Advertisers contacting Google Ads support may now need to grant explicit authorization before they can even submit a help request — giving a Google specialist permission to access and make changes directly inside their account.
Here’s what’s happening. Users are first routed to a beta AI chat. If they opt to submit a support form instead, they must tick an “Authorisation” box. The wording allows a Google Ads specialist, on behalf of the company, to reproduce and troubleshoot issues by making changes directly in the account.
The fine print is clear. Google doesn’t guarantee results. Any adjustments are made at the advertiser’s own risk. And the advertiser remains solely responsible for the impact on campaign performance and spending.
Why we care. The required checkbox shifts more responsibility onto advertisers at a time when automation and AI already limit hands-on control. If support makes changes, the performance and spend risk still sits with the advertiser.
Between the lines. This creates a trade-off between speed and control. Granting access could accelerate troubleshooting, but it also opens the door to account-level changes that may affect live campaigns — without any assurance of improved outcomes.
The bottom line. Getting support may now mean temporarily handing over the keys — while keeping full accountability for whatever happens next.
First seen. This new caveats to getting support was spotted by PPC specialist Arpan Banerjee who shared spotting the message on LinkedIn.
Demand Gen marks a shift in Google Ads toward visual advertising beyond keywords and text. Relying on traditional strategies when testing it wastes budget, hurts performance, and limits opportunity. To succeed, you have to think more like a social advertiser than a search advertiser.
At SMX Next, Industrious Marketing owner Jack Hepp explained why many businesses struggle with demand gen campaigns — especially in B2B and lead generation — while also sharing insights relevant to ecommerce.
Understanding the Shift: From Intent to Interruption
Demand Gen reflects Google’s shift from intent-first search advertising to visual, discovery-based campaigns.
Instead of targeting users actively searching for your service, you reach them as they scroll through YouTube, Gmail, or Discovery feeds.
This changes your approach: visual creative becomes the new keyword, replacing traditional targeting.
Common misalignments in Demand Gen strategy
Applying outdated search strategies can lead to failure with Demand Gen. The four main mistakes:
Expecting bottom-of-funnel CPAs from mid-funnel traffic.
Using overly broad, “spray and pray” targeting.
Running bland, generic creative.
Not knowing how to optimize without negative keywords.
Success requires a social advertising mindset.
Campaign structure: Understanding the hierarchy
Demand Gen uses a two-level structure.
Campaign-level settings control broad parameters like bidding strategy, conversion goals, and device targeting.
Ad group–level settings control audiences, locations, and channels.
Each ad group learns independently—insights don’t transfer—allowing precise audience segmentation with tailored creative.
Creating interruption-based creative
You must stop their scroll within 3-4 seconds. Your creative must capture attention immediately, speak to a specific pain point, and present your solution.
Unlike search ads — where users are actively looking for you — Demand Gen interrupts browsing, so your message must be instantly compelling and problem-focused.
Aligning visuals to the customer journey
Match your offer to audience readiness.
Cold audiences need educational content like free guides or diagnostic tools.
Warm audiences respond to case studies, webinars, and comparison tools.
Hot audiences are ready for demos and direct purchase offers.
Misaligning them — like pushing demos to cold audiences — guarantees failure from the start.
The power of problem-focused creative
Generic ads with stock photos and basic headlines get scrolled past. Winning creative uses bold headlines, striking visuals, and problem-focused messaging.
For example, “43% of cyberattacks target small businesses” speaks to a specific pain point, making the ad stand out and prompting engagement instead of a scroll.
Bidding and budget strategies
Demand Gen uses campaign goals rather than traditional bidding strategies: conversion-focused, click-focused, or conversion–value–focused.
Aim for 50+ conversions per month and budget 10–15x your target CPA to build enough data.
For click-based bidding, set budget based on desired traffic volume and target CPC.
Demand Gen is highly data-reliant, so hitting these thresholds is critical to performance.
Can Demand Gen work with small budgets?
Yes, with strategic planning.
