Google Marketing Live is the annual global event no digital marketer should miss. This year’s event took place on 21 May, so let’s look at Google’s latest technology without delay. We will go through the announcements one ad product at a time.
1. Performance Max (PMax)
Google currently recommends Search campaigns with broad match and Smart Bidding, together with PMax campaigns, as the best ROI-driving combination in its ad solutions. According to Google research, most businesses have already adopted PMax. For retailers in particular, PMax delivers on average 27% more conversions or conversion value at a similar CPA/ROAS. Google is building on this with the following features, planned for release to help advertisers achieve better results.
1. Ad setup and creation
– AI-generated ads that match your brand style
This year, advertisers are expected to be able to give Google AI their brand colours and fonts, so they can run more branded ads across formats and channels. They can also upload example images as a reference point for generative AI to create new images in a visual style that fits the brand. Advertisers who already have assets can use the “More like this” feature to generate other assets in a similar style.
– AI-powered image editing
Google will soon let advertisers edit images in PMax and other campaign types, including product images from their Google Merchant Center feed. Features include adding and removing objects, extending backgrounds and adapting images to any size, orientation and aspect ratio. PMax will also gain AI image generation, so advertisers can show products in new settings and scenes.
– Easy collaboration across Google Ads and third-party creative platforms
Google has formed partnerships with creative platforms such as Canva, Smartly and Pencil Pro, with integrations into their asset libraries. In future, advertisers will be able to create assets in other platforms and export them to Google Ads easily.
2. Measuring performance and spotting opportunities
– See the YouTube videos where your PMax ads appeared
The PMax placement report is being updated to list the YouTube videos in which an advertiser’s PMax ads have appeared. This makes PMax placements on YouTube more transparent, and exclusions give advertisers control over where their brand appears.
– Find out which assets perform best
Over the coming months, PMax campaigns will get an asset report. You will be able to see key conversion metrics for each creative asset, helping you understand which content resonates with consumers.
– Measure performance with conversion lift
Conversion lift shows whether a campaign actually made a difference, or whether those customers would have converted anyway. Depending on conversion volume, you can see these conversion lift summary metrics in Google Ads: incremental conversions (absolute lift), relative conversion lift and incremental conversion value. This feature is also expected to roll out globally in the coming months. To join the beta now, contact your Google representative.
– Conversion lift will soon measure the impact of adding more assets to a campaign
This year it will become possible to test and measure the conversion lift from adding information beyond the product feed to PMax, such as image, video and text assets.
– Solve problems with new diagnostic tools
This year Google will introduce new diagnostic tools for PMax, Demand Gen, Search, Video and Display campaigns. These will bring together recommendations on bidding, assets, conversion settings and other areas, with the option to drill down for more detail.
2. Search ads
Google Search is using AI to deliver results that better match what users need. The same approach is being applied to the Search ads experience, helping ads reach more untapped opportunities.
1. More varied ways to appear
– Search ads are starting to match more complex search needs, rather than being limited to keyword matching. (For example, a user who searches “how to dry my hair” may see a Search ad for hair dryers recommended by the system.)
– When users search on Google, AI will guide them step by step to the advertiser’s website through interactive questions and answers, raising the likelihood of conversion.
– In the coming months, when consumers use Google Lens or Circle to Search, Shopping ads will start appearing at the top of visual search results.
2. Building campaigns with AI
Use the conversational experience in Google Ads to build Search campaigns. By providing just one URL from your website, you can create a strong Search campaign setup, including ad copy, assets and broad match keywords.
According to Google’s own experiments, small business advertisers who used the conversational experience in Google Ads to build Search campaigns were 63% more likely to achieve an Ad Strength of “Good” or “Excellent”.
3. Demand Gen
Demand Gen is designed to maximise brand visibility on YouTube, Shorts, Discover and Gmail. It creates new demand and drives conversions on Google’s most immersive and entertaining surfaces.
On average, advertisers who run Demand Gen alongside Search and/or PMax campaigns see 14% more conversions.
– Demand Gen will come to Google Marketing Platform, rolling out to Display & Video 360 and Search Ads 360 in the coming months.
– Use animated image ads to make Demand Gen more relevant to users
In addition to video ads, retailers with a Merchant Center account can now run animated image ads on YouTube Shorts. The feature uses product images from the product feed to help advertisers generate videos, and shows relevant products based on customer interests.
– Ad format preferences in Demand Gen campaigns
This feature lets you control where your video assets are served, so you can plan the formats of your video assets in advance.
– The seed list needed to create lookalike segments drops to 100 matched users.
Lookalike segments are currently available only in Demand Gen. In the coming weeks, Google will lower the minimum list size required from 1,000 users to just 100 users.
Conclusion
That’s our round-up for part 1. Part 2 is being put together now and will be published soon.
Google Marketing Live Taipei 2024 is also scheduled to take place in Taiwan on 27 June 2024. Follow CloudAD for the latest news.
