As expected, this year’s Google Marketing Live felt like a full-on love letter to AI. Let’s break down the biggest announcements and what they mean for the future of search and your ads.
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Expanded Ads in AI Overviews and AI Mode
Google is doubling down on AI-powered discovery. Soon, users will start seeing expanded ads directly in their AI Overview.
Let’s say someone searches for “how to bring small dogs on flights.” Google will provide helpful recommendations about pet travel, and now, right alongside that, an ad for small dog carriers. It’s Google’s way of pairing educational content with commercial intent.
Similarly, users browsing in AI Mode will be served ads based on those same types of helpful queries. What’s still a mystery (for now) is how these new AI-powered ads will be tracked and reported. Stay tuned on that front.
2. Goodbye Power Pair, Hello Power Pack
Last year, the hot combo was Performance Max (PMax) + Search Campaigns —aka the “Power Pair.” This year, it’s all about the Power Pack, which includes:
- A revamped PMax campaign
- AI-enhanced Search campaigns
- Demand Gen campaigns
Advertisers left GML excited about this new trio, and for good reason. It’s a more holistic (and automated) approach to driving results.
3. Channel Reporting in PMax (Finally!)
This one got a lot of cheers: You’ll now be able to see channel-level performance data in your PMax campaigns. That means more visibility into how your ads are performing across channels, including actual search term data. In other words: more insights, better optimization.
4. Smart Bidding Gets Smarter
Google announced its biggest update to bidding in a decade. The new Smart Bidding feature explores missed query opportunities and adjusts bids automatically, sometimes even beyond your set ROAS targets, to help you capture more valuable traffic.
In short: It’s a smarter, more dynamic bidding system built to help advertisers grow efficiently.
5. Next-Level AI Shopping Experiences
Imagine this: You’re searching for a rug to match your light gray couch. With AI Mode, Google now shows you product images that match your style.
Even better?
- You can track prices and get notified when something drops to your ideal price point.
- You can complete the purchase seamlessly through Google Wallet.
And (this one’s wild), you can upload a photo of yourself and Google’s AI will generate an image of you wearing the outfit you’re shopping for.
Futuristic? Yes. Super convenient? Also yes.
AI isn’t the future. We’re living in it now. Google made that very clear. New ad formats, smarter bidding and fully immersive shopping experiences show that everything is going in the direction of more automation and personalization.
If you’re an advertiser, it’s time to lean in! Let's get excited about testing the new tools, diving into data and adapting to new features as they roll. As always, the search landscape is changing quickly, and this is what we do at VI Marketing & Branding. We stay curious and flexible to keep our edge.
