Google is rolling out creative and omnichannel updates across Ads and YouTube.
The tools are designed to help you keep assets fresh, connect store and online demand, and plan spend across key shopping windows.
What’s New
Creative: Asset Studio, Product Studio, And Imagen 4
A new suite of generative tools is coming to Asset Studio, with asset generation in Performance Max and Demand Gen powered by Imagen 4.
In Product Studio, you’ll be able to swap product scenes at scale, replace backgrounds, turn images or text into short videos, and get proactive campaign concept suggestions.
See an example of a campaign concept suggestion below:
Image Credit: Google
Google says the new tools can speed up testing while keeping brand direction intact.
Omnichannel & YouTube
Demand Gen can now optimize for total sales across online, in-app, and in-store conversions. You can also use local offers to show nearby shoppers in-store promotions.
On YouTube, a Creator partnerships hub is meant to simplify brand-creator collaborations, and the YouTube Masthead is now shoppable so you can feature specific products tied to your goals.
Insights And Budgets: Plan 3–90 Day Bursts
New AI-powered insights in Google Merchant Center aim to surface actionable tips. Google is also expanding campaign total budgets from Demand Gen and YouTube to include Search, Performance Max, and Shopping.
You can set a start date, end date, and a total budget for periods between 3 and 90 days, and Google’s systems will pace spend to match peaks in demand.
Loyalty: Member-Only Offers
Google is introducing loyalty features that let you display member-only pricing and shipping benefits, with retention goals available in loyalty mode for Performance Max or Standard Shopping.
Looking Ahead
If your holiday plan spans multiple bursts, these tools can help you keep creative fresh, capture store demand, and avoid end-of-month pacing surprises.
Start by aligning product feeds and assets, then test omnichannel optimization and short budget windows around your key dates.
Paid media is often treated like a checklist item in a marketing plan: launch a few search ads, run a Meta campaign, maybe test YouTube if there’s budget left.
But not all paid media is created equal, and treating every channel the same is a fast way to burn through budget with little to show for it.
Whether you’re working in-house or managing campaigns for clients, understanding the different types of paid media (and what each one is actually good for) can help you prioritize the right tactics, set realistic expectations, and answer the dreaded question: “What are we getting out of this?”
This article breaks down the main types of paid media with real-world examples so you can make smarter decisions about where to spend your money.
What Is Paid Media?
Paid media is any type of marketing where you pay to get in front of your audience. That includes things like search ads, social ads, display banners, video pre-roll, and even influencer sponsorships.
While paid media is often used interchangeably with the term cost-per-click (CPC), it’s important to note the differentiation.
It’s the part of your marketing strategy that gives you scale and control. You’re not waiting for someone to discover your blog post or share your Instagram reel organically.
You’re putting money behind your message to drive attention right now.
Paid media works best when it’s tied to a clear goal, like driving leads, sales, or downloads. Without a strategy, it’s just noise with a price tag.
The Difference Between Earned, Owned, And Paid Media
Think of paid, owned, and earned media as different ways to get your message out. You need a mix of all three, but each serves a different purpose.
Paid media is when you pay for attention. Think of tactics like search ads, social ads, sponsored posts, affiliate placements, etc.
Owned media is what you control. Think of assets like your website, blog, email list, and social channels.
Earned media is what others say about you. This often comes in the form of reviews, PR coverage, social shares, and more.
Some examples of earned media include:
Social sharing from customers.
Customer reviews.
External media coverage (public relations).
Owned media examples include:
The overlap matters, too. A paid campaign might drive traffic to a landing page (owned media), which then gets shared by a happy customer (earned media). When these channels work together, your efforts go further.
Types Of Paid Media Channels
Now that we’ve identified the definition of paid media, let’s take a look at the different types of paid media channels and the purposes they serve.
Before we dive into the different paid media channels, it’s also important to note the difference between ad formats and ad channels.
Ad formats are the type of ads shown in a particular channel. An ad format example could be:
So, while ad formats are important and will depend on the channel, below we will focus on the channels themselves.
There are other types of paid media channels available that are not listed here, such as more traditional methods like direct mail or billboards. These paid media channels have a more physical presence.
Here, we will focus on digital channels.
Paid Search
Paid search puts your ads at the top of search results for specific keywords. It’s often the first paid channel marketers try because it targets people already looking for what you offer.
Platforms like Google Ads and Microsoft Ads let you bid on search terms so your ad shows when someone types in something relevant.
It’s high-intent, measurable, and scalable. But, it’s also competitive, especially in industries like legal, finance, or ecommerce.
Success here depends on more than just bidding. Your landing page, ad copy, keyword match types, and conversion tracking all matter. You’re not just paying for clicks – you’re paying for the opportunity to convert interest into action.
Paid Social
Paid social platforms let you reach people based on who they are, not just what they search.
Many of the platforms offer detailed targeting based on demographics, interests, behaviors, and even job titles.
Some of the most common paid social platforms include:
The most common ad format in social channels is placed within a user’s newsfeed as they scroll. These ads will either consist of one (or more) static images or a video as the main visual.
It’s not just about brand awareness. Many brands use social to drive signups, sales, or downloads. You can run video ads, carousels, static images, or Stories, depending on what fits your brand and goal.
Some paid social platforms are more beneficial for B2B companies than for B2C brands.
For example, LinkedIn advertising consists mainly of B2B brands marketing their product or service to other professionals.
Other platforms like TikTok and Snapchat may be better suited for B2C or ecommerce brands.
The tricky part? Creative fatigue is real.
If you’re not refreshing your assets often or testing different hooks, performance will drop fast. Social ads require constant iteration, but the upside is speed: you can test ideas and get feedback quickly.
Programmatic & Display
Display advertising is what most people think of as “banner ads.” These are the visual ads you see on news sites, blogs, or apps, usually managed through platforms like the Google Display Network or programmatic buying platforms.
The upside is scale. You can reach millions of people across the web without relying on social platforms. The downside? Banner blindness is real. If your creative isn’t compelling, people will scroll right past.
That’s why display works best for remarketing or supporting a broader campaign. Use it to stay top of mind, promote limited-time offers, or drive awareness ahead of a product launch. Just don’t expect cold traffic to convert on the first click.
Affiliate Marketing
Affiliate marketing is a way to scale your reach by letting others promote your product for you. You only pay when they drive a sale or lead, which makes it one of the lowest-risk paid media options available.
This model works especially well in industries like fashion, tech, travel, and finance, where bloggers, influencers, or content sites already have built-in audiences.
The key to making affiliate work? Vet your partners. A bunch of low-quality traffic from coupon sites won’t move the needle.
