<div><img width="1600" height="900" src="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/01/PLTP-Image-3.png" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" alt="" style="margin-bottom: 15px;" decoding="async" fetchpriority="high" srcset="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/01/PLTP-Image-3.png 1600w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/01/PLTP-Image-3-768x432.png 768w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/01/PLTP-Image-3-1536x864.png 1536w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px" /></div>Anthony Higman’s journey from a law firm mailroom to PPC CEO shows how learning from mistakes, can turn early missteps into lasting success.

<div><img width="1600" height="900" src="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/01/PLTP-Image-3.png" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" alt="" style="margin-bottom: 15px;" decoding="async" srcset="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/01/PLTP-Image-3.png 1600w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/01/PLTP-Image-3-768x432.png 768w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/01/PLTP-Image-3-1536x864.png 1536w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px" /></div>
<div style="padding:56.25% 0 0 0;position:relative;"><iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/1152963827?badge=0&amp;autopause=0&amp;player_id=0&amp;app_id=58479" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; fullscreen; picture-in-picture; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;" title="EP336 Getting Fired, Getting Better: A PPC Redemption Story ft Anthony Higman"></iframe></div><script src="https://player.vimeo.com/api/player.js"></script>



<p>On episode 336 of PPC Live The Podcast, I speak to Anthony Higman, CEO of AdSquire. Anthony’s career journey is a full-circle story: from starting in a law firm mailroom to running his own company with views over Philadelphia. His experiences demonstrate how hard work, learning from mistakes, and perseverance can shape a successful career.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-learning-from-client-missteps">Learning from Client Missteps</h2>



<p>Anthony shares one of his first “F-ups” with clients who forwarded him countless emails promising quick wins. While some were scams, others were legitimate opportunities misaligned with the client’s strategy. At one point, Anthony let a client pursue an SEO agency despite knowing they were unlikely to deliver results. This decision backfired: the client’s results suffered, and they eventually cycled through multiple agencies.</p>



<p>The key takeaway: establishing trust with clients is crucial, but it’s equally important to guide them strategically, balancing education with autonomy.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-career-lesson-from-cowboy-moves">A Career Lesson from “Cowboy Moves”</h2>



<p>Anthony recounts another F-up from earlier in his career when he worked at a large advertising agency handling car dealership accounts. Discovering widespread mismanagement, he independently fixed accounts, dramatically improving results. However, his initiative conflicted with the company’s expectations, and he was let go.</p>



<p>This experience reinforced two lessons: first, know your values and work where they align with the organization. Second, balancing client success with company expectations is vital. His approach at AdSquire now ensures consistent account management and clear communication across the team.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-managing-client-expectations-in-a-complex-industry">Managing Client Expectations in a Complex Industry</h2>



<p>Anthony emphasizes the difficulty of managing clients in competitive sectors like legal marketing. Clients often want SEO, social media, and other services beyond PPC. While diversification can be tempting for agencies, focusing on your core expertise ensures better results and avoids dilution of effort. Balancing client needs and strategic guidance is key to long-term success.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-role-of-mistakes-in-growth">The Role of Mistakes in Growth</h2>



<p>Anthony believes mistakes are essential for growth. At AdSquire, he encourages team members to learn from errors without fear of job loss, provided honesty and alignment are maintained. This philosophy fosters learning, accountability, and innovation within the team.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-common-mistakes-in-modern-paid-search">Common Mistakes in Modern Paid Search</h2>



<p>With the rise of AI in Google Ads, Anthony observes recurring errors, such as misconfigured search partner and location settings, automated assets, and auto-apply recommendations. While AI can streamline campaigns, improper use can undermine performance. He stresses that strategic oversight remains critical despite automation.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-takeaways-from-anthony-s-stories">Key Takeaways from Anthony’s Stories</h2>



<p>Two main lessons emerge from Anthony’s experiences:</p>



<ol class="wp-block-list">
<li>Protect clients strategically. Guide them away from scams and poor decisions while providing growth opportunities.</li>



<li>Understand your own values and work where your skills and ethics align. Don’t settle for roles or environments that compromise your principles.</li>
</ol>



<p>Anthony’s philosophy demonstrates that mistakes do not define failure—they can lead to redemption, innovation, and long-term success.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-looking-ahead-ai-and-the-future-of-google-ads">Looking Ahead: AI and the Future of Google Ads</h2>



<p>Anthony predicts that AI integration in Google Ads will continue expanding in 2026. While some tools may be inefficient or misaligned, he believes strategic oversight and a human touch remain essential. Misuse of AI, such as automated video inventory generation, can produce mixed results and requires careful monitoring.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-conclusion-f-ups-lead-to-redemption">Conclusion: F-Ups Lead to Redemption</h2>



<p>Reflecting on his career, Anthony likens his journey to <em>The Shawshank Redemption</em>. Every F-up contributed to the next opportunity, eventually allowing him to build AdSquire and become a top PPC influencer. The overarching lesson: embrace mistakes, learn from them, and use them as stepping stones toward success.</p>



<p></p>


On episode 336 of PPC Live The Podcast, I speak to Anthony Higman, CEO of AdSquire. Anthony’s career journey is a full-circle story: from starting in a law firm mailroom to running his own company with views over Philadelphia. His experiences demonstrate how hard work, learning from mistakes, and perseverance can shape a successful career.
Learning from Client Missteps
Anthony shares one of his first “F-ups” with clients who forwarded him countless emails promising quick wins. While some were scams, others were legitimate opportunities misaligned with the client’s strategy. At one point, Anthony let a client pursue an SEO agency despite knowing they were unlikely to deliver results. This decision backfired: the client’s results suffered, and they eventually cycled through multiple agencies.
The key takeaway: establishing trust with clients is crucial, but it’s equally important to guide them strategically, balancing education with autonomy.
A Career Lesson from “Cowboy Moves”
Anthony recounts another F-up from earlier in his career when he worked at a large advertising agency handling car dealership accounts. Discovering widespread mismanagement, he independently fixed accounts, dramatically improving results. However, his initiative conflicted with the company’s expectations, and he was let go.
This experience reinforced two lessons: first, know your values and work where they align with the organization. Second, balancing client success with company expectations is vital. His approach at AdSquire now ensures consistent account management and clear communication across the team.
Managing Client Expectations in a Complex Industry
Anthony emphasizes the difficulty of managing clients in competitive sectors like legal marketing. Clients often want SEO, social media, and other services beyond PPC. While diversification can be tempting for agencies, focusing on your core expertise ensures better results and avoids dilution of effort. Balancing client needs and strategic guidance is key to long-term success.
The Role of Mistakes in Growth
Anthony believes mistakes are essential for growth. At AdSquire, he encourages team members to learn from errors without fear of job loss, provided honesty and alignment are maintained. This philosophy fosters learning, accountability, and innovation within the team.
Common Mistakes in Modern Paid Search
With the rise of AI in Google Ads, Anthony observes recurring errors, such as misconfigured search partner and location settings, automated assets, and auto-apply recommendations. While AI can streamline campaigns, improper use can undermine performance. He stresses that strategic oversight remains critical despite automation.
Key Takeaways from Anthony’s Stories
Two main lessons emerge from Anthony’s experiences:
Protect clients strategically. Guide them away from scams and poor decisions while providing growth opportunities.
Understand your own values and work where your skills and ethics align. Don’t settle for roles or environments that compromise your principles.
Anthony’s philosophy demonstrates that mistakes do not define failure—they can lead to redemption, innovation, and long-term success.
Looking Ahead: AI and the Future of Google Ads
Anthony predicts that AI integration in Google Ads will continue expanding in 2026. While some tools may be inefficient or misaligned, he believes strategic oversight and a human touch remain essential. Misuse of AI, such as automated video inventory generation, can produce mixed results and requires careful monitoring.
Conclusion: F-Ups Lead to Redemption
Reflecting on his career, Anthony likens his journey to The Shawshank Redemption. Every F-up contributed to the next opportunity, eventually allowing him to build AdSquire and become a top PPC influencer. The overarching lesson: embrace mistakes, learn from them, and use them as stepping stones toward success.

Anthony Higman’s journey from a law firm mailroom to PPC CEO shows how learning from mistakes, can turn early missteps into lasting success.

Anthony Higman shares a PPC redemption story

<div><img width="1920" height="1080" src="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/07/7-Google-Ads-search-term-filters-to-cut-wasted-spend.png" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" alt="7 Google Ads search term filters to cut wasted spend" style="margin-bottom: 15px;" decoding="async" srcset="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/07/7-Google-Ads-search-term-filters-to-cut-wasted-spend.png 1920w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/07/7-Google-Ads-search-term-filters-to-cut-wasted-spend-768x432.png 768w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/07/7-Google-Ads-search-term-filters-to-cut-wasted-spend-1536x864.png 1536w" sizes="(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" /></div>Google’s new Beta lets Performance Max advertisers A/B test asset sets, expanding last year’s retail experiment to all campaigns.

<div><img width="1920" height="1080" src="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/07/7-Google-Ads-search-term-filters-to-cut-wasted-spend.png" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" alt="7 Google Ads search term filters to cut wasted spend" style="margin-bottom: 15px;" decoding="async" srcset="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/07/7-Google-Ads-search-term-filters-to-cut-wasted-spend.png 1920w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/07/7-Google-Ads-search-term-filters-to-cut-wasted-spend-768x432.png 768w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/07/7-Google-Ads-search-term-filters-to-cut-wasted-spend-1536x864.png 1536w" sizes="(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" /></div>
<p>Advertisers can now compare two sets of assets while keeping &#8220;common assets&#8221; consistent across both versions. Tests can be set up from the Experiments page under the Assets sub-menu, allowing marketers to see which creative combinations perform best. </p>



<p>Google previously launched a similar experiment type for <a href="https://searchengineland.com/google-asset-testing-performance-max-retail-453236">retail campaigns last year</a>, and this expands the capability to all Performance Max campaigns.</p>



<p><strong>Why we care.</strong> Performance Max campaigns rely heavily on automation, which has historically made testing specific creative assets tricky. This new feature gives advertisers more control over asset-level performance insights without disrupting the overall campaign.</p>



<p><strong>The big picture</strong>. Tests will likely need to run at least four weeks to account for P-Max’s learning phase and ad delivery stabilization, meaning results won’t be instantaneous. But once complete, advertisers could make more informed decisions about which images, headlines, and videos drive results.</p>



<p><strong>Between the lines</strong>. Asset-level A/B testing could become a key lever for improving Performance Max ROI, especially for advertisers managing multiple creatives and asset formats.</p>



<p><strong>First seen. </strong>This update was first spotted by web marketer Dario Zannoni which he shared on <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/posts/dariozannoni_google-is-rolling-out-a-new-experiment-type-activity-7415336133703733248-CBzC/">LinkedIn</a>.</p>



<p><strong>The bottom line.</strong> While still in Beta, this experiment type promises a new level of transparency and control over automated campaigns — and could change how marketers approach asset strategy in Performance Max.</p>



<p><strong>Dig deeper.</strong> <a href="https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/16807329">About Performance Max optimization experiments: A/B testing assets (Beta)</a><br><br></p>


Advertisers can now compare two sets of assets while keeping “common assets” consistent across both versions. Tests can be set up from the Experiments page under the Assets sub-menu, allowing marketers to see which creative combinations perform best. 
Google previously launched a similar experiment type for retail campaigns last year, and this expands the capability to all Performance Max campaigns.
Why we care. Performance Max campaigns rely heavily on automation, which has historically made testing specific creative assets tricky. This new feature gives advertisers more control over asset-level performance insights without disrupting the overall campaign.
The big picture. Tests will likely need to run at least four weeks to account for P-Max’s learning phase and ad delivery stabilization, meaning results won’t be instantaneous. But once complete, advertisers could make more informed decisions about which images, headlines, and videos drive results.
Between the lines. Asset-level A/B testing could become a key lever for improving Performance Max ROI, especially for advertisers managing multiple creatives and asset formats.
First seen. This update was first spotted by web marketer Dario Zannoni which he shared on LinkedIn.
The bottom line. While still in Beta, this experiment type promises a new level of transparency and control over automated campaigns — and could change how marketers approach asset strategy in Performance Max.
Dig deeper. About Performance Max optimization experiments: A/B testing assets (Beta)

Google’s new Beta lets Performance Max advertisers A/B test asset sets, expanding last year’s retail experiment to all campaigns.

Google launches A/B testing for Performance Max assets (Beta)

<div><img width="800" height="457" src="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/04/google-robot-1920-800x457.jpg" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" alt="" style="margin-bottom: 15px;" decoding="async" srcset="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/04/google-robot-1920-800x457.jpg 800w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/04/google-robot-1920-592x338.jpg 592w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/04/google-robot-1920-198x113.jpg 198w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/04/google-robot-1920-768x439.jpg 768w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/04/google-robot-1920-1536x878.jpg 1536w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/04/google-robot-1920.jpg 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /></div>Google tracks how users behave and only shows AI Overviews in Search when they actually add value, said Google VP Robby Stein.

