<div><img width="800" height="450" src="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2021/10/hiring-in-search-marketing-800x450.jpg" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" alt="Search marketing jobs" decoding="async" fetchpriority="high" srcset="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2021/10/hiring-in-search-marketing-800x450.jpg 800w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2021/10/hiring-in-search-marketing-600x338.jpg 600w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2021/10/hiring-in-search-marketing-200x113.jpg 200w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2021/10/hiring-in-search-marketing-768x432.jpg 768w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2021/10/hiring-in-search-marketing-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2021/10/hiring-in-search-marketing-150x84.jpg 150w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2021/10/hiring-in-search-marketing-550x310.jpg 550w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2021/10/hiring-in-search-marketing.jpg 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /></div>Land your next job in SEO or PPC. These brands and agencies are hiring to fill open search marketing positions right now.

Looking to take the next step in your search marketing career? 
Below, you will find the latest SEO, PPC, and digital marketing jobs at brands and agencies. We also include positions from previous weeks that are still open.
Newest SEO Jobs 
(Provided to Search Engine Land by SEOjobs.com) 



Marketing Lead
May 29, 2026 
We’re seeking an entrepreneurial, execution-focused marketer to own and grow our marketing function with help from AI agents. The Mission. Blissbook helps HR teams deliver premium employee handbook and policy experiences. We have hundreds of paying, happy customers (including names you’d recognize) and a product they love. We’re bootstrapped, profitable, and growing, but our growth […]

SEO, GEO & Content Strategist
May 28, 2026 
Do you want to help transform B2B brands? Do you want to work for a company that encourages strategic thinking? Do you want your ideas not only heard but also acted upon? If so, let’s talk! You’ll fit in if you… Are insatiably curious Strive to innovate Embrace collaboration Are ego-free Like to laugh Want […]

Growth SEO Associate
May 26, 2026 
About Solace Healthcare in the U.S. is fundamentally broken. The system is so complex that 88% of U.S. adults do not have the health literacy necessary to navigate it without help. Solace cuts through the red tape of healthcare by pairing patients with expert advocates and giving them the tools to make better decisions—and get […]

SEO Content Writer – Property Restoration & Disaster Recovery
May 25, 2026 
Overview This role is ideal for a writer with experience in the property restoration and disaster recovery industry (or closely adjacent fields) who understands how local SEO, on-page optimization, and service-based content work together. The writer must be able to create authoritative, technically accurate content that reflects real-world restoration workflows, terminology, regulations, and customer concerns, […]

Director, Earned and Owned Strategy (SEO and Content)
May 24, 2026 
The Role We are looking for a Director of Earned & Owned Strategy to lead enterprise-level organic growth initiatives across a portfolio of brands, with a strong focus on local strategy and multi-location businesses. Reporting to the Senior Director, Earned & Owned Strategy, this individual contributor role will oversee integrated Earned & Owned programs spanning […]

Director, Organic Growth (SEO & GEO)
May 22, 2026 
SKIMS is a solutions-oriented brand creating the next generation of underwear, loungewear, shapewear, and essentials. We are setting new standards by delivering technically innovative, comfort-driven products with elevated design for everybody. At the intersection of culture, innovation, and commerce, SKIMS is a global brand redefining modern apparel. Our teams are built on creativity, collaboration, and […]

SEO Service Delivery Manager –  SEO Services
May 22, 2026 
The SEO Service Delivery Manager is responsible for overseeing strategic execution, operational performance, and client satisfaction of SEO campaigns. This role ensures delivery excellence by serving as the primary escalation point for client and internal issues while maintaining accountability across implementation teams. The ideal candidate combines deep technical SEO knowledge with strong operational discipline and […]

Digital Marketing Assistant — Remote
May 21, 2026 
The Role We need someone who can handle the day-to-day execution of our marketing operations across multiple clients. This is not a strategy role — it’s hands-on work. You’ll be publishing content, managing prospect lists, keeping local listings accurate, and making things run on time. You’ll work directly with the founder. Communication is in English, […]

Growth Marketer, Pipeline Development
May 21, 2026 
Job Description Job Description Samba is a media intelligence company. We know what the world is watching, reading, and thinking about — in real time, at scale, across every screen. Our data exists with the consent of over a billion people, organized into the most complete picture of consumer attention ever built. The biggest brands […]