Look for affiliates who create content, have authority, or drive meaningful referral traffic.
And keep an eye on attribution. Affiliate-driven sales often overlap with other paid efforts, so tracking needs to be tight.
Examples Of Paid Media
This is where the ad formats are married to the paid media channels.
Below are examples of paid media ads from the popular channels listed above. These examples can help provide context when deciding what types of paid media to run.
Search Examples
When searching for [top parental control apps] in Google, the first three positions are examples of search ads.
Screenshot from Google search for [top parental control apps], Google, May 2025
While conducting the same search on Microsoft Bing, the ads look slightly different.
There’s even a section above the sponsored ads showcasing different brands and a brief description about what they do.
Screenshot from Bing search for [top parental control apps], Microsoft Bing, May 2025
When searching for a product like [nike shoes for women], the ads below are a shopping ad format.
Screenshot from Google search for [nike shoes for women], Google, May 2025
Paid Social Examples
Each social platform’s ad formats look different within their respective newsfeeds.
Here is a LinkedIn newsfeed example:
Screenshot from author’s LinkedIn newsfeed, desktop ad, May 2025
A Facebook ad newsfeed example:
Screenshot from author’s Facebook newsfeed, desktop ad, May 2025
Instagram also offers ads in its “Stories” placement. An example from Fountainhead is below:
Screenshot from author’s Instagram Stories feed, Stories ad, May 2025
Display Examples
Display ads can be in all shapes and sizes, depending on the website or app.
Below is an example of two different display ads shown on one webpage.
Screenshot from author, May 2025
Affiliate Examples
Sometimes, affiliate ads can be difficult to spot.
For example, “Listicle” articles, where a publisher is paid by other brands to be included in a “Top” product article.
Screenshot from FamilyOnlineSafety.com, May 2025
However, if you take a closer look at this example’s “Advertising Disclosure,” you’ll notice that this publisher is paid by the brands for exclusive placement:
Screenshot from FamilyOnlineSafety.com, May 2025
Summary
Paid media doesn’t have to be a guessing game. When you understand the role each channel plays, you’re in a much better spot to build campaigns that actually drive results, not just impressions.
From keyword-targeted search ads to affiliate partnerships and social retargeting, each paid media type has its own strengths. Use them deliberately.
Think about where your audience is, how they like to interact, and what action you want them to take.
Remember: success isn’t just about being present on every channel. It’s about showing up with the right message, in the right place, at the right time.
Google AI Mode, which officially launched in May 2025 and is now available to all U.S. users without a waitlist, represents a significant step forward in how we engage with search.
Powered by Gemini 2.5, this new interface moves beyond AI Overviews by introducing a persistent, conversational assistant that blends AI-generated insights with traditional search results.
Users can toggle between classic results and AI-driven summaries, follow up on queries, and explore longer, more exploratory conversations, all within a single interface.
Unlike AI Overviews or the earlier Search Generative Experience (SGE), which provided a single AI-generated answer for a traditional search query, AI Mode is more similar to ChatGPT in that it fosters a conversational approach to finding answers.This marks a change in how people interact with search, moving from short, isolated keywords to more natural prompts that sound like how we talk and think.
AI Mode supports rich interactions and longer queries, encouraging a deeper and more nuanced engagement with information. And when user behavior shifts, advertisers must adapt how they reach users with relevant solutions and offers.
We’re now at another junction where advertisers and Google must work together to evolve how we operate to remain successful. That means reconsidering everything from targeting and attribution to monetization and ad design.
AI Mode Interface (Screenshot from Google, June 2025)
In this post, I share my thoughts on what AI Mode signals for the future of search, how it challenges long-standing digital advertising models, and why marketers need to adapt fast or risk being left behind.
Strategic Motives: Innovation Vs. Defense
Is Google pushing AI Mode because it sees an opportunity or because it’s responding to pressure from OpenAI and others? The answer is likely both.
Google’s technical leadership is well-established.
DeepMind, a Google company, helped invent the transformer model that underpins GPT. Its Gemini family of models has matured rapidly.
At Google Marketing Live 2025, Sundar Pichai stated that Gemini had taken the lead as the top-performing model, a claim supported by LM Arena’s leaderboard.
Still, Google moves cautiously. As a market leader under regulatory scrutiny, it can’t afford missteps.
The innovation is real, but so is the strategy to protect its dominance by making AI part of its core products before others can take the lead.
I believe Google’s technology is among the best in the world. However, as the company is in the spotlight, they have to be more measured.
Regulatory scrutiny, scale, and legacy expectations mean it can’t move as fast as emerging players, but that doesn’t mean it will always be chasing the lead.
Prompt Complexity And Memory: The Challenge Of Targeting
How users like to find answers is changing from clicking around on a search results page to interacting with an AI assistant.
This evolution from search engine to answer engine introduces a new layer of complexity for advertisers. Prompts in AI Mode aren’t just text; they’re conversations rich with personal context and memory.
Take a user engaging in a long session with AI Mode. Their conversation might include several prompts in a row like this:
“I’m running my first marathon in LA and need good shoes. What do you recommend?”
“By the way, I have plantar fasciitis. I’m not trying to break records, I just need something that won’t wreck my knees.”
“I’m not a fan of bland colors. What brands have something more vibrant in their current line-up?”
The assistant understands the goal and tailors responses to match medical considerations, intent, and emotional tone.
It might include surface stability shoes, recommended inserts, and even factor in training timelines or the expected weather in the city where the marathon will take place.
Now contrast that with a short prompt: “running shoes.”
Simple on the surface, except the assistant remembers that just yesterday, I was at the Adidas store talking to a clerk about shoe fit via my bee.computer wearable, and I used my Ray-Ban Meta glasses to snap a few images of colors I liked.
While this use case is not quite there yet in the real world, I am personally using this technology now, and it’s just a matter of time until all the pieces are connected and the advertiser scenario I described will become real.
Then we’ll see the assistant pick up right where I left off, using multimodal memory to enrich the response with past conversations and visual preferences.
Neither of these interactions can be matched with traditional keyword-based targeting. The assistant’s memory and personalization turn every query into a unique moment.
For advertisers, it’s not just about what was typed; it’s about what the assistant knows.
This creates a richer opportunity for advertisers, but there is a challenge related to targeting because Google Ads was built for keyword advertising, not prompt advertising – and this creates a disconnect.
From Keywords To Prompts: Why The Old Model No Longer Fits
Advertisers bid on terms users might type into the search bar (like “running shoes” or “cheap flights”), and the system will serve relevant ads based on those inputs.
But AI Mode is changing the language of search. Instead of short, isolated keywords, users are starting to use full, conversational prompts that reflect how they naturally speak.
