Google Ads News
New YouTube Shorts Guide
Just came across a new help page from Google: “Your guide to YouTube Shorts ads.”
It explains how Shorts ads work, which campaign types support them, and how to create effective ads.
A quick summary:
YouTube Shorts ads are short, vertical, full-screen video ads that appear between organic Shorts.
They’re designed for mobile and can be skipped by swiping.
Advertisers can use them to reach a mobile-first audience with quick, engaging messages.
Supported campaign types include Demand Gen, Video View, Video Reach with the efficient reach goal, YouTube reservation, Performance Max, and App campaigns.
The page also covers creative best practices like using vertical video, trending audio, and strong calls to action.
Performance reporting is available to track engagement and optimize results.For more information read this page.
Landing pages just got a bit more important
Thomas Eccel discovered that Demand Gen just got a new feature called final URL screenshot.
With this change, the look of your landing page can be shared in your ad. This makes it even more important to have a good landing page!
Looker Studio update
Brais Calvo Vázquez discovered that Looker Studio now supports responsive reports that adapt to different screen sizes.
You can choose between freeform or responsive when creating a new report. Responsive reports use sections, support block-level filters, and offer device previews.
Existing reports can’t be converted to responsive.
Roblox X Google Ads
Google is expanding Immersive Ads to more publishers on AdMob and Ad Manager, with a new partnership between Ad Manager and Roblox.
These ads blend naturally into gaming environments like billboards or big-screen ads during virtual events—offering engaging, in-the-moment experiences.
Since last year’s testing, video formats and easier implementation have been added. The Roblox partnership is key to scaling immersive ad formats like Rewarded Video for brands in the near future.
API Change
Starting April 28, 2025, Google Ads API version v19.1 will return a new error code, DEVELOPER_TOKEN_INVALID, when a request includes an invalid developer token making it clearer than the previous generic OAUTH_TOKEN_HEADER_INVALID error.
Older versions (before v19) will continue to return DEVELOPER_TOKEN_NOT_APPROVED for this case.
Developers using v19 must update their client libraries after the v19.1 release. This change mainly benefits new developers and won’t impact existing, correctly configured integrations.
Looker Studio update
Looker Studio Updates Modern charts are now generally available.
They include new styling, default theme colors, chart configuration options, axis customization, and settings that give report creators more control over data presentation. Modern charts are the default for all new reports.
Existing reports need to be upgraded manually. Classic themes are still available in the Themes panel.
The Looker connector now supports connections to private IP Looker (Google Cloud core) instances using the instance ID, whether through Private Services Access or Private Service Connect.
Query result variables allow you to insert data directly into text elements by selecting a cell from a table.
The inserted value stays updated automatically.
As of March 31, 2025, YouTube changed the way views are calculated.
New Customer Bid Setting
Brent Neale discovered this new customer retention setting in his account.
Looks like they are giving more users access! Note that this feature is not new, but more users like Brent Neale are now getting access to it.
This feature is still in beta.
With this feature, you can Win Back Lapsed Customers.
If you want to use this tool you need to have a Customer Match list of lapsed customers uploaded!
Other requirements:
– Optimize for purchase conversions
– Use a Google Merchant Center (GMC) feed
– Include the NCA goal in New Customer Value mode
New GA4 update
Arpan Banerjee discovered that Google has launched Generated Insights.
Generated insights in Google Analytics appear directly in detailed reports, offering clear, plain-language summaries that explain data fluctuations.
For example, if “Purchase” events spike on specific dates, AI analyzes all possible data combinations to uncover and explain the cause like a colleague highlighting the key takeaways.
This helps you make faster, more informed decisions.
Demand Gen Channel Reporting is now possible even on ad group level.
Segment by network at campaign level and get clear performance data for YouTube, Discover, Gmail, Display, and more.
No more guessing. Just clean insights for better creative testing and budget decisions.
You can access the data by:
– Campaign level
– Click Segment
– Segment by Network
Credit to Thomas Eccel for finding this out.
Double serving YouTube
Anthony Higman discovered that Google is now also showing double servings on YouTube Ads.
