Welcome to our blog post covering the highlights from Google Marketing Live 2024 — Google’s annual conference dedicated to unveiling new advertising features. This year’s event, held on May 21, put a spotlight on AI initiatives that will significantly impact ecommerce companies.
Google made a flurry of announcements, introducing over 30 updates. In this post, we will delve into the 10 most significant updates that will benefit merchants.
Ad Updates for Merchants
1. Ads in AI Overviews
Google’s AI Overviews now showcase ads in response to search queries, allowing advertisers to feature their products and services within these automated responses. This provides an additional avenue for merchants to reach potential customers.
The query “how should I clean my couch” produces an AI Overview with a related ad below it. Click image to enlarge.
2. Shopping ads in visual search
Shopping ads now take center stage in visual search results, catering to consumers who prefer image-based searches. With features like Google Lens and Circle to Search, merchants can tap into this visual trend and reach a wider audience.
3. 3D images
Merchants can soon showcase products in 3D with 360-degree views in Shopping ads. This immersive experience will give shoppers a more in-depth look at items, enhancing the online shopping experience.
4. Profit optimization
Google is rolling out a new feature that enables advertisers to optimize campaigns for profit, leveraging cart-level conversions and Merchant Center data to identify high-margin products. This data-driven approach will streamline profit-maximizing strategies for merchants.
5. Shopping ads by customer type
Customize Shopping ads based on customer segments, distinguishing between existing customers and prospects. This tailored approach allows merchants to create targeted campaigns that resonate with different audience groups.
6. Brand standards
Adopt brand guidelines in Performance Max and Demand Gen campaigns to ensure brand consistency across all marketing channels. Google’s AI will generate images that align with brand aesthetics, fostering brand recognition.
7. Performance Max asset-level reporting
Track conversion performance at the individual asset level in Performance Max campaigns, providing valuable insights to optimize ad assets effectively.
8. YouTube transparency in Performance Max
Gain visibility into YouTube video ad performance at the placement level within Performance Max campaigns, enabling advertisers to refine targeting strategies and allocate budgets efficiently.
9. Lower lookalike threshold
Google now requires only 100 contacts for advertisers to create a lookalike segment, expanding targeting options for smaller advertisers participating in Demand Generation campaigns.
10. AI Essentials
Google’s AI Essentials recommendations provide guidance on utilizing AI features effectively in Google Ads, offering valuable insights for advertisers to maximize campaign performance.
The new “AI Essentials” recommendations state where and how advertisers should use Google’s AI. Click image to enlarge.