These prompts are often longer, more specific, and packed with nuance that the original ad system wasn’t designed to handle.
To keep things running, Google has introduced a behind-the-scenes workaround: “synthetic keywords.”
These are machine-generated representations that attempt to map modern prompts back into the keyword framework advertisers still rely on. It’s a clever patch, but ultimately a temporary one.
As prompts continue to evolve in complexity and variety, and as memory and personalization shape every query, the keyword as a stable targeting anchor is becoming harder to rely on.
That puts pressure on the entire ad ecosystem. The old model is still functioning, but it’s increasingly out of sync with how people search.
A new system, one built natively for prompts, context, and memory, will eventually need to take its place.
Rethinking Ads In AI Mode: What Comes After Clicks?
The shift toward AI-assisted browsing brings another major challenge: fewer clicks.
If users get what they need from the assistant itself, the need to visit websites diminishes, weakening the foundations of the cost-per-click (CPC) business model.
Slide by Microsoft at Accelerate Roadshow LA, June 2025
But clicks will be more relevant because, unlike in the past, where a click was a user’s initial exploration of your offer, they will now be better informed and further along in their research by the time they visit your site for the first time.
Microsoft research found that purchasing behaviors increased by 53% within 30 minutes of a Copilot interaction, underscoring just how powerful, timely, and AI-embedded suggestions can be.
To stay relevant, ads must feel like part of the conversation. They can’t be disruptive or detached. They need to be embedded, responsive, and helpful, appearing when and where they make the most sense.
Newer performance data shows that ad engagement doubled in some formats when served through Copilot, especially in PMax-powered Shopping and Multimedia Ads.
Crucially, Microsoft has dialed back the volume of ad impressions in Copilot, choosing instead to show ads only when they’re predicted to be highly relevant and useful.
The result? Fewer, better-placed ads that drive stronger outcomes, a model that hints at where Google AI Mode could be headed.
Google has done this before. Its introduction of AdWords transformed ads from flashy banners into useful information. AI Mode demands a similar evolution, one that turns helpfulness into performance.
So, if the traditional way Google makes money becomes broken, let’s look at some options for how they might bridge the gap.
Conversion Inside The Conversation: The Rise Of Affiliate Models And Agents
The most frustrating part for consumers using AI agents to find something to buy is the final step after determining what they want.
Now, they need to hunt for where to buy it, enter a credit card, and deal with the usual minutiae of buying something online.
A better user experience, especially for smaller purchases, would be to tell the agent, “I like it, buy it!” and have the item arrive at your doorstep the next day.
While this zero-click scenario is the best user experience, it is also the most problematic in a CPC world.
This opens the door for reconsidering affiliate and commission-based advertising models. Instead of paying for attention, advertisers pay for action.
Ads become decision-making partners, not just traffic generators. It’s a better fit for how assistants work: focused, efficient, and user-first.
While this wouldn’t be Google’s first attempt at commission-based monetization (previous efforts, such as Buy on Google, Shopping Actions, and Google Express, ultimately shut down due to limited merchant adoption and weak consumer uptake), those models lacked the personalized context that AI Mode now enables.
Even vertical-specific experiments like commission bidding for Hotel Price Ads (retired in 2024) followed the same pattern: strong in theory, but missing the behavioral depth to sustain engagement.
With memory-driven prompts, real-time user needs, and multimodal signals in play, the conditions may finally be right for performance-based pricing to scale in a meaningful, consumer-aligned way.
Monetization Models: Why Subscriptions Aren’t The Future
Monetizing AI-powered search is a hot topic. Startups like Neeva by Sridhar Ramaswamy (Former Google Ads Chief) attempted to replace ads with subscriptions, but user adoption fell short.
Even OpenAI, with its paid ChatGPT Pro tier, sees a vast majority of users opting for free access.
The pattern is clear: Most users won’t pay for general-purpose search tools. Even companies leading in AI anticipate that advertising will remain the dominant revenue stream.
Google’s ad model, tested and refined for decades, is still the best-positioned approach – if it can evolve to match the new user behavior.
Ads In AI Mode
Google has already said it will have ads in AI mode.
To maximize the likelihood of your ads appearing in this environment, it’s advisable to utilize Google’s AI-centric tools, including AI Max in search campaigns, Performance Max, and Demand Gen.
Employing broad match keywords is also crucial, as they facilitate connections with conversational prompts rather than traditional keywords.
However, with the potential decrease in click-through rates, a pertinent question arises: Can fewer clicks on ads sustain the revenue model?
Despite this challenge, I anticipate that advertising will remain the primary revenue stream, even within AI Mode.
It’s noteworthy that OpenAI’s CEO, Sam Altman, has expressed reservations about incorporating ads into AI experiences.
“Currently, I am more excited to figure out how we can charge people a lot of money for a really great automated software engineer or other kind of agent than I am making some number of dimes with an advertising-based model… I kinda just don’t like ads that much.”
Similarly, Google’s co-founders, Larry Page and Sergey Brin, initially opposed the idea of advertising on their search engine. In their 1998 research paper, “The Anatomy of a Large-Scale Hypertextual Web Search Engine,” they wrote:
“We expect that advertising-funded search engines will be inherently biased towards the advertisers and away from the needs of the consumers.”
Despite these initial reservations, both OpenAI and Google have recognized the practicalities of monetization. Google makes nearly 78% of its revenue from ads as of 2024, illustrating its evolution from the original stance of its founders.
So, while the methods and philosophies around advertising in AI experiences have evolved, the necessity for effective monetization strategies remains paramount.
Conclusion: Betting On AI-Powered Ad Innovation
Soon, helping consumers at the moment of relevance won’t be about search and keywords anymore; it’ll be about context, and AI-powered interactions driven by memory, intent, and dialogue.
The early signals are promising: Users respond better when ads are useful, not intrusive.
Microsoft’s experience with Copilot shows that when generative systems deliver fewer but more relevant ads, engagement and conversions rise.
Google’s opportunity is to take those lessons further, baking utility and timing into its AI-native monetization engine.
It’s not about building the flashiest assistant; it’s about earning trust at the moments that matter.
If the assistant can deliver value and drive outcomes without breaking the flow, that’s the model that wins.
I have no doubt that Google and other ad platforms will find ways to appropriately monetize these advertising opportunities, even if there will be fewer impressions for each consumer journey.
The fundamentals of advertising at the moment of relevance haven’t changed, but our tactics will need to evolve fast. Prompts, not keywords, are the new starting point – and that changes the game.
Google’s latest AI tools promise to manage campaigns automatically. But advertisers are asking whether these new features give up too much human control.