<div><img width="800" height="457" src="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/04/google-robot-1920-800x457.jpg" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" alt="" style="margin-bottom: 15px;" decoding="async" srcset="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/04/google-robot-1920-800x457.jpg 800w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/04/google-robot-1920-592x338.jpg 592w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/04/google-robot-1920-198x113.jpg 198w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/04/google-robot-1920-768x439.jpg 768w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/04/google-robot-1920-1536x878.jpg 1536w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/04/google-robot-1920.jpg 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /></div>
<p>Google shows AI Overviews in Search largely based on whether users engage with them — and removes them when they don’t.</p>



<p>That’s according to Robby Stein, Google’s VP of product for Search. In a CNN interview, Stein explained how Google tunes AI-driven results as it expands ads, personalization, and visual search across its experiences.</p>



<p><strong>Engagement drives AI Overviews.</strong> Google tests AI Overviews on specific query types and keeps them only if users find them useful. If users don’t click, interact, or show value, the overview disappears. The system then applies that learning to similar queries, Stein said:</p>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>“The system will learn — so it’ll try it — and then see if people engage with it for certain kinds of questions&#8230;</li>



<li>&#8220;What happens is the system will learn that if it tried to do an AI Overview, no one really clicked on it or engaged with it or valued it. We have lots of metrics. We look at that. And then it won&#8217;t show up. And then the system kind of generalizes that over time. And what you see at Google is a reflection of our best understanding of what&#8217;s most helpful for a user for a given question.&#8221;</li>
</ul>



<p><strong>Why we care.</strong> Much of the SEO conversation focuses on appearing in AI Overviews. Google is making it clear that those placements depend on user engagement. If searchers don’t interact with AI Overviews for certain query types, Google may stop showing them altogether. That could reduce AI visibility for brands and publishers.</p>



<p><strong>AI and personalization.</strong> Google personalizes some aspects of AI search, but Stein described it as a &#8220;smaller adjustment&#8221; rather than a major reshaping of results:</p>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>&#8220;So if you&#8217;re the kind of person that would always click a video, you might see video results higher.</li>



<li>&#8220;But right now that&#8217;s &#8230; a smaller adjustment &#8230; to the experience because we want to keep it as consistent as possible overall. But I think over time our goal is to create something that&#8217;s great for you.&#8221;</li>
</ul>



<p><strong>Ads and monetization in AI search.</strong> Google is actively testing ads inside AI-powered search experiences, including AI Overviews and AI Mode.</p>



<p>Google is actively experimenting with ads inside AI-powered search experiences — including AI Overviews and AI Mode.</p>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Ads will appear “when helpful,” Stein said, following Google’s long-standing Search ad philosophy. He added that “the vast majority of Google searches do not have ads.”</li>



<li>AI-driven shopping, comparisons, and product research are key use cases.</li>



<li>“Transparency and clarity that this is a sponsored item is really an important principle,” Stein said.</li>
</ul>



<p><strong>Visual search growth.</strong> Visual search is one of Google’s fastest-growing behaviors, according to Stein.</p>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Usage is up 70% year over year.</li>



<li>About 1 billion users use visual search tools like Google Lens.</li>



<li>Circle to Search on Android is being used product discovery, outfit matching, and real-world queries.</li>
</ul>



<p><strong>The CNN interview. </strong><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4WgxWlcf1Xw">The best way to search for info online in the AI era | Terms of Service</a></p>



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<iframe title="The best way to search for info online in the AI era | Terms of Service" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/4WgxWlcf1Xw?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
</div></figure>


Google shows AI Overviews in Search largely based on whether users engage with them — and removes them when they don’t.
That’s according to Robby Stein, Google’s VP of product for Search. In a CNN interview, Stein explained how Google tunes AI-driven results as it expands ads, personalization, and visual search across its experiences.
Engagement drives AI Overviews. Google tests AI Overviews on specific query types and keeps them only if users find them useful. If users don’t click, interact, or show value, the overview disappears. The system then applies that learning to similar queries, Stein said:
“The system will learn — so it’ll try it — and then see if people engage with it for certain kinds of questions…
“What happens is the system will learn that if it tried to do an AI Overview, no one really clicked on it or engaged with it or valued it. We have lots of metrics. We look at that. And then it won’t show up. And then the system kind of generalizes that over time. And what you see at Google is a reflection of our best understanding of what’s most helpful for a user for a given question.”
Why we care. Much of the SEO conversation focuses on appearing in AI Overviews. Google is making it clear that those placements depend on user engagement. If searchers don’t interact with AI Overviews for certain query types, Google may stop showing them altogether. That could reduce AI visibility for brands and publishers.
AI and personalization. Google personalizes some aspects of AI search, but Stein described it as a “smaller adjustment” rather than a major reshaping of results:
“So if you’re the kind of person that would always click a video, you might see video results higher.
“But right now that’s … a smaller adjustment … to the experience because we want to keep it as consistent as possible overall. But I think over time our goal is to create something that’s great for you.”
Ads and monetization in AI search. Google is actively testing ads inside AI-powered search experiences, including AI Overviews and AI Mode.
Google is actively experimenting with ads inside AI-powered search experiences — including AI Overviews and AI Mode.
Ads will appear “when helpful,” Stein said, following Google’s long-standing Search ad philosophy. He added that “the vast majority of Google searches do not have ads.”
AI-driven shopping, comparisons, and product research are key use cases.
“Transparency and clarity that this is a sponsored item is really an important principle,” Stein said.
Visual search growth. Visual search is one of Google’s fastest-growing behaviors, according to Stein.
Usage is up 70% year over year.
About 1 billion users use visual search tools like Google Lens.
Circle to Search on Android is being used product discovery, outfit matching, and real-world queries.
The CNN interview. The best way to search for info online in the AI era | Terms of Service

Google tracks how users behave and only shows AI Overviews in Search when they actually add value, said Google VP Robby Stein.

Google AI Overviews are tested and removed based on engagement

<div><img width="800" height="450" src="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2022/12/Shutterstock_1595146042-2-800x450.jpg" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" alt="" style="margin-bottom: 15px;" decoding="async" srcset="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2022/12/Shutterstock_1595146042-2-800x450.jpg 800w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2022/12/Shutterstock_1595146042-2-600x338.jpg 600w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2022/12/Shutterstock_1595146042-2-200x113.jpg 200w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2022/12/Shutterstock_1595146042-2-768x432.jpg 768w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2022/12/Shutterstock_1595146042-2-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2022/12/Shutterstock_1595146042-2-150x84.jpg 150w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2022/12/Shutterstock_1595146042-2.jpg 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /></div>Microsoft is giving Performance Max advertisers more control by expanding search themes to better guide automation toward high-intent customers.

<div><img width="800" height="450" src="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2022/12/Shutterstock_1595146042-2-800x450.jpg" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" alt="" style="margin-bottom: 15px;" decoding="async" srcset="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2022/12/Shutterstock_1595146042-2-800x450.jpg 800w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2022/12/Shutterstock_1595146042-2-600x338.jpg 600w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2022/12/Shutterstock_1595146042-2-200x113.jpg 200w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2022/12/Shutterstock_1595146042-2-768x432.jpg 768w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2022/12/Shutterstock_1595146042-2-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2022/12/Shutterstock_1595146042-2-150x84.jpg 150w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2022/12/Shutterstock_1595146042-2.jpg 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /></div>
<p>Ahead of a slate of announcements coming next week, Microsoft Advertising says advertisers can now add up to 50 search themes to Performance Max campaigns — a significant increase from previous limits.</p>



<p><strong>Why we care. </strong>Search themes act as strategic signals that guide Performance Max toward the queries and intent patterns advertisers care most about. Increasing the cap gives marketers far more room to shape how automation interprets demand, especially for complex or multi-category businesses. </p>



<p>Advertisers will also no longer have to collapse intent into a handful of themes or spin up multiple campaigns just to reflect different product lines or use cases.</p>



<p><strong>The big picture.</strong> Microsoft is leaning into signal-based control rather than rigid keyword targeting. Advertisers can pair search themes with LinkedIn profile targeting and other audience signals, including impression-based remarketing, to help Performance Max focus on high-value customers instead of broad, generic demand.</p>



<p><strong>What to watch.</strong> Microsoft says additional updates are coming in its Advertising blog next week, suggesting this expansion is part of a broader push to make Performance Max more flexible — and more advertiser-guided — without walking back automation.</p>



<p><strong>First seen. </strong>Microsoft Product Liaison Navah Hopkins shared this news on <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/posts/navahhopkins_we-have-a-number-of-exciting-updates-being-activity-7415426292747276288-pPte/?utm_source=share&amp;utm_medium=member_ios&amp;rcm=ACoAAAAOXwgBGvKJ5PG5kuwaTmFUJWimyBar5pw">LinkedIn</a> as well as teasing some updates coming next week Wednesday (Jan 14th). </p>



<p><strong>The bottom line.</strong> By allowing up to 50 search themes, Microsoft is giving advertisers a stronger steering wheel for Performance Max, not by adding complexity, but by expanding the signals that matter most.</p>


Ahead of a slate of announcements coming next week, Microsoft Advertising says advertisers can now add up to 50 search themes to Performance Max campaigns — a significant increase from previous limits.
Why we care. Search themes act as strategic signals that guide Performance Max toward the queries and intent patterns advertisers care most about. Increasing the cap gives marketers far more room to shape how automation interprets demand, especially for complex or multi-category businesses. 
Advertisers will also no longer have to collapse intent into a handful of themes or spin up multiple campaigns just to reflect different product lines or use cases.
The big picture. Microsoft is leaning into signal-based control rather than rigid keyword targeting. Advertisers can pair search themes with LinkedIn profile targeting and other audience signals, including impression-based remarketing, to help Performance Max focus on high-value customers instead of broad, generic demand.
What to watch. Microsoft says additional updates are coming in its Advertising blog next week, suggesting this expansion is part of a broader push to make Performance Max more flexible — and more advertiser-guided — without walking back automation.
First seen. Microsoft Product Liaison Navah Hopkins shared this news on LinkedIn as well as teasing some updates coming next week Wednesday (Jan 14th). 
The bottom line. By allowing up to 50 search themes, Microsoft is giving advertisers a stronger steering wheel for Performance Max, not by adding complexity, but by expanding the signals that matter most.

Microsoft is giving Performance Max advertisers more control by expanding search themes to better guide automation toward high-intent customers.

Microsoft expands search themes in Performance Max to 50

<div><img width="800" height="450" src="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/03/Your-guide-to-Google-Ads-Smart-Bidding-800x450.png" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" alt="Your guide to Google Ads Smart Bidding" style="margin-bottom: 15px;" decoding="async" srcset="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/03/Your-guide-to-Google-Ads-Smart-Bidding-800x450.png 800w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/03/Your-guide-to-Google-Ads-Smart-Bidding-600x338.png 600w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/03/Your-guide-to-Google-Ads-Smart-Bidding-200x113.png 200w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/03/Your-guide-to-Google-Ads-Smart-Bidding-768x432.png 768w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/03/Your-guide-to-Google-Ads-Smart-Bidding-1536x864.png 1536w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/03/Your-guide-to-Google-Ads-Smart-Bidding.png 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /></div>Google’s apparent expansion of video limits in PMax could give advertisers more creative flexibility without forcing campaign fragmentation.

<div><img width="800" height="450" src="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/03/Your-guide-to-Google-Ads-Smart-Bidding-800x450.png" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" alt="Your guide to Google Ads Smart Bidding" style="margin-bottom: 15px;" decoding="async" srcset="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/03/Your-guide-to-Google-Ads-Smart-Bidding-800x450.png 800w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/03/Your-guide-to-Google-Ads-Smart-Bidding-600x338.png 600w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/03/Your-guide-to-Google-Ads-Smart-Bidding-200x113.png 200w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/03/Your-guide-to-Google-Ads-Smart-Bidding-768x432.png 768w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/03/Your-guide-to-Google-Ads-Smart-Bidding-1536x864.png 1536w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/03/Your-guide-to-Google-Ads-Smart-Bidding.png 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /></div>
<p>Advertisers are spotting signs that Google is increasing the number of video assets allowed per Asset Group in Performance Max campaigns — from 5 videos to as many as 15.</p>



<p><strong>Why we care.</strong> Video is increasingly central to Performance Max performance, but the current five-video cap forces trade-offs. Advertisers often have to choose between formats or ratios, limiting coverage across YouTube, Discover and other placements.</p>



<p><strong>What’s changing</strong>. With up to 15 videos per Asset Group, advertisers would be able to include multiple creatives while still covering all three major video ratios. That means less need to fragment campaigns or duplicate Asset Groups just to accommodate different video formats.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" width="1009" height="169" src="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/01/PMax-15-video-option.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-467302" srcset="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/01/PMax-15-video-option.jpeg 1009w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/01/PMax-15-video-option-768x129.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1009px) 100vw, 1009px" /></figure>



<p><strong>Between the lines</strong>. This change would make consolidation easier for brands running multiple video variations, improving creative testing without sacrificing reach or structural simplicity.</p>



<p><strong>What to watch</strong>. Google hasn’t formally announced the update, suggesting it’s either in testing or rolling out gradually.</p>



<p><strong>First seen.</strong> This update was spotted by Growth Marketing Manager Molly Pritchard showing the new option on <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/posts/mollypritchard_spotted-in-the-wild-performance-max-looks-activity-7415412614790279168-okRc/?utm_source=share&amp;utm_medium=member_desktop&amp;rcm=ACoAAAtLCVYBxvg3hsFu3ZYWaTgo5qsm6UIn0Po">LinkedIn</a>.</p>



<p><strong>The bottom line</strong>. A higher video cap may sound minor, but for Performance Max advertisers, it could unlock better creative coverage with fewer compromises.</p>


Advertisers are spotting signs that Google is increasing the number of video assets allowed per Asset Group in Performance Max campaigns — from 5 videos to as many as 15.
Why we care. Video is increasingly central to Performance Max performance, but the current five-video cap forces trade-offs. Advertisers often have to choose between formats or ratios, limiting coverage across YouTube, Discover and other placements.
What’s changing. With up to 15 videos per Asset Group, advertisers would be able to include multiple creatives while still covering all three major video ratios. That means less need to fragment campaigns or duplicate Asset Groups just to accommodate different video formats.