Location Manager
Is this Location Manager new? Yesterday, I found that Google released some new documentation on this.
YouTube
Anthony Higman discovered that YouTube is testing a new feature where certain ads in the YouTube Discovery feed expand to show “Watch” and “Visit Site” buttons.
These buttons appear when users either interact with product images below the ad or watch the video preview for 3–5 seconds.
pMaximizer
Google Introduced pMaximizer, an open-source dashboard built on Google Cloud to help optimize Performance Max campaigns.
It provides insights into asset, product, and campaign performance, and highlights areas where best practices are not followed.
More details and access on GitHub.
New Looker Studio dashboard combines Search Console and Google Analytics
Google has released a new Looker Studio dashboard that brings together data from Search Console and Google Analytics.
With this dashboard, you can:
Track how users find your site (search impressions, clicks, queries)
Analyze what they do on-site (pageviews, on-page clicks, conversions)
Visualize both data sources in one unified view
The update includes guidance on:
Merging data and resolving discrepancies
New data visualization options in Looker Studio
Additional tools to support your integrations
Check it out:https://lnkd.in/eZsn-tth
More Shopping
Sachin Patel & Barry Schwartz discovered that Google is testing a show more button for Shopping Ads!
General Account Setting
Arpan Banerjee & Dario Zannoni discovered there’s a new option under General Account Settings in Google Merchant Center that lets Google use your existing marketing content (like newsletters, social posts, and promos) to enhance visibility across Google services such as Search, Shopping, and Maps.
When enabled, Google may extract:
– Social media links and content
– Sales and promotion info
– Brand imagery and videos
– Brand tone, voice, and values
More details here.
Deprecation of Display & Video 360 API v3
As of April 2, 2025, Google has deprecated Display & Video 360 API v3. The API will be fully sunset on October 7, 2025, and users must migrate to API v4 before that date to avoid service interruptions.
New design Google Ads
Zeeshan Ali discovered that Google Ads has divided the search settings into different categories.
New AI assistant
Felix Mayo just saw this new AI assistant in the Google Ads help docs!
Consent Banner
Thomas Eccel spotted that Google now shows a missing consent mode before you publish a campaign
YouTube Engagement Demand Gen
Mihai-Adrian Ciurea discovered that Demand Gen nog has a new goal = YouTube engagements!
Google has partnered with Spotify Advertising!
Spotify has launched the Spotify Ad Exchange (SAX), a new programmatic platform that gives advertisers automated access to Spotify’s audio, video, and display inventory.
SAX supports Open Auction and PMP deals (Programmatic Guaranteed coming soon) and integrates with top DSPs like The Trade Desk and DV360.
The launch aims to boost Spotify’s ad revenue and make it easier for brands to reach engaged listeners.
Google has introduced new diagnostic alerts and a recommendation in the Tag Diagnostics tool:
Your tag data may be restricted
This recommendation appears when a supported CDN (like Cloudflare) is used without first-party mode enabled.
To resolve, enable first-party mode or dismiss the recommendation.
Missing gtag config command
This alert appears when the Google tag configuration code is missing or incorrectly placed, which can prevent automatic event tracking.
To fix, place the configuration code immediately after the opening <head> tag on all pages.
Missing Google tags
This alert appears when event tags in Google Tag Manager lack corresponding Google tags.
To fix, add a Google tag for each measurement product (Google Ads, Google Analytics, Floodlight, etc.).
Some alerts and recommendations can now be dismissed. Dismissed items may reappear if conditions change but do not affect overall tag quality.
Structured Data Files v8.1
Structured Data Files v8.1 Now AvailableStructured Data Files (SDF) v8.1 is now generally available in Display & Video 360, supporting both UI and API use.
Key updates include:
– Support for controlling inventory source settings for Demand Gen ad groupsEnforcement of OMID targeting at the advertiser level
– Renaming of the TrueView Content Filter column to Inventory ModeBreaking changes effective April 22, 2025:
– YouTube video action line items can no longer be created via SDF. Use Demand Gen line items instead.