At Google Marketing Live, the company showcased three new AI agents. These tools can handle everything from creating campaigns to managing tasks across multiple platforms.
However, the announcement raised questions from attendees about accountability and transparency.
The reaction highlights growing tension in the industry. Platforms want more automation, while marketers worry about losing control of their accounts.
What Google Introduced
1. Google Ads Agentic Expert
This system makes changes to your campaigns without first asking for permission. It can:
Create multiple ad groups with matching creative assets
Add keywords and implement creative suggestions
Fix policy issues and submit appeals
Generate reports and answer campaign questions
2. Google Analytics Data Expert
This tool finds insights and trends automatically. It also makes data exploration easier through simple visuals.
The goal is to help marketers spot performance patterns without deep Analytics knowledge.
3. Marketing Advisor Chrome Extension
This browser extension launches later this year. It manages tasks across multiple platforms, including:
Automated tagging and tag installation
Seasonal trend analysis
Problem diagnosis across different sites
Marketing Advisor works across Google properties like Google Ads and Analytics. It also works on external websites and content management systems.
Here’s a promotional video demonstrating these tools’ capabilities:
Where Advertisers Push Back
During a press session led by Melissa Hsieh Nikolic, Director of Product Management for YouTube Ads, and Pallavi Naresh, Director of Product Management for Google Ads, executives addressed concerns from industry professionals.
Control and Change Tracking Issues
Advertisers asked how AI-made changes would appear in Google Ads’ change history, but executives couldn’t give clear answers.
Naresh responded:
“That’s a great question. I don’t know if it’ll show up with your username or like you and the agent’s username.”
This uncertainty worries agencies and brands. They need detailed records of campaign changes for client reports and internal approvals.
One attendee directly questioned the automation direction, stating:
“We’ve seen the ‘googlification’ of the Google help desk. Getting to a human is hard. This seems like it’s going down the path of replacing that.”
Google reps promised human support would stay available, responding:
“That’s not the intention. You will still be able to access support in the ways you can today.”
Transparency and Content Labeling Gaps
The new AI creative tools raised questions about content authenticity.
Google introduced image-to-video creation and “outpainting” technology. Outpainting expands video content for different screen sizes. However, Google’s approach to AI content labeling differs from other platforms.
Hsieh Nikolic explained:
“All of our images are watermarked with metadata and SynthID so generated content can be identified. At this time, we’re not labeling ads with any sort of identification.”
This approach is different from other platforms that use visible AI content labels.
Performance Claims & Industry Context
Google shared performance data for its AI-enhanced tools. Products with AI-generated images saw a “remarkable 20% increase on return on ad spend” compared to standard listings.
The company also said “advertiser adoption of Google AI for generating creative increased by 2500%” in the past year. But this growth comes with the control concerns mentioned above.
Google revealed it’s “actively working on a generative creative API.” This could impact third-party tools and agency workflows.
The timing makes sense given industry pressures. Google says marketers spend “10 hours or more every week creating visual content.” These tools directly address that pain point.
What This Means for Digital Marketing
The three-agent system is Google’s biggest push into hands-off advertising management yet. It moves beyond creative help to full campaign control.
Digital marketing has always been about precise budget and targeting control. This shift toward AI decision-making changes how advertisers and platforms work together.
The pushback from advertisers suggests more resistance than Google expected. This is especially true around accountability and transparency, which agencies and brands need for client relationships.
The Marketing Advisor Chrome extension is particularly ambitious. It extends Google’s reach beyond its platforms into general marketing workflow management, which could reshape how digital marketing teams work across the industry.
What Marketers Should Do
Set Up AI Change Protocols
As these features roll out, advertisers should:
Create clear rules for AI-driven campaign changes
Make sure approval processes can handle automated changes
Develop documentation requirements for AI modifications
Demand Clear Tracking
The change history question is still unresolved. It’s critical for agencies and brands that need detailed campaign records. Marketers should:
Ask for specific details about change tracking before using agentic features
Create backup documentation processes for AI modifications
Clarify how automated changes will show in client reports
Prepare for API Changes
Google is developing a generative creative API. Marketing teams should think about how this might impact:
Existing third-party tool connections
Agency workflow automation
Custom reporting systems
Closing Thoughts
Google’s three-agent system shows the company’s confidence in AI-driven advertising management. It builds on the success of over 500,000 advertisers using conversational AI features.
However, industry practitioners’ concerns highlight real challenges around control, transparency, and technical readiness. As these tools become standard practice, these issues need solutions.
A federal judge has ruled that Google maintained illegal monopolies in the digital advertising technology market.
In a landmark case, the Department of Justice and 17 states found Google liable for antitrust violations.
Federal Court Finds Google Violated Sherman Act
U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema ruled that Google illegally monopolized two key markets in digital advertising:
The publisher ad server market
The ad exchange market
The 115-page ruling (PDF link) states Google violated Section 2 of the Sherman Antitrust Act by “willfully acquiring and maintaining monopoly power.”
It also found that Google unlawfully tied its publisher ad server (DFP) and ad exchange (AdX) together.
Judge Brinkema wrote in the ruling:
“Plaintiffs have proven that Google possesses monopoly power in the publisher ad server for open-web display advertising market. Google’s publisher ad server DFP has a durable and ‘predominant share of the market’ that is protected by high barriers both to entry and expansion.”
Google’s Dominant Market Position
The court found that Google controlled approximately 91% of the worldwide publisher ad server market for open-web display advertising from 2018 to 2022.
In the ad exchange market, Google’s AdX handled between 54% and 65% of total transactions, roughly nine times larger than its closest competitor.
The judge cited Google’s pricing power as evidence of its monopoly. Google maintained a 20% take rate for its ad exchange services for over a decade, despite competitors charging only 10%.
The ruling states:
“Google’s ability to maintain AdX’s 20% take rate under these market conditions is further direct evidence of the firm’s sustained and substantial power.”
Illegal Tying of Services Found
A key part of the ruling focused on Google’s practice of tying its publisher ad server (DFP) to its ad exchange (AdX).
The court determined that Google effectively forced publishers to use DFP if they wanted access to real-time bidding with AdWords advertisers, a crucial feature of AdX.
Judge Brinkema wrote, quoting internal Google communications:
“By tying DFP to AdX, Google took advantage of its ‘owning the platform, the exchange, and a huge network’ of advertising demand.”
This was compared to “Goldman or Citibank own[ing] the NYSE [i.e., the New York Stock Exchange].”
Case History & State Involvement
The Department of Justice initially filed this lawsuit in January 2023, with eight states. Nine more states later joined, bringing the total to 17 states challenging Google’s practices.