Between the lines. This change would make consolidation easier for brands running multiple video variations, improving creative testing without sacrificing reach or structural simplicity.
What to watch. Google hasn’t formally announced the update, suggesting it’s either in testing or rolling out gradually.
First seen. This update was spotted by Growth Marketing Manager Molly Pritchard showing the new option on LinkedIn.
The bottom line. A higher video cap may sound minor, but for Performance Max advertisers, it could unlock better creative coverage with fewer compromises.

Google’s apparent expansion of video limits in PMax could give advertisers more creative flexibility without forcing campaign fragmentation.

Google tests expanded video limits in Performance Max

<div><img width="1920" height="1080" src="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/01/Why-ecommerce-SEO-audits-fail-–-and-what-actually-works-in-30-days.jpg" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" alt="Why ecommerce SEO audits fail – and what actually works in 30 days" style="margin-bottom: 15px;" decoding="async" srcset="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/01/Why-ecommerce-SEO-audits-fail-–-and-what-actually-works-in-30-days.jpg 1920w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/01/Why-ecommerce-SEO-audits-fail-–-and-what-actually-works-in-30-days-768x432.jpg 768w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/01/Why-ecommerce-SEO-audits-fail-–-and-what-actually-works-in-30-days-1536x864.jpg 1536w" sizes="(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" /></div>Big SEO audits look thorough but stall execution. Here’s why the audit-plus-retainer model underdelivers – and what works instead.

A $4 million Shopify brand recently showed me an SEO audit it received six months earlier – 127 pages, 53 action items, and a $12,000 price tag.
Since then, the company has updated page titles and meta descriptions and added a few blog articles – 12 recommendations in total. The remaining 41 were not even scheduled. 
This is not an execution issue. It is a model issue.
This article explains why the traditional audit-plus-retainer approach consistently underdelivers for ecommerce brands.
It also outlines a focused alternative designed to capture measurable revenue in 30 days rather than six months.
The retainer trap: Why traditional SEO contracts dilute focus and delay results
Let’s be honest: if you are an ecommerce brand looking to improve SEO, you likely do not care about the channel itself. You care about increasing sales and generating more revenue.
An experienced SEO consultant reviewing an ecommerce site can usually identify several quick wins within minutes that could materially improve revenue.
When I joined a group fitness program last year, they did not require blood work, a DEXA scan, or a 30-page health history before my first session. 
They asked three questions, watched me do a push-up, and started helping me improve the same day. Three months later, I am measurably stronger – without ever completing a “comprehensive fitness audit.”
Why do we treat SEO differently?
The question is not whether a full audit would uncover more insights. 
It is whether waiting six to eight weeks for an audit, followed by another six months to implement parts of it, is the best use of time and budget.
As SEOs, we are accustomed to extensive analysis – mapping systems, comparing competitors, tracking their evolution over time. 
That mindset makes sense in theory, but it also normalizes long timelines before anything changes on the site.
The traditional solution is to sign clients into a retainer. Increasingly, however, brands are reluctant to add another ongoing agreement. 
Many already have retainers with Meta Ads representatives, Google Ads agencies, hosting providers, and other vendors.
Additionally, many ecommerce businesses, particularly those generating roughly $3 million to $5 million annually, do not view SEO as the channel that will 10x their growth. 
These companies have already scaled. Still, if SEO can capture incremental revenue and outperform competitors, it is worth pursuing.
What often gives them pause is committing to yet another monthly retainer, along with the ongoing overhead required to collaborate with an external agency. 
In many cases, the perceived cost outweighs the expected return.
Campaign drift: How unfocused SEO efforts erode ROI over time
During an active retainer, two realities tend to emerge.
At the start, brands are highly motivated. Teams prioritize implementation and dedicate time to working with a new agency. 
Over time, that momentum often fades. Product launches, site redesigns, and brand or customer service initiatives take precedence. 
As a result, the teams responsible for approving content and managing implementation begin to slow down.
Unless a company has an in-house SEO specialist or team with no competing priorities, ROI typically declines after a few months. 
I have seen approval timelines stretch from days to weeks. 
Link plans sit without feedback. 
Agencies learn about new products only shortly before launch, limiting their ability to support them through SEO.
As focus erodes and revenue impact takes longer to materialize, campaigns drift. Implementation slows, results flatten, and clients eventually disengage.
That dynamic changes when SEO efforts are limited in scope, constrained by time, and tied to a clearly defined ROI projection, as with a revenue capture sprint.
Why AI search raises the stakes
There is an additional factor many ecommerce brands have yet to fully account for: AI-driven search.
Platforms such as ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google’s Gemini analyze product pages to understand what a brand sells. 
When users ask questions like, “What’s the best ceramic garden planter for a small balcony,” these systems rely on indexed ecommerce content to generate recommendations.
Vague product descriptions and missing structured data make that process harder. When AI systems cannot confidently interpret a product, they are less likely to surface it.
Addressing these gaps through focused improvements to product page messaging does more than support traditional rankings. It also improves visibility across emerging, AI-driven shopping experiences.
The sprint model: Fixed-scope projects that deliver measurable revenue in 30 days
After years of working in a typical SEO setting with audits, retainers, and ongoing SEO, specifically for ecommerce sites, we rolled out a new model called revenue capture sprints. 
Below are the steps, along with a specific, practical example.
Week 1: Identify and quantify
A revenue capture sprint begins with a focused analysis phase using industry-leading tools for research and crawling, where different revenue gaps are identified.
The gaps are then quantified by applying the brand’s main KPIs, including sessions, conversion rate, average order value, and purchase frequency. 
This allows projecting the potential revenue that can be captured by implementing fixes to close a specific gap.
For example, consider an average Shopify site with the following KPIs.

One established gap often appears on product detail pages. There is usually a list of issues that would help the site generate more revenue:
No shipping times.
No trust signals.
No testimonials.
FAQs that are not relevant to the product.
Product descriptions that are too short and do not mention the target audience or use cases.
Now, let’s select a set of 20 URLs to optimize during the sprint.
While it is difficult to find an industry benchmark for fixing these elements, it is reasonable to assume the site’s conversion rate could increase by 20%. 
To stay conservative, assume a 25% increase in visibility from clearer, ICP-related content.
Back to the numbers:

MetricBefore SprintAfter SprintChange
Monthly Visitors10,00012,500+25%
Conversion Rate5%6%+20%
Average Order Value$75$75–
Purchase Frequency2.22.2–
Monthly Revenue$82,500$123,750+$41,250





This conservative estimate suggests that $41,250 per month can be recovered across all product pages in this sprint.
Most stores have multiple product pages. 
While some changes affect all products, such as adding shipping times, the revenue capture sprint should focus on a defined set of URLs.
In this example, assume the site has 40 products with similar price points. 
Focusing on 20 of them would capture roughly $20,625 per month from the sprint URLs, plus any additional revenue from sitewide changes that also affect those pages.
At that point, the scope of the revenue capture sprint becomes clear:
A focused list of URLs.
A defined set of changes across those URLs and the store.
A specific, revenue-based outcome.
An ROI that can be measured.
Based on the sprint fee, it is also possible to calculate ROI and payback period. 
More often than not, sprints pay for themselves within one to two months, sometimes within a few weeks.
Only a sprint that results in a positive ROI, factoring in agency fees and effort, is worth running.
Part of the scope definition also includes identifying when client input is required and how much time it will take. 
For example: 
Week 1 may require two hours to confirm focus URLs. 
Week 2, five hours to approve content and confirm development work.
Week 3, one hour to review staging changes.
Week 4, two hours for testing and a debrief call.
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See terms.
Week 2: Create and prepare
Based on the revenue capture sprint definition, Week 2 focuses on implementation preparation. 
This includes content creation, installing Shopify apps where needed, and planning internal links.
Content changes are typically prepared in a shared document so the CMO or other stakeholders can review and approve edits. 
If theme changes are required, the theme can often be duplicated so updates can be reviewed in a preview environment before being pushed live.
Week 3: Implementation and capture
Changes are implemented on the ecommerce site. This includes:
Publishing content.
Configuring extensions.
Ensuring meta fields on the focus URLs contain the required elements.
Week 4: Finalize implementation and tests
This week is dedicated to finalizing updates and confirming that everything outlined in the sprint definition has been implemented correctly.
After a sprint, brands can run another sprint on a different gap, pause to measure results, or continue on their own. 
There is no ongoing commitment unless consistent SEO support is explicitly desired.
Typical revenue capture sprints that make sense for ecommerce sites
Below are common sprint types that focus on closing specific, measurable revenue gaps.
Messaging sprint
This sprint focuses on improving how search engines and AI platforms understand a brand and its products. 
Work typically includes the home page, about page, and key collections and product pages. Semantics are reviewed and clarified where needed.
Product detail pages sprint
On most ecommerce sites, there are clear opportunities to improve product pages. 
Many of these changes affect the entire site and can improve both search engine and AI visibility, as well as conversion rates, which often results in immediate impact.
Collection pages sprint
Collection pages are among the most frequently referenced sources in generative AI and are also some of the most important landing pages for ecommerce sites in terms of direct revenue. 
These pages can be enhanced with transactional content, FAQs, internal links, and related elements.
Complementary content sprint
Informational content often drives traffic without generating sales. 
Rewriting key articles, along with creating commonly cited page types such as comparisons and buyer guides, can increase conversions and email opt-ins.
Anti-cannibalization sprint
Sites with similar or overlapping products frequently experience cannibalization, causing the wrong pages to rank for key queries. 
Within a single sprint, cannibalization can be addressed for a focused set of products, often resulting in improved rankings and increased orders.
What this looks like in practice
A U.S.-based food and beverage brand came to us ranking at No. 25 for its primary keyword, which had roughly 16,000 searches per month. 
At that position, the brand was largely invisible to buyers.
The gap: A confusing site structure made it difficult for Google to determine which page should rank.
The sprint: Internal linking restructuring combined with content optimization and selective de-optimization.
The math:
No. 25 CTR: 0.3% → roughly 48 visitors per month.
No. 3 CTR: 12.4% → roughly 1,984 visitors per month.
At the site’s conversion rate and average order value, this shift captured approximately $9,300 per month, or $111,600 annually, from a single sprint.
A home goods retailer running on Shopify faced a similar issue within its collection page structure. 
Across 186 pages, there was no internal link prioritization, making it difficult for Google to determine page importance.
After a four-week sprint focused on internal linking and collection page rewrites, key pages moved from No. 28 to No. 4, with similar improvements across 12 categories. 
The result was $287,364 in additional annual revenue.
Captured revenue is better than perfect SEO
In an ideal scenario, ecommerce brands would hire an agency to spend two weeks building a comprehensive semantic map, followed by another two to three weeks on technical audits. 
A monthly retainer would then support dozens of action items aimed at making everything “perfect,” sometimes causing short-term revenue drops when navigation or site architecture changes are required.
The revenue capture sprint takes a more practical approach. 
Instead of attempting to optimize everything, it focuses on:
Identifying the most obvious revenue gaps.
Quantifying their impact.
Fixing them through one-off projects with a projected positive ROI that require limited internal effort.
The 30-day question
The question is not whether an ecommerce site has revenue gaps. 
Most sites have three to six running at the same time, often costing $5,000 to $50,000 per month each in uncaptured revenue.
The question is whether to spend six months auditing all of them or 30 days closing the ones with the greatest impact.
Here is a simple self-assessment for three product pages:
Are shipping times clearly visible?
Are trust signals present, such as reviews, guarantees, security badges, or testimonials?
Do the FAQs address real buyer objections for the product and its category?
Does the description explain who the product is for and how it is used?
Is structured data in place for products, reviews, and FAQs?
Each “no” often represents $2,000 to $10,000 in monthly uncaptured revenue.
Perfect SEO takes months or years. Captured revenue takes 30 days. For most ecommerce brands, the math favors moving quickly on the gaps that are already visible.
The obvious objection
Some will argue this is simply project-based SEO with different branding. That is a fair point.
The difference lies in the filter applied before any work begins. 
Every sprint requires a quantified revenue projection based on realistic assumptions. 
If the projected return does not meaningfully exceed the sprint investment, the sprint does not run.
This filter removes “nice-to-have” optimization work that keeps teams busy without driving results. 
It forces a simple question before every engagement: Will this change capture enough revenue to justify the effort?
If the answer is not clearly yes, it is not a sprint. It is busy work presented as strategy.

Big SEO audits look thorough but stall execution. Here’s why the audit-plus-retainer model underdelivers – and what works instead.

Why ecommerce SEO audits fail – and what actually works in 30 days

<div><img width="1920" height="1080" src="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/01/week-38-landscape-cover.png" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" alt="" style="margin-bottom: 15px;" decoding="async" srcset="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/01/week-38-landscape-cover.png 1920w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/01/week-38-landscape-cover-768x432.png 768w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/01/week-38-landscape-cover-1536x864.png 1536w" sizes="(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" /></div>Looking for growth beyond Google Search? Demand Gen pushes your ads to the right audiences across YouTube, Discover, and Gmail.