Focus on mid- or upper-funnel audiences and optimize for MQLs instead of bottom-funnel conversions. This helps you reach 50+ monthly conversions for data density, even with smaller budgets.
Align your goals, targeting, and budget to generate enough conversion data.
Building the right audience
Avoid two extremes:
Audiences that are too broad (billions of impressions) where Google can’t identify your target.
Audiences too narrow (a few thousand impressions) where you can’t build data density.
The sweet spot: start with custom segments based on search terms or competitor websites, then layer in lookalike segments and strategic first-party data. Avoid optimized targeting at first — it works best to expand already successful campaigns.
The role of creative in targeting
Your creative shapes who Google targets. The people who engage with your ads teach Google who to show them to next.
Performance peaks when your creative speaks to your ideal customer profile. Align messaging to the buyer’s stage — cold audiences need different messaging than hot prospects.
Strategic exclusions
Use exclusions surgically, not broadly. It’s tempting to exclude like negative keywords, but over-excluding shrinks your audience too much.
Focus only on clear non-converters (e.g., specific age groups, locations, or audiences you know won’t respond). Give Google room to find engaged users within your parameters, rather than narrowing to the point of ineffectiveness.
Optimization: Where to focus
Without negative keywords, optimize through three levers: creative, audience, and offer. Test multiple formats (video, image, carousel) and styles (UGC, testimonials, problem-focused messaging). Continuously refine what works with new hooks and data points.
Test offers to match audience readiness — cold audiences need educational content, while hot audiences need direct CTAs.
Prioritize post-click optimization: improve landing pages, strengthen tracking with CRM integration, and ensure clean data feeds Google’s learning.
Real-world case study
A telecommunications company targeting B2B managed IT services drove strong results by aligning all three elements.
Offer: An interactive quiz showing businesses how managed IT could reduce costs.
Targeting: Custom segments based on proven search terms and competitor website visitors.
Creative: Problem-focused messaging about cybersecurity threats to small businesses.
Results:
$10 cost per MQL.
3.8% conversion rate.
40% of quiz takers became SQLs.
20% increase in total SQLs.
Key takeaways
As you plan your next campaign:
Match your creative to your customer and their stage in the journey.
Target the right audience at the right point in that journey.
Test and optimize creative and offers to find what resonates and drives action.
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.
Job Description **Currently hiring in Louisiana** Are you obsessed with SEO and always eager to learn what’s next? Do you follow industry changes, test new ideas, and look for ways to sharpen your skills? We’re looking for someone who is hungry to grow, excited to dive deeper into strategy, and motivated to turn knowledge into […]
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Job Description COLAB Marketing is seeking an experienced and results-driven SEO Manager to lead our organic search strategy across multiple client accounts. This is a full-time, in-office position for someone who understands both the technical and strategic sides of SEO and thrives in a fast-paced agency environment. We’re looking for someone who doesn’t just “do SEO,” but understands how […]
What’s in it for you? Competitive salary with annual salary review and bonus. FULLY paid top tier medical, dental, & vision benefits for you and your family. Outstanding paid time off policy. Flexible work arrangement Student Loan Assistance, up to $5,000 annually as eligible. Learning and Development Opportunities including Tuition Reimbursement. Highly engaged culture, stable […]
Overview Job Description: We are looking for an ambitious and proven Senior Digital Marketing Executive with 3+ years of experience and in-depth knowledge of digital marketing platforms. Responsible for generating quality traffic for our website (the US-based website and traffic needed also from the USA). Responsibilities Hands on experience in creating marketing campaigns for PPC […]
Job Description Shaka Wear is a premium streetwear brand built on authenticity, quality, and cultural impact. Known for our heavyweight basics and iconic street silhouettes, we’ve grown from local staple to global name — driven by a loyal community and a powerful online presence. We’re looking for a Digital Marketing Manager (In-Person) who can take […]
Overview You will be working with an internal team that functions as an SEO helpdesk for a large international client in the hospitality sector with over 120 locations worldwide. The helpdesk receives a wide range of SEO-related requests from internal senior members and locations via email daily, and it is their responsibility to triage, process, […]