SEO/AEO Specialist
May 21, 2026 
I’m the owner of Jaclyn Hope Design, a small web and SEO agency based near Seattle, WA. We produce high-quality, converting websites and solutions, with detailed SEO work on every site. Our clients are both service and product-based businesses. The majority are women entrepreneurs and business owners. We have a small team of designers and […]

Newest PPC and paid media jobs
(Provided to Search Engine Land by PPCjobs.com) 







Growth Marketing Specialist
May 29, 2026 
Description AchieveIt works every day to help our customers execute their strategies and initiatives and gather actionable insights to achieve their goals and serve their communities. Marketing is imperative to hitting our long-term goals, and our success is dependent on our ability to deliver extraordinary value to our customers. Our team is responsible for generating brand awareness […]

Ecommerce Growth Marketing Manager
May 29, 2026 
Role Overview We are seeking an entrepreneurial Ecommerce Growth Marketing Manager to own and scale growth initiatives for our growing channel partners across digital acquisition, partner marketing, marketplace adoption, lifecycle engagement, and revenue optimization. This role sits at the intersection of ecommerce, SaaS, marketplace strategy, embedded commerce, and demand generation. You’ll work closely with Partners, […]

Amazon Paid Media Specialist
May 29, 2026 
Digital Media Specialist Remote Come build your career. It takes great people to achieve greatness. People with a sense of purpose and integrity. People with a relentless pursuit of excellence. People who care about making things better For Those Who Make The World. Sound like you? Join our top-notch team of approximately 43,500 diverse and […]

Paid Media Specialist (12-month contract)
May 29, 2026 
Company Description We’re RCL – Reitmans Canada Limited. We’ve been part of the fabric of Canada’s fashion landscape since 1926, and today, we’re elevating our iconic brands – Reitmans, RW&CO, and PENN. Penningtons – more than ever before. Our vision is to empower Canadians to live confidently, and our mission is to create collections of […]

Consultant, Paid Media
May 29, 2026 
Description Two Circles is a sports & entertainment marketing business that helps clients grow relationships with fans and drive commercial outcomes. The business works at the intersection of data, technology and marketing to deliver measurable revenue growth across ticketing, partnerships and digital channels. The Role Two Circles is seeking an experienced paid media specialist to […]

Other roles you may be interested in
Search Marketing Manager- 3598321, AMS Staffing Inc. (Remote)
Salary: $110,000 – $125,000
Execute the overall search marketing strategy aligned to business growth and performance goals.
Lead planning, execution, and optimization of complex SEM programs across Google Ads, Microsoft Ads, Search Ads 360, and related platforms.
Paid Media Manager, Clients Blackbox, Inc. (Remote)
Salary: $90,000 – $125,000
Build, launch, and optimize Meta advertising campaigns focused on lead generation and appointment booking
Manage campaign budgets, audience targeting, bid strategies, and creative testing
Senior Manager, Paid Search, Talkiatry (Hybrid, New York, NY)
Salary: $150,000 – $180,000
Own and scale Talkiatry’s paid search program end-to-end, including forecasting, budgeting, pacing, bidding strategies, account structure, and creative testing for Google, Bing, and ZocDoc.
Develop and execute a rigorous testing roadmap, including ad copy, keyword strategy, landing page variants, and automation/algorithmic controls; quantify impact using sound experimental design.
Paid Digital Marketing Manager, Pei Wei (Irving, Texas)
Salary: $75,000 – $110,000
Develop and manage paid digital marketing strategies across multiple channels, including: Paid Search, Performance Max (PMAX), Meta Ads (Facebook & Instagram)
Monitor, optimize, and scale campaigns based on performance KPIs including ROAS,CPA, conversions, traffic, impressions, engagement, and sales.
Senior Manager, SEO/AEO, ActiveCampaign (Remote)
Salary: $140,500 – $193,200
Identify opportunities for technical improvements across the ActiveCampaign website, prioritize them based on their potential business impact, and collaborate with cross-functional stakeholders to implement them.
Pioneer LLM optimization and Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) by developing content strategies that ensure ActiveCampaign is the authoritative source material used by LLMs. 
SEO Marketing Manager, Care.com (Hybrid, Dallas, TX)
Salary: $85,000 – $95,000
Organic Growth: Build and execute the SEO roadmap across technical, content, and off-page. Own the numbers: traffic, rankings, conversions. No handoffs, no excuses.
AI-Optimized Search (AIO): Define and drive CARE.com’s strategy for visibility in AI-generated results — Google AI Overviews, ChatGPT, Perplexity, and whatever comes next. Optimize entity coverage, content structure, and schema to ensure we’re the answer, not just a result.
SEO Manager, Veracity Insurance Solutions, LLC, (Remote)
Salary: $100,000 – $135,000
Lead, coach, and develop a high-performing team of SEO Specialists
Set clear expectations, quality standards, workflows, and growth paths across the team
Marketing, Social Media & PR Manager, PARTNERS Staffing (Fort Myers, FL)
Salary: $75,000 – $85,000
Develop and execute integrated marketing campaigns for shows, content releases, events, and brand initiatives
Identify target audiences and create strategies to grow reach and engagement
Senior Paid Media Manager, Brightly Media Lab (Remote)
Salary: $70,000 – $100,000
Directly build, manage, and optimize campaigns within Google Ads, Microsoft Ads, and Facebook Ads (Meta).
Serve as the lead point of contact for your book of clients, taking full ownership of their success and growth.
Paid Search Specialist, Maui Jim Sunglasses (Peoria, IL)
Salary: $65,000 – $70,000
Plan, set up, and manage paid search, display, and shopping campaigns on Google Ads.
Manage and optimize advertising budgets to achieve revenue and efficiency targets.
Note: We update this post weekly. So make sure to bookmark this page and check back.