– For Demand Gen line items, “Video Partners” must be included in the TrueView Inventory Source Targeting column.
Upgrading to SDF v8.1 is required to manage new inventory settings for Demand Gen ad groups. Full details are in the SDF release notes.
First order attribute
Arpan Banerjee saw the first order attribute for the first time in Google Ads, looks like they are finally rolling this out!
New verification method
Zeeshan Ali discovered this new verification method for Google Ads cases. Before you had to go back and forth about verification now you can do it with this CTA.
VIDEO ADS IN SEARCH
Sachin Patel & Barry Schwartz discovered that Google is now testing with showing video ads in search!
We have already seen YouTube videos in search results but never videos in search ads.
Customizable report snapshots
Brais Calvo Vázquez discovered that GA4 is rolling out customizable report snapshots with three pre-designed templates:User behaviorSales and revenueMarketing performance
These templates introduce two new components:
Top metrics, allowing selection of up to four key metricsA complementary info card for added context
All elements can be customized, edited, and used in GA4 library summary reports. This update aims to make data easier to read and interpret
GA4 update
GA4 has added support for all match types for item-scoped dimensions in “Explore”. Additionally, more match types are now available for the “Audience” dimension in “Explore”.
Policy update
In April 2025, Google improved the clarity and structure of several policy articles, including:
– Account Suspensions Overview
– Billing and Payment Suspensions
– Misrepresentation Policy
– Abusing the Ad Network Policy
These updates aim to help advertisers better understand the policies by offering clearer explanations and more examples. There are no changes to how the policies are enforced.
Update shopping tab Search Console
Google has updated the Search Console Shopping tab listings report, now renamed to the Merchant Opportunities report. The refreshed report includes payment methods and store ratings, helping merchants provide more helpful info to shoppers.
E-barometer March
March brought strong growth across the board: Turnover, Gross Profit, and Orders are up year-over-year and month-over-month.
While Ad spending keeps climbing, the decline in ROAS and POAS is slowing, hinting at better efficiency.
With inflation easing, interest rates stabilizing, and consumer confidence rising, the outlook is positive though global tariffs and economic shifts remain factors to watch.
Based on 30M+ orders across diverse e-commerce brands, the Barometer offers real, actionable insights.
From now on, you’ll find the E-Barometer first on the website from ProfitMetrics.io, where you can also subscribe for monthly updates.
For the full update check this page.
SGAI
Google introduced Server-Guided Ad Insertion (SGAI), a new ad insertion method that blends the seamlessness of server-side ad insertion (SSAI) with the flexibility of client-side ad insertion (CSAI).
It offers:
Flexibility to support innovative formats like squeezebacks and L-bannersControl over ad break timing and schedulingEfficiency through simplified operations and resource savingsSGAI uses Google’s Dynamic Ad Insertion (DAI) to select and prepare ad breaks, while the client app manages when and how ads are played.
It supports both client-side and server-side ad stitching, enabling compatibility with HLS, DASH, and a wide range of streaming tech.
Publishers can use their own infrastructure to optimize ad breaks for high-concurrency live events.
Call to action on picture?
Ömer Seyfettin Ekinci saw this call to action on the picture of a YouTube ad looks weird.
Google has announced the 2025 updates to the Merchant Center product data specification.
These changes aim to improve the accuracy and clarity of product listings across Shopping ads and free listings. Some updates are effective immediately (from April 8), while others will apply from July 1, 2025. Here’s a quick overview of what’s changing.
Effective April 8, 2025:Installment pricing: The price attribute can no longer be used for down payments.
Use the downpayment sub-attribute under installment. The price must now reflect the full upfront price.
Energy labels in the EU: Energy efficiency class attributes are being replaced by the certification attribute.
This supports both rescaled and non-rescaled labels. The older attributes remain available in Norway, Switzerland, and the UK.
New shipping attributes: New offer-level shipping options have been introduced:carrier_shippingshipping_handling_business_daysshipping_transit_business_days
These help provide more accurate delivery estimates.
Effective July 1, 2025:Member pricing: Including member prices in price or sale_price will no longer be allowed.
