?? Paid Search Edition (W44)
??? Yoann Ferrand
???? ???? Senior PPC Manager | Named one of the Top 100 Most Influential?PPCer | Empowering you towards digital maturity.
?? About PPC News ??♀?
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Please think of us as your guide in the dynamic world of PPC, highlighting new talents, innovation, and the essential role of paid media experts.
Have a great week ahead! ??
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Paid Search
[Issue No. 134 - Oct 28th to Nov 3rd]
?? Trending
Google expands AI Overviews in Search to 100+ countries.
Google's AI Overviews in Search, which summarize search topics and link to relevant websites, are now available in over 100 countries and support multiple languages, reaching more than 1 billion users monthly. This global rollout aims to enhance search experiences and drive traffic to publishers and businesses with in-line links and right-hand site icons for easier content discovery. [Google]
ChatGPT's New Web Search: SearchGPT
OpenAI has launched an upgraded ChatGPT search feature. This feature lets users get fast, up-to-date answers with links to relevant web sources, covering real-time information like sports scores, weather, stock updates, and news. Available to ChatGPT Plus and Team users, it blends natural language responses with direct access to verified content, enhancing information depth and accessibility.
The new search experience includes collaborations with significant news and data providers, enabling users to get more context and verify information through a "Sources" button in each response.
With plans to expand access over time, OpenAI aims to make ChatGPT a go-to resource for timely, well-sourced information. [ChatGPT]
Why it matters?
ChatGPT surpassed Bing in traffic in August, becoming the leading AI chatbot by a wide margin. Though still behind Google, its rapid rise in under two years shows it’s more than just hype, with 17% of consumers now using ChatGPT as a search alternative. Kevin Indig
The Chrome extension adds convenience by making ChatGPT a default search option in Chrome's address bar, potentially shifting user habits from traditional search engines. This could encourage more accurate sourcing from content creators, as users can now validate information directly, blending conversational AI with credible information discovery. Glenn Gabe
Google Ads
Google Introduces "Business Links"
Google has launched "Business Links," a new ad asset designed to enhance the traditional site link experience by offering more customization options and higher character limits. Each Business Link allows up to three 30-character headlines and a 90-character description, giving advertisers more room to convey value and drive engagement beyond the standard site link format. [Google]
Direct Checkout Links for US Listings
Google Merchant Center has launched a checkout feature that allows customers to go directly from product listings to a merchant's checkout or cart page, streamlining the purchase process. Available for free listings and Performance Max Display ads in the United States, this feature provides a faster, more convenient shopping experience by enabling ready-to-buy shoppers to skip the product details page and proceed straight to checkout. [Google Merchant Center]
The new "Buy Now" button on Google Shopping, which sends users directly to the checkout, is especially valuable for well-known brands. Loyal customers will likely appreciate this quick purchasing process, which gets Google closer to becoming a marketplace.
Watch more to learn the implementation process. [YouTube]
?? 1st Contributor: Emmanuel Flossie
Google Ads Revamps Conversion Goals Organisation
Google Ads has overhauled its Conversion Goals interface, grouping actions under Sales and Leads menus with three clear stages: Initial Engagement, Deeper Engagement, and High-Value Engagement. This structure provides a streamlined view of customer interactions throughout the journey, helping advertisers focus on specific stages and prioritize high-impact actions. The new "Edit Graph" feature also allows users to customize goal order for more precise tracking. [Source]
?? 1st Contributor: Giοrgos Touloumis
Supporter: Hana Kobzová
WhatsApp Message Extensions Now Available for Spain
Google Ads has officially expanded WhatsApp Message Extensions to the Spanish market, allowing advertisers to use this popular communication channel to engage directly with users via Google Ads. Initially rolled out in beta, this feature enables brands to integrate a “Message Us” option that connects potential customers to WhatsApp, facilitating real-time conversations that can enhance engagement and conversions. [LinkedIn]
?? 1st Contributor: Raúl Salas Moreno
New Segmentation Options for PMax Asset Group
Google Ads has introduced a new segmentation feature for PMax Asset Groups in Table View.
This feature allows advertisers to break down performance by Time, Click Type, Conversions, Device, Network, and Top vs. Others. One handy addition is Conversion Segmentation - with the "days to conversions" metric, users can now see how long it takes for each asset group to convert, making optimising performance easier. This update brings a new level of detail to PMax campaigns, helping advertisers better understand asset group impact. [LinkedIn]
?? 1st Contributor: Thomas Eccel
Google Merchant Center Adds Google Sheets Integration
Google Merchant Center lets users directly connect existing Google Sheets, enabling seamless updates to product feeds without creating new Sheets or manually re-uploading data. [LinkedIn]
?? 1st Contributor: Emmanuel Flossie
"Raise your budgets" Recommendation Trends
Google has enhanced its "Raise your budgets" recommendation to include trending data insights and a visual growth graph, offering a more detailed view of potential campaign results. This update emphasizes smarter budget decisions by highlighting growth potential and potential click increases, moving beyond a simple call to spend more.