Job Description Salary: Up to 80K Position: Senior SEO Analyst Company: Mason Interactive Job Overview: As a Senior SEO Analyst at Mason Interactive, you will take a leading role in optimizing search engine performance for our diverse clientele. This position requires an individual who can combine deep technical SEO knowledge with creative problem-solving to enhance […]
Company Description Thought Industries powers the Business of Value – enabling enterprises to unlock growth across the customer lifecycle. From our Boston headquarters, we help organizations drive measurable impact, maximize customer lifetime value, and fuel innovation through our leading enterprise solutions. Unlock growth with us – where your potential meets boundless possibilities. Job Description We’re […]
Job Description Marketing Strategist (SEO, ORM & Marketing Automation, Mortgage Industry) Location: Hybrid – Irvine, CA Job Type: Full-Time Mutual of Omaha is a Fortune 300 Company. Mutual of Omaha Mortgage is inspired by hometown values and a commitment to being responsible and caring for each other. We exist for the benefit of our customers […]
Paid Media Manager Location: Dallas or Plano, TX Work Model: In-office initially, hybrid flexibility after 6 months Role Overview Angel Reyes & Associates is hiring a Paid Media Manager to serve as the hands-on owner of our paid search programs. This is a senior, execution-focused role responsible for day-to-day performance, optimization, and agency management across […]
Garner’s mission is to transform the healthcare economy, delivering high-quality and affordable care for all. We are fundamentally reimagining how healthcare works in the U.S. by partnering with employers to redesign healthcare benefits using clear incentives and powerful, data-driven insights. Our approach guides employees to higher-quality, lower-cost care, creating a system that works better for […]
Company Overview Natran Green Pest Control is not just a job, it’s a career! We’re searching for dedicated professionals who are passionate about the green movement, sustainability, and want to be part of a team that focuses on creating a healthy environment! Our culture is centered on continuous learning, communication, and teamwork at every level of […]
Job Description Mirage is the leading AI short-form video company. We’re building full-stack foundation models and products that redefine video creation, production and editing. Over 20 million creators and businesses use Mirage’s products to reach their full creative and commercial potential. We are a rapidly growing team of ambitious, experienced, and devoted engineers, researchers, designers, […]
Job Description DEL Records, Inc. is on the lookout for a dynamic Social Media Manager to elevate our Social Media team! If you’re passionate about music, events, and digital storytelling, we want you on board. Join us and play a pivotal role in connecting fans with their favorite artists and events. Responsibilities: Develop and implement […]
You’ll own high-visibility SEO and AI initiatives, architect strategies that drive explosive organic and social visibility, and push the boundaries of what’s possible with search-powered performance.
Every day, you’ll experiment, analyze, and optimize-elevating rankings, boosting conversions across the customer journey, and delivering insights that influence decisions at the highest level.
Google Merchant Center is investigating an issue affecting Feeds, according to its public status dashboard.
The details:
Incident began: Feb. 4, 2026 at 14:00 UTC
Latest update (Feb. 20, 14:43 UTC): “We’re investigating reports of an issue with Feeds. We will provide more information shortly.”
Status: Service disruption
The alert appears on the official Merchant Center Status Dashboard, which tracks availability across Merchant Center services.
Why we care. Feeds power product listings across Shopping ads and free listings. Any disruption can impact product approvals, updates, or visibility in campaigns tied to retail inventory.
What to watch. Google has not yet shared scope, root cause, or estimated time to resolution. Advertisers experiencing feed processing delays or disapprovals may want to monitor the dashboard closely.
Bottom line. When feeds stall, ecommerce performance can follow. Retail advertisers should keep an eye on diagnostics and campaign delivery until more details emerge.
PPC is evolving beyond traditional search. Those who adopt new ad formats, smarter creative strategies, and the right use of AI will gain a competitive edge.
Ginny Marvin, Google’s Ads Product Liaison, and Navah Hopkins, Microsoft’s Product Liaison, joined me for a conversation about what’s next for PPC. Here’s a recap of this special keynote from SMX Next.
