Google Ads
Search Engine Land is your premier source for Google Ads news, strategies, and in-depth content. You’ll find a variety of up-to-date and authoritative resources, including the latest news, tactic-rich tutorials, and the latest data to help you work smarter and make better decisions that boost your ROI.
Mastering Google Ads for maximum ROI
Google Ads is a powerful tool for driving targeted traffic, generating leads, and increasing sales — but staying ahead in paid search requires more than just a basic understanding of campaigns. Search Engine Land equips you with actionable strategies to optimize ad performance, reduce wasted spend, and maximize your return on investment.
Discover insights on everything from mastering campaign types like Performance Max to leveraging advanced strategies and features like audience targeting, responsive search ads, and bidding strategies. Whether you’re managing large-scale accounts or running ads for a small business, our resources are tailored to meet your specific needs.
What you read here is written by our experienced in-house team, alongside subject matter experts from leading agencies and top-performing brands across various industries
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OpenAI discusses an ad-driven strategy centered on ChatGPT scale and media partnerships
OpenAI’s move toward ads in AI responses could create a new, highly contextual channel for advertisers while reshaping digital marketing.
Google lowers audience size limits across Ads
The audience list reduction to 100 users makes it easier for advertisers of all sizes to use remarketing and customer list.
Why ad approval is not legal protection
Section 230 shields ad platforms from liability, while FTC enforcement holds advertisers strictly responsible for deceptive ad claims.
Google expands Performance Max channel reporting to MCCs
Google's latest update gives large advertisers clearer, cross-account insight into how PMax allocates spend and performs across channels.
How to use broad match without losing control
Broad match now runs with Smart Bidding. Learn how drift happens, why it matters, and how to keep performance aligned with real intent.
How Bayesian testing lets Google measure incrementality with $5,000
What’s often misunderstood about Google’s incrementality testing and how Bayesian models use probability to guide better decisions.
Google adds animation and image editing tools to Merchant Center’s Product Studio
Google's latest update gives merchants new ways to quickly animate, clean up, and enhance product images directly inside Merchant Center.
How to use Google’s Channel Performance report for PMax campaigns
See what the report actually reveals about PMax delivery, attribution, and asset performance – plus where the data still misleads.
Google: Exact match keywords won’t block broad match in AI Max
Google clarified that exact keywords don’t serve ads in AIOs — but they also no longer prevent broad match keywords from triggering those placements.
When Google’s AI bidding breaks – and how to take control
Google’s AI bidding can scale spend while eroding efficiency. Learn where to intervene to protect PPC performance.
Google Ads adds VTC bidding for App campaigns
Google Ads now lets Android App campaigns optimize bidding for view-through conversions, showing a shift toward video-driven performance.
Google Ads quietly unlocks Merchant Center videos for Performance Max
Google’s new Merchant Center video integration gives PMax advertisers faster setup, stronger product relevance, and scalable video performance.
The truth about Google Ads recommendations (and auto-apply)
Understand how to use Google Ads recommendations so you can spot what helps, ignore what doesn’t, and keep your account safe.
Google launches Data Manager API
Google’s new Data Manager API gives advertisers a simpler, centralized way to feed first-party data into its AI systems.
Google Shopping Ads now show merchant location labels
Google’s new merchant location labels in Shopping ads give retailers a visibility boost by highlighting their city or town, helping drive more local foot traffic.
Google tests regional member pricing in Shopping Ads
Google is testing a new Shopping ads beta that lets merchants show region-specific loyalty prices, helping retailers localize promotions.
Ecommerce PPC: 4 takeaways that shape how campaigns perform
Dive into PMax essentials, Amazon’s conversion insights, social audience building, and the dashboards that improve decisions.
Black Friday 2025: More expensive, still engaging
Black Friday 2025 shows rising ad costs but strong engagement, making post-click optimization more crucial than ever for advertisers.
Google adds Search Partners segment to PMax reporting
Google Ads reporting now reveals how much PMax spends on Search Partners and whether that traffic is actually driving value.
Google unveils ‘Partner Match’ for YouTube targeting
Google’s new Partner Match tool will let advertisers target YouTube audiences built from third-party hashed data once it launches.
Google Ads tests new ‘Website Optimizer’ tool
Google revives Website Optimizer documentation inside Google Ads Help Center, hinting at a new built-in A/B testing tool connected to GA4.
Google Demand Gen campaigns: When to use them and best practices (with examples)
Find out when and how to use Demand Gen campaigns, including campaign and budget management, plus lessons from real-world campaign testing.
How to run compliant, effective medical and mental health ads
See how to target the right searches, avoid policy violations, and improve landing pages to drive more patients and clients.
Google Ads overview tab now supports custom views
Google Ads now lets advertisers create up to five custom Overview tab views, making it easier to track key metrics.
Google Ads search terms report: 5 tips for better results
Mastering the search term report can dramatically improve targeting, cut wasted spend, and reveal what real customers are searching for.
Study finds major waste in Google Shopping ads on Black Friday
Retailers will spend millions on Google Shopping ads for sold out products. A new Black Friday study shows how fast budgets vanish and why.
Google Performance Max gets direct video uploads
Google’s new direct video uploads for PMax simplify campaign setup but strip away key controls like analytics and long-term asset ownership.
Google and Microsoft: How their Performance Max approaches align and diverge
Compare how the two ad platforms approach Performance Max. See what’s shared, what’s different, and what matters most for your 2026 strategy.
Microsoft to retire its Advertising mobile app in early 2026
Microsoft is retiring its Advertising mobile leaving the web interface as the sole way for advertisers to manage campaigns.
The Google Ads Demand Gen playbook
Here's how Demand Gen enables visual discovery, smart signals, and disciplined testing to spark intent and lift performance.
How to tell if Google’s AI Max for search is actually working
AI Max helps advertisers capture net-new, incremental conversions beyond their existing keywords, offering clearer controls and measurable lift.
Google Ads quietly rolls out a new conversion metric
Google’s new “Original Conversion Value” metric gives advertisers long-needed clarity by revealing the true, unadjusted revenue their campaigns generate.
Google’s new “Ads Advisor” AI is put to the test
Google’s new AI Ads Advisor shows promise but remains error-prone and not ready to fully manage campaigns.
Google Ads boosts accuracy in advertiser account suspensions
Google Ads, powered by Gemini AI, has cut incorrect advertiser suspensions by over 80% and now resolves 99% of appeals within 24 hours.
Google Ads experiment taps social creatives for PMax campaigns
Google Ads is testing a feature that pulls social video ads into PMax campaigns, streamlining setup but raising data concerns.
Google launches AI-powered advisors
Google’s new Ads and Analytics Advisors, gives advertisers faster, ways to analyze data, optimize campaigns, and turn insights into immediate results.
Google quietly adds brand inclusions to standard Shopping campaigns
Google brings long-awaited brand inclusion controls gives advertisers more precise management of which brands appear in their shopping ads.
Google makes incrementality testing easier, cheaper, and faster
Google is lowering the cost of incrementality testing helping marketers of all sizes measure and prove the true impact of their ads.
The best way to use custom segments in Google Ads
Learn how Google Ads custom segments target people by recent searches and site visits so you reach the right audience more efficiently.
How to consolidate legacy SKAGs – and why it’s time to move on
Precision has changed, but control isn’t gone. Learn how to consolidate SKAGs, protect performance, and focus on what still drives results.