Use the loyalty_program attribute where available. Non-compliance may lead to disapprovals.US sales tax: Providing tax information will no longer be required.
Offers previously disapproved for missing tax data may start receiving traffic, potentially impacting ad spend.
Thanks for making me aware of this change Georgi Zayakov.
Adsense update
Google AdSense has launched a new Rewarded Ad Units beta program, separate from the Rewarded Ad Gate beta introduced in 2022.
This new feature allows site owners to offer users rewards such as access to premium content, ad-free pages, or coupons—in exchange for watching full-page image or video ads for a set duration (5–30 seconds).
Users must opt in to view these ads, and rewards are only granted if they watch the ad in full. If the user closes the ad early, they’re prompted to either resume or exit without the reward.
Barry Schwartz highlights the update, first noted by Bruno Ramos Lara There’s no word yet on the fate of the 2022 version.
Ads on your homepage
Discovery comes to the desktop.
Now, will we see Ads here? I’m very curious about how this can impact the Demand Gen campaigns and when Google will roll this out.
Imagine how many impressions you get 🤣 …
New PMAX update
Google continues to expand Performance Max capabilities with new features focused on control, reporting, and asset variety.
New Goals & Reporting FeaturesRetention Goals are now available to all advertisers bid more for lapsed customers and prioritize high-LTV segments.
Customer Acquisition Cost Reporting is now in campaign reporting track CAC using new customer goals in both modes.
Image Controls & EnhancementLanding Page Images: Automatically pull images from landing pages to increase asset variety (with full control and opt-out option).
Image Enhancements: Auto-crop images to unlock new inventory opportunities.
More features like uncropping and animation are coming.Improved Search Controls
Campaign-Level Negative Keywords: Limit increased from 100 to 10,000 per campaign, giving advertisers significantly more control.
Has Google quietly relaxed punctuation rules in ad headlines?
Tristan van Duin noticed that an ad using an exclamation mark in the headline.
Normally against Google’s policies, it was approved and is live in the SERP.
While it’s too early to judge the impact on performance, it’s a surprising shift from Google’s historically strict punctuation rules.
New Screenshots for video ads Demand Gen
Thomas Eccel already posted it but now Arpan Banerjee has sent me the official announcement.
Video Ads for Demand Gen campaigns will soon start using landing page screenshots to improve your YouTube ad performance.
New Ad Strength guide
Thomas Eccel discovered that Google has released this new ad strength guide.
You can check it here.
New section
Thomas Eccel discovered this new good-for-you section!
New contact option
Anthony Higman discovered that you can now fill in your phone number to get calls from your Google Rep in this dedicated section 🤣
More products button Google Ads
Sachin Patel & Barry Schwartz discovered that Google is testing in Ads with this more button.
GMC Brand Profile
Google Merchant Center is offering early access to a new feature allowing merchants to edit their brand profile on Google Search.
These profiles, shown when users search for a business, can now be customized by a select group of merchants.
A basic profile has already been created using existing Merchant Center data. Merchants are encouraged to claim and customize their profile to update their brand story, imagery, and more.
New Page on YouTube Subscriptions for Demand Gen
Google Ads now lets advertisers track and optimize for YouTube channel subscriptions and follow-on views as conversions in Demand Gen campaigns.
Once a Google Ads account is linked to a YouTube channel, these engagement actions can be used as measurement or bidding goals.
Tips from Google:
– Use YouTube subscriptions or follow-on views as primary or secondary goals.
– Choose Maximize Conversions or Target CPA bidding.
– Link your YouTube channel to Google Ads to enable tracking.
– Create a Demand Gen campaign and select YouTube engagements as the goal.
– Use relevant audiences, strong video creatives, and the channel or playlist URL as the landing page.
This helps advertisers grow their YouTube audience more efficiently than with traditional CPV bidding.
New help page Demand Gen
Google has launched a new help page for the trim too.
Google Ads’ Demand Gen now includes a video crop and trim tool, allowing advertisers to edit video aspect ratios and durations directly within the platform.