Emerging ad formats and channels
When discussing what lies beyond search, both speakers expressed excitement about AI-driven ad formats.
Hopkins highlighted Microsoft’s innovation in AI-first formats, especially showroom ads:
“Showroom ads allow users to engage and interact with a showroom where the advertiser provides the content, and Copilot provides the brand security.”
She also pointed to gaming as a major emerging ad channel. As a gamer, she noted that many users “justifiably hate the ads that serve on gaming surfaces,” but suggested more immersive, intelligent formats are coming.
Marvin agreed that the landscape is shifting, driven by conversational AI and visual discovery tools. These changes “are redefining intent” and making conversion journeys “far more dynamic” than the traditional keyword-to-click model.
Both stressed that PPC marketers must prepare for a landscape where traditional search is only one of many ad surfaces.
Importance of visual content
A major theme throughout the discussion was the growing importance of visual content. Hopkins summed up the shift by saying:
“Most people are visual learners… visual content belongs in every stage of the funnel.”
She urged performance marketers to rethink the assumption that visuals belong only at the top of the funnel or in remarketing.
Marvin added that leading with brand-forward visuals is becoming essential, as creatives now play “a much more important role in how you tell your stories, how you drive discovery, and how you drive action.” Marketers who understand their brand’s positioning and reflect it consistently in their creative libraries will thrive across emerging channels.
Both noted that AI-driven ad platforms increasingly rely on strong creative libraries to assemble the right message at the right moment.
Myths about AI and creative
The conversation also addressed misconceptions about AI-generated creative.
Hopkins cautioned against overrelying on AI to build entire creative libraries, emphasizing:
“AI is not the replacement for our creativity… you should not be delegating full stop your creative to AI.”
Instead, she said marketers should focus on how AI can amplify their work. Campaigns must perform even when only a single asset appears, such as a headline or image. Creatives need to “stand alone” and clearly communicate the brand.
Marvin reinforced the need for a broader range of visual assets than most advertisers maintain. “You probably need more assets than you currently have,” she noted, especially as cross-channel campaigns like Demand Gen depend on testing multiple combinations.
Both positioned AI as an enabler, not a replacement, stressing that human creativity drives differentiation.
Strategic use of assets
Both liaisons emphasized the need for a diverse, adaptable asset library that works across formats and surfaces.
Marvin explained that AI systems now evaluate creative performance individually:
“Underperforming assets should be swapped out, and high-performing niche assets can tell you something about your audience.”
Hopkins added that distinct creative assets reduce what she called “AI chaos moments,” when the system struggles because assets overlap too closely. Distinctiveness—visual and textual—helps systems identify which combinations perform best.
Both urged marketers to rethink creative planning, treating assets as both brand-building and performance-driving rather than separating the two.
Partnering with AI for measurement
The conversation concluded with a deep dive into what it means to measure performance in an AI-first world.
Hopkins listed the key strategic inputs AI relies on:
“First-party data, creative assets, ad copy, website content, goals and targets, and budget. These are the things AI uses to optimize towards your business outcomes.”
She also highlighted that incrementality — understanding the true added value of ads — is becoming more important than ever.
Marvin acknowledged the challenges marketers face in letting go of old control patterns, especially as measurement shifts from granular data to privacy-protective models. However, she stressed that modern analytics still provide meaningful signals, just in a different form:
“It’s not about individual queries anymore… it’s about understanding the themes that matter to your audience.”
Both encouraged marketers to think more strategically and holistically in their analysis rather than getting stuck in granular metrics.
On episode 352 of PPC Live The Podcast, I spoke to Emina Demiri Watson, Head of Digital at Brighton-based Vixen Digital, where she to shared one of the most candid stories in agency life: deliberately firing a client that accounted for roughly 70% of their revenue — and what they learned the hard way in the process.
The decision to let go
The client relationship had been deteriorating for around three months before the leadership team made their move. The decision wasn’t about the client being difficult from day one — it was a relationship that had slowly soured over time. By the end, the toxic dynamic was affecting the entire team, and leadership decided culture had to come first.