<div><img width="1920" height="1080" src="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/01/week-38-landscape-cover.png" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" alt="" style="margin-bottom: 15px;" decoding="async" srcset="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/01/week-38-landscape-cover.png 1920w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/01/week-38-landscape-cover-768x432.png 768w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/01/week-38-landscape-cover-1536x864.png 1536w" sizes="(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" /></div>
<figure class="wp-block-embed aligncenter is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-9-16 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<iframe title="Why Demand Gen Is the Most Underrated Campaign in Google Ads" width="422" height="750" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/37u1dt40Eb4?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
</div></figure>



<p></p>



<p>As a Google Ads practitioner, you probably spend the bulk of your time optimizing Search, Shopping or Performance Max campaigns. That makes sense — the Google SERP is the foundation of Google Ads. But there is a big opportunity sitting right inside your Google Ads account that too many advertisers are ignoring.</p>



<p>I’m going to go ahead and declare it: Demand Gen is the most underrated campaign type in Google Ads, and that has to end.</p>



<p>If you’ve been hesitant to test Demand Gen, or if you tried it once and “it didn’t work,” let this be your sign to add it to your strategy in 2026. Demand Gen offers a fundamental shift in how we can use Google’s ecosystem to drive growth through paid advertising.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-demand-gen-campaigns-are-like-meta-ads-on-google">Demand Gen campaigns are like Meta Ads&#8230; on Google</h2>



<p>The best way to wrap your head around Demand Gen is to stop thinking about keywords. Instead, think of it like running Meta (Facebook or Instagram) ads, but using Google’s inventory.</p>



<p>On Search, you are reacting to a user&#8217;s query. On Demand Gen, you are reacting to the <em>user</em>. You are pushing creative &#8211; images and/or videos &#8211; to users based on who they are, not what they are typing or doing in that exact moment.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-where-do-demand-gen-ads-show-up-on-google">Where do Demand Gen ads show up on Google?</h2>



<p>Your ads in Demand Gen can be placed across Google’s “owned and operated” properties, including:</p>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>YouTube (Shorts, In-stream, In-feed)</li>



<li>Gmail</li>



<li>Discover</li>



<li>Google Maps (coming soon!)</li>
</ul>



<p>I recommend starting with all applicable channels turned on, but you can opt in or out of specific channels if you want to.</p>



<p>The Google Display Network is also an option in Demand Gen, but you should probably focus your investment on the Google-owned properties where the intent signals are stronger.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-can-you-target-your-ads-in-demand-gen">How can you target your ads in Demand Gen?</h2>



<p>Because Demand Gen is a &#8220;push&#8221; style campaign, there is no content targeting. You aren&#8217;t picking specific YouTube channels or websites to show up on, you aren’t picking specific keywords or topics.</p>



<p>Instead, you have the full suite of Google’s audience targeting options at your disposal:</p>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Lookalikes: Similar to Meta, you can build audiences that look like your converters.</li>



<li>Remarketing: Re-engaging past website visitors, content viewers or customers.</li>



<li>In-Market, Life Events &amp; Affinity segments: Reaching people based on their interests, what they’re doing, or what they’re looking for</li>



<li>Detailed demographics: Reaching people based on who they are</li>



<li>Custom Segments: Targeting people based on search terms they have used previously, or the types of websites/apps they use</li>
</ul>



<p>Note that combined segments are not compatible with Demand Gen, and you can only <em>exclude</em> your data segments from a Demand Gen campaign.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-type-of-creative-assets-can-you-use-in-demand-gen">What type of creative assets can you use in Demand Gen?</h2>



<p>Demand Gen is versatile. You can run standard image ads, carousel image ads, and video ads. If you are in ecommerce, you can attach your Google Merchant Center feed to the campaign to run product-based ads, too, making the ad unit directly shoppable.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-bid-strategies-are-compatible-with-demand-gen">What bid strategies are compatible with Demand Gen?</h2>



<p>Demand Gen is an action-focused campaign. Unlike a Video campaign, where you bid to impressions, reach or views, in Demand Gen, you bid for clicks or conversions. Specifically, you can use the following bid strategies in Demand Gen:</p>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Maximize Clicks</li>



<li>Maximize Conversions</li>



<li>Maximize Conversion Value</li>



<li>Target CPC</li>



<li>Target CPA</li>



<li>Target ROAS</li>
</ul>



<p>You must select one conversion category for the campaign. It can be your “usual” conversion, like a form fill or purchase, or it can be a more unique “conversion,” like a YouTube subscription or engagement.</p>



<p>And yes, you read that right. Demand Gen is the only campaign type that offers the new Target CPC bid strategy. In an era where Google is pushing everyone toward fully AI-powered bidding, Demand Gen still allows manual control over your cost per click. For advertisers who want to strictly control costs while testing top-of-funnel audiences, this is a big win.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-demand-gen-usually-performed-better-than-display">Why Demand Gen usually performed better than Display</h2>



<p>If you have been burned by the Display Network in the past &#8211; low-quality traffic, accidental clicks, or spam leads &#8211; you might be gun-shy about moving away from Search again.</p>



<p>However, I recommend running Demand Gen over standard Display campaigns for a few key reasons.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-1-inventory-quality">1. Inventory Quality</h3>



<p>With Demand Gen, you are primarily serving ads on Google-owned inventory (YouTube, Gmail, Discover, Maps). With standard Display, your ads are splashed across millions of random websites and apps all over the internet.</p>



<p>On Google’s properties, the user is usually authenticated (logged in), and the ad placements are organic to the content consumption experience. On the open web? You are often fighting for attention in the footer of a recipe blog or getting fat-finger clicks from a mobile gaming app.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-2-spam-reduction">2. Spam Reduction</h3>



<p>Because the audience quality is higher and the inventory is controlled, your chances of getting hit with spam leads are significantly lower with Demand Gen. For lead generation advertisers, this distinction is critical. A cheaper click on Display is worthless if it turns into a bot submission.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-3-the-cost-reality">3. The Cost Reality</h3>



<p>CPCs in Demand Gen do tend to be a little higher than Display. But you get what you pay for. The quality of traffic is usually much better.</p>



<p>That said, compared to Search, Demand Gen is still a bargain. You should expect CPCs to be much lower than your Search campaigns, usually hovering around $0.50 to $2.00.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-are-demand-gen-campaigns-a-black-box">Are Demand Gen campaigns a black box?</h2>



<p>Demand Gen campaigns are often compared to PMax, but they are quite different. Performance Max can serve on Search &amp; Shopping inventory, while Demand Gen can’t. And while Performance Max campaigns don’t let you control your targeting or placements, Demand Gen campaigns do!</p>



<p>Both campaigns, however, now provide full transparency and reporting. In Demand Gen, you can see and control:</p>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Asset-level reporting: See exactly which text, image and video assets are performing well</li>



<li>Audience insights: Pick who to target, then understand who is actually clicking and converting</li>



<li>Channel segmentation: You can segment your data to see exactly where your ads are showing (YouTube vs. Discover vs. Gmail) and how performance differs by placement, opting out of certain placements if you so choose</li>



<li>Placement reporting: See the YouTube videos and channels where your ads were shown, and add exclusions if needed</li>
</ul>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-to-get-started-with-demand-gen">How to get started with Demand Gen</h2>



<p>Ready to launch your first Demand Gen campaign? Here is how I recommend structuring a test based on your business model.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-for-smaller-businesses">For smaller businesses</h3>



<p>If you are just getting started and have a small budget ($5-40/day), you don&#8217;t need to overcomplicate it.</p>



<p>Targeting: Focus on your &#8220;Google Engaged&#8221; remarketing audience and a Custom Segment of your top-performing search terms.</p>



<p>Why: This captures high-intent users who haven&#8217;t converted yet, using the cheaper inventory of Demand Gen vs. Search.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-for-ecommerce-businesses">For ecommerce businesses</h3>



<p>Creative is king! Try running one Demand Gen campaign with your product feed attached, and one without (using lifestyle images/video only).</p>



<p>Why: Sometimes the product feed drives direct sales, but sometimes the lifestyle creative builds better brand engagement. You won&#8217;t know which drives the results you need until you test them both.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-for-larger-businesses">For larger businesses</h3>



<p>If you have the budget, Demand Gen shouldn&#8217;t just be a test &#8211; it should be a staple. Treat Demand Gen as your &#8220;always-on&#8221; audience-targeted layer driving awareness and consideration.</p>



<p>Targeting: In-Market, Life Events, Detailed demographics and/or Affinities that make the most sense for your target audience.</p>



<p>Why: It ensures you are front and center for the exact users you are trying to reach, keeping your brand top-of-mind even when users aren&#8217;t actively searching for you.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-verdict-2026-is-the-year-of-demand-gen">The verdict: 2026 is the year of Demand Gen</h2>



<p>Demand Gen bridges the gap between the high intent of Search and the visual storytelling of Social. It offers better quality than Display and cheaper clicks than Search.</p>



<p>So, is Demand Gen going to be part of your strategy this year? If you are looking for growth outside the search bar, it absolutely should be.</p>



<p><em>This article is part of our ongoing Search Engine Land series, Everything you need to know about Google Ads in less than 3 minutes. In each edition, Jyll highlights a different Google Ads feature, and what you need to know to get the best results from it – all in a quick 3-minute read.</em></p>


As a Google Ads practitioner, you probably spend the bulk of your time optimizing Search, Shopping or Performance Max campaigns. That makes sense — the Google SERP is the foundation of Google Ads. But there is a big opportunity sitting right inside your Google Ads account that too many advertisers are ignoring.
I’m going to go ahead and declare it: Demand Gen is the most underrated campaign type in Google Ads, and that has to end.
If you’ve been hesitant to test Demand Gen, or if you tried it once and “it didn’t work,” let this be your sign to add it to your strategy in 2026. Demand Gen offers a fundamental shift in how we can use Google’s ecosystem to drive growth through paid advertising.
Demand Gen campaigns are like Meta Ads… on Google
The best way to wrap your head around Demand Gen is to stop thinking about keywords. Instead, think of it like running Meta (Facebook or Instagram) ads, but using Google’s inventory.
On Search, you are reacting to a user’s query. On Demand Gen, you are reacting to the user. You are pushing creative – images and/or videos – to users based on who they are, not what they are typing or doing in that exact moment.
Where do Demand Gen ads show up on Google?
Your ads in Demand Gen can be placed across Google’s “owned and operated” properties, including:
YouTube (Shorts, In-stream, In-feed)
Gmail
Discover
Google Maps (coming soon!)
I recommend starting with all applicable channels turned on, but you can opt in or out of specific channels if you want to.
The Google Display Network is also an option in Demand Gen, but you should probably focus your investment on the Google-owned properties where the intent signals are stronger.
How can you target your ads in Demand Gen?
Because Demand Gen is a “push” style campaign, there is no content targeting. You aren’t picking specific YouTube channels or websites to show up on, you aren’t picking specific keywords or topics.
Instead, you have the full suite of Google’s audience targeting options at your disposal:
Lookalikes: Similar to Meta, you can build audiences that look like your converters.
Remarketing: Re-engaging past website visitors, content viewers or customers.
In-Market, Life Events & Affinity segments: Reaching people based on their interests, what they’re doing, or what they’re looking for
Detailed demographics: Reaching people based on who they are
Custom Segments: Targeting people based on search terms they have used previously, or the types of websites/apps they use
Note that combined segments are not compatible with Demand Gen, and you can only exclude your data segments from a Demand Gen campaign.
What type of creative assets can you use in Demand Gen?
Demand Gen is versatile. You can run standard image ads, carousel image ads, and video ads. If you are in ecommerce, you can attach your Google Merchant Center feed to the campaign to run product-based ads, too, making the ad unit directly shoppable.
What bid strategies are compatible with Demand Gen?
Demand Gen is an action-focused campaign. Unlike a Video campaign, where you bid to impressions, reach or views, in Demand Gen, you bid for clicks or conversions. Specifically, you can use the following bid strategies in Demand Gen:
Maximize Clicks
Maximize Conversions
Maximize Conversion Value
Target CPC
Target CPA
Target ROAS
You must select one conversion category for the campaign. It can be your “usual” conversion, like a form fill or purchase, or it can be a more unique “conversion,” like a YouTube subscription or engagement.
And yes, you read that right. Demand Gen is the only campaign type that offers the new Target CPC bid strategy. In an era where Google is pushing everyone toward fully AI-powered bidding, Demand Gen still allows manual control over your cost per click. For advertisers who want to strictly control costs while testing top-of-funnel audiences, this is a big win.
Why Demand Gen usually performed better than Display
If you have been burned by the Display Network in the past – low-quality traffic, accidental clicks, or spam leads – you might be gun-shy about moving away from Search again.
However, I recommend running Demand Gen over standard Display campaigns for a few key reasons.
1. Inventory Quality
With Demand Gen, you are primarily serving ads on Google-owned inventory (YouTube, Gmail, Discover, Maps). With standard Display, your ads are splashed across millions of random websites and apps all over the internet.
On Google’s properties, the user is usually authenticated (logged in), and the ad placements are organic to the content consumption experience. On the open web? You are often fighting for attention in the footer of a recipe blog or getting fat-finger clicks from a mobile gaming app.
2. Spam Reduction
Because the audience quality is higher and the inventory is controlled, your chances of getting hit with spam leads are significantly lower with Demand Gen. For lead generation advertisers, this distinction is critical. A cheaper click on Display is worthless if it turns into a bot submission.
3. The Cost Reality
CPCs in Demand Gen do tend to be a little higher than Display. But you get what you pay for. The quality of traffic is usually much better.
That said, compared to Search, Demand Gen is still a bargain. You should expect CPCs to be much lower than your Search campaigns, usually hovering around $0.50 to $2.00.
Are Demand Gen campaigns a black box?
Demand Gen campaigns are often compared to PMax, but they are quite different. Performance Max can serve on Search & Shopping inventory, while Demand Gen can’t. And while Performance Max campaigns don’t let you control your targeting or placements, Demand Gen campaigns do!
Both campaigns, however, now provide full transparency and reporting. In Demand Gen, you can see and control:
Asset-level reporting: See exactly which text, image and video assets are performing well
Audience insights: Pick who to target, then understand who is actually clicking and converting
Channel segmentation: You can segment your data to see exactly where your ads are showing (YouTube vs. Discover vs. Gmail) and how performance differs by placement, opting out of certain placements if you so choose
Placement reporting: See the YouTube videos and channels where your ads were shown, and add exclusions if needed
How to get started with Demand Gen
Ready to launch your first Demand Gen campaign? Here is how I recommend structuring a test based on your business model.
For smaller businesses
If you are just getting started and have a small budget ($5-40/day), you don’t need to overcomplicate it.
Targeting: Focus on your “Google Engaged” remarketing audience and a Custom Segment of your top-performing search terms.
Why: This captures high-intent users who haven’t converted yet, using the cheaper inventory of Demand Gen vs. Search.
For ecommerce businesses
Creative is king! Try running one Demand Gen campaign with your product feed attached, and one without (using lifestyle images/video only).
Why: Sometimes the product feed drives direct sales, but sometimes the lifestyle creative builds better brand engagement. You won’t know which drives the results you need until you test them both.
For larger businesses
If you have the budget, Demand Gen shouldn’t just be a test – it should be a staple. Treat Demand Gen as your “always-on” audience-targeted layer driving awareness and consideration.
Targeting: In-Market, Life Events, Detailed demographics and/or Affinities that make the most sense for your target audience.
Why: It ensures you are front and center for the exact users you are trying to reach, keeping your brand top-of-mind even when users aren’t actively searching for you.
The verdict: 2026 is the year of Demand Gen
Demand Gen bridges the gap between the high intent of Search and the visual storytelling of Social. It offers better quality than Display and cheaper clicks than Search.
So, is Demand Gen going to be part of your strategy this year? If you are looking for growth outside the search bar, it absolutely should be.
This article is part of our ongoing Search Engine Land series, Everything you need to know about Google Ads in less than 3 minutes. In each edition, Jyll highlights a different Google Ads feature, and what you need to know to get the best results from it – all in a quick 3-minute read.