Key features:
Crop: Adjust videos to fit horizontal (16:9), square (1:1), or vertical (9:16) formats.Trim: Set video length between 5 and 300 seconds to highlight key moments.
This tool helps tailor videos for different placements and improve ad impact.
New Connectors Looker studio
Google has added some new connectors for Looker Studio!
Big Meta Update
Meta is revolutionizing ad measurement with the rollout of incremental attribution, aiming to show the true impact of ads by filtering out conversions that would have happened anyway.
Using conversion lift and geo lift methods, Meta holds back ads from a segment of the audience and compares results to measure incremental lift.
This upgrade addresses the long-standing marketing question: Which conversions were truly driven by ads, and which would have happened regardless?
While incrementality testing isn’t new, Meta is making it easier and automated, helping advertisers make smarter budget decisions. The hope is that Google Ads will follow Meta’s lead and introduce a similar feature.
Update discovered by Frederik Boysen!
Temu stopped advertising
Mike Ryan discovered that Temu has stopped advertising in the US! Good news for other retailers who had to compete with them.
Temu not only quit advertising on Google in the US they also stopped advertising on the other platforms!
New Pattern
Google loves Pmax… and now apparently Shopping & Demand Gen too
That’s all you’ll see in the campaign-type overview for some accounts.
Wanna see more?
You have to hit “See more” to reveal the rest.👀
Spotted by Zeeshan Ali!
BIG NEWS: No Consent mode, No Conversions 🚨
Microsoft Ads just introduced a major shift for advertisers in the EEA, UK, and Switzerland. If you’re using UET tags without valid user consent, your tracking is at risk.
Microsoft is now actively restricting tags that don’t comply with consent requirements. That impacts conversion tracking, retargeting, and campaign optimization.
If you’re seeing “Partial Restriction” warnings, make sure to check your consent mode. If you have not installed UET Consent Mode make sure to do it. You can install this easily with a tool like Cookiebot Web CMP by Usercentrics.
This isn’t just a privacy update it’s a performance update.Make sure your setup is aligned. Otherwise, you’re flying blind.
Optimize Checkout
Google held a very interesting webinar about how autofill can optimize your checkout! You can watch it back and sign up here.
Masthead
Starting April 30, 2025, Google TV Masthead ads in the U.S. will allow content related to Daily Fantasy Sports and Sports betting, provided advertisers comply with Google’s Gambling and games policy.
Product feeds coming to Gmail?
Dario Zannoni discovered that Google is now showing products in Gmail!
Resume shopping tab
First time seeing the resume shopping tab in my search results!
Video Action Campaign
Muhammad S. got a new message that Google Ads is going to automatically update the Video Action campaign into Demand Gen starting in July.
Google Ads Safety Report 2024
Google’s 2024 Ads Safety Report reveals a sharp rise in enforcement efforts, powered by AI and large language models (LLMs).
The company focused on earlier fraud detection and stronger policy enforcement at scale.
Key Stats:
– 5.1 billion ads removed
– 9.1 billion ads restricted
– 39.2 million advertiser accounts suspended (↑ 200% YoY)
– 1.3 billion publisher pages enforced against
– 415 million scam-related ads blocked/removed- 30+ policy updates rolled out
AI’s role:
50+ AI model upgrades enabled faster, smarter detection of fake payment info, impersonation, and other red flags.
97% of publisher violations were caught using AI.
A dedicated team of 100+ tackled impersonation scams, suspending 700,000+ scam accounts and reducing incidents by 90%.
Election-year focus:
With elections in 50+ countries, Google tightened political ad rules.10.7 million unverified election ads removed.
AI-labeling became mandatory for election-related AI content.
Takeaway: Google is using AI to both detect scams faster and enforce policies more strictly.
But concerns remain about transparency and policy clarity for legitimate advertisers.
Google sued
Google is being sued in the UK for allegedly abusing its dominance in search advertising to inflate ad prices over the past 13+ years.
The class action could impact hundreds of thousands of UK businesses.
Key Details:
– £5 billion ($6.6 billion) in potential damages.
– 90%: Google’s share of UK search ad revenue (2020 CMA data).