?? 1st Contributor: Hana Kobzová
[LinkedIn]
Opti Score Now Highlights Competitors Affecting Impression Share
Google Ads’ Optimization Score now includes insights on specific competitors, like "amazon.com," impacting your campaign's impression share. This feature gives advertisers a clearer view of auction pressure, helping them understand which brands compete for the same audience. [LinkedIn]
?? 1st Contributor: Craig Graham
Product Images Now Usable in PMax Asset Groups
Google Ads has rolled out an update for Performance Max (PMax) campaigns, allowing advertisers to use product images directly within asset groups. This enhancement streamlines the creative process by enabling brands to leverage existing product visuals for ads, improving visual consistency across campaigns without needing separate image uploads.
?? 1st Contributor: Emirhan Bayutmu?
[LinkedIn]
Final Review Warning in Google Merchant Center
Google Merchant Center now includes a warning for merchants requesting a review after policy violations. Merchants are informed that this may be the last review they can request. If the account review is not approved, they won't be able to request another one, suspending their Merchant Center account. This means their products will no longer appear in free listings or Shopping ads across Google. [YouTube]
?? 1st Contributor: Emmanuel Flossie
Google Ads Representative Made Unauthorized Changes
Google Ads Liaison Ginny Marvin confirmed that a Google ad representative made unauthorized adjustments to a client’s ad account, including changes to ad copy, headline pinning, and bidding strategy, without showing these updates in the account history. [LinkedIn]
Following an investigation, Marvin clarified that this was an unintentional error, attributing it to a lapse in approval processes.
?? 1st Contributor: Andy Youngs
Supporters: Thomas Eccel / Barry Schwartz [SEJ]
Google Introduces Paid 1:1 Consultations for Small Businesses
Google has launched a paid consultation service called Small Business Advisors. This service offers small business owners direct guidance on setting up and managing Google tools like Business Profile, Google Ads, and Google Analytics. Each 50-minute session costs $39.99, and businesses can get personalized support from "Google experts". [LinkedIn]
?? 1st Contributor: Florijan Abazi
Google to Launch New “Sexual Health & Wellness” Ad Policy
Google has announced a new "Sexual Health & Wellness" policy set to take effect on November 11, 2024. This update will permit ads for personal lubricants and prescription drugs for conditions like erectile dysfunction and hypoactive sexual desire disorder on the Google Display Network and YouTube, adhering to specific guidelines: ads must not focus on sexual pleasure, target users aged 18+, comply with local laws and follow healthcare ad restrictions. [Google Ads Policy]
SA360
SA360 Ads introduces AI-powered prompt-based reporting
Google Ads lets users generate reports by entering prompts or selecting suggested templates, aiming to simplify data extraction and trend visualization. While the AI tool streamlines bulk performance analysis, especially for creative data, it has limitations—prompted queries for sensitive data like budget allocation in Performance Max placements return no results, underscoring Google’s data access restrictions.
?? 1st Contributor: Mihai-Adrian Ciurea
[LinkedIn]
Display & Video 360
New DV360 Features Arriving Soon
[DV360]
AdSense
Reminder: W-8 Tax Form Resubmission Required by December 31, 2024
Publishers who submitted a W-8 tax form in 2021 must resubmit updated tax information in AdSense by year-end. This update is essential to maintain accurate withholding rates and avoid payment delays. To check your tax form status, log into AdSense, navigate to Payments > Payments info > Manage tax info, and review your details on the "United States tax info" card. [AdSense]
??? Advertising News
Alphabet Q3 2024 Earnings Highlights 15% YoY Growth.
Alphabet Inc. reported a 15% year-over-year increase in consolidated revenues, reaching $88.3 billion in Q3 2024, driven by robust performance across Google Services, YouTube Ads, and significant growth in Google Cloud. Google Cloud revenues surged by 35%, supported by advances in AI infrastructure and generative AI solutions. In comparison, Google Services saw a 13% revenue increase, totalling $76.5 billion, with continued gains in Google Search, devices, and YouTube ads.
Image Credit: Luka Cempre
Microsoft Reports a +16% Increase in Earnings for Q1 FY25.
Microsoft announced robust Q1 FY25 financial results with a 16% revenue increase to $65.6 billion and operating income up by 14% to $30.6 billion. Earnings per share reached $3.30, marking a 10% year-over-year rise, primarily fueled by a 22% growth in Microsoft Cloud revenue, totalling $38.9 billion. Key segments showed impressive gains, including a 33% increase in Azure and other cloud services, 61% in Xbox content, and 18% in Dynamics 365.
