PPC
Search Engine Land is your source for PPC news, trends and content. You’ll find a range of up-to-date and authoritative resources to help you work smarter and make better decisions. What is PPC? Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising is a digital marketing model where advertisers pay a fee each time their ad is clicked. This fundamental concept is crucial to understanding the world of online advertising. For an effective strategy, it’s important to understand how PPC and SEO can work together to improve your overall marketing efforts.
Our coverage
We provide the latest news in the PPC industry, keeping you informed about changes, updates, and emerging trends that can impact your campaigns. For example, leveraging AI-driven search advertising can be a game-changer for campaign success. You can also explore the best practices in paid search strategy to refine your campaigns. Check out our recent articles on topics like making display campaigns profitable and managing paid media budget allocation. Our content spans from beginner-friendly introductions to advanced strategies, ensuring we cater to all levels of PPC expertise.
Expert insights
What you read here is written by our experienced in-house team and subject matter experts from leading brands and agencies. This diverse group of contributors ensures you get well-rounded, expert perspectives on PPC topics. Explore our latest job opportunities in search marketing if you’re looking to take your career to the next level. Our experts cover a wide range of subjects, from PPC competitor analysis to winning video advertising creative. We pride ourselves on providing authoritative information to guide your PPC decisions and strategy.
Practical tips and strategies
Our content includes tactic-rich tutorials designed to help you work smarter and make better decisions in your PPC efforts. Whether you’re looking to optimize your campaigns or explore new strategies, you’ll find valuable guidance here. For example, our Google Analytics 4 guide for PPC dives deep into how data can drive better campaign performance. We dive deep into important issues like the high cost of PPC efficiency and provide insights on ad platform updates for B2B in 2024.
Data-driven decision making
We offer the latest data to support your PPC initiatives. Our content is designed to provide you with the information you need to make informed choices and improve your campaign performance. Leveraging Google Analytics 4 will help you navigate the evolving landscape of PPC measurement and optimization. 
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Dig deeper into PPC:
Google expands Data Manager API with smarter audience management
Google is providing flexible audience management, smarter validation and richer Google Analytics data collection.
Ana Kostic shared why “best practice” cost her client 40% of revenue.
Ana Kostic explains why blindly following PPC best practices can backfire—and why understanding the business should always come first.
4 Google Ads settings and recommendations worth a closer look
Auto-apply, Display Expansion, Search Partners, and budget recommendations deserve a closer look. Learn what to review before making changes.
Google publishes guidance for text disclaimers in Search ads
Google explains how advertisers can add legal disclosure assets to Search campaigns and what to expect when they serve.
Google publishes its first dedicated guide for YouTube audio ads
Google YouTube audio ads help doc, brings the format's setup, specifications, and best practices into one place.
Google Analytics adds campaign diagnostics for missing aggregate identifiers
The new Google Analytics alert helps marketers identify missing URL parameters that can reduce campaign attribution accuracy.
OpenAI appears to be building chatbot-native ads that launch AI agents
A new ChatGPT ad format is being tested that starts a conversation with an AI business agent instead of sending users to a website.
Why separating brand and non-brand campaigns improves ROAS
Strong ROAS can mask where your budget goes. Here's how separating brand campaigns drives revenue growth and new customer acquisition.
Google launches Structured Data Files v10.1 for Display & Video 360
Google Display & Video 360's latest Structured Data Files update adds AI labels, DOOH support and new bulk management features.
Google tests AI-generated descriptions in Shopping ads
Google extends its AI-generated ad description test to Shopping ads, expanding it experiment they confirmed earlier this month.
Google rolls out AI content labels in asset studio
Google's AI content label helps advertisers disclose AI-generated or edited creatives as transparency requirements expand worldwide.
Google Ads appears to separate Target CPA and Target ROAS bidding strategies
Google is giving Smart Bidding targets greater visibility, potentially making bidding strategy selection easier for advertisers.
Attribution vs. incrementality: Why you need both
Attributed conversions don’t always equal incremental growth. Knowing the difference can lead to better campaign and budget decisions.
Putting Google Ads AI Max’s automated ad copy to the test
See where AI-generated assets helped ecommerce, B2B, and B2C campaigns — and where human control still delivered better results.