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel explained why states joined the case:
“The power that Google wields in the digital advertising space has had the effect of either pushing smaller companies out of the market or making them beholden to Google ads.”
Google has consistently denied wrongdoing. Dan Taylor, Vice President of Global Ads, stated that the DOJ’s lawsuit would “reverse years of innovation, harming the broader advertising sector.”
What This Means for Digital Marketers
This ruling has implications for the digital marketing world:
For publishers: If Google must restructure its ad tech business, the decision could give publishers more control over ad inventory and potentially higher revenue shares.
For advertisers: Changes to Google’s ad tech stack may lead to more transparent bidding and lower costs over time.
For marketing agencies: Using a variety of ad tech providers may become more important as Google faces these challenges.
What’s Next?
Judge Brinkema has yet to decide on penalties for Google’s violations. Soon, the court will “set a briefing schedule and hearing date to determine the appropriate remedies.”
Possible penalties include forcing Google to sell parts of its ad tech business. This would dramatically change the digital advertising landscape.
This ruling signals that changes may be coming for marketers relying on Google’s integrated advertising system.
Google intends to appeal the decision, extending the legal battle for years.
“We won half of this case and we will appeal the other half. The Court found that our advertiser tools and our acquisitions, such as DoubleClick, don’t harm competition. We disagree with the Court’s decision regarding our publisher tools. Publishers have many options and they…
This post was sponsored by Unbounce. The opinions expressed in this article are the sponsor’s own.
Want to increase sign-ups, sales, or demo requests from your landing page?
How can you ensure your landing page is optimized for conversions?
Landing pages can make or break your conversions.
A well-designed landing page doesn’t just look good; it also seamlessly guides visitors toward action, such as signing up, purchasing, or booking a demo.
A high-performing landing page should align with your goals:
Capturing leads.
Driving sales.
Promoting an event.
The best landing page templates are designed with conversion in mind, featuring strategic layouts, persuasive copy, and clear calls to action.
So, let’s look at a few top-performing landing page examples to learn about why they work and how you should implement them.
1 & 2. FreshGoods & Radiant Yoga Studio: Great For A Clear & Compelling Unique Selling Point
The secret to beating the competition is positioning your brand so you’re the only one in your specific space.
These conversion-optimized landing page templates effectively highlight a USP throughout the design.
A clear and bold headline that immediately communicates the core benefit.
The supporting subheadline allows brands to reinforce the core USP message by expanding on the offer in a way that adds clarity without overwhelming visitors.
The strategic use of whitespace and strong typography ensures that the USP remains the focal point, making it easy for visitors to grasp the value of the offer at a glance.
How To Recreate These Landing Pages
Step 1: Define Your Unique Selling Proposition
A strong USP makes visitors feel like they’ve found exactly what they need. Instead of blending in with competitors, it positions your brand as the only choice.
Ask yourself: What is the one reason customers should choose you over others?
Example: FreshGoods & Radiant Yoga Studio’s landing pages showcase a crystal-clear UVP in their messaging and design.
Step 2: Craft a Compelling Headline & Supporting Headline
Your headline is your first impression, so you have to make it count. The supporting headline expands on that core message.
Best Practices:
Be specific: Instead of “The Best Marketing Tool,” try “Turn Clicks into Customers with AI-Powered Marketing in Minutes.”
Reinforce value: “No coding, no guesswork. Just smarter campaigns that drive real revenue.”
Step 3: Address Concerns with Reinforcing & Closing Statements
A reinforcing statement builds trust (“Trusted by over 10,000 businesses…”).
A closing statement eliminates hesitation (“Every second you wait is a sale you’re losing. Start your free trial now.”)
3 & 4. Vita Health & Orbit SaaS: Great For Hero Images & Visual Storytelling
Before visitors read a single word, visuals will capture their attention and convey meaning.
A strong hero image isn’t just decoration, it sets the tone, builds trust, and instantly reinforces your message. The right imagery makes your offer feel more tangible, relatable, and desirable.
A landing page’s imagery is a strategic tool that helps communicate your offer, build trust, and nudge visitors toward conversion. Choose visuals that don’t just look good but work hard to sell.
A well-chosen visual:
Supports the UVP.
Evokes an emotion that drives action
Showcases the product, service, or outcome in action
Makes the page feel polished, professional, and credible
In addition to the visual, the full landing page benefits from:
Strong hero image placement
An opportunity to reinforce the messaging conveyed with the hero image throughout the page
White space highlights supporting visuals
Visual hierarchy guides site visitors down the page to the parts that matter.
How To Recreate These Landing Pages
Step 1: Choose the Right Hero Image
Before visitors read a word, visuals capture attention. A great hero image should:
Support the USP
Evoke emotion & drive action
Showcase the product, service, or outcome
Step 2: Guide the Visitor’s Eye
Strategic use of visuals can nudge visitors toward your CTA:
Eye gaze: People follow where others are looking in an image.
Angles & positioning: Lines or arrows subtly direct attention to the CTA.
Contrast & color: Key elements should stand out.
Step 3: Reinforce Messaging with Supporting Imagery
Don’t rely on just one image. Use:
Icons & illustrations
Graphs & charts
Customer photos & testimonials
Short videos or GIFs
Bonus Tip:
Use A/B testing to find the ingredients for maximum impact.
The right image can make or break conversions, so test different options. Some images resonate better with your audience, drive more engagement, or feel more aligned with your brand.
Some elements to test include:
People vs. product-focused visuals.
Static images vs. motion (GIFs or videos).
Close-ups vs. wider perspective shots.
Different background colors or lighting.
5 & 6. Serene Vista & Digital Foundry: Great For Clearly Conveying Benefits
Visitors specifically care about what it does for them.
That’s why benefits should take center stage on a conversion-optimized landing page, not just a list of features.
The headshots paired with the social proof enhance trustworthiness and make a connection with site visitors because they can see themselves in the experiences being described.
The rounded shape and contrasting colors make the social proof stand out.
Located near the point of conversion.
How To Create This Landing Page
Step 1: Choose the Right Type of Social Proof
Customer testimonials & reviews
Case studies & success stories
Logos of recognizable brands
Ratings & review scores
Media mentions & awards
Step 2: Strategically Place Social Proof
Near the CTA: Reinforces trust before action.
Midway down the page: Nudges hesitant visitors.
In the hero section: Puts endorsements front and center.
9 & 10. Livewell Lifestyle & Inner Handyman: Great For Turning Interest Into Conversions With Calls To Action
A landing page without a strong CTA is like a roadmap without a destination.
Your CTA is the single most important element that tells visitors what to do next.
