?? PPC News: Paid Search (W24)

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?? Paid Search

[Issue No. 114 - June 10th to June 16th]

? Sponsorship

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Google Ads

Google Ads to end card payments by July 31

Google mandates that some high-spend advertisers switch from credit or debit cards to bank-based payment options by July 31 to avoid account suspension. The change aims to promote automated payment methods. [X]

My Perspective: If fully implemented, it could compel small businesses to own their accounts, displace some credit card rewards for some, and potentially causing cash flow issues for some advertisers.

?? 1st Contributor: Jeremy Brandt

Google introduces 'Fine-tune controls' for ad management

Google has launched 'Fine-tune controls,' a new feature that allows automatic management of ad quantity on specific web pages, permitting up to 16 ads per page. This update is significant for PMax campaigns, as a substantial portion of display traffic is delivered through these ads, enhancing their reach and effectiveness. [LinkedIn]

?? 1st Contributor: Jeremy Brandt

Targeting by feed labels introduced in Google Ads campaign creation

Google Ads allows advertisers to select a feed label while creating a campaign. This feature enables targeted product promotion from specific feeds, which is currently rolling out and may still need to be available globally. It offers enhanced campaign targeting options utilizing multiple feeds, such as targeting different countries.

?? 1st Contributor: Hana Kobzová

Digital coupons are now rolling out in Google Ads.

Digital Coupons, announced in March, are now available in Google Ads accounts. Two new fields related to Digital Coupons, Promotion Terms and Conditions, and Links to Additional Terms and Conditions have been added under Advanced Options. [LinkedIn]

Google is enhancing the promotional extensions in Google Ads by adding new sections within the advanced options of the Promotion resources.

• Promotion Terms and Conditions: A section for specifying the terms and conditions of your promotions.
• Link to Additional Terms and Conditions: An option to link to a more detailed set of terms and conditions.

These updates could give users more transparency and detailed information about promotional offers, potentially increasing trust and engagement.

?? 1st Contributor: CrackPPC

Supporter: Hana Kobzová

Merchant Center

Automated product addition from websites to the Merchant Center

Google Ads automatically adds products from websites to the Merchant Center if structured data markup is used on landing pages.

Initially announced on June 22, this feature is already live and adds missing products for existing feeds or all products for new feeds, with default settings for Free Listings only.[LinkedIn]

?? 1st Contributor: Thomas Eccel

New required certification for emissions-related labelling.

Google Merchant Center has expanded its certification requirements to include emissions-related labelling and the existing energy efficiency labelling requirements. This update aims to enhance transparency and accuracy in product listings, ensuring consumers receive reliable information about the environmental impact of their purchases.

[Google Merchant Center]

?? 1st Contributor: Emmanuel Flossie

Video Ads

Video impressions are now included in the conversion paths report

Google Ads has updated the conversion paths report to include video impressions, enhancing understanding of YouTube's role in user journeys. This update allows for better insight into the impact of video ads, even without direct interaction, across YouTube, Shopping campaigns, and DemandGen. [LinkedIn]

??1st Contributor: Jordan Fry

Google releases Google TV networks for targeted CTV advertising.

Google has introduced the Google TV network, offering targeted, in-stream video inventory across more than 125 channels built into Google TV.

This new network allows advertisers to reach additional viewers on over 20 million monthly active Google TV and other Android TV OS devices. It features ad formats such as non-skippable and 6-second bumper ads. [Google Ads]

The network is accessible directly through Google Ads and Google Display & Video 360.

How can you benefit from Google TV as an advertiser?

• Set Up: Select the Google TV network alongside YouTube to maximize your reach on premium, linear TV content when setting up your video campaign.
• Campaign Types: Google Ads supports ads serving on Google TV by default for new campaigns with "Efficient reach" using Bumper ads (6 seconds) or "Non-skippable" campaigns as subtypes with Non-skippable in-stream ads (15 seconds).
• Future Updates: Google announced that more ad formats will be available.

??1st Contributor: Georgi Zayakov

Other key updates

• Google Ads API v17 adds batch processing support for Performance Max
• Changes to Content API for Shopping support contact methods
• Google Ads updates healthcare and medicines policy

Marketing Industry

?? Privacy & Compliance

Alphabet faces privacy complaint over Chrome tracking in Austria.