– 2011–present: Time period covered by the lawsuit.
Claims include:
– Restricting rival search engines.
– Forcing advertisers onto Google’s platform at inflated prices.
– Securing unfair advantages via exclusive deals with device manufacturers.
Why it matters: If successful, the lawsuit could lead to lower ad costs and a shift in how marketers allocate budgets.
It highlights growing concerns over Google’s dominance in digital advertising.
Google’s response: Google called the claim “speculative and opportunistic,” insisting advertisers use its services because they’re effective, not due to lack of alternatives.
Google Guilty of Ad Monopoly: Court Ruling Could Break Up Its Ad Empire
A U.S. judge ruled that Google illegally monopolized the digital advertising market by tying together its ad tech products, harming competition and publishers.
However, Google was not found to have a monopoly in ad networks for advertisers. The company plans to appeal. The next phase could involve breaking up parts of Google’s ad business.
GA4 Changes
Google Analytics is enhancing data quality to help marketers make better decisions in a changing digital landscape.
Key updates include new attribution tools like aggregate identifiers and smart fallback mechanisms, clearer data labels for better insights, and proactive features like quality indicators and system-generated annotations.
These changes aim to ensure more accurate, reliable, and actionable marketing data despite evolving tech and privacy regulations.
Announcement: Google Ads API v19.1 (April 16, 2025)
The latest version of the Google Ads API is here: v19.1.
This release includes no breaking changes and is fully backwards compatible with v19.
To use the new features, you must update your client libraries and code once they’re released next week.
Key highlights:
Demand Gen: Support for ad group-level channel settings, plus new planning service methods.
Local Services Ads: You can now submit lead feedback using the ProvideLeadFeedback() method.
Video campaigns: New metrics and segments for reach (with demo adjustments); Audio Ads can now be retrieved via the API.
Performance Max & Shopping Ads: Brand exclusions can now be overridden specifically for Shopping Ads.Conversions:
You can now set a google_ads_conversion_customer when creating a new customer.
Planning Services: Expanded support for Demand Gen campaigns.
16:9 Horizontal
Thomas Eccel discovered that YouTube Shorts on Desktop now supports horizontal 16:9 video ads, not just vertical ones.
This strategic update by Google allows advertisers to run existing horizontal video creatives in Shorts placements without reformatting them to vertical.
Pmax update
Yash Mandlesha discovered this small update in Performance Max: all 5 descriptions now have a 90-character limit (previously, one was still limited to 60).
Captcha
Captcha, previously only shown during the initial setup of a Google Ads account, has now been spotted at the MCC level.
Vojtěch Audy & Hana Kobzová reported encountering a captcha when creating a new account within his MCC, requiring verification to continue!
Google Ads Update live – Customer List Audiences Change
Google has updated how we manage Customer List Audiences, This update went live on April 7, Yash Mandlesha just reminded me of this change!
Before: You could set customer list entries to “Never Expire” – users stayed on the list indefinitely.
Now: That’s gone. Google replaced it with “Membership Duration” – capped at 540 days.
After that, users are automatically removed.
New Design
Muhammad S. discovered this new design for experiments!
mCPV campaigns — changes coming end of April
From the end of this month, you can’t create Max CPV (mCPV) video campaigns via the standard buyflow anymore (spotted by Aleksejus Podpruginas ).
Still possible via:
– copy/paste
– Google Ads Editor
But: Google wants you to switch to tCPV (Target CPV) using the Video Views Campaign (VVC) buyflow
.Why?
They’re moving away from Max bidding to make CPV buying simpler + more performance-driven.
Google Search Ads can now show at both the top and bottom of the page
Google is updating how Search ads are delivered at the bottom of the search results page. Previously, an advertiser’s ad would only appear in one location per page (top or bottom).
Now, if an advertiser shows in the top ads auction, they can also compete to show a different, relevant ad in the bottom ads auction.
Why the change?
Users often scroll down the page, then return to the top if they don’t find relevant content.
This change aims to reduce friction and improve ad relevance throughout the page.
Key results from testing:
+10% increase in highly relevant ads shown at the bottom.