Land your next job in SEO or PPC. These brands and agencies are hiring to fill open search marketing positions right now.

The latest jobs in search marketing

<div><img width="1920" height="1080" src="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/10/AI-Max-for-Search-Everything-you-need-to-know.jpg" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" alt="AI Max for Search: Everything you need to know" decoding="async" srcset="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/10/AI-Max-for-Search-Everything-you-need-to-know.jpg 1920w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/10/AI-Max-for-Search-Everything-you-need-to-know-768x432.jpg 768w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/10/AI-Max-for-Search-Everything-you-need-to-know-1536x864.jpg 1536w" sizes="(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" /></div>Google Ads is showing AI Max branded search controls that could help advertisers separate branded/non-branded traffic more effectively.

<div><img width="1920" height="1080" src="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/10/AI-Max-for-Search-Everything-you-need-to-know.jpg" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" alt="AI Max for Search: Everything you need to know" decoding="async" srcset="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/10/AI-Max-for-Search-Everything-you-need-to-know.jpg 1920w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/10/AI-Max-for-Search-Everything-you-need-to-know-768x432.jpg 768w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/10/AI-Max-for-Search-Everything-you-need-to-know-1536x864.jpg 1536w" sizes="(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" /></div>
<p id="h-advertisers-may-soon-have-more-control-over-how-ai-max-campaigns-participate-in-branded-searches-addressing-one-of-the-biggest-concerns-marketers-have-raised-since-the-campaign-type-launched">Advertisers may soon have more control over how AI Max campaigns participate in branded searches — addressing <a href="https://searchengineland.com/google-ai-max-pitch-advertisers-462128?utm_source=chatgpt.com">a main concern marketers have raised</a> since the campaign type launched.</p>



<p id="h-what-s-happening"><strong>What&#8217;s happening.</strong> Some advertisers are reporting a new &#8220;Branded Searches&#8221; control inside AI Max campaigns that lets them choose how the campaign handles brand-related queries.</p>



<p>The setting appears to offer three options:</p>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Show ads on all relevant searches (default behavior)</li>



<li>Control branded searches using brand inclusions and exclusions</li>



<li>Show ads only on unbranded searches</li>
</ul>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" width="535" height="414" src="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/05/AI-Max-Branded-control.png" alt="" class="wp-image-479094"/></figure>



<p id="h-why-marketers-care"><strong>Why we care</strong>. One of the most common criticisms of AI Max is the potential for campaigns to capture branded traffic that advertisers are already targeting through dedicated brand campaigns.</p>



<p>That can create several challenges:</p>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Higher costs for traffic that was already likely to convert</li>



<li>Attribution complications across campaign types</li>



<li>Reduced visibility into incremental performance</li>



<li>Concerns about AI Max cannibalizing branded search activity</li>
</ul>



<p>The newly spotted &#8220;unbranded only&#8221; option could give advertisers a more direct way to keep AI Max focused on net-new demand and prospecting opportunities.</p>