Alphabet's Google has been hit with a privacy complaint by Austrian advocacy group NOYB for allegedly tracking users via its Chrome Web browser without proper consent. NOYB claims Google's ad privacy feature misleads users into accepting tracking, violating EU privacy rules. Google defends its Privacy Sandbox tools, asserting they enhance user privacy compared to third-party cookies. [Reuters]

Google will face a trial in a US antitrust case over digital advertising.

A federal judge ruled that Alphabet's Google must stand trial for allegedly monopolizing the digital advertising market. Google's motion to dismiss the case was denied, with the trial set for September 9. The lawsuit, initiated by the Justice Department and several states, seeks to break up Google's digital ad business to foster competition. Despite a recent win allowing the trial to proceed without a jury, the case continues challenging Google's dominance in the ad tech sector. [Reuters]

?? 1st Contributor: Sarah Kay Wiley

Noyb files complaint against Google over Privacy Sandbox dark patterns

Privacy advocacy group noyb.eu has complained to Google, alleging the use of dark patterns in its Privacy Sandbox. The complaint claims that the Sandbox API tracks users' web browsing history by categorizing them into advertising topics, misleading users into thinking it is a privacy feature. Noyb.eu argues that Google's presentation manipulates user understanding to ensure high consent rates and calls for Google to disclose consent rates and A/B testing results to prove transparency. [noyb.eu]

?? 1st Contributor: Luiza Jarovsky

Apple introduces AdAttributionKit to replace SKAdNetwork

Apple has launched AdAttributionKit, a new iOS framework designed for privacy-preserving ad attribution, set to replace SKAdNetwork. This framework supports re-engagement, click-through attribution, JWS-formatted impressions, and postbacks. AdAttributionKit aims to address SKAdNetwork's limitations, providing a better measurement of ad campaign success while maintaining user privacy. Apple shared details during a WWDC24 session, highlighting code snippets and best practices. [Apple Developer / Swipe Insights]

The Trade Desk and Yahoo are in a dispute over video ad inventory labelling.

The Trade Desk and Yahoo are in crisis discussing how Yahoo labels its video advertising inventory. If the issue remains unresolved, the Trade Desk has threatened to cut open marketplace access to Yahoo’s video inventory by June 17 and to disable all access by July 1. The core dispute involves Yahoo labelling its inventory as in-stream, which The Trade Desk argues does not meet current industry standards. Both parties aim to agree before the upcoming Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity. [Digiday / Swipe Insight]

?? AI Development

Apple introduces Apple Intelligence for iPhone, iPad, and Mac

Apple announced Apple Intelligence, a personal intelligence system integrating generative AI with personal context on iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia. Features include advanced Writing Tools for rewriting, proofreading, and summarizing text, Priority Messages in Mail, and new image creation capabilities with Image Playground.

Siri gains enhanced language understanding and contextual awareness, while Private Cloud Compute ensures privacy. Apple also integrates ChatGPT across its platforms, providing expertise and content generation. The system will be available in beta this autumn. [Apple]

Luma Dream Machine: AI video generator takes social media by storm

Luma AI, supported by Andreessen Horowitz, launched the public beta of its AI video generator, Dream Machine, which quickly became overwhelmed by user traffic. The model, designed to generate 120 frames in 120 seconds, faced delays due to high demand.

Luma AI is actively increasing its capacity to address the issue, with updates provided on Discord. Early users praised the high-resolution, smooth videos despite occasional accuracy issues. Dream Machine is compared to OpenAI’s Sora and other AI video models like Runway and Pika. [VentureBeat / Swipe Insight]

?? Advertising News

Oracle shuts down ad business amid revenue decline

Oracle announced during its latest earnings call that it is exiting the advertising business, which saw its revenue drop to $300 million in fiscal year 2024, down from $2 billion in 2022. This decision marks the end of Oracle's decade-long investment in the ad tech sector, where it acquired numerous companies to establish its presence. [Adweek]

Uber expands Journey Ads to programmatic buyers via Google, Yahoo, and The Trade Desk.

