The 10 Latest Google Ads Updates: What You Should Know

It is inevitable. It’s like trying to deny the very nature of human existence. Resisting Google Ads updates is one battle no marketer or anyone for that matter is going to win. It is futile. So let’s just come to terms with it and accept that which we cannot change. Google will continue to throw a flurry of ad updates at us, just because they can- and also because there’s much that still needs improvement and digital marketing trends & needs shift every which way all the time.

If you’re wondering what Google Ads Updates you might have missed given the lightning frequency of their releases, don’t sweat it. We’ll slow it down for you and help you catch up via our latest Google ad updates 2022 round-up. ake a look.

• A revitalization of keyword matching

During the last quarter of 2021, Google announced it will now leverage BERT to improve its Google Ads Keyword matching. If you’re unfamiliar with BERT, it’s a natural language processing algorithm that the search engine uses to better understand intent from search queries.

We could rumble on and on about what this means, however, the gist of it is that:

• Query-related phrase match and broad match keywords gain more importance and will have a preference when an exact match keyword is unavailable
• Relevancy, and not just Ad rank, will also be a key factor when Google is accessing your multiple keyword match types
• Automated display campaigns

Previously, Smart Display campaigns and the standard Display configurations were separate. Now Google has thrown a spanner in the works by fusing both into just one type, eliciting mixed feelings although not many changes in the way we run or know them.

Overall, this bridges several automation features, so for our digital marketing service, we find that the decision makes sense. It paves the way for more precise control over automation as far as bidding, targeting, and creativity are concerned.

But that’s not all. Display campaigns will now fall under optimized targeting, which is great as you’ll get attention even from beyond your target audience.

• Adding the smart to bidding

Google smart bidding is now a reality, and we’re glad that it is. Basically, this is how it works:

• Share your ad budget with Google
• Google’s AI processes it and serves up the best conversion value

The great thing about this is that the algorithms can sniff out opportunities right under your nose that you might be missing out on, while it does much of the heavy lifting so you don’t have to scour every inch of data.

That being said, an experienced digital marketing agency like Genexod still proves essential. Automation no doubt has its uses but some of the most successful paid search drives require human effort to optimize, test, and analyze.

• Updates to privacy & conversions

Privacy is  the rage these days, with the average person growing ever so skeptical about who’s watching their every move, which is part of the reason Google will be pulling the plug on Universal Analytics in favor of Google Analytics 4.

In a little while, 3rd party cookie tracking will be a thing of the past, and taking its place will be consensual first-party data, where users have a lot more say about how websites track their data as they can opt in or out.

• Performance max campaigns taking over

You might have known about the beta version released in October 2020. A little over a year later, Google officially released Performance Max campaigns to the world. With automation at the heart of it, this campaign type allows a digital marketing company to mix and match various elements, namely:

• Headlines
• Logos
• Videos
• Images

You can then run these multi-facet ads across YouTube, Gmail, Maps, Search, and more.

Google also made public its intention to move Local and Smart Shopping into Performance Max in 2022. So if you’re doing digital marketing for eCommerce mainly, now’s a great time to familiarize with this type of campaign type.

• Lead forms to complement landing pages

Mobile shopping is fast on the rise, propelled by the pandemic and the convenience it affords for on-the-go shoppers. Google has taken notice and therefore came up with new ways to increase lead conversions from your search ads.

Landing pages remain important, no debate there. However, you now have the option to hand out a lead form to your click throughs as opposed thsn sending them to your landing page. We’re bound to see an increase in the adoption rates of this cut-to-the-chase approach by many eCommerce SEO services over the next few months.

• New features for the Google Ads App

The Google Ads app is an excellent option to keep in touch with campaigns while you’re on the move, and the search engine giant has recently brought in exciting additions, namely:

• Comprehensive, live search trends: As consumer interests and search trends shift, you’ll now get the updates in real-time via the new search trends report tab.
• Campaign creation: Now it’s totally possible to forge and monitor the entirety of your search ad campaign in-app.
• Performance insight details: There’s now a lot more context and data to explain every metric.
• Video Display Ads get engaged-view conversions (EVCs)

If you have some experience with app, local, and TrueView Skippable in-stream ad campaigns, then EVCs are nothing new. This metric has been around since 2020 and covers conversions that occur within the first 10 seconds that a new lead checks out your video.

Video Display Ads previously didn’t have EVCs but now they do, with Google recently adding the feature. This comes as a welcomed change as it serves up more insight compared to view-through conversions, enabling you to know if your intro is killing it & when you need to switch things up.

• Farewell to expanded text ads

We’re ticking inevitably to the sunsetting of expanded text ads (ETAs), which are slated to be put to rest on June 2022. Google is set to make good on its word, having made the initial announcement on August 31st, 2021.

In its stead, responsive ads (RSAs) will now take center stage. As far as standard search campaigns this will now be the default ad type. RSAs entail a set of:

• 15 headlines
• 4 descriptions
• Headline and description character counts of 30 and 90 respectively

Google mixes and matches these to meet different query needs.

If you have any existing ETAs by the deadline, no worries. They’ll still run, however, you won’t be able to make any editorial changes.

• Updates for destination requirements

Don’t you just hate it when your ads get disapproved and Google keeps you in the dark about why this happened?  You have  furiously looked up what the problem could be? Well, now Google brings you into the loop on what you did wrong via disapproval messages. A couple of years too late but we’ll take it.

You can get either one of three messages as things stand, including:

• “Destination not working”- when there’s an error in your address
• “Destination not accessible” – if there are target audience access issues
• “Insufficient original content”- this encompasses web addresses that have pending or yet to be released notifications

The Takeaway

Estimates indicate that Google processes 2.4 million searches a minute. It’s consequently a no-brainer why many marketers are going the way of paid ads. The key to success lies in constantly learning because Google rarely rests on its laurels. It’s always pushing out ad updates, and we’re bound to see a few more significant ones before the turn of the year.

A results-driven digital marketing agency for eCommerce like Genexod can keep in touch with this fast-paced landscape, and help you derive more value for your PPC campaigns. Schedule your consultation today.