And if it’s unclear, compelling, and easy to find, you’ll lose conversions.
A compelling CTA is a combination of copy, design, and placement that removes hesitation and drives action.
CTAs can be customized to stand out and get attention
CTA sizing and positioning make them clear focal points despite having multiple elements on the page. It ensures you get the most conversion power in every pixel
The CTA buttons are placed where it matters throughout the page, making sure the page attempts the conversion when and where it matters most
How To Recreate These Landing Pages
Step 1: Craft a Clear, Compelling CTA
A high-converting CTA should be:
Action-oriented: “Start Growing Today” vs. “Submit”
Benefit-driven: “Unlock Exclusive Access” vs. “Sign Up”
Urgent (if appropriate): “Claim Your Spot Today”
Step 2: CTA Placement for Maximum Impact
Above the fold: First CTA visible immediately.
After key information: CTA follows value explanation.
Near social proof or benefits: Reinforces trust.
At the end of the page: Captures hesitant visitors.
Step 3: CTA Design That Stands Out
Color contrast: The CTA should pop from the background.
Size & positioning: Large enough to be noticeable but not overwhelming.
Whitespace & directional cues: Ensures the CTA is the focal point.
Bonus Tip:
A/B test your CTAs for better conversions.
CTAs aren’t one-size-fits-all. Even small tweaks can make a huge impact on conversions, so A/B testing different variations is essential:
Wording – Try “Get Started” vs. “Try It Free”
Color – A bold button color vs. a softer, branded one
Placement – Above the fold vs. midway down the page
Size and shape – Larger buttons vs. compact ones
Personalization – “Start My Free Trial” vs. “Start Your Free Trial”
Build High-Converting Landing Pages Faster
A great landing page isn’t just about design.
It’s about strategy.
Every element, from your USP and hero images to your social proof and CTAs, is critical in guiding visitors toward conversion. When these elements work together, your landing page drives action.
But building a high-converting landing page from scratch can be time-consuming and complex. That’s why using proven, conversion-optimized templates can give you a head start.
With Unbounce, you get access to 100+ professionally designed landing page templates built for maximum conversions. Whether capturing leads, promoting a product, or running a campaign, these templates help you launch faster, test smarter, and convert better—without needing a developer.
Ready to build an optimized landing page that converts?
Explore Unbounce’s best-performing templates and start optimizing today!
Google has announced an upcoming revision to its Gambling and Games advertising policy, which will take effect on April 14.
The company shared a preview of the new guidelines before the official rollout.
We observed several additions worth highlighting after comparing the preview to Google’s existing policy.
Below is an overview of the changes advertisers need to know.
Stricter Definitions
One of the most notable changes is the more precise way the policy defines “gambling” and “gambling-promoting content.”
Under the new guidelines, any content that provides direct links to online gambling or facilitates gambling services will be labeled as gambling-promoting.
This clarifies that aggregator or affiliate websites must exclusively focus on providing information or comparisons about authorized gambling services. Anything beyond that scope will face restrictions.
Country-Specific Requirements
While the current policy generally refers to “country restrictions,” the updated policy offers a detailed list of countries that permit or prohibit various forms of gambling.
This includes explicitly referencing nations where offline gambling ads are entirely banned (for example, Bulgaria, China, and Egypt).
The policy also addresses social casino games. It specifies which regions require a separate certification application and confirms where social casino game ads may be lawfully run.
New Guidance On Mahjong & “Casino-Like” Games
The updated policy has a specific clause prohibiting promoting Mahjong activities involving money in the Asia-Pacific region. In the past, Mahjong wasn’t explicitly mentioned.
Further, the definition of “online gambling” now covers any games traditionally associated with casinos, even if they use virtual currencies or items with real-world value.
Licensing & Certification
In the updated policy, Google advises maintaining valid licenses and registrations.
As an advertiser, you must notify Google if your licenses are suspended, revoked, or terminated. Serving gambling ads without valid documentation can result in account suspension.
Previously, this requirement was in place but less explicitly highlighted.
Social Casino Games
The updated policy devotes considerable attention to social casino games.
These online games simulate gambling yet do not offer a chance to win money or prizes of real-world value. The preview clarifies that social casino advertisers must apply for certification and keep separate accounts if they also promote real-money gambling content.
Additionally, any real-money gambling ads in social casino games or related websites are strictly disallowed.
Policy Violations
Google considers breaches of social casino game regulations “egregious,” meaning they could result in immediate and permanent account suspensions.
While similar penalties existed in the prior policy, the update stresses the severity of non-compliance in the social casino game category.
In other sections, repeated or severe violations can also result in an account suspension.
New Section On “Online Non-Casino Games”
The updated policy distinguishes between general “online non-casino games” and conventional gambling.
This separate category covers skill-based gaming, offering advertisers more clarity on when special certifications may apply.
Under the new policy, if a skill-based game meets the legal definition of gambling in a particular region, the advertiser must follow all gambling-related restrictions and obtain the necessary approvals.
What This Means For Advertisers
Advertisers looking to promote gambling, social casino services, or non-casino games need to:
Review Licensing: Ensure any relevant permits are current and that Google knows of any changes.
Obtain Certifications: Apply for and maintain the necessary Google Ads certifications based on the specific gambling category and target regions.
Manage Target Countries: Ads targeting disallowed regions may be disapproved or labeled “Eligible (limited).”
Monitor Policy Requirements: Review the aggregator and affiliate site rules to avoid inadvertently promoting gambling activities outside the scope of local regulations.
Looking Ahead
You can view the updated policy and review the changes before they take effect on April 14.
If you plan to continue gambling-related ads after that date, be aware of these updates. For more details, visit Google’s Help Center and check local laws.
Hiring the right digital marketer can make or break your marketing team.
With new tools, platforms, and regulations cropping up constantly, you’re not just looking for someone who “gets PPC” or can crank out social media posts.
You need a pro who can adapt to change, think strategically, and roll with the punches when things don’t go as planned (because they rarely do).
Whether you’re at an agency or in-house managing a marketing department, hiring for digital marketing roles today means going beyond surface-level questions.
It’s about diving deeper to understand how candidates think, problem-solve, and approach their craft in a way that aligns with your business goals.
Sometimes, the “why” behind these questions is more important than the question itself.
Here are 15 crucial interview questions to help you hire your next digital marketing rockstar.
Tactical Knowledge Questions
The first set of questions focuses on an individual’s tactical knowledge of digital marketing.
1. How Do You Use AI And Automation To Improve Your Campaigns?
This question uncovers whether the candidate is using these tools for better performance or simply riding the hype wave.