<p id="h-between-the-lines"><strong>Between the lines. </strong>Until now, advertisers looking to prevent AI Max from serving on branded queries largely relied on brand exclusion lists.</p>



<p>A native campaign-level setting would represent a more straightforward approach and potentially provide greater transparency over how AI Max handles brand intent.</p>



<p id="h-the-big-picture"><strong>The big picture</strong>. Google has steadily added more controls to automated campaign types as advertisers push for greater visibility and governance over AI-driven systems.</p>



<p>If rolled out broadly, this feature would signal that Google is responding to advertiser concerns around brand traffic management while continuing to expand AI-powered campaign automation.</p>



<p id="h-what-to-watch"><strong>What to watch.</strong> It&#8217;s unclear whether this is an official launch, a limited beta, or an experiment being tested in select accounts.</p>



<p>Advertisers should monitor their AI Max campaign settings and watch for announcements from Google about expanded branded search controls.</p>



<p><strong>Bottom line</strong>. A new branded search setting spotted in AI Max could give advertisers one of their most requested controls — the ability to separate branded and non-branded traffic more cleanly. For now, however, it appears to be an early sighting rather than a confirmed global rollout.</p>



<p><strong>First spotted. </strong>This update was spotted by Paid Search specialist Thomas Eccel, who shared spotting it on <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7466065830204645376/">LinkedIn</a>. </p>


Advertisers may soon have more control over how AI Max campaigns participate in branded searches — addressing a main concern marketers have raised since the campaign type launched.
What’s happening. Some advertisers are reporting a new “Branded Searches” control inside AI Max campaigns that lets them choose how the campaign handles brand-related queries.
The setting appears to offer three options:
Show ads on all relevant searches (default behavior)
Control branded searches using brand inclusions and exclusions
Show ads only on unbranded searches




Why we care. One of the most common criticisms of AI Max is the potential for campaigns to capture branded traffic that advertisers are already targeting through dedicated brand campaigns.
That can create several challenges:
Higher costs for traffic that was already likely to convert
Attribution complications across campaign types
Reduced visibility into incremental performance
Concerns about AI Max cannibalizing branded search activity
The newly spotted “unbranded only” option could give advertisers a more direct way to keep AI Max focused on net-new demand and prospecting opportunities.
Between the lines. Until now, advertisers looking to prevent AI Max from serving on branded queries largely relied on brand exclusion lists.
A native campaign-level setting would represent a more straightforward approach and potentially provide greater transparency over how AI Max handles brand intent.
The big picture. Google has steadily added more controls to automated campaign types as advertisers push for greater visibility and governance over AI-driven systems.
If rolled out broadly, this feature would signal that Google is responding to advertiser concerns around brand traffic management while continuing to expand AI-powered campaign automation.
What to watch. It’s unclear whether this is an official launch, a limited beta, or an experiment being tested in select accounts.
Advertisers should monitor their AI Max campaign settings and watch for announcements from Google about expanded branded search controls.
Bottom line. A new branded search setting spotted in AI Max could give advertisers one of their most requested controls — the ability to separate branded and non-branded traffic more cleanly. For now, however, it appears to be an early sighting rather than a confirmed global rollout.
First spotted. This update was spotted by Paid Search specialist Thomas Eccel, who shared spotting it on LinkedIn.

Google Ads is showing AI Max branded search controls that could help advertisers separate branded/non-branded traffic more effectively.

Google appears to be testing new branded search controls in AI Max campaigns

<div><img width="1280" height="720" src="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/05/matt-mcgee-2020.jpg" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" alt="" decoding="async" srcset="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/05/matt-mcgee-2020.jpg 1280w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/05/matt-mcgee-2020-768x432.jpg 768w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/05/matt-mcgee-2020-1200x675.jpg 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px" /></div>Matt was also the former Editor-in-Chief at Search Engine Land, so this interview is full of great SEO topics.