Meta Q3 Earnings: 19% Revenue Surge Despite Legal Challenges
Meta reported a strong Q3 for FY24, with revenue climbing 19% year-over-year to $40.6 billion, surpassing expectations. Daily active users reached 3.29 billion (up 5%), and ad impressions increased by 7%. Despite these gains, Meta’s stock declined by 3% due to anticipated 2025 capital expenditures and ongoing legal issues. Meta’s revenue and ad engagement growth highlight its expanding global user base and reach. However, projected high Capex for 2025 and pending lawsuits signal potential challenges.
Ad agency spending control declines as client focus intensifies
Ad agencies now manage 21% less media spending than five years ago, with holding companies seeing a 33% drop and independents a 5% decline. This shift underscores a growing need for agencies to focus on genuine client growth, as spend control indicates brands’ trust in agencies to prioritize their best interests and investment outcomes. [eMarketer]
?? Privacy & Compliance
Google’s Disclosure Requirements for Political Ads
Google has updated its Political Content policy to mandate clear disclosures for synthetic or altered content in election-related ads. Advertisers must now indicate if an ad contains AI-generated or digitally manipulated content by selecting the "Altered or Synthetic Content" checkbox in campaign settings.
Google automatically generates in-ad disclosures for specific ad formats like mobile feeds and in-stream videos. In contrast, other formats require advertisers to provide clear and noticeable disclosures. [Google Ads Policy]
?? 1st Contributor: Anthony Higman [X]
?? AI Developments
Advanced Voice Now Available in ChatGPT Desktop
OpenAI has expanded its Advanced Voice feature to the macOS and Windows desktop apps, allowing users to voice conversations directly from their computers. To access this new capability, simply update the latest version of the ChatGPT desktop app and start chatting hands-free. [ChatGPT]
Claude 3.5 Sonnet Now Available in GitHub Copilot
Anthropic's new Claude 3.5 Sonnet model is now rolling out on GitHub Copilot, allowing developers to use it directly in Visual Studio Code and GitHub.com. With top performance on SWE-bench Verified and a HumanEval score of 93.7%, Claude 3.5 Sonnet generates accurate, production-ready code and debugging, making it a powerful tool for GitHub’s 100-million-strong developer community. [Anthropic]
Claude 3.5 Now Supports PDF Analysis in Public Beta
The new Claude 3.5 Sonnet model from Anthropic introduces PDF support, allowing users to analyze text and visual content within PDF documents. In public beta, this feature enables use cases such as examining financial reports, extracting legal insights, and structuring information directly from PDFs. [Claude]
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Introduces Autonomous Agents
Microsoft Dynamics 365 has unveiled new autonomous agents to transform business processes across sales, service, finance, and supply chain teams. Powered by Microsoft Copilot Studio, these agents can independently handle tasks like lead qualification, sales order processing, supplier communications, and financial reconciliation, allowing teams to focus on strategic, high-value activities.
With tools like the Sales Qualification Agent and Supplier Communications Agent, organizations can streamline operations, enhance customer experiences, and drive efficiency through AI-driven automation. These agents will be available in public preview in November 2024, with more capabilities planned for release in 2025. [Microsoft]
Enable Voice Capabilities in Microsoft Copilot Studio
Microsoft Copilot Studio now supports voice interactions, allowing you to create interactive voice response (IVR) experiences alongside chat. Set up your copilot for voice commands by configuring essential extensions and enabling seamless handoffs with your voice provider - bringing more accessibility and interaction options to your users. [Microsoft Copilot]
?? 1st Contributor: Renato Rom?o de Souza [LinkedIn]
?? Tips of the Week
Workaround for Common 'Entity Not Found' Bug in Performance Max
Creating Performance Max (PMax) campaigns in Google Ads can be frustrating, with bugs sometimes preventing successful launches. Recently, I encountered the "Could not find the entity" error related to the Asset Group, where the campaign setup seemed lost and wasn’t visible in Drafts, adding to the frustration.
Solution:
This workaround allows Google to recognize the asset group, enabling you to save and launch the campaign. Share any similar bugs and fixes—let’s make this a go-to guide for PMax troubleshooting!
?? 1st Contributor: Georgi Zayakov
Unlock the Potential of AI for Small Business Growth with Mike Rhodes
Discover how AI can elevate your small business by streamlining processes, boosting productivity, and fostering innovation. Join Mike Rhodes, co-author of the bestselling Google Ads book, as he explores practical ways to harness AI in daily operations.
