bad,” but because the typical communication style and expectations don’t align with how he and his team work.

Fit is personal. Knowing who you don’t want to work with is just as important as knowing who you do.

The discovery process as a detective exercise

To solve the client-fit problem, Kirk overhauled his discovery process. Instead of selling first, he focuses on understanding.

Key areas he probes:

• Why the prospect is looking for an agency now
• How they believe PPC fits into their overall marketing strategy
• Whether they understand trade-offs between scale and efficiency
• What they disliked — and liked — about their previous agency

One standout question: “What’s something you liked about your last agency?”
If a prospect can’t answer it, that’s often a signal of unrealistic expectations rather than poor past performance.

Asking better questions improves sales, too

Counterintuitively, Kirk says deeper discovery doesn’t hurt sales — it improves them. Prospects can sense genuine curiosity and alignment. By the time pricing is discussed, both sides already understand whether the relationship makes sense.

The result is fewer rushed decisions, fewer failed engagements, and far stronger long-term partnerships.

PPC isn’t a standalone growth strategy

Both Anu and Kirk reinforce a critical point: PPC cannot — and should not — carry an entire business on its own.

Paid search works best as part of a broader marketing ecosystem that includes brand, product, customer experience, and other channels. When clients expect PPC to do “all the heavy lifting,” it’s a structural problem, not a performance one.

Final thoughts: protect your team and yourself

The biggest takeaway from this episode is simple but powerful: vetting clients is a mental health strategy as much as a business one.

Strong discovery processes protect agencies, consultants, and in-house teams from burnout, resentment, and constant uphill battles. Saying “no” early can be far healthier — and more profitable — than saying “yes” to the wrong opportunity.

Looking to take the next step in your search marketing career?

Below, you will find the latest SEO, PPC, and digital marketing jobs at brands and agencies. We also include positions from previous weeks that are still open.

Newest SEO Jobs

(Provided to Search Engine Land by SEOjobs.com)

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• Senior Digital Marketing Manager (SEO, UX, CRO)
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• Intermediate Search Specialist
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  We are seeking an intermediate-level SEO Specialist for Hive Digital, a cutting-edge and award-winning agency that prides itself on helping change the world for the better. We offer a highly collaborative team that works together to deliver the best possible outcomes for our clients in a fast-paced, fun work environment. Are you ready to bring […]
• SEO/Linkbuilding Specialist (iGaming)
  February 1, 2026
  Brazy.gg, a global iGaming holding company, is searching for a Middle SEO / Linkbuilding Specialist (iGaming). About the Project We are building a startup media network of content-driven websites focused on online casinos, slots, bonuses, and regulated iGaming markets. The project is already launched and will shortly expand across 4+ Tier 1 GEOs (Europe) and […]
• Digital Marketing Associate
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  Digital Marketing Associate (this is not a virtual position) Description JLB – An Inc. 5000, award winning marketing agency that is one of the fastest growing private businesses in the Nashville marketplace (www.jlbworks.com) based in Franklin TN. Become a part of an innovative team helping revolutionize the way Internet marketing services are developed and delivered […]
• SEO eCommerce & Marketing Assistant
  February 1, 2026
  Job Description Job Type: Full-Time, Hourly Starting Pay Range: $18.50 – $21.00/hour Working Hours: Monday – Friday, 8 AM  – 5 PM Location: Greenville, SC 29615​​ Minimum Experience: At least one year of experience using eCommerce platforms, performing data entry, or working in digital marketing Work Environment:  Office Setting, on-site Moderate to High Paced Work […]
• Senior Digital Marketing Specialist
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• Senior Digital Marketing Specialist
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  Are you ready to trade your job for a journey? Become a FlyMate! Passion, excitement & global collaboration are all core to what it means to be a FlyMate. At Flywire, we’re on a mission to deliver the world’s most important and complex payments. We use our Flywire Advantage – the combination of our next-gen […]
• Digital Marketing Specialist
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  Job Description Join AdPro 360 as our Full-Time Digital Marketing Specialist and embrace an exciting opportunity that puts your creativity and strategic thinking to the test. This role offers the flexibility to work from home, allowing you to balance your professional ambitions with personal priorities in a dynamic and supportive environment. With a competitive salary […]