What to listen for: Candidates should provide specific examples, such as using AI for bid adjustments in PPC or helping analyze campaign data for better optimizations. Red flags include vague responses or over-reliance on automation without understanding its impact.
2. What’s Your Approach To Building And Refining Audience Segments For Targeted Campaigns?
Audience targeting has become more nuanced, and it’s a skill you can’t skip.
This question dives into their strategy for reaching the right people at the right time.
What to listen for: Specific techniques like combining customer relationship management (CRM) data with platform insights or testing lookalike audiences. Be wary of candidates who rely solely on pre-set audience templates without customization.
3. What Platforms Are Your Favorite To Work In, And Why?
Asking this question helps understand the individual’s strengths in certain channels, and where they could use room to grow.
What to listen for: A great digital marketer should be able to comfortably work across platforms and different tools. This is true whether you’re talking about hiring someone for PPC or SEO, or even a cross-channel marketer.
4. How Do You Leverage First-Party Data To Inform Your Campaigns?
What to listen for: A candidate may talk about strategies like email segmentation, loyalty programs, or even how they’ve approached capturing first-party data to ensure they’re able to properly use them in campaigns. A potential red flag is relying on outdated cookie-based methods without a backup plan.
5. Can You Share An Example Of Using Cross-Platform Advertising That Has Driven Results?
As digital marketers, we know most campaigns aren’t “one and done” on a single platform. Candidates need to show how they think holistically about digital ecosystems.
What to listen for: Strong examples include integrating Google Ads with Meta campaigns or leveraging TikTok for awareness and retargeting on a different platform. A red flag is a candidate focusing only on one platform without considering how they interconnect and inform each other.
6. What’s Your Experience With Data Visualization Tools, And How Do You Present Campaign Performance To Stakeholders?
Explaining results is just as important as achieving them. This question gets into their communication skills and ability to tell a story with data.
What to listen for: Candidates should mention the use of different tools like Looker Studio and explain how they tailor reports to different audiences. Watch out for overly technical explanations that might confuse stakeholders.
Strategic Knowledge Questions
It’s not only important to know how to do the job, but also to know why you’re doing what you’re doing.
The next set of questions allows you to dive deeper into the candidate’s mindset and see if they can put the strategic pieces together for clients.
7. How Do You Stay On Top Of Industry Changes, And What’s Something You’ve Learned Recently That Impacted Your Work?
The digital landscape changes every single day.
If someone isn’t staying current with best practices and platform changes, it can be detrimental to client success. You need to have someone on the team who is fully aware of any changes in the industry that could impact performance.
What to listen for: Understanding what methods a candidate uses to stay “in the know” is important. If a candidate says they’re too busy to set aside time to read up on trends, I’d consider that a red flag.
8. Have You Had To Pivot A Campaign Due To Changing Data Privacy Regulations?
Data privacy laws have changed the name of the game, especially in PPC.
This question tests how the candidate navigates regulations while keeping campaigns effective and compliant.
What to listen for: Look for examples like shifting to first-party data or adjusting targeting strategies in light of GDPR or CCPA. Red flags include ignoring compliance issues or struggling to adapt when audience data becomes restricted.
9. How Do You Measure Success Across Different Types Of Campaigns?
Success isn’t one-size-fits-all. The answer should show how they align goals, metrics, and performance analysis for various strategies.
What to listen for: Candidates should mention setting specific KPI goals based on the channel and objective of a campaign. Be wary of those who rely on vanity metrics like impressions without tying them to business outcomes.
10. How Do You Explain Complex Answers To A Client Or Someone In A C-Suite Role?
This will inevitably happen in any digital marketing role. It’s easy when you’re working as a team, and everyone knows the ins and outs of acronyms, in the weeds content.
Sometimes, you need to explain something like you’re talking to a third grader. Less is more.
Green flags to listen for:
Candidates who know how to navigate their language based on the role of the person they’re talking to.
When a candidate has the knowledge of basic business questions that the role cares about.
They know how to explain the “why” behind performance peaks and valleys.
Red flags to listen for:
Does the candidate dance around this question?
Is this candidate someone who might have difficulty thinking on their feet?
Do they believe in sharing too much data in order to avoid questions?
Culture & Fit Questions
This last set of questions is really looking at the long-term impact of your digital marketing hire.
You’re not looking to hire temporarily; you’re hiring for the long haul.
You want to feel confident in your candidate selection based on their character, the ability to collaborate with others (teams and clients), and, of course, the empathy factor.
11. What Is Your Management Style, And How Do You Ensure Alignment Within A Team?
Leadership and collaboration are critical in marketing roles.
This question helps asses how their approach complements your team dynamics.
Green flags to listen for: Strong candidates will mention fostering open communication, using clear goal-setting frameworks, or adapting their style to individual team members.
Red flags to listen for: If you notice any micro-management tendencies or when the candidate avoids conflict resolution.
12. How Do You Balance Working Independently With Collaborating Across Departments?
Similar to the question above, digital marketers often juggle solo tasks with cross-functional initiatives.
Everyone performs their duties well in different scenarios. In some cases, digital marketers are required to work alone, on a team, or both.
This question highlights their adaptability to working together as a team versus in a silo.
What to listen for: Examples of successfully managing independent projects while aligning with other team departments. Be cautious of candidates who struggle to collaborate, communicate, or prefer working in silos.
13. Can You Describe A Time You Contributed To Maintaining A Positive Team Culture?
A strong company culture is key to retention and productivity.
This question reveals how they value and influence workplace dynamics.
What to listen for: Specific instances where they recognized a fellow colleague, facilitated team bonding, or helped resolve conflicts. Avoid candidates who dismiss culture-building as unimportant.
14. How Do You Handle Constructive Feedback, Both Giving And Receiving It?
Feedback is essential for any type of growth. This question assesses their ability to engage in productive conversations.
What to listen for: Look for examples of accepting feedback gracefully, acting on it, and offering constructive criticism thoughtfully. Red flags include defensiveness or avoiding difficult conversations.
15. What Are You Looking For In This Role?
Personally, I used to cringe at this question. Now, I find myself asking this to anyone I interview.
Bringing in a new person to an organization costs a lot of time and money. Think of all the training that goes into a new hire, the staffing that’s required to help train and mentor them, etc.
What to listen for: If they don’t have a clear answer, that’s a potential red flag. Are they simply looking for a stepping-stone position? While there’s nothing wrong with that, it’s better to know upfront to align expectations for both parties.
At the end of the day, do their motives fit in with your company’s culture and values? If not, they likely aren’t the right candidate.
Wrapping It Up
Hiring the right digital marketer isn’t just about finding someone with a great resume.