Looking for growth beyond Google Search? Demand Gen pushes your ads to the right audiences across YouTube, Discover, and Gmail.

Why Demand Gen is the most underrated campaign type in Google Ads

<div><img width="1920" height="1097" src="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/01/google-page-cunks-1920.jpg" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" alt="" style="margin-bottom: 15px;" decoding="async" srcset="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/01/google-page-cunks-1920.jpg 1920w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/01/google-page-cunks-1920-768x439.jpg 768w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/01/google-page-cunks-1920-1536x878.jpg 1536w" sizes="(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" /></div>Despite what you think works well for LLM and AI Search mentions, Google said this is not a long-term strategy.

<div><img width="1920" height="1097" src="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/01/google-page-cunks-1920.jpg" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" alt="" style="margin-bottom: 15px;" decoding="async" srcset="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/01/google-page-cunks-1920.jpg 1920w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/01/google-page-cunks-1920-768x439.jpg 768w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/01/google-page-cunks-1920-1536x878.jpg 1536w" sizes="(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" /></div>
<p>Google&#8217;s Danny Sullivan, the <a href="https://searchengineland.com/danny-sullivan-no-longer-the-google-search-liaison-459864">former Search Liaison</a>, said not to create bite-sized chunks of your content because you think Google&#8217;s AI results and other LLMs like that type of content. He said, &#8220;we don&#8217;t want you to do that&#8221; and that he spoke with Google engineers about it and they said the same thing &#8211; don&#8217;t do it for LLMs.</p>



<p><strong>More details. </strong>Danny Sullivan said on the <a href="https://search-off-the-record.libsyn.com/seo-aio-geo-your-site-third-party-support-to-optimize-for-llms">Search Off the Record podcast</a> that was published yesterday:</p>



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">
<p>&#8220;One of the things I keep seeing over and over in some of the advice and guidance and people are trying to figure out what do we do with the LLMs or whatever, is that turn your content into bite-sized chunks, because LLMs like things that are really bite size, right?&#8221;</p>
</blockquote>



<p>He then said, don&#8217;t do that. He said:</p>



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">
<p>&#8220;So we don&#8217;t want you to do that. I was talking to some engineers about that. We don&#8217;t want you to do that. We really don&#8217;t. We don&#8217;t want people to have to be crafting anything for Search specifically. That&#8217;s never been where we&#8217;ve been at and we still continue to be that way. We really don&#8217;t want you to think you need to be doing that or produce two versions of your content, one for the LLM and one for the net.&#8221;</p>
</blockquote>



<p>But it works? Well, he addressed that too. He said, &#8220;Let&#8217;s assume that, in some edge cases, let&#8217;s even assume maybe in more than some edge cases, you&#8217;re finding you&#8217;re getting some advantage here.&#8221;</p>



<p>It will only be temporary. You will be changing or making new pieces of content, in this new format, because you think it works for LLMs and Google&#8217;s AI results. But then these ranking systems will continue to improve and move towards rewarding content written for humans, and then those pieces of content you specifically designed to rank well for LLMs, the chunked content, will no longer do well.</p>



<p>He said, &#8220;the systems improve, probably the way the systems always try to improve, to reward content written for humans. All that stuff that you did to please this LLM system that may or may not have worked, may not carry through for the long term.&#8221;</p>



<p>As they say, &#8220;Skate to where the puck is going, not where it has been.&#8221;</p>



<p><strong>The podcast. </strong>Here is the podcast where he said this at the <a href="https://youtu.be/i4jDc58ofH4?si=V4LII_Byj0b4J136&amp;t=1081">18 minute mark</a>:</p>



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<iframe title="SEO, AIO, GEO, your site, &amp; third-party support to optimize for LLMs" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/i4jDc58ofH4?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
</div></figure>



<p><strong>Why we care. </strong>Yes, I know even this site has published a lot of columns on the value of content chunking. But again, if you think about it how SEO strategies have evolved over the years, it all came back to writing stuff your users want.  Building an audience so you are not dependent on Google or LLMs. Sure, there may be short-term gain, but is it worth it if it can hurt your reputation with your users?</p>



<p>Of course, as SEOs, you need to test what works and go with the data. But what might work today, might not work tomorrow. </p>


Google’s Danny Sullivan, the former Search Liaison, said not to create bite-sized chunks of your content because you think Google’s AI results and other LLMs like that type of content. He said, “we don’t want you to do that” and that he spoke with Google engineers about it and they said the same thing – don’t do it for LLMs.
More details. Danny Sullivan said on the Search Off the Record podcast that was published yesterday:
“One of the things I keep seeing over and over in some of the advice and guidance and people are trying to figure out what do we do with the LLMs or whatever, is that turn your content into bite-sized chunks, because LLMs like things that are really bite size, right?”
He then said, don’t do that. He said:
“So we don’t want you to do that. I was talking to some engineers about that. We don’t want you to do that. We really don’t. We don’t want people to have to be crafting anything for Search specifically. That’s never been where we’ve been at and we still continue to be that way. We really don’t want you to think you need to be doing that or produce two versions of your content, one for the LLM and one for the net.”
But it works? Well, he addressed that too. He said, “Let’s assume that, in some edge cases, let’s even assume maybe in more than some edge cases, you’re finding you’re getting some advantage here.”
It will only be temporary. You will be changing or making new pieces of content, in this new format, because you think it works for LLMs and Google’s AI results. But then these ranking systems will continue to improve and move towards rewarding content written for humans, and then those pieces of content you specifically designed to rank well for LLMs, the chunked content, will no longer do well.
He said, “the systems improve, probably the way the systems always try to improve, to reward content written for humans. All that stuff that you did to please this LLM system that may or may not have worked, may not carry through for the long term.”
As they say, “Skate to where the puck is going, not where it has been.”
The podcast. Here is the podcast where he said this at the 18 minute mark:






Why we care. Yes, I know even this site has published a lot of columns on the value of content chunking. But again, if you think about it how SEO strategies have evolved over the years, it all came back to writing stuff your users want.  Building an audience so you are not dependent on Google or LLMs. Sure, there may be short-term gain, but is it worth it if it can hurt your reputation with your users?
Of course, as SEOs, you need to test what works and go with the data. But what might work today, might not work tomorrow.

Despite what you think works well for LLM and AI Search mentions, Google said this is not a long-term strategy.

Google doesn’t want you to create bite-sized chunks of your content

<div><img width="1920" height="1080" src="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/01/How-YouTubes-2025-shifts-shape-search-and-AI-visibility-in-2026.jpg" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" alt="How YouTube’s 2025 shifts shape search and AI visibility in 2026" style="margin-bottom: 15px;" decoding="async" srcset="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/01/How-YouTubes-2025-shifts-shape-search-and-AI-visibility-in-2026.jpg 1920w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/01/How-YouTubes-2025-shifts-shape-search-and-AI-visibility-in-2026-768x432.jpg 768w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/01/How-YouTubes-2025-shifts-shape-search-and-AI-visibility-in-2026-1536x864.jpg 1536w" sizes="(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" /></div>As search shifts to AI-driven answers, YouTube is becoming key source material. Brands that underinvest in video risk losing visibility.

<div><img width="1920" height="1080" src="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/01/How-YouTubes-2025-shifts-shape-search-and-AI-visibility-in-2026.jpg" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" alt="How YouTube’s 2025 shifts shape search and AI visibility in 2026" style="margin-bottom: 15px;" decoding="async" srcset="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/01/How-YouTubes-2025-shifts-shape-search-and-AI-visibility-in-2026.jpg 1920w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/01/How-YouTubes-2025-shifts-shape-search-and-AI-visibility-in-2026-768x432.jpg 768w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/01/How-YouTubes-2025-shifts-shape-search-and-AI-visibility-in-2026-1536x864.jpg 1536w" sizes="(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" /></div>
<p>Getting found in all the right places has always meant being early to the next major shift in search.</p>



<p>Today, that shift is toward <a href="https://searchengineland.com/what-is-generative-engine-optimization-geo-444418">GEO</a>, or generative engine optimization, and <a href="https://searchengineland.com/guide/what-is-seo">SEO</a> redefined as <a href="https://searchengineland.com/search-everywhere-be-everywhere-460068">search everywhere optimization</a>.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Both describe the growing need to optimize content for AI-driven discovery.&nbsp;</p>



<p>If <a href="https://searchengineland.com/youtube-seo-what-you-need-to-know-449431">YouTube</a> still sits in the “nice-to-have” category of your SEO strategy, you are quietly ceding visibility in both traditional rankings and Google AI Overviews to competitors.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-youtube-is-now-core-search-infrastructure">YouTube is now core search infrastructure</h2>



<p>YouTube can’t be relegated to “brand” or “social” anymore because the platform is now core search infrastructure.&nbsp;</p>



<p>YouTube is the <a href="https://www.semrush.com/website/top/?from_page=header" target="_blank" rel="noopener">second most‑visited website in the world</a>, drawing roughly 48.6 billion visits per month, behind only Google.com itself. </p>



<p>This is 5.4 times more visits than Facebook gets and 8.7 times more visits than ChatGPT gets.&nbsp;</p>



<p>That scale alone makes YouTube impossible to ignore as a search destination.​​</p>



<p>But reach is only part of the story.&nbsp;</p>



<p>In just two decades, YouTube has gone from grainy webcam uploads to fully fledged studios producing popular talk shows and feature‑length films, and that evolution has changed where and how people watch.&nbsp;</p>



<p>TV screens have now <a href="https://blog.youtube/inside-youtube/our-big-bets-for-2025/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">surpassed mobile and are the primary device for YouTube viewing</a> in the U.S. by watch time.</p>



<p>Nielsen data shows YouTube has been number one in streaming watch time in the U.S. for two years.&nbsp;</p>



<p>For more and more viewers, “watching TV” effectively means “watching YouTube,” which turns the platform into a default, living‑room discovery surface for everything from entertainment to “how‑to” content.​</p>



<p>This shift to the big screen has direct implications for search.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Viewers are watching over 1 billion hours of YouTube content on TVs every day, and that viewing now includes <a href="https://searchengineland.com/youtube-shorts-growth-engagement-454423">Shorts</a>, podcasts, and live streams right alongside sports, sitcoms, and talk shows.&nbsp;</p>



<p>In other words, the “new television” behaves like an interactive, multimodal search interface.</p>