<div><img width="1280" height="720" src="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/05/matt-mcgee-2020.jpg" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" alt="" decoding="async" srcset="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/05/matt-mcgee-2020.jpg 1280w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/05/matt-mcgee-2020-768x432.jpg 768w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/05/matt-mcgee-2020-1200x675.jpg 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px" /></div>
<p>Matt McGee was the former Editor-in-Chief at Search Engine Land, technically my boss at this site, for a period of time. I had the honor of interviewing Matt McGee, where we spoke about the early days of SEO, something he called the &#8220;Wild West&#8221; days of SEO, where you&#8217;d do keyword stuffing, cloaking and all sorts of what you would call today &#8220;black hat&#8221; tactics, to rank your content.</p>



<p>Times have changed but those old days were pretty fun and we spent some time reminiscing about the old days of SEO.  But we also spoke about how SEO has changed over the years, including will AI kill SEO, and much more.</p>



<p>So check out the interview below:</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">
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/embed/HmER5ITSd9c?feature=oembed" rel="noopener noreferrer">Watch this video on YouTube</a>
</div></figure>



<p>Here is an outline of what we spoke about:</p>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Discovering search marketing in the late 90s.</li>



<li>The era of self-taught SEO navigating the early web without established guides, leading to the discovery of Danny Sullivan’s early resources.</li>



<li>The wild west: Keyword stuffing and early tactics reflecting on the conservative vs. aggressive tactics of the late 90s, including keyword stuffing and early link networks. </li>



<li>Pre-Google search engines: A look back at ranking on Excite, AltaVista, and Northern Light before the checklist era of SEO. </li>



<li>Founding small business SEM: Starting a blog in 2004 to translate high-level SEO concepts for small business owners. </li>



<li>Meeting Danny Sullivan and joining Search Engine Land; the chance lobby encounter that led to a small business column and eventually a career as editor-in-chief. </li>



<li>The most important eras in search history: Analyzing the impact of Panda, Penguin, and the public expose of declining search results. </li>



<li>Will AI kill SEO? A candid discussion on whether AI-generated answers without citations could eventually end the industry. </li>



<li>Behind the scenes: Google PR and Street View scandals. The challenges of reporting on the Google Street View wi-fi data collection controversy and dealing with corporate PR. </li>



<li>Myths, click data, and the DOJ trials; debunking long-standing myths and reflecting on what the DOJ trials revealed about click data usage. </li>



<li>Ridiculous historical tactics. Remembering the days of debating keyword capitalization and the slow realization that the user matters. </li>



<li>Unsung heroes of search recognizing figures like Andy Hagans and Todd Malicoat who early on advocated for following the user.</li>



<li>Advice to a younger self: The importance of networking and building a community presence within the industry. </li>



<li>Proudest moments: Launching Marketing Land and MarTech, reflecting on the expansion of search coverage and the first interview with a Google Search Quality Rater. </li>



<li>The vital role of Search Engine Land: How the publication serves as the voice for the on-the-ground SEO to the world’s major search engines.</li>
</ul>



<p>To learn more about Matt McGee check out <a href="https://www.seosavvyagent.com/">seosavvyagent.com</a>.</p>


Matt McGee was the former Editor-in-Chief at Search Engine Land, technically my boss at this site, for a period of time. I had the honor of interviewing Matt McGee, where we spoke about the early days of SEO, something he called the “Wild West” days of SEO, where you’d do keyword stuffing, cloaking and all sorts of what you would call today “black hat” tactics, to rank your content.
Times have changed but those old days were pretty fun and we spent some time reminiscing about the old days of SEO.  But we also spoke about how SEO has changed over the years, including will AI kill SEO, and much more.
So check out the interview below:

Watch this video on YouTube




Here is an outline of what we spoke about:
Discovering search marketing in the late 90s.
The era of self-taught SEO navigating the early web without established guides, leading to the discovery of Danny Sullivan’s early resources.
The wild west: Keyword stuffing and early tactics reflecting on the conservative vs. aggressive tactics of the late 90s, including keyword stuffing and early link networks. 
Pre-Google search engines: A look back at ranking on Excite, AltaVista, and Northern Light before the checklist era of SEO. 
Founding small business SEM: Starting a blog in 2004 to translate high-level SEO concepts for small business owners. 
Meeting Danny Sullivan and joining Search Engine Land; the chance lobby encounter that led to a small business column and eventually a career as editor-in-chief. 
The most important eras in search history: Analyzing the impact of Panda, Penguin, and the public expose of declining search results. 
Will AI kill SEO? A candid discussion on whether AI-generated answers without citations could eventually end the industry. 
Behind the scenes: Google PR and Street View scandals. The challenges of reporting on the Google Street View wi-fi data collection controversy and dealing with corporate PR. 
Myths, click data, and the DOJ trials; debunking long-standing myths and reflecting on what the DOJ trials revealed about click data usage. 
Ridiculous historical tactics. Remembering the days of debating keyword capitalization and the slow realization that the user matters. 
Unsung heroes of search recognizing figures like Andy Hagans and Todd Malicoat who early on advocated for following the user.
Advice to a younger self: The importance of networking and building a community presence within the industry. 
Proudest moments: Launching Marketing Land and MarTech, reflecting on the expansion of search coverage and the first interview with a Google Search Quality Rater. 
The vital role of Search Engine Land: How the publication serves as the voice for the on-the-ground SEO to the world’s major search engines.
To learn more about Matt McGee check out seosavvyagent.com.