Newest PPC and paid media jobs

(Provided to Search Engine Land by PPCjobs.com)

• Paid Search Manager ~ Clutch ~ $85,000-$95,000 ~ Hybrid (New York, NY, United States)
  February 2, 2026
  Title: Paid Search Manager Location: New York, NY (hybrid Tues-Thurs) Salary Range: $85-95k Clutch Creative is a rapidly growing staffing agency. We support our clients by identifying unreachable talent that helps their businesses grow. Our candidates work with us because they know we have the best opportunities available to them and will help them navigate […]
• Manager, Paid Search ~ Hearts & Science ~ $50,000-$95,000 ~ Hybrid (New York, NY, United States)
  February 2, 2026
  Hearts & Science has been inspired by confident marketers seeking business advantage in a world of personalized digital marketing, where CRM and addressable channels converge, and decisions must be made in real time to aggregate effective reach and deliver the right message at the right time. Designed to inform brand strategies with real-time insights, Hearts […]
• Manager, Paid Search ~ Doner ~ $78,000-$118,000 ~ In-office (USA) ~ Southfield, MI, United States
  February 2, 2026
  We are seeking a data-driven Manager, Paid Search with proven experience and expertise in all aspects of paid search—campaign creation, bid management, attribution, and performance optimization. The ideal candidate will have a strong track record of driving account growth, delivering measurable results, and managing client relationships. This is a fast‑paced role in a growing company, […]
• Digital Marketing Coordinator – Paid Media ~ Spokane Tribe Resort & Casino ~ $45,000-$65,000 ~ In-office (USA) ~ Airway Heights, WA, United States
  February 1, 2026
  This role requires daily on-property presence and does not offer remote work arrangements. Under the direction of the Digital Marketing Manager, the Digital Marketing Coordinator (Paid Media) serves as the central hub for executing, monitoring, and optimizing paid digital campaigns while managing the workflow and scheduling of all digital marketing assets. This role bridges creative, […]
• Paid Search & Shopping Specialist ~ Crocs ~ $65,000 – $75,000 ~ Hybrid (Broomfield, CO, United States)
  February 1, 2026
  Digital Marketing Specialist – Paid Search & Shopping (NAM) Requisition ID: 12248 Job Location(s): Broomfield, CO, US, 80021 Time in Office: Hybrid At Crocs, Inc., every career offers a chance to make a real impact. No two journeys look the same. And that’s exactly how we like it. Whether you’re welcoming customers into our stores, […]

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• Optimize website architecture, on-page SEO, and technical SEO

Senior Copywriter, Viking (Hybrid, Los Angeles Metropolitan Area)

• Salary: $95,000 – $110,000
• Editorial features and travel articles for onboard magazines
• Seasonal web campaigns and themed microsites

Social Media Editor, Inside Hook(Hybrid, New York, NY)

• Salary: $66,000 – $70,000
• Brainstorm, manage and develop the content schedule, briefs, and assets for social channels
• Support in timely content delivery, scheduling and postings

Performance Marketing Manager, E.S. Kluft & Company (Rancho Cucamonga, CA)

• Salary: $100,000
• Define a comprehensive paid and earned strategy, in line with the overall company and marketing strategy.
• Effectively manage and communicate with multiple agencies and partners (media, PR).

Digital Marketing Manager, DEPLOY (Hybrid, Tuscaloosa, AL)

• Salary: $80,000
• Strong knowledge of digital marketing tools, analytics platforms (e.g., Google Analytics), and content management systems (CMS).
• Experience Managing Google Ads and Meta ad campaigns.

Paid Search Marketing Manager, LawnStarter (Remote)

• Salary: $90,000 – $125,000
• Manage and optimize large-scale, complex SEM campaigns across Google Ads, Bing Ads, Meta Ads and other search platforms
• Activate, optimize and make efficient Local Services Ads (LSA) at scale

Senior Manager, SEO, Turo (Hybrid, San Francisco, CA)

• Salary: $168,000 – $210,000
• Define and execute the SEO strategy across technical SEO, content SEO, on-page optimization, internal linking, and authority building.
• Own business and operations KPIs for organic growth and translate them into clear quarterly plans.