<p>Users bounce between long‑form videos, short clips, live commentary, and companion apps on their phones, all while sending strong engagement signals that recommendation systems and AI models can learn from.​</p>



<p><strong><em>Dig deeper: <a href="https://searchengineland.com/seo-video-source-material-462137">The SEO shift you can’t ignore: Video is becoming source material</a></em></strong></p>



<p>YouTube’s connected TV growth is also reshaping the ad and commerce landscape that surrounds search.&nbsp;</p>



<p>New big-screen formats, including QR codes and pause ads, along with second-screen experiences that let viewers comment or shop from their phones, generate more measurable intent signals across devices.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Features such as “Watch With” let creators add live commentary and real-time reactions to major events, turning tentpole moments, including sports, into interactive search sessions for explanations, opinions, and highlights.</p>



<p>All of this feeds back into Google’s broader ecosystem.&nbsp;</p>



<p>YouTube videos now surface in Google’s main search results, featured snippets, Discover, Shorts modules, and – increasingly – as cited sources in Google AI Overviews.&nbsp;</p>



<p>When the same asset can win visibility on the living‑room TV, in YouTube search and recommendations, and inside AI‑generated answers on Google.com, it stops being a side channel and becomes a core SEO asset.​​</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-youtube-dominates-ai-search">YouTube dominates AI search</h2>



<p>Up to <a href="https://searchengineland.com/youtube-ai-search-citations-data-462830">29.5%</a> of Google AI Overviews cite YouTube, according to recent BrightEdge data, making it the top domain overall.&nbsp;</p>



<p>This gives YouTube a 200x advantage over its nearest direct competitor (Vimeo at 0.1%).&nbsp;</p>



<p>AI platforms like Perplexity and ChatGPT overwhelmingly cite YouTube, despite having no apparent incentive to do so.&nbsp;</p>



<p>The queries that YouTube videos are more likely to show up are for tutorials (finance, software, medical “how-to” content) as well as pricing, deal hunting, product demos, and reviews.</p>



<p>This means AI Overviews are not just summarizing webpages.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Searchers are leaning hard on videos that clarify complex tasks, show physical techniques, or provide visual proof.&nbsp;</p>



<p>If your YouTube catalog is thin, poorly structured, or misaligned with real queries, then your brand is less likely to be pulled into those machine-written answers.​</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-youtube-at-20-a-creator-first-discovery-engine">YouTube at 20: A creator-first discovery engine</h2>



<p>YouTube’s 20th anniversary in 2025 underscored a second, equally important shift: discovery is now dominated by creator-driven ecosystems, not traditional studio or brand content.&nbsp;</p>



<p>For the sixth year in a row, MrBeast topped the U.S. creator leaderboards, but the deeper signal is that attention accrues to channels that understand pacing, storytelling, and community, not just production values.​</p>



<p>Gaming, entertainment, and music trends highlight how participatory culture drives discovery.&nbsp;</p>



<p>User-generated Roblox experiences like “Grow a Garden” and “Steal a Brainrot” outperformed many polished, professionally developed games.</p>



<p>Universes such as Squid Game and KPop Demon Hunters expanded because thousands of creators built skits, challenges, and commentary around them.&nbsp;</p>



<p>In music, Rosé and Bruno Mars’ “APT.” becoming the fastest K-pop video to a billion views shows how Shorts, remixes, and fan engagement can outpace legacy hits like “Gangnam Style.”​</p>



<p><strong><em>Dig deeper: <a href="https://searchengineland.com/creator-led-content-marketing-future-of-search-428185">Why creator-led content marketing is the new standard in search</a></em></strong></p>



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<hr class="wp-block-separator has-text-color has-cyan-bluish-gray-color has-css-opacity has-cyan-bluish-gray-background-color has-background"/>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-this-culture-shift-matters-for-seo">Why this culture shift matters for SEO</h2>



<p>At first glance, Squid Game skits and Roblox challenges may feel distant from B2B SaaS or local services, but the underlying mechanics are exactly what AI-driven discovery rewards.&nbsp;</p>



<p>YouTube’s recommendation system, and by extension the content that surfaces in search and AI Overviews, favors episodic content, clear topical clustering, as well as formats that invite interaction and repeat viewing.​</p>



<p>This means the old “upload a video, embed it on a landing page, and call it SEO” model no longer works.&nbsp;</p>



<p>You now need:</p>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Video series that build authority on a topic.&nbsp;</li>



<li>Shorts that accelerate demand for those series.</li>



<li>Collaborations that plug brands into existing creator ecosystems.&nbsp;</li>
</ul>



<p>These are the same engagement and expertise signals AI systems lean on when deciding which sources to cite or summarize.​</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-inclusion-is-the-new-ranking">Inclusion is the new ranking</h2>



<p>AI Overviews do not behave like a traditional 10-blue-links SERP.&nbsp;</p>



<p>They synthesize answers and then expose only a handful of underlying citations, which can include videos, not just pages.&nbsp;</p>



<p>In this environment, the SEO objective shifts from “rank position X for query Y” to “earn inclusion as a trusted source that the AI is willing to quote.”​</p>



<p>For YouTube, that means metadata, structure, and on-screen language become training data.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Titles, descriptions, chapters, transcripts, and captions all shape what the model thinks a video is about and whether it deserves a mention in a synthesized answer.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Winning is less about clever tags and more about making each asset legible, rich, and credible to both humans and machines.​</p>



<p><strong><em>Dig deeper: <a href="https://searchengineland.com/guide/how-to-win-video-driven-serps">How to dominate video-driven SERPs</a></em></strong></p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-2026-youtube-seo-checklist">The 2026 YouTube SEO checklist</h2>



<p>You can operationalize this “inclusion mindset” by adopting a YouTube SEO checklist built for AI-mediated discovery, not just video search rankings.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Four pillars drive that approach:&nbsp;</p>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Intent-driven metadata.</li>



<li>Structural optimization.</li>



<li>Authority signaling.</li>



<li>Strategic integration.​</li>
</ul>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-intent-driven-metadata">Intent-driven metadata</h3>



<p>First, rethink how titles and descriptions connect to actual search behavior.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Reframing titles as queries means moving away from branding-heavy phrasing (“Acme Cloud – Spring 2025 Platform Update”) toward language that mirrors user intent (“How to cut cloud storage costs 30% without sacrificing performance”).&nbsp;</p>



<p>This immediately increases relevance for both YouTube search and Google AI Overviews, which lean heavily on query–document alignment.​</p>



<p>Descriptions should act as structured summaries written for both “machine readers” and people, clearly stating:</p>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Who the video is for.</li>



<li>What problem it solves.</li>



<li>Which key steps or concepts it covers.&nbsp;</li>
</ul>



<p>On-screen language matters, too.</p>



<p>When presenters speak target keywords and concepts clearly, or reinforce them with text overlays, you give speech recognition and vision systems more reliable data to work with.​</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-structural-optimization">Structural optimization</h3>



<p>Second, treat each video like a chaptered resource rather than a monolithic asset.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Timestamped chapters provide a roadmap of key moments that YouTube and Google can surface directly in results and AI Overviews, often linking to the exact point in the video that answers a question.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Accurate, uploaded transcripts reduce the noise created by auto-captions and ensure that nuanced terminology, product names, and step-by-step instructions are correctly captured.</p>



<p>Comprehensive captions serve accessibility and SEO at the same time.&nbsp;</p>



<p>They help users watch in sound-off environments and give crawlers richer text to analyze, reinforcing topical relevance, entities, and relationships that matter to ranking and citation systems.​</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-authority-and-topical-clustering">Authority and topical clustering</h3>



<p>Third, shift from sporadic uploads to topical clusters that build authority.&nbsp;</p>



<p>For instance, instead of publishing a single explainer on Core Web Vitals, consider building a series that covers measurement, prioritization frameworks, case studies, and implementation walkthroughs, all interconnected via playlists and end screens.&nbsp;</p>



<p>This mirrors the content cluster strategies many SEOs already use on the web, but in a video-first format that AI systems increasingly value. ​</p>



<p>Authority also comes from multimodal demonstrations.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Walkthroughs, live teardowns, interviews with subject-matter experts, and deep-dive commentary all signal expertise far more clearly than generic talking-head pieces.&nbsp;</p>



<p>A portfolio that mixes long-form, podcast-style episodes, shorter explainers, and live streams conveys both depth and breadth on a topic, which can increase the odds of being selected as a source when AI Overviews assemble an answer.​</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-strategic-integration-with-shorts-and-creators">Strategic integration with Shorts and creators</h3>



<p>Finally, integrate YouTube into a broader search strategy rather than treating it as an isolated channel.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Shorts can act as an acceleration layer, teasing key insights from long-form videos and driving viewers (and engagement signals) back to cornerstone content.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Aligning Shorts topics and hooks with the queries your SEO and PPC campaigns already target helps you surround high-value topics with multiple, complementary formats.​</p>



<p>Creators should be seen as collaborators, not competitors.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Co-created content, guest appearances, and reaction formats can help your brand connect with existing fan bases and participatory cultures that already have momentum.&nbsp;</p>



<p>When AI systems scan the landscape for trusted voices on a topic, these networked relationships and repeated cross-mentions help reinforce your authority, much like high-quality backlinks do for traditional SEO.</p>



<p><strong><em>Dig deeper: <a href="https://searchengineland.com/video-first-content-448350">The future of SEO content is video – here’s why</a></em></strong></p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-avoiding-classic-youtube-seo-mistakes">Avoiding classic YouTube SEO mistakes</h2>



<p>Many search teams still fall into patterns that made sense when video was only a supporting asset, but those habits now actively limit visibility.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Common mistakes include:</p>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Treating video titles as pure branding.</li>



<li>Writing descriptions only for humans.</li>



<li>Skipping chapters.</li>



<li>Relying solely on auto-captions.</li>



<li>Posting sporadically rather than building series.&nbsp;</li>
</ul>



<p>Each of these choices removes a signal that AI systems could have used to understand, rank, and cite your content.​</p>



<p>There is also a strategic blind spot: separating “YouTube strategy” from “SEO strategy” and letting different teams own each in isolation.&nbsp;</p>



<p>In an environment where AI Overviews are pulling from both webpages and videos, that silo hurts performance on both sides.&nbsp;</p>



<p>The brands that win are aligning keyword research, topic clustering, and measurement across web and video, then feeding those insights back into content roadmaps.​</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-redefining-all-the-right-places-in-2026">Redefining ‘all the right places’ in 2026</h2>



<p>In 2026, getting found in all the right places includes:</p>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>AI Overviews.</li>



<li>Conversational interfaces.&nbsp;</li>



<li>YouTube recommendations.&nbsp;</li>



<li>Shorts feeds.</li>



<li>Creator ecosystems.</li>



<li>Podcast platforms.​</li>
</ul>



<p>YouTube is no longer a peripheral channel for awareness campaigns.</p>



<p>It is a structured, searchable, multimodal data source that feeds directly into Google’s most visible experiences.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Teams that treat their YouTube channels as core SEO assets — designed to be understood and trusted by both people and AI — will be the ones still getting found in all the right places as the next decade of search unfolds.​</p>