+14% increase in conversions from bottom ads.
Important clarifications:
No change to Google’s double serving policy: advertisers won’t compete against themselves in the same location.
No changes to query matching, ad load limits, or top ads auction. Ads shown at the top and bottom may be different to suit their placement better.
New docu Pmax image optimizations
Soon, Google will roll out image optimizations for Pmax. This new document was found by Hana Kobzová. The update was announced earlier, but now we know where to find it when they release it:). Must be coming soon!
DOJ Proposes Breaking Up Google’s Search Monopoly
On April 21, 2025, the U.S. Department of Justice and several states proposed major remedies to dismantle Google’s alleged illegal monopoly in search and search advertising.
The plan includes:
Ending Default Search Deals: Google’s billion-dollar payments to Apple and Android manufacturers would be banned to stop locking in its dominance.
Chrome Divestiture: Google may be forced to spin off Chrome, which contributes to 35% of all Google searches.
Data Sharing: Google would need to share critical user, search, and ad performance data to help rivals compete and innovate.
Ad Transparency: Google would have to give advertisers more control and reporting options, including opting out of broad/automated keyword matching.
Oversight & Android Clause: A technical committee would ensure compliance.
If competition hasn’t improved in five years, Google may also have to divest Android.
Impact: These measures could dramatically change how people use Google, how advertisers operate, and how competitors emerge especially in search and AI.
New LSA update found by Anthony Higman
A new Google Local Services Ads (LSA) update introduces provisions allowing Google to modify and display LSA content more broadly across its platforms.
The update also permits Google to record messages and calls originating from URLs listed on advertiser profiles.
Additionally, new rules now apply to agencies managing LSA on behalf of clients.
These changes signal Google’s expanding permissions over ad content and data usage raising concerns over transparency and control.
Google Ad Spend Up, But Performance Wobbles – Q1 2025
Google Search:
+9% YoY spend, mostly from rising CPCs (+5%), not more clicks (+4%).
Shopping Ads: Clicks up 9%, spend up 8%, with Amazon still dominating.
PMax: 93% adoption but dropping in performance, lower ROAS, higher CPC than standard Shopping.
Microsoft Ads: Stronger growth (+17% YoY spend), with rising CPCs, especially for brand terms.
Advertisers face rising costs across platforms, with Microsoft gaining traction and PMax under scrutiny.
Source: Tinuiti Q1 2025 Benchmark Report
Tree Table
Thomas Eccel discovered that you now have tree table view in reports!
Cookies not leaving
On April 22, 2025, Google announced it will no longer introduce a standalone prompt to block third-party cookies in Chrome, effectively continuing their use.
This marks a major reversal from Google’s previous plans to phase out third-party cookies. Anthony Chavez, VP of Privacy Sandbox, explained the decision was driven by mixed industry feedback and ongoing discussions with regulators.
Although third-party cookies will remain, elements of the Privacy Sandbox project, like IP Protection for Incognito users, will continue.
The Privacy Sandbox itself remains in a state of uncertainty, as challenges such as scalability issues and publisher hesitation have stalled broader adoption.
Shopify Alert for Google Tags
Ginny Marvin just posted that the new Shopify’s new checkout will break legacy gtag.js setups on your “Thank you” & “Order status” pages.
Action: Install the Google & YouTube app and migrate your old tags before your checkout is upgraded.
LSA Update
Starting May 22, Google Local Services Ads (LSAs) will relax their photo guidelines. Restrictions like off-topic content, watermarks, contact details, bad lighting, duplicates, and screenshots will no longer be part of the photo review process. This update was found by Anthony Higman
Threads Ads are soon eligible for all advertisers
Meta is expanding advertising on its Threads platform to all eligible advertisers globally, with ads initially appearing in select markets.
The company plans to test the feature in over 30 countries, including the United States, as part of a phased rollout aimed at optimizing both user and advertiser experiences.
Ads will be identifiable by a “Sponsored” label next to the posting account’s username. This broader launch follows a limited test that began in January 2025 with a few brands in the U.S. and Japan.