Microsoft Ads adds Ad Preview Hub to Performance Max
Microsoft advertisers can now securely preview and share PMax creatives across placements before campaigns go live.
Google begins rolling out in-account certification applications
Eligible advertisers will soon be able to apply for select policy certifications directly within their Google Ads accounts.
SEO and PPC alignment starts with your org chart
Break down silos with the right team structure, shared goals, and data exchange to improve efficiency and maximize your SERP presence.
ChatGPT Ads adds conversion bidding, geo exclusions and bulk campaign tools
ChatGPT Ads improves campaign optimisation, conversion measurement and budget pacing to scale performance on the platform.
Google Ads Editor 2.13 brings AI Max support to Shopping campaigns
The new editor expands offline campaign management with new AI-powered Shopping features, and enhanced Demand Gen support.
Household income exclusions spotted in Performance Max campaigns
Advertisers can now exclude specific household income segments at the campaign level while keeping PMax's automated optimization.
How to revive overlooked ecommerce SKUs with Performance Max
When products stop getting traffic, they also stop building the signals Google needs to serve them. This automated approach breaks the cycle.
Google Ads automation makes governance a competitive advantage
Better business signals, guardrails, and feedback loops keep Google’s automation focused on the outcomes that drive business value.
How to prepare for Google’s DSA sunset and move to AI Max
AI Max changes how Google targets searches, creates ads, and selects landing pages. See what to monitor and control during the migration.
AI Max spotted in Google Standard Shopping campaigns
AI Max in Standard Shopping campaigns suggests advertisers could gain AI-powered query matching, dynamic ad copy, and more.
Google Ads API v25 adds YouTube metrics and loyalty campaign goals
Google Ads API 25 expands measurement capabilities, introduces retention-focused goals, and new ways of managing objectives.
Google Ads rolls out video campaign groups globally
Google launched video campaign groups, allowing advertisers to optimize YouTube reach and frequency across multiple campaigns.
The 4-step health check for your target ROAS and CPA
Your bidding strategy is only as good as the targets behind it. Validate them with practical formulas and real campaign data.
Your DAM solved the library problem. The activation problem is next.
Centralized, tagged, governed. And still slow. Here's what your DAM was never designed to do.
Google Ads adds missed growth estimates to the Recommendations tab
Google Ads' new beta estimates the clicks, conversions, and revenue you may be missing due to limited budgets and low bids.
Google Ads simplifies GA4 setup with bulk account linking
Google Ads now lets advertisers bulk link multiple accounts to a single GA4 property reducing manual account management.
How to build curiosity into high-performing social ads
A strong hook only gets you so far. Learn how open loops, storytelling, and gradual reveals can keep viewers watching.
Why your match rate is the most important number you’re not tracking
As identity signals decline, match rate has become a critical metric for improving audience reach, advertising efficiency, and ROAS.
Google drops $50K ad spend requirement for Lead Form assets
Google broadens access to it's native lead generation format while adding new integrations and simplifying eligibility requirements.
How to report PPC performance without lying to yourself (or your boss)
The way you present PPC data shapes business decisions. Avoid misleading metrics, outdated benchmarks, and reporting that lacks context.
Google Tag Manager adds guided setup for Google Ads purchase tracking
GTM's new guided setup simplifies Google Ads conversion tracking by automatically configuring key measurement components.
Google expands Brand Lift Studies with enhanced measurement option
Advertisers can now choose between standard and enhanced Brand Lift Studies, trading a higher budget for more sensitive campaign measurement.
Local Services Ads come to Google Ads via Performance Max
Advertisers will gain a unified campaign management experience with automatic Google Business Profile syncing.
How to evaluate Google Ads creative before testing it
Evaluate Google Ads creative with the MOCA framework before it enters testing, so you're experimenting with stronger ideas from the start.
Heather Robinson talks about a £50 PPC ad that cost £1,000
A £50 Meta campaign that accidentally spent over £1,000 became a valuable lesson in transparency, process, and why honesty matters.
Google brings business data feeds to Demand Gen campaigns
Google is bringing business data feeds to Demand Gen, enabling dynamic ads without Google Merchant Center.