Getting found in all the right places has always meant being early to the next major shift in search.
Today, that shift is toward GEO, or generative engine optimization, and SEO redefined as search everywhere optimization. 
Both describe the growing need to optimize content for AI-driven discovery. 
If YouTube still sits in the “nice-to-have” category of your SEO strategy, you are quietly ceding visibility in both traditional rankings and Google AI Overviews to competitors.
YouTube is now core search infrastructure
YouTube can’t be relegated to “brand” or “social” anymore because the platform is now core search infrastructure. 
YouTube is the second most‑visited website in the world, drawing roughly 48.6 billion visits per month, behind only Google.com itself. 
This is 5.4 times more visits than Facebook gets and 8.7 times more visits than ChatGPT gets. 
That scale alone makes YouTube impossible to ignore as a search destination.​​
But reach is only part of the story. 
In just two decades, YouTube has gone from grainy webcam uploads to fully fledged studios producing popular talk shows and feature‑length films, and that evolution has changed where and how people watch. 
TV screens have now surpassed mobile and are the primary device for YouTube viewing in the U.S. by watch time.
Nielsen data shows YouTube has been number one in streaming watch time in the U.S. for two years. 
For more and more viewers, “watching TV” effectively means “watching YouTube,” which turns the platform into a default, living‑room discovery surface for everything from entertainment to “how‑to” content.​
This shift to the big screen has direct implications for search. 
Viewers are watching over 1 billion hours of YouTube content on TVs every day, and that viewing now includes Shorts, podcasts, and live streams right alongside sports, sitcoms, and talk shows. 
In other words, the “new television” behaves like an interactive, multimodal search interface.
Users bounce between long‑form videos, short clips, live commentary, and companion apps on their phones, all while sending strong engagement signals that recommendation systems and AI models can learn from.​
Dig deeper: The SEO shift you can’t ignore: Video is becoming source material
YouTube’s connected TV growth is also reshaping the ad and commerce landscape that surrounds search. 
New big-screen formats, including QR codes and pause ads, along with second-screen experiences that let viewers comment or shop from their phones, generate more measurable intent signals across devices. 
Features such as “Watch With” let creators add live commentary and real-time reactions to major events, turning tentpole moments, including sports, into interactive search sessions for explanations, opinions, and highlights.
All of this feeds back into Google’s broader ecosystem. 
YouTube videos now surface in Google’s main search results, featured snippets, Discover, Shorts modules, and – increasingly – as cited sources in Google AI Overviews. 
When the same asset can win visibility on the living‑room TV, in YouTube search and recommendations, and inside AI‑generated answers on Google.com, it stops being a side channel and becomes a core SEO asset.​​
YouTube dominates AI search
Up to 29.5% of Google AI Overviews cite YouTube, according to recent BrightEdge data, making it the top domain overall. 
This gives YouTube a 200x advantage over its nearest direct competitor (Vimeo at 0.1%). 
AI platforms like Perplexity and ChatGPT overwhelmingly cite YouTube, despite having no apparent incentive to do so. 
The queries that YouTube videos are more likely to show up are for tutorials (finance, software, medical “how-to” content) as well as pricing, deal hunting, product demos, and reviews.
This means AI Overviews are not just summarizing webpages. 
Searchers are leaning hard on videos that clarify complex tasks, show physical techniques, or provide visual proof. 
If your YouTube catalog is thin, poorly structured, or misaligned with real queries, then your brand is less likely to be pulled into those machine-written answers.​
YouTube at 20: A creator-first discovery engine
YouTube’s 20th anniversary in 2025 underscored a second, equally important shift: discovery is now dominated by creator-driven ecosystems, not traditional studio or brand content. 
For the sixth year in a row, MrBeast topped the U.S. creator leaderboards, but the deeper signal is that attention accrues to channels that understand pacing, storytelling, and community, not just production values.​
Gaming, entertainment, and music trends highlight how participatory culture drives discovery. 
User-generated Roblox experiences like “Grow a Garden” and “Steal a Brainrot” outperformed many polished, professionally developed games.
Universes such as Squid Game and KPop Demon Hunters expanded because thousands of creators built skits, challenges, and commentary around them. 
In music, Rosé and Bruno Mars’ “APT.” becoming the fastest K-pop video to a billion views shows how Shorts, remixes, and fan engagement can outpace legacy hits like “Gangnam Style.”​
Dig deeper: Why creator-led content marketing is the new standard in search
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See terms.
Why this culture shift matters for SEO
At first glance, Squid Game skits and Roblox challenges may feel distant from B2B SaaS or local services, but the underlying mechanics are exactly what AI-driven discovery rewards. 
YouTube’s recommendation system, and by extension the content that surfaces in search and AI Overviews, favors episodic content, clear topical clustering, as well as formats that invite interaction and repeat viewing.​
This means the old “upload a video, embed it on a landing page, and call it SEO” model no longer works. 
You now need:
Video series that build authority on a topic. 
Shorts that accelerate demand for those series.
Collaborations that plug brands into existing creator ecosystems. 
These are the same engagement and expertise signals AI systems lean on when deciding which sources to cite or summarize.​
Inclusion is the new ranking
AI Overviews do not behave like a traditional 10-blue-links SERP. 
They synthesize answers and then expose only a handful of underlying citations, which can include videos, not just pages. 
In this environment, the SEO objective shifts from “rank position X for query Y” to “earn inclusion as a trusted source that the AI is willing to quote.”​
For YouTube, that means metadata, structure, and on-screen language become training data. 
Titles, descriptions, chapters, transcripts, and captions all shape what the model thinks a video is about and whether it deserves a mention in a synthesized answer. 
Winning is less about clever tags and more about making each asset legible, rich, and credible to both humans and machines.​
Dig deeper: How to dominate video-driven SERPs
The 2026 YouTube SEO checklist
You can operationalize this “inclusion mindset” by adopting a YouTube SEO checklist built for AI-mediated discovery, not just video search rankings. 
Four pillars drive that approach: 
Intent-driven metadata.
Structural optimization.
Authority signaling.
Strategic integration.​
Intent-driven metadata
First, rethink how titles and descriptions connect to actual search behavior. 
Reframing titles as queries means moving away from branding-heavy phrasing (“Acme Cloud – Spring 2025 Platform Update”) toward language that mirrors user intent (“How to cut cloud storage costs 30% without sacrificing performance”). 
This immediately increases relevance for both YouTube search and Google AI Overviews, which lean heavily on query–document alignment.​
Descriptions should act as structured summaries written for both “machine readers” and people, clearly stating:
Who the video is for.
What problem it solves.
Which key steps or concepts it covers. 
On-screen language matters, too.
When presenters speak target keywords and concepts clearly, or reinforce them with text overlays, you give speech recognition and vision systems more reliable data to work with.​
Structural optimization
Second, treat each video like a chaptered resource rather than a monolithic asset. 
Timestamped chapters provide a roadmap of key moments that YouTube and Google can surface directly in results and AI Overviews, often linking to the exact point in the video that answers a question. 
Accurate, uploaded transcripts reduce the noise created by auto-captions and ensure that nuanced terminology, product names, and step-by-step instructions are correctly captured.
Comprehensive captions serve accessibility and SEO at the same time. 
They help users watch in sound-off environments and give crawlers richer text to analyze, reinforcing topical relevance, entities, and relationships that matter to ranking and citation systems.​
Authority and topical clustering
Third, shift from sporadic uploads to topical clusters that build authority. 
For instance, instead of publishing a single explainer on Core Web Vitals, consider building a series that covers measurement, prioritization frameworks, case studies, and implementation walkthroughs, all interconnected via playlists and end screens. 
This mirrors the content cluster strategies many SEOs already use on the web, but in a video-first format that AI systems increasingly value. ​
Authority also comes from multimodal demonstrations. 
Walkthroughs, live teardowns, interviews with subject-matter experts, and deep-dive commentary all signal expertise far more clearly than generic talking-head pieces. 
A portfolio that mixes long-form, podcast-style episodes, shorter explainers, and live streams conveys both depth and breadth on a topic, which can increase the odds of being selected as a source when AI Overviews assemble an answer.​
Strategic integration with Shorts and creators
Finally, integrate YouTube into a broader search strategy rather than treating it as an isolated channel. 
Shorts can act as an acceleration layer, teasing key insights from long-form videos and driving viewers (and engagement signals) back to cornerstone content. 
Aligning Shorts topics and hooks with the queries your SEO and PPC campaigns already target helps you surround high-value topics with multiple, complementary formats.​
Creators should be seen as collaborators, not competitors. 
Co-created content, guest appearances, and reaction formats can help your brand connect with existing fan bases and participatory cultures that already have momentum. 
When AI systems scan the landscape for trusted voices on a topic, these networked relationships and repeated cross-mentions help reinforce your authority, much like high-quality backlinks do for traditional SEO.
Dig deeper: The future of SEO content is video – here’s why
Avoiding classic YouTube SEO mistakes
Many search teams still fall into patterns that made sense when video was only a supporting asset, but those habits now actively limit visibility. 
Common mistakes include:
Treating video titles as pure branding.
Writing descriptions only for humans.
Skipping chapters.
Relying solely on auto-captions.
Posting sporadically rather than building series. 
Each of these choices removes a signal that AI systems could have used to understand, rank, and cite your content.​
There is also a strategic blind spot: separating “YouTube strategy” from “SEO strategy” and letting different teams own each in isolation. 
In an environment where AI Overviews are pulling from both webpages and videos, that silo hurts performance on both sides. 
The brands that win are aligning keyword research, topic clustering, and measurement across web and video, then feeding those insights back into content roadmaps.​
Redefining ‘all the right places’ in 2026
In 2026, getting found in all the right places includes:
AI Overviews.
Conversational interfaces. 
YouTube recommendations. 
Shorts feeds.
Creator ecosystems.
Podcast platforms.​
YouTube is no longer a peripheral channel for awareness campaigns.
It is a structured, searchable, multimodal data source that feeds directly into Google’s most visible experiences. 
Teams that treat their YouTube channels as core SEO assets — designed to be understood and trusted by both people and AI — will be the ones still getting found in all the right places as the next decade of search unfolds.​

As search shifts to AI-driven answers, YouTube is becoming key source material. Brands that underinvest in video risk losing visibility.

YouTube is no longer optional for SEO in the age of AI Overviews

<div><img width="800" height="450" src="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2024/12/Top-10-Google-Ads-mistakes-to-avoid-in-2025-800x450.png" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" alt="Top 10 Google Ads mistakes to avoid in 2025" style="margin-bottom: 15px;" decoding="async" srcset="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2024/12/Top-10-Google-Ads-mistakes-to-avoid-in-2025-800x450.png 800w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2024/12/Top-10-Google-Ads-mistakes-to-avoid-in-2025-600x338.png 600w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2024/12/Top-10-Google-Ads-mistakes-to-avoid-in-2025-200x113.png 200w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2024/12/Top-10-Google-Ads-mistakes-to-avoid-in-2025-768x432.png 768w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2024/12/Top-10-Google-Ads-mistakes-to-avoid-in-2025-1536x864.png 1536w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2024/12/Top-10-Google-Ads-mistakes-to-avoid-in-2025.png 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /></div>Optimize your PPC campaigns by tackling issues like inconsistent tracking, old negative keywords, blind reliance on AI, and more.


<div><img width="800" height="450" src="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2024/12/Top-10-Google-Ads-mistakes-to-avoid-in-2025-800x450.png" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" alt="Top 10 Google Ads mistakes to avoid in 2025" style="margin-bottom: 15px;" decoding="async" srcset="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2024/12/Top-10-Google-Ads-mistakes-to-avoid-in-2025-800x450.png 800w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2024/12/Top-10-Google-Ads-mistakes-to-avoid-in-2025-600x338.png 600w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2024/12/Top-10-Google-Ads-mistakes-to-avoid-in-2025-200x113.png 200w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2024/12/Top-10-Google-Ads-mistakes-to-avoid-in-2025-768x432.png 768w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2024/12/Top-10-Google-Ads-mistakes-to-avoid-in-2025-1536x864.png 1536w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2024/12/Top-10-Google-Ads-mistakes-to-avoid-in-2025.png 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /></div>
<p><a href="https://searchengineland.com/google-ads-account-set-up-390184">Google Ads</a> is constantly changing and evolving. With these changes come fresh mistakes <a href="https://searchengineland.com/guide/what-is-paid-search">PPC</a> advertisers make in optimizing and managing their campaigns.&nbsp;</p>



<p>This article breaks down the most common mistakes of 2026 so you can avoid repeating them this year.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-mistake-1-inconsistent-conversion-tracking-setup">Mistake 1: Inconsistent conversion tracking setup</h2>



<p>Optimization decisions rely on conversion data. If your tracking is inconsistent, your entire account data becomes skewed.</p>


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img decoding="async" width="1600" height="680" src="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2024/12/Google-Ads-conversion-tracking-setup.png" alt="Google Ads conversion tracking setup" class="wp-image-449291" srcset="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2024/12/Google-Ads-conversion-tracking-setup.png 1600w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2024/12/Google-Ads-conversion-tracking-setup-600x255.png 600w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2024/12/Google-Ads-conversion-tracking-setup-800x340.png 800w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2024/12/Google-Ads-conversion-tracking-setup-200x85.png 200w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2024/12/Google-Ads-conversion-tracking-setup-768x326.png 768w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2024/12/Google-Ads-conversion-tracking-setup-1536x653.png 1536w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px" /></figure></div>


<p>When conversions use different attribution methods, count types, and conversion windows, the data applies unevenly across your account, making it hard to judge the value of any click.</p>



<p>In rare cases, you may override conversion tracking at the campaign level, which can make tracking accurate there but inconsistent at the account level.</p>



<p>All paid search managers should aim to apply conversion data consistently across their accounts.</p>



<p><strong><em>Dig deeper: <a href="https://searchengineland.com/accurate-tracking-data-optimal-ad-performance-443418">Accurate tracking data: The key to optimal ad performance</a></em></strong></p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-mistake-2-ignoring-exact-match">Mistake 2: Ignoring exact match</h2>



<p>As Google pushes broad match, makes it the default in the interface, and adds settings that turn all keywords broad, exact match usage has declined.</p>



<p>However, <a href="https://searchengineland.com/exact-match-keyword-type-ppc-relavance-43845">exact match still has many uses</a> and consistently remains the highest-converting match type for the vast majority of accounts.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Everyone should include exact match in their keyword mix.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-mistake-3-ensuring-campaign-settings-are-consistent">Mistake 3: Ensuring campaign settings are consistent</h2>



<p>You may have valid reasons for custom settings by campaign. However, if your account shows different excluded regions, inconsistent ad schedules, and a wide mix of bid strategies, it’s time to double-check your settings.</p>


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img decoding="async" width="1338" height="914" src="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2024/12/Google-Ads-campaign-settings.png" alt="Google Ads campaign settings" class="wp-image-449292" srcset="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2024/12/Google-Ads-campaign-settings.png 1338w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2024/12/Google-Ads-campaign-settings-495x338.png 495w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2024/12/Google-Ads-campaign-settings-800x546.png 800w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2024/12/Google-Ads-campaign-settings-165x113.png 165w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2024/12/Google-Ads-campaign-settings-768x525.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1338px) 100vw, 1338px" /></figure></div>


<p>When you run an <a href="https://searchengineland.com/7-tips-for-conducting-google-ads-audits-443263">account audit</a>, confirming that campaigns are set up correctly should be a top priority.</p>



<p>Campaigns are often created at different times, sometimes even years apart. Failing to check setting consistency remains one of the top Google Ads mistakes.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-mistake-4-caring-about-ad-strength">Mistake 4: Caring about ad strength</h2>