The mistake they didn’t see coming
Here’s where it got painful. When Vixen sat down to run the numbers, they realized they had a serious customer concentration problem — one client holding a disproportionately large share of total revenue. It’s the kind of thing that gets lost when you’re busy and don’t have sophisticated financial systems. A quick Excel formula later, and the reality hit harder than expected.
Warning signs agencies should watch for
Emina outlined the signals that a client relationship is shifting — beyond the obvious drop in campaign performance. External factors inside the client’s business matter too: company restructuring, team changes, even a security breach that prevents leads from converting downstream. The lesson? Don’t just watch your Google Ads dashboard — understand what’s happening on the client’s side of the fence.
How they clawed back
Recovery came down to three things: tracking client concentration properly going forward, returning to their company values as a decision-making compass, and accepting that rebuilding revenue simply takes time. Losing the client freed up the mental bandwidth to pitch new business and re-engage with the industry community — things that had quietly fallen by the wayside.
Common account mistakes still haunting audits in 2026
When asked about errors she sees in audited accounts, Emina didn’t hold back. Broad match without proper audience guardrails remains a persistent problem, as does the absence of negative keyword lists entirely. Over-narrow targeting is another — particularly for clients chasing high-net-worth audiences, where the data pool becomes too thin for Smart Bidding to function.
The right way to think about AI
Emina’s take on AI is pragmatic: the biggest mistake is believing the hype. PPC practitioners are actually better positioned than most to navigate AI skeptically, given they’ve been working with automation and black-box systems for years. Her preferred approach — and the one she quietly enforces with junior team members via a robot emoji — is to treat Claude and other LLMs as a first stop for research, not a replacement for critical thinking.
The takeaway
If you’re sitting on a deteriorating client relationship and nervous about pulling the trigger, Emina’s advice is simple: go back to your values. If commercial survival sits at the top of the list, keep the client. If culture and team wellbeing matter more, it might be time.
Google is updating how it attributes conversions in app campaigns, shifting from the date of the ad click to the date of the actual install.
What’s changing. Previously, conversions were logged against the original ad interaction date. Now, they’re assigned to the day the app was actually installed — bringing Google’s methodology closer in line with how Mobile Measurement Partners (MMPs) like AppsFlyer and Adjust report data.
Why this helps:
It should meaningfully reduce discrepancies between Google Ads and MMP dashboards — a persistent headache for mobile marketers reconciling two different numbers.
Google’s default 30-day attribution window meant many conversions were being reported too late to be useful for campaign learning, effectively starving Smart Bidding of timely signals.
Tying conversions to install date gives the algorithm fresher, more accurate data — which should translate to faster optimization cycles and more stable performance.
Why we care. The change sounds technical, but its impact is significant. Attribution timing directly affects how Google’s machine learning optimizes campaigns — and a 30-day lag between ad click and conversion credit has long been a silent drag on performance. This change means Google’s machine learning will finally receive conversion signals at the right time — tied to when a user actually installed the app, not when they clicked an ad weeks earlier.
That shift should lead to smarter bidding decisions, faster campaign optimization, and fewer frustrating discrepancies between Google Ads and MMP reporting. If you’ve ever wondered why your Google numbers don’t match AppsFlyer or Adjust, this update is a direct response to that problem.
Between the lines. Most advertisers never touch their attribution window settings, leaving Google’s 30-day default in place. That default has quietly been working against them — delaying the conversion signals that machine learning depends on to make better bidding decisions.
The bottom line. A small change in attribution logic could have an outsized impact on app campaign performance. Mobile advertisers should monitor their data closely in the coming weeks for shifts in reported conversions and optimization behavior.
First spotted. This update was first spotted by David Vargas who shared receiving a message of this post on LinkedIn.
Google Ads is now displaying examples of how “Landing Page Images” can be used inside Performance Max (PMax) campaigns — offering clearer visibility into how website visuals may automatically become ad creatives.
How it works. If advertisers opt in, Google can pull images directly from a brand’s landing pages and dynamically turn them into ads. Now when creating your campaigns, before setting it live, Google Ads will show you the automated creatives it plans on setting live.