What You'll Learn:
Gain actionable insights to keep your business competitive - dive into these transformative topics and explore AI’s real-world impact on small business success.
???? Go Further
LinkedIn Launches Hiring Assistant for Recruiters and Jobs
LinkedIn’s new AI-powered Hiring Assistant helps recruiters handle repetitive tasks, from building candidate pipelines to scheduling interviews. This tool allows hiring teams to focus on meaningful candidate interactions while AI manages administrative logistics, offering a more streamlined hiring experience. [LinkedIn]
Amazon DSP Expands Audience Insights
Amazon Ads introduced three new audience insight types in Amazon DSP, offering advertisers aggregated demographic data, retail category insights, and content streaming insights on Prime Video. Previously available only via the Persona builder API, these insights now allow advertisers to view detailed audience data directly in Audience Central, enhancing targeting capabilities across regions like North America, Europe, and Asia Pacific. [Amazon]
Why it Matters: These expanded insights enable advertisers to refine campaign strategies by accessing audience demographics, purchase trends, and media consumption patterns, providing a more comprehensive understanding of target audiences.
Amazon DSP Expands Premium Inventory
Amazon DSP display campaigns will automatically include a broader range of Amazon-owned inventory sources, such as Echo Show, Fire TV, IMDb, and Whole Foods Market displays, starting November 1. This update simplifies ad placements, allowing advertisers to reach larger audiences with minimal manual setup, though they can opt-out if desired. [Amazon]
Meta Ads Launches AI-Powered Visual Generation for Ads
Meta has introduced a new feature that allows advertisers to create custom visuals using AI, directly within Meta Business at the ad level. This tool lets advertisers quickly generate unique, engaging visuals to boost ad performance without needing external design resources. [LinkedIn]
?? 1st Contributor: Emirhan Bayutmu?
New Auto-Resizing Rules for Meta Advantage+ Catalog Ads
Meta has implemented a change in the Advantage+ Catalog Ads carousel format that automatically resizes product images to a 1:1 or 4:5 aspect ratio based on the aspect ratio of the first card image. Advertisers cannot disable this feature, and Meta determines the first card image dynamically, selecting the format most likely to drive engagement. [LinkedIn]
What to Do: To manage how resizing impacts your images, adjust settings in Commerce Manager under “Catalogs” > “Settings” > “Image cropping.”
Options include:
?? 1st Contributor: Bram Van der Hallen
?? Events
SMX Next 2024: November 13-14
At SMX Next on November 13-14, experts will examine 2025’s top SEO and PPC trends, covering advancements in AI, keyword strategies, and paid search optimizations. Notable sessions include keynotes on SEO and PPC strategies and panels on leveraging generative AI and navigating Google’s latest updates. [Join for Free]
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?TrueClicks is your extra pair of eyes to keep an eye on your Google and Microsoft Ads accounts like never before. Scripts are great until they're not. Your team wants daily checks that always work and are visible to everyone.
There is a better way:
? Every day, TrueClicks checks all your accounts for 40+ common issues and errors
?? Within minutes, we identify waste and opportunities
?? Easily fix issues straight from TrueClicks
And more…?
Curious? Take an interactive tour (no email needed).
?? That's it for this week!
Now, you are ready to kick-start your week with all the knowledge unpacked.
Hopefully, with a bit of comfort and some new ideas in mind.
Your turn. How can you help as well?
?? Share your unique and genuine perspective on those changes by reposting this newsletter so it can continue to help others.
?? And don't forget to subscribe to receive the email updates:
I Turn Ad Spend Into Predictable Revenue | $90M+ Generated | Google Premier Partner | Top 1% Global Google Ads Expert | 10,000+ Upwork Hours | Founder @Webfrill Inc.
2 周Great job for sure ... Hats of to contributors >
I Help Website Get More Leads, Traffic, And Sales From Google With SEO & PPC | Meta Ads, GTM & GA4 Expert | Helping Businesses Grow With Data-Driven Digital Marketing Strategies.
3 周Thanks for sharing this valuable post
Managing Director at Tenacity Advertising
3 周We have twice had a Google 3rd Party contact another agency about one of our clients. Luckily I am friends with this other agency. I lodged a complaint both directly via email, to Google support and to the companies head office. But then 3 months later and it has happened again. How long until Google gets rid of these 3rd parties. Accessing our accounts without authorisation is one thing but then now changing things and contacting the wrong agencies. Its 2024 and Google's customer service has never been worse.
Founder & CEO at ADSQUIRE
3 周Thanks Yoann!!!
Helping You Get Better at Google Ads and Paid Media | Google Ads Audits, Strategy, & Consultation | 14+ Years Experience
3 周Thank you so much for the mention ??? Yoann Ferrand ! PPC News is such a fantastic roundup ????