SEM (Search Engine Marketing) Manager, Tribute Technology (Remote)

• Salary: $85,000 – $90,000
• PPC Campaign Management: Execute and optimize multiple Google Ad campaigns and accounts simultaneously.
• SEO Strategy Management: Develop and manage on-page SEO strategies for client websites using tools like Ahrefs.

Search Engine Optimization Manager, Robert Half (Hybrid, Boston MA)

• Salary: $150,000 – $160,000
• Strategic Leadership: Define and lead the strategy for SEO, AEO, and LLMs, ensuring alignment with overall business and product goals.
• Roadmap Execution: Develop and implement the SEO/AEO/LLM roadmap, prioritizing performance-based initiatives and driving authoritative content at scale.

Search Engine Op imization Manager, NoGood (Remote)

• Salary: £80,000 – $100,000
• Act as the primary strategic lead for a portfolio of enterprise and scale-up clients.
• Build and execute GEO/AEO strategies that maximize brand visibility across LLMs and AI search surfaces.

Senior Content Manager, TrustedTech (Irvine, CA)

• Salary: $110,000 – $130,000
• Develop and manage a content strategy aligned with business and brand goals across blog, web, email, paid media, and social channels.
• Create and edit compelling copy that supports demand generation and sales enablement programs.

Note: We update this post weekly. So make sure to bookmark this page and check back.

Google is experimenting with showing third-party endorsement content directly within Search ads.

The test places short endorsements from external publishers under the ad description, including the third party’s name, logo, and favicon.

What’s showing up. The test was first spotted by Sarah Blocksidge, Marketing Director at Sixth City Marketing, who shared a screenshot on Mastodon. In the example, a Search ad included the line “Best for Frequent Travelers,” attributed to PCMag, complete with the publication’s favicon.

The endorsement appears directly beneath the ad copy, visually separating it from standard advertiser-written text.

Why we care. If rolled out more broadly, the change could make Search ads feel more like product reviews — and potentially give advertisers with strong third-party validation a new advantage in crowded auctions.

What Google says. A Google Ads spokesperson confirmed the test, calling it “a small experiment” –

• “This is a small experiment we are currently running that explores placing third-party endorsement content on Search ads.”

Google did not provide details on eligibility, sourcing, advertiser controls, or how endorsements are selected.

What we don’t know yet. It’s unclear whether advertisers can opt into the feature, request specific endorsements, or influence which third-party sources appear. Google also hasn’t said whether the test is tied to existing review extensions, publisher partnerships, or broader trust and safety initiatives.

What to watch. If Google expands the experiment, third-party credibility could become a more visible factor in ad performance — shifting emphasis from advertiser claims to external validation at the point of search.

For now, the test appears limited, but it offers a glimpse at how Google may continue blending ads, trust signals, and editorial-style context in search results.

Dig Deeper. Screenshot shared on Mastadon.

Google's Eleanor Stribling reveals GA4's roadmap: full-funnel measurement platform within a year, then evolving into an AI-powered business decision platform.

The post Google Analytics To Become A Growth Engine For Business appeared first on Search Engine Journal.

Google released v23 of the Google Ads API, the first update of 2026. It marks the start of a faster release cadence.

What’s new. The update adds deeper Performance Max reporting, more granular invoicing, AI-powered audience tools, expanded campaign controls, and more:

• Performance Max transparency: Ad network type breakdowns are now available for PMax campaigns.
• More detailed invoices: Campaign-level costs, regulatory fees, and adjustments can be retrieved via InvoiceService.
• More precise scheduling: Campaigns can now use start and end date-times instead of date-only fields.
• Local data access: Store location details are available through PerStoreView, matching the Stores report.
• New audience dimension: LIFE_EVENT_USER_INTEREST enables life-event-based audience building in Insights tools.
• Smarter Demand Gen planning: Conversion rate forecasts now vary by surface (e.g., Gmail, Shorts).
• Generative AI audiences: Free-text audience descriptions can be translated into structured audience attributes.
• Expanded Shopping metrics: New competitive and conversion metrics are available by conversion date.

Why we care. A faster update cycle lets advertisers and developers access new capabilities sooner, especially as Google pushes deeper into automation, AI-driven planning, and cross-campaign visibility.

Plan for upgrades. Some updates require upgrading client libraries and code, so teams may need to plan development time to fully benefit from v23.

Google’s announcement. Announcing v23 of the Google Ads API