It’s about finding someone who fits with your team, aligns with your company goals, and has the skills to thrive in an ever-changing space.
Use these questions to dig deeper and uncover candidates who have the mix of experience, adaptability, and strategic thinking you need for this year and beyond.
Because let’s face it: You’re not just hiring for today’s challenges – you’re hiring for tomorrow’s opportunities.
Advertising can pull your company forward like an 18 wheeler, but it can also create a risky dependency that backfires when you need to reduce budgets or reduce advertising spend.
Think about it like over-watering a plant. Too much of a good thing can be a bad thing.
Lately, I’ve encountered a lot more companies that need to pull paid budgets back and struggle to hit the growth targets as a result.
The solution to this problem is simple: a safety net of organic channels that catches you when you need it. But making it happen is hard.
Tough Waters
Screenshot from layoffs.fyi, January 2025
Channel diversification is the thing you didn’t know you needed until you realize you need to cut budget and you’re too dependent on a single channel. I could be SEO, too.
Lately, budget and people cuts have become the norm:
Big tech companies have conducted mass layoffs to navigate tougher market waters. Over 150,000 tech workers were laid off in 2024 alone.1
Marketing budgets dropped by an average of 15% in 2024 compared to 2023, and minus 26% compared to 2019.2
Higher interest rates make it harder to raise money, unless you’re an AI startup right now, which means that it’s harder to grow as aggressively with advertising.
The frivolous spending times are over. And as a company, you need to build resilience, like an investor who diversifies their portfolio – even though some of their assets have grown really well.
Reducing Your Ad-diction
The common approach to ad spend is to either ramp it up as long as your lifetime value is higher than your customer acquisition cost and net retention is positive, or you simply exhaust your available budget. Often, it’s both.
But the position you actually want to be in is one where you could quickly cut 20-30% of the advertising budget and still grow. That is true resilience.
And resilient companies deliver 150% higher growth, according to a McKinsey analysis.
Screenshot from mckinsey.com, January 2025
McKinsey found that:
During times of economic uncertainty, marketing is more important than ever. Instead of trimming, companies can empower their CMOs to adopt an investor mindset.
By eliminating inefficient spend and reinvesting it in high growth areas, resilient marketers will weather pending storms while also creating opportunities to rebound stronger.3
Channel Diversification
Image Credit: Kevin Indig
When I looked at the channel mix of sites in the biggest industries, I found that B2B enterprise and SaaS companies get much more direct and referral traffic, but less from social marketplaces have the highest percentage of organic traffic, while D2C companies lean mostly on paid.
Remedy
To diversify from advertising, you need to inevst in organic channels like SEO, content marketing, organic social, organic YouTube, etc. Organic channels require only fixed instead of marginal costs like advertising budget.
So, your investment becomes more efficient because returns can scale even without investing more money.
On top of that, organic channels can make paid channels more efficient (e.g., Search), even when you don’t need to reduce budgets.
The challenge is that organic channels take a while to build and don’t have as crisp attribution as paid channels.
The best framework for balancing paid vs. organic channels is earned, owned, and paid.
Image Credit: Kevin Indig
Earned channels are the ones where you need to put in the work for additional visibility.
Owned channels are the ones that are already yours; they just need to be optimized.
Side notes: Your product is the most forgotten-owned channel. You can drive new customers with user referral loops and retention tactics, which, in return, also makes you less dependent on advertising to bring in new customers.
Image Credit: Kevin Indig
To prioritize the right organic channels, measure where your audience is against audience size.
First, find out where your audience is by looking at high-affinity websites in SparkToro, survey your existing customers, or analyze which channels/platforms send you referral traffic in your web analytics tool of choice.
Then, find out the audience size per channel. For example, if you have a highly engaged audience on Reddit but the most relevant subreddit has only 1,000 members, it might be smarter to go after SEO if your relevant keywords have a promising search volume.
A very common sequence of channels that I found to be successful is to prioritize product referrals, then invest in SEO plus email, then in organic YouTube, and then look at alternative channels.
What’s important is to define very clear criteria for when a channel is established based on its impact on the bottom line so you can explore the next one.
Trimming
The most efficient approach to cutting advertising budgets I found is to start with branded terms and paid search.
Many companies spend millions of dollars to bid on their own brand, but it’s not always necessary.
Incrementality testing can reveal that organic search can catch the majority of brand traffic just as well when the product is known enough.
We did large incrementality tests across our product portfolio back at Atlassian and noticed that known products like Jira don’t need paid spend on branded terms. Organic does the job just as well.
Efficient cutting also factors in where your audience is. In SaaS, you commonly cut paid search last and social first. But in commerce, it might be the other way around.
However, the biggest mistake that I see companies make is to cut off brand advertising entirely. You still need brand awareness to feed performance channels and SEO.
Higher paid spend doesn’t always translate into more or better traffic. Two examples I found are Salesforce and Shopify.
Salesforce ramped up paid spend significantly in Q4 but didn’t see a proportionate traffic increase.
Shopify shows a similar pattern, just that its paid spend has grown over the last two years.
These trends don’t have to be bad, and both companies have a diversified channel mix.
They just show that advertising returns can fluctuate, and having optionality is critical to survive the winters so you can enjoy the summers.
Google announced it will launch a new Dating and Companionship Ads policy and certification program on March 4.
This update aims to improve oversight of dating ads on Google’s advertising platforms.
New Policy Highlights
Advertisers must get certification from Google to run dating or companionship ads under the new policy.
The policy bans certain ads, including those that:
Promote underage dating
Use misleading images or text
Promote paid companionship or sexual acts
Support exploitative or deceptive practices
Advertise mail-order spouses
Some ads for hook-up, fling, swinger sites, affair services, sexual fetish dating, and apps with nudity or suggestive content will face additional restrictions.
Ad serving restrictions will depend on the ad type, user age, local laws, SafeSearch settings, and past searches for sexual content.
Transition Period
Google’s new Dating and Companionship Ads policy will take effect on March 4.
Advertisers should review their ads now to ensure compliance, either obtaining certification or removing non-compliant ads. Enforcement will gradually increase after the launch.
While this is a standalone policy, it incorporates relevant rules from Google’s existing policies on Inappropriate Content and sexual content, which will also be updated at the same time.
Implications For Advertisers
Brands in the dating and companionship industry must review their ads and landing pages to comply with Google’s new policy rules.
Certification will be mandatory to continue advertising in this area.
This policy aims to create a safer advertising environment by reducing misleading and inappropriate ads, helping to build trust among users of dating services.
As the March implementation date approaches, Google will share more details about the certification process and policy updates.
Image Credit: Google