Why we care. For PMax campaigns your site is part of your asset library. Any banner, hero image, or product visual could surface across Search, Display, YouTube, or Discover placements — whether you designed it for ads or not. Google Ads is now showing clearer examples of how Landing Page Images may be used inside those PMax campaigns — giving much-needed visibility into what automated creatives could look like.
Instead of guessing how Google might transform site visuals into ads, brands can better anticipate, audit, and control what’s eligible to serve. That visibility makes it easier to refine landing pages proactively and avoid unwanted surprises in live campaigns.
Between the lines: Automation is expanding — but so is creative risk. Therefore this is a very useful update that keeps advertisers aware of what will be set live before the hit the go live button.
Bottom line: In PMax, your website is no longer just a landing page. It’s part of the ad engine.
First seen. This update was spotted by Digital Marketer Thomas Eccel who showed an example on LinkedIn.
OpenAI is serving ads inside ChatGPT, and new findings suggest the experience looks quite different from what the company originally envisioned.
What’s happening. Research from AI ad intelligence firm Adthena has identified the first confirmed ads appearing on ChatGPT for signed-in desktop users in the U.S.
The big surprise. Early speculation suggested ads would only surface after extended back-and-forth conversations. That’s not what’s happening. When a user asked “What’s the best way to book a weekend away?”, sponsored placements appeared immediately — on the very first response.
What they look like. The ads feature a prominent brand favicon and a clear “Sponsored” label, a design that differs slightly from the concepts OpenAI had previously shared publicly.
Why we care. ChatGPT is one of the most visited sites on the internet. Ads appearing in its responses marks a significant moment for the future of AI monetization — and a potential shift in how brands reach consumers at the point of inquiry.
Between the lines. The immediacy of the ad trigger suggests OpenAI is treating single, high-intent prompts — not just sustained conversations — as viable ad inventory. That’s a meaningful strategic signal for advertisers evaluating where to place budget.
The bottom line. ChatGPT’s ad era has quietly begun. For marketers, the question is no longer if they need an AI search strategy — it’s whether they’re already late.
First spotted. CMO of Adthena, Ashley Fletcher shared his team spotting the ads on LinkedIn.
Reddit is piloting a new AI-powered shopping experience that transforms its famously trusted community recommendations into shoppable product carousels — a move that could reshape how the platform monetizes its search traffic.
What’s happening. A small group of U.S.-based users are seeing interactive product carousels appear in search results when their queries signal purchase intent — think “best noise-canceling headphones” or “top budget laptops.”
The carousels sit at the bottom of search results and include pricing, images and direct retailer links.
Products are surfaced from items actually mentioned in Reddit posts and comments — not just ad inventory.
For consumer electronics queries, Reddit is also pulling from select Dynamic Product Ads (DPA) partner catalogs.
How it works. The AI identifies purchase-intent queries, scans relevant Reddit conversations for product mentions, and assembles them into structured, shoppable cards. Users can tap a card to get more details and link out to retailers.
Why we care. Reddit’s shopping carousels give advertisers a rare opportunity to reach consumers at peak purchase intent — at the exact moment they’re seeking peer validation for a buying decision. Unlike traditional display ads, products surfaced here benefit from the implicit trust of Reddit’s community context, making them feel less like ads and more like recommendations.
For brands already running Dynamic Product Ads on Reddit, this is a direct pipeline from community buzz to conversion.
Between the lines. Reddit is doing something its competitors haven’t quite cracked — using organic, peer-driven content as the foundation of a commerce experience rather than pure ad targeting.
That’s a meaningful distinction. Consumers increasingly distrust sponsored recommendations, and Reddit’s entire value proposition is built on authentic community voice. Formalizing that into a shopping layer could give it a credibility edge over traditional retail media networks.
The big picture. Retail media is a fast-growing business, and platforms with high-intent audiences are racing to claim their share. Reddit’s search traffic has grown significantly since its Google search partnership, making this a natural next frontier.