Threads and Instagram head Adam Mosseri previously acknowledged user concerns but emphasized the necessity of revenue to maintain the platform’s free services and operations.
Checkout on Merchant Now Available for Demand Gen Campaigns in the US
Arpan Banerjee just texted me that as of April 24, 2025, Checkout on Merchant is available for Demand Gen campaigns running on YouTube In-stream.
This feature lets users quickly move from product discovery to checkout directly on the merchant’s website.
It was already supported in Performance Max campaigns and organic shopping results.
How to enable it
:Add a checkout/cart page URL template in Google Merchant Center (account level), or use the checkout link template attribute in your product feed (product level).
This update is available to all U.S. advertisers using product feeds.
Early results show an average 11% boost in conversion value at a similar CPA for advertisers who enable checkout URLs.
Updating the Merchant Listing Documentation on Energy Efficiency
Google has removed EnergyConsumptionDetails properties. Added a note on backward compatibility for developers using the original markup.
Included an alternative to the certificationIdentification property for merchants without EPREL codes.
This update was done following the October 2024 announcement, the EnergyConsumptionDetails type has been replaced by the more comprehensive Certification type.
Q1 2025 Google Ads revenue is in
Here’s what just dropped:
Search & Others$46.2B → $50.7B (+10%)
YouTube Ads $8.1B → $8.9B (+10%)
Google Network $7.4B → $7.3B (flat)
Total Google Ads $61.7B → $66.9B (+8.5%)
Total Alphabet Revenue $80.5B → $90.2B (+12%)
GA4 Update
Arpan Banerjee just texted me that Google Analytics has introduced report snapshot templates (User behavior, Sales and revenue, and Marketing performance) to help users quickly understand key data insights.
Additionally, the card library has been updated for easier discovery of relevant cards.
Google Ads API v17 will sunset on June 4, 2025.
After this date, all v17 API requests will begin to fail. Migrate to a newer version prior to June 4, 2025 to ensure your API access is unaffected!
Make a bumper
Anthony Higman discovered that Google is now trying to let users make a bumper in a video campaign ad at the end of the campaign creation.
Google Ads: Set a Weight for Display View-Through Conversions?
Dario Zannoni discovered a new option in Google Ads now lets you set the weight for view-through conversions in Display campaigns, from 1% to 100% (default is 100%).
There’s no official documentation yet, and it’s unclear who would need this.
New filter
Emmanuel Flossie discovered a new filter for Merchant Center, You can ask questions based on the data in Merchant Center.
Like low-price & low clicks products. For more information, check his video.
New Shopping test
Sachin Patel & Barry Schwartz discovered this new Google Shopping test!
April 2025 Display & Video 360 API Update (April 28, 2025)
Google announced new features for the Display & Video 360 API, including:
– Support for Commerce Grid and Spotify exchanges.
– Ability to retrieve excluded content theme targeting.
– New ruleset settings for rule-based custom bidding (for select partners).
A fix for an issue where advertisers.list requests ignored the orderBy parameter.Make sure to update your client library to access these improvements.
Test?
Glenn Gabe & Hana Kobzová discovered this new Ads test. Ginny Marvin explained that this Ads test does not cost advertisers money and told advertisers it is an experiment that is being done!
Automatic video
Google Ads now offers automatic video generation for Demand Gen campaigns.
On the Review page, advertisers are prompted to add videos to boost reach, with suggested video thumbnails, estimated impressions, and performance metrics.
If no video is uploaded, Google can auto-generate videos in horizontal, vertical, and square formats. This feature was first spotted by Hana Kobzová.
New Pmax features
Google is rolling out channel-level reporting, full search terms data, and richer asset metrics in Performance Max.
Giving advertisers deeper insights into where and how their campaigns perform across Search, YouTube, Display, Gmail, and more.Updates:
– New Channel performance page with visual insights and breakdowns by format (e.g., Shopping ads, video)
– Search terms reporting now match what you get in Search/Shopping campaigns
– Asset-level metrics now include impressions, clicks, and cost, helping you improve Ad Strength.
Open beta starts soon.
More at Google Marketing Live on May 21!