<p>Ad strength is directly related to Google’s ability to control your ad’s messaging. The lower the ad strength, the more control you have over your message. </p>



<p>The higher the ad strength, the more control Google has over how your ads are displayed.</p>



<p>Our <a href="https://adalysis.com/blog/rsa-optimization-series-part-3-everything-you-need-to-know-about-ad-strength/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">research at Adalysis</a> <em>(</em><strong><em>Disclosure</em></strong><em>: I’m a co-founder)</em> has consistently found that lower ad strength ads have higher conversion rates than high ad strength ads.&nbsp;</p>



<p>There is a common misconception that ad strength affects your quality score. It does not. Ad strength is a number that can generally be ignored.&nbsp;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-mistake-5-not-adding-your-top-search-terms-as-keywords">Mistake 5: Not adding your top search terms as keywords</h2>



<p>Your ad can show when a user’s search term matches your keyword.</p>



<p>As match types have loosened over the past few years, a single search term can trigger multiple keywords if no exact match exists.</p>



<p>When those keywords live in different ad groups with different ads and landing pages, the same search can surface inconsistent messaging and experiences.</p>



<p>In addition, if you don’t have the user’s search term as a keyword, then <a href="https://searchengineland.com/google-performance-max-431821">Performance Max</a> campaigns <a href="https://searchengineland.com/performance-max-vs-search-campaigns-overlap-data-448788">often trump your search campaigns</a>.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Since PMax campaigns generally have lower CTRs and conversion rates than search campaigns, this can be detrimental to your marketing.</p>



<p>Always add your top search terms as keywords to ensure the searcher sees the correct ad group, ad, and landing page.&nbsp;</p>



<div class="nl-inline-form border py-2 px-1 my-2">
	
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<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-mistake-6-using-broad-match-with-non-target-cpa-roas-bid-methods">Mistake 6: Using broad match with non-target CPA/ROAS bid methods</h2>



<p>I’m not going to rant against broad match. It has its uses.</p>



<p>However, your bid strategy plays a major role in how effective it is for your account.</p>



<p>With Max bidding, whether for revenue or conversions, Google prioritizes volume and will pursue results regardless of cost.</p>



<p>With target bidding, Google focuses on hitting the specific target you set.</p>



<p>Because broad match can trigger for many search terms, it often performs reasonably with target bidding and poorly with max bidding options.</p>



<p>You should also evaluate your match type usage as you change bid strategies. I did an entire session on bid strategies that includes broad match usage at SMX, and you can <a href="https://adalysis.com/blog/learn-the-intricacies-of-target-vs-max-cpa-and-roas-bidding-video/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">see the video here</a>.</p>



<p><strong><em>Dig deeper: <a href="https://searchengineland.com/target-roas-key-considerations-431770">Target ROAS in Google Ads: 5 key considerations</a></em></strong></p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-mistake-7-always-using-old-negative-keyword-lists-nbsp">Mistake 7: Always using old negative keyword lists&nbsp;</h2>



<p>Do you have negative keyword lists you always apply without even looking at the <a href="https://searchengineland.com/negative-keywords-ppc-449123">negative keywords</a> in the list?</p>


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img decoding="async" width="1081" height="525" src="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2024/12/Google-Ads-negative-keyword-list.png" alt="Google Ads negative keyword list" class="wp-image-449293" srcset="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2024/12/Google-Ads-negative-keyword-list.png 1081w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2024/12/Google-Ads-negative-keyword-list-600x291.png 600w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2024/12/Google-Ads-negative-keyword-list-800x389.png 800w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2024/12/Google-Ads-negative-keyword-list-200x97.png 200w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2024/12/Google-Ads-negative-keyword-list-768x373.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1081px) 100vw, 1081px" /></figure></div>


<p>In almost every audit I conduct, I see negative keyword conflicts. These occur when you block your keywords from showing due to a negative keyword.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Some negative keyword lists are over a decade old. </p>



<p>Companies, products, services, and user’s search terms have changed over the years, and when you add new keywords, you should ensure you’re not blocking these keywords.</p>



<p>This issue can be tricky to spot since these keywords can receive impressions, clicks, and conversions. </p>



<p>This happens when the search term isn’t the same as the keyword so that you can show ads for a wide variety of search terms; you just can’t show an ad for your actual keyword.</p>



<p>Always check the negative keywords you add to your new campaigns to ensure your new keywords can be displayed.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-mistake-8-blindly-accepting-google-recommendations">Mistake 8: Blindly accepting Google recommendations</h2>



<p>Google’s recommendations are sometimes in your best interest. They are always in Google’s best interest. </p>



<p>Many <a href="https://searchengineland.com/reassess-google-ads-recommendations-391025">recommendations are controversial</a>, and some can even cause declines in account performance.</p>



<p>Some recommendations are useful, so do not completely ignore them. However, you need to consider what the recommendation will do to your account before accepting it.</p>



<p><em style=""><b>Dig deeper:</b></em><strong><em> <a href="https://searchengineland.com/google-ads-best-practices-good-bad-balancing-act-433821">Google Ads best practices: The good, the bad and the balancing act </a></em></strong></p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-mistake-9-having-auto-apply-turned-on">Mistake 9: Having auto-apply turned on</h2>



<p>Did you know that Google can automatically add new keywords, add broad match versions of your keywords, and even change your bid strategy without you doing anything?</p>


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img decoding="async" width="1600" height="863" src="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2024/12/Google-Ads-auto-apply-recommendations.png" alt="Google Ads auto-apply recommendations" class="wp-image-449294" srcset="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2024/12/Google-Ads-auto-apply-recommendations.png 1600w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2024/12/Google-Ads-auto-apply-recommendations-600x324.png 600w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2024/12/Google-Ads-auto-apply-recommendations-800x432.png 800w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2024/12/Google-Ads-auto-apply-recommendations-200x108.png 200w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2024/12/Google-Ads-auto-apply-recommendations-768x414.png 768w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2024/12/Google-Ads-auto-apply-recommendations-1536x828.png 1536w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px" /></figure></div>


<p>This can only happen if you have auto-apply turned on. I’ve seen Google’s auto-apply settings wreck accounts before.&nbsp;</p>



<p>All of these settings should be turned off. </p>



<p>If you have auto-apply turned off, you’ll see the suggested changes as recommendations so you can make an informed decision before accepting or rejecting them.</p>



<p><strong><em>Dig deeper: <a href="https://searchengineland.com/google-ads-setting-changes-improve-performance-435637">Improve your Google Ads performance: 3 simple setting changes</a></em></strong></p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-mistake-10-believing-ai-is-wiser-than-you">Mistake 10: Believing AI is wiser than you</h2>



<p>AI is like a child eager to please. It will give you an answer, even if it’s wrong.</p>



<p>It’s also like a teenager who thinks it knows everything, and you’ll never fully understand how it works.</p>



<p>You are the parent of your account and ultimately responsible for its success or failure.</p>



<p>AI has many uses, but it isn’t infallible. It excels at math and pattern recognition, but it doesn’t understand people, feel empathy, or handle outliers well.</p>



<p>We may call AI smart, but that comes from access to data. Wisdom comes from experience.</p>



<p>Your brain is still your best marketing tool. It has been for years, and it will be again in 2026.</p>



<p>When you apply your knowledge and judgment to evaluate your account and avoid these mistakes, you put yourself in a strong position to drive meaningful results in Google Ads.</p>



<p><strong><em>Dig deeper: <a href="https://searchengineland.com/ai-google-advertising-next-444233">AI and Google advertising: What’s next?</a></em></strong></p>

Google Ads is constantly changing and evolving. With these changes come fresh mistakes PPC advertisers make in optimizing and managing their campaigns. 
This article breaks down the most common mistakes of 2026 so you can avoid repeating them this year.
Mistake 1: Inconsistent conversion tracking setup
Optimization decisions rely on conversion data. If your tracking is inconsistent, your entire account data becomes skewed.

When conversions use different attribution methods, count types, and conversion windows, the data applies unevenly across your account, making it hard to judge the value of any click.
In rare cases, you may override conversion tracking at the campaign level, which can make tracking accurate there but inconsistent at the account level.
All paid search managers should aim to apply conversion data consistently across their accounts.
Dig deeper: Accurate tracking data: The key to optimal ad performance
Mistake 2: Ignoring exact match
As Google pushes broad match, makes it the default in the interface, and adds settings that turn all keywords broad, exact match usage has declined.
However, exact match still has many uses and consistently remains the highest-converting match type for the vast majority of accounts. 
Everyone should include exact match in their keyword mix.
Mistake 3: Ensuring campaign settings are consistent
You may have valid reasons for custom settings by campaign. However, if your account shows different excluded regions, inconsistent ad schedules, and a wide mix of bid strategies, it’s time to double-check your settings.

When you run an account audit, confirming that campaigns are set up correctly should be a top priority.
Campaigns are often created at different times, sometimes even years apart. Failing to check setting consistency remains one of the top Google Ads mistakes.
Mistake 4: Caring about ad strength
Ad strength is directly related to Google’s ability to control your ad’s messaging. The lower the ad strength, the more control you have over your message. 
The higher the ad strength, the more control Google has over how your ads are displayed.
Our research at Adalysis (Disclosure: I’m a co-founder) has consistently found that lower ad strength ads have higher conversion rates than high ad strength ads. 
There is a common misconception that ad strength affects your quality score. It does not. Ad strength is a number that can generally be ignored. 
Mistake 5: Not adding your top search terms as keywords
Your ad can show when a user’s search term matches your keyword.
As match types have loosened over the past few years, a single search term can trigger multiple keywords if no exact match exists.
When those keywords live in different ad groups with different ads and landing pages, the same search can surface inconsistent messaging and experiences.
In addition, if you don’t have the user’s search term as a keyword, then Performance Max campaigns often trump your search campaigns. 
Since PMax campaigns generally have lower CTRs and conversion rates than search campaigns, this can be detrimental to your marketing.
Always add your top search terms as keywords to ensure the searcher sees the correct ad group, ad, and landing page. 
Get the newsletter search marketers rely on.
  
				
								
					MktoForms2.loadForm("https://app-sj02.marketo.com", "727-ZQE-044", 16298, function(form) {
						// form.onSubmit(function(){
						// });
						
						// form.onSuccess(function (values, followUpUrl) {
						// });
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See terms.
Mistake 6: Using broad match with non-target CPA/ROAS bid methods
I’m not going to rant against broad match. It has its uses.
However, your bid strategy plays a major role in how effective it is for your account.
With Max bidding, whether for revenue or conversions, Google prioritizes volume and will pursue results regardless of cost.
With target bidding, Google focuses on hitting the specific target you set.
Because broad match can trigger for many search terms, it often performs reasonably with target bidding and poorly with max bidding options.
You should also evaluate your match type usage as you change bid strategies. I did an entire session on bid strategies that includes broad match usage at SMX, and you can see the video here.
Dig deeper: Target ROAS in Google Ads: 5 key considerations
Mistake 7: Always using old negative keyword lists 
Do you have negative keyword lists you always apply without even looking at the negative keywords in the list?

In almost every audit I conduct, I see negative keyword conflicts. These occur when you block your keywords from showing due to a negative keyword. 
Some negative keyword lists are over a decade old. 
Companies, products, services, and user’s search terms have changed over the years, and when you add new keywords, you should ensure you’re not blocking these keywords.
This issue can be tricky to spot since these keywords can receive impressions, clicks, and conversions. 
This happens when the search term isn’t the same as the keyword so that you can show ads for a wide variety of search terms; you just can’t show an ad for your actual keyword.
Always check the negative keywords you add to your new campaigns to ensure your new keywords can be displayed.
Mistake 8: Blindly accepting Google recommendations
Google’s recommendations are sometimes in your best interest. They are always in Google’s best interest. 
Many recommendations are controversial, and some can even cause declines in account performance.
Some recommendations are useful, so do not completely ignore them. However, you need to consider what the recommendation will do to your account before accepting it.
Dig deeper: Google Ads best practices: The good, the bad and the balancing act 
Mistake 9: Having auto-apply turned on
Did you know that Google can automatically add new keywords, add broad match versions of your keywords, and even change your bid strategy without you doing anything?

This can only happen if you have auto-apply turned on. I’ve seen Google’s auto-apply settings wreck accounts before. 
All of these settings should be turned off. 
If you have auto-apply turned off, you’ll see the suggested changes as recommendations so you can make an informed decision before accepting or rejecting them.
Dig deeper: Improve your Google Ads performance: 3 simple setting changes
Mistake 10: Believing AI is wiser than you
AI is like a child eager to please. It will give you an answer, even if it’s wrong.
It’s also like a teenager who thinks it knows everything, and you’ll never fully understand how it works.
You are the parent of your account and ultimately responsible for its success or failure.
AI has many uses, but it isn’t infallible. It excels at math and pattern recognition, but it doesn’t understand people, feel empathy, or handle outliers well.
We may call AI smart, but that comes from access to data. Wisdom comes from experience.
Your brain is still your best marketing tool. It has been for years, and it will be again in 2026.
When you apply your knowledge and judgment to evaluate your account and avoid these mistakes, you put yourself in a strong position to drive meaningful results in Google Ads.
Dig deeper: AI and Google advertising: What’s next?

Optimize your PPC campaigns by tackling issues like inconsistent tracking, old negative keywords, blind reliance on AI, and more.

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