The bottom line. Reddit is experimenting with turning intent-driven search into commerce, aiming to make it easier for users to move from recommendation to transaction — without leaving the community context that drives trust.
Google Analytics is adding AI-powered Generated insights to the Home page and rolling out cross-channel budgeting (beta), moves designed to help marketers spot performance shifts faster and manage paid spend more strategically.
What’s happening. Generated insights now appear directly on the Google Analytics Home screen, summarizing the top three changes since a user’s last visit. That includes notable configuration updates, anomalies in performance and emerging seasonality trends — all without digging into detailed reports.
The feature is built for speed. Instead of manually scanning dashboards, marketers get a quick snapshot of what changed and why it may matter.
Cross-channel budgeting (Beta). Google is also introducing cross-channel budgeting in beta. The feature helps advertisers track performance across paid channels and optimize investments based on results.
Access is currently limited, with broader availability expected over time.
Why we care. These updates make it faster to spot performance shifts and easier to connect insights to budget decisions. Generated insights surface key changes automatically, reducing the time spent digging through reports, while cross-channel budgeting helps marketers allocate spend more strategically across paid channels.
Together, they streamline analysis and improve how quickly teams can
Bottom line. Together, Generated insights and cross-channel budgeting aim to reduce reporting friction and improve decision-making — giving marketers faster answers and more control over how they allocate budget across channels.
Google is launching Scenario Planner, a no-code tool that lets you test budget scenarios and forecast ROI using its Meridian marketing mix model without needing data science expertise.
Intuitive, code-free interface: You can test different budget allocations and view ROI estimates without writing any code.
Forward-looking planning: The tool lets you simulate investment scenarios and stress-test strategies, moving beyond retrospective reporting.
Digestible insights: Technical model outputs are visualized in clear, easy-to-understand formats so you can leverage them for strategy decisions.
Why we care. With predictive marketing insights at your fingertips, you can test budgets, predict returns, and adjust campaigns in real time — so you plan smarter and make the most of every dollar.
Closing the MMM actionability gap. Scenario Planner bridges the long-standing “usability gap” in Marketing Mix Models, which traditionally required specialized skills. Nearly 40% of organizations struggle to turn MMM outputs into actionable decisions, according to Harvard Business Review.
Bottom line. By combining the rigor of MMM with an intuitive, interactive interface, Scenario Planner helps you plan smarter, optimize your spend, and make confident, data-driven decisions — without relying on technical experts.
Google Ads now surfaces Performance Max (PMax) campaign data in the “Where ads showed” report, giving advertisers clearer insight into placements, networks, and impressions — data that was previously unavailable.
What’s new. The update makes it possible to see exactly where PMax ads are appearing across Google’s network, including search partners, display, and other placements. Advertisers can now track impressions by placement type and network, helping them understand how campaigns are performing in detail.
Why we care. This update finally gives visibility into where PMax campaigns are running, including Google Search Partners, display, and other networks. With placement, type, and impression data now available, marketers can better understand campaign performance, optimize budgets, and make informed decisions instead of relying on guesswork. It turns previously opaque PMax reporting into actionable insights.
User reaction. Digital marketer Thomas Eccel shared on LinkedIn that the report was historically empty, but now finally shows real data.
“I finally see where and how PMax is being displayed,” he wrote.
He also noted the clarity on Google Search Partners, previously a “blurry grey zone.”
The bottom line. This update gives marketers actionable visbility into PMax campaigns, helping them understand placement performance, optimize spend, and identify which networks are driving results — all in one report.
Microsoft Advertising is rolling out multi-image ads for Shopping campaigns in Bing search results, giving ecommerce brands a richer way to showcase products and capture shopper attention before the click.
What’s new. Advertisers can now display multiple product images within a single Shopping ad, letting shoppers preview different angles, styles or variations directly in search.
The format is designed to make ads more visually engaging and informative, helping consumers compare options quickly without leaving the results page.
How it works:
Additional images are uploaded through the optional additional_image_link attribute in the product feed.
Advertisers can include up to 10 images, separated by commas.