Uber's advertising division has extended its Journey Ads to programmatic buyers through partnerships with Google’s Display & Video 360, The Trade Desk, and Yahoo DSP. This expansion allows advertisers to target consumers at various trip stages using high-intent first-party data. Uber reports a click-through rate of over 3% and an average view time exceeding 100 seconds for Journey Ads, highlighting their effectiveness in reaching young, affluent users. [Marketing Dive / Swipe Insight]

?? Tips of the week

Boost CTRs on Demand Gen campaigns with short sitelinks

Enhance your Google Ads Video Ads by adding sitelinks to provide users with more relevant information and clickable text. Ensure you apply for at least two sitelink extensions at the campaign or ad group level, while keeping those short so they can appear with your video ad, optimizing your Demand Gen campaign performance.

??1st Contributor: Thomas Eccel

How to give and get access to Shopify customer events/pixels

Shopify customer events track interactions such as page views, product views, add-to-cart actions, and purchases, offering insights into customer behaviour to optimize marketing strategies. To grant access, navigate to Shopify > Settings > Users and Permissions, select a staff member, and check the box next to "View Customer Events" and "Manage and Add Custom Pixels."

??1st Contributor: Emmanuel Flossie

Improving match rate in Google Ads tag setup for better remarketing

Are you struggling with a low match rate in your Google Ads tag setup? Ensure your ID or ecomm_prodid match rate is above 80% to avoid wasting budget and ineffective remarketing. Check your match rate in Audience Manager under Data Sources. If mismatched, use g:display_ads_id in your product feed. This replaces your ID in all remarketing campaigns. [LinkedIn]

??1st Contributor: Ruben Runneboom

?? Must Read

2024 global ad revenue forecast projects 7.8% growth to $989.8 billion

The global advertising industry is expected to grow by 7.8% in 2024, reaching $989.8 billion. Revenue is projected to surpass one trillion dollars in 2025, one year earlier than previously forecasted. Key growth drivers include the U.S. and China, contributing $44.5 billion in 2024. Digital media is predicted to grow by 10%, with significant increases in retail media (17.5%) and out-of-home (11.5%). Key trends impacting these predictions include AI-enabled advertising, regulation, and geopolitical tensions. [GroupM / Swipe Insight]

Insights from Google Marketing Live 2024 with Ginny Marvin

Ginny Marvin of Google Ads addressed numerous questions following the 2024 Google Marketing Live event, clarifying topics such as Trusted Execution Environments (TEEs), optimization scores, AI overview impacts on ad auctions, and new features for Performance Max campaigns. Key takeaways include the expected rollout of TEEs this year, new image generation tools avoiding branded content, and expanded reporting for Performance Max.

[Read more]

A comprehensive guide to Google Shopping annotations

Google Shopping annotations, which appear in product box details, help differentiate merchants and boost CTR and conversion rates. Critical annotations include sale price, conversion data, special offers, product ratings, and variant attributes. Recent updates allow annotations like automated product highlights, top-quality store badges, and business identity. Additionally, annotations for delivery speed, return policies, price drops, and local product promotions enhance visibility and user engagement. Stay updated as new annotations are frequently introduced. [Read more]

??1st Contributor: Emmanuel Flossie

Analysis reveals a significant drop in RSA headline usage.

A recent analysis of ￡153,000,000 in Google ad spend reveals a sharp decline in the display of Headline 2 and Headline 3 in Responsive Search Ads (RSAs). In May, Headline 3 appeared in only 4% of ads, and Headline 2 was omitted 39% of the time, leaving many ads with just one headline. This trend affects ad performance and underscores the importance of strategic headline placement, especially ensuring critical messages are included in Headline 1 or pinned to Headline 2. [LinkedIn]

??1st Contributor: Dan Chorlton

Primary conversion actions: Insights from Google Marketing Live

Google Ads only learns from primary conversion actions, disregarding historical data from secondary actions when shifted to primary. The global product lead for intelligent bidding at Google Marketing Live confirmed this to Frederik Boysen.

Still, it noted that improvements are underway to utilize secondary action data for optimization once it becomes primary. This change will enhance optimization for long sales cycles and lead generation. In the meantime, Google recommends using primary conversion actions with specific goals for better algorithm performance. [LinkedIn]

??1st Contributor: Frederik Boysen

?? 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.