The images appear alongside pricing and retailer information in Shopping results.
Why we care. Multi-image ads could increase engagement and purchase intent by presenting a fuller picture of a product. More visuals can highlight features, colors and design details that a single image might miss.
Discovery. The feature was first spotted by digital marketer Arpan Banerjee who shared spotting it on LinkedIn.
The bottom line. Multi-image Shopping ads give retailers more creative flexibility and shoppers more context at a glance — a shift that could improve ad performance and reshape how products compete in search results.
A new applied learning path from Microsoft Advertising is designed to help marketers get more value from Performance Max campaigns through hands-on, scenario-based training — not just theory.
What’s happening. The new Performance Max learning path bundles three progressive courses that focus on real-world setup, optimization and troubleshooting. The structure is meant to let advertisers learn at their own pace while building practical skills they can immediately apply to live campaigns.
Each course targets a different stage of expertise, from beginner fundamentals to advanced strategy and credentialing.
What’s included:
Course 1: Foundations
Introducing Microsoft Advertising Performance Max campaigns covers the essentials.
Ideal for beginners who want to understand how PMax campaigns work.
Focuses on core concepts and terminology.
Course 2: Hands-on setup
Setting up Microsoft Advertising Performance Max campaigns provides a guided walkthrough.
Designed for advertisers launching their first PMax campaign or refreshing their skills.
Walks step-by-step through campaign creation and answers common setup questions.
Course 3: Advanced implementation
Implementing & optimizing Microsoft Advertising Performance Max centers on scenario-based applied learning.
Targets advanced users developing strategic and optimization skills.
Includes practical tools like checklists, videos and reusable reference materials.
How it works. The third course introduces embedded support features that let learners access targeted educational resources mid-assessment via a “Help me understand” option. Users can review specific concepts in context and return directly to their questions.
The benefit. Learners can spend more time on weak areas while quickly progressing through familiar material.
Credential payoff. Completing the advanced course unlocks the chance to earn a Performance Max badge. The credential signals proficiency in implementing and optimizing PMax campaigns and applying best practices in real-world scenarios.
The badge is digitally shareable and verifiable through Credly, making it easy to display on professional platforms like LinkedIn.
Why we care. This update from Microsoft Advertising makes it faster and easier to build real, job-ready skills for running Performance Max campaigns — not just theoretical knowledge. The applied, scenario-based training helps marketers avoid common setup mistakes, optimize campaigns more confidently, and improve performance in live accounts.
Plus, the shareable credential adds professional credibility, signaling proven expertise to clients and employers.
The bottom line. The new learning path aims to close the gap between training and execution. By combining applied scenarios, embedded support and credentialing, it offers a structured route for advertisers to build confidence — and prove it — in Performance Max campaign management.
Google Ads has launched a new Results tab inside its Recommendations section that shows advertisers the measured performance impact after they apply bid and budget suggestions.
How it works. After an advertiser applies a bid or budget recommendation, Google analyzes campaign performance one week later and compares it to an estimated baseline of what would have happened without the change. The system then highlights the incremental lift, such as additional conversions generated by raising a budget or adjusting targets.
Where to find it. Impact reporting appears in the Recommendations area of an account. A summary callout shows recent results on the main page, while a dedicated Results tab provides a deeper breakdown grouped by Budget and Target recommendations, with filtering options for each.
Why we care. Advertisers can now see whether Google’s automated recommendations actually drive incremental results — not just projected gains — helping teams evaluate the business value of platform guidance.
What to expect. Results are reported as a seven-day rolling average measured across a 28-day window after a recommendation is applied. Metrics focus on the campaign’s primary bidding objective — such as conversions, conversion value, or clicks.
Between the lines. The feature adds a layer of accountability to automated recommendations at a time when advertisers are relying more heavily on platform-driven optimization.
Spotted by. Hana Kobzová founder of PPCNewsFeed who shared a screenshot of the help doc on LinkedIn.
Help doc. Even though there isn’t a live Google help doc, a Google spokesperson has confirmed that there’s an early pilot running.
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