Matt was also the former Editor-in-Chief at Search Engine Land, so this interview is full of great SEO topics.

Matt McGee on the Wild West days of SEO

<div><img width="1672" height="941" src="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/05/Google-Ads-lead-management.png" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" alt="" decoding="async" srcset="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/05/Google-Ads-lead-management.png 1672w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/05/Google-Ads-lead-management-768x432.png 768w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/05/Google-Ads-lead-management-1536x864.png 1536w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/05/Google-Ads-lead-management-1200x675.png 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 1672px) 100vw, 1672px" /></div>Google Ads now lets advertisers manage leads and share quality signals with AI to improve bidding performance.

<div><img width="1672" height="941" src="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/05/Google-Ads-lead-management.png" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" alt="" decoding="async" srcset="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/05/Google-Ads-lead-management.png 1672w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/05/Google-Ads-lead-management-768x432.png 768w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/05/Google-Ads-lead-management-1536x864.png 1536w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/05/Google-Ads-lead-management-1200x675.png 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 1672px) 100vw, 1672px" /></div>
<p>Google is bringing lead management directly into Google Ads, giving advertisers a centralized place to track, qualify and manage Google-hosted form leads while feeding higher-quality conversion signals back into its AI bidding systems.</p>



<p id="h-what-s-new-google-ads-now-includes-a-dedicated-lead-management-interface-designed-to-help-advertisers-organize-and-act-on-leads-generated-through-google-hosted-forms"><strong>What&#8217;s new.</strong> Google Ads now includes a dedicated lead management interface designed to help advertisers organize and act on leads generated through Google-hosted forms.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" width="1042" height="760" src="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/05/lead-gen-dashboard.png" alt="" class="wp-image-479069" srcset="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/05/lead-gen-dashboard.png 1042w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/05/lead-gen-dashboard-768x560.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1042px) 100vw, 1042px" /></figure>



<p>The dashboard provides a consolidated view of lead activity, including:</p>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Total leads</li>



<li>New leads</li>



<li>Qualified leads</li>



<li>Lost leads</li>



<li>Lead status and progression through the funnel</li>
</ul>



<p>Advertisers can also review individual lead records, including contact information and lead stage, from a single interface.</p>



<p id="h-the-big-picture"><strong>Why we care. </strong>Advertisers can now sync lead-quality signals directly with Google Ads, helping Smart Bidding identify which leads are most likely to become customers rather than simply generating more form submissions.</p>



<p id="h-the-big-picture">The new dashboard also streamlines workflows by providing a centralized view of lead status and funnel performance, making it easier for marketing and sales teams to prioritize high-value prospects and improve conversion rates.</p>



<p id="h-key-benefits"><strong>Key benefits</strong>:</p>



<p><strong>Centralized lead management</strong>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Manage Google-hosted form leads in one place.</li>



<li>Reduce the risk of losing track of potential customers.</li>
</ul>



<p><strong>Better AI optimization</strong>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Share lead-quality and conversion signals with Google Ads.</li>



<li>Help bidding algorithms prioritize high-value prospects.</li>
</ul>



<p><strong>Faster sales cycles</strong>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Identify and prioritize qualified leads more quickly.</li>



<li>Move prospects through the funnel with greater efficiency.</li>
</ul>



<p><strong>Simplified workflows</strong>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Use a lightweight, integrated CRM-like experience without leaving Google Ads.</li>
</ul>



<p id="h-what-to-watch"><strong>What to watch</strong>. The dashboard&#8217;s new reporting features also provide greater visibility into sales funnel performance, including qualified lead counts and conversion rates.</p>



<p>As Google continues to expand AI-powered advertising tools, direct access to lead-quality data could become increasingly important for advertisers looking to improve both lead volume and downstream revenue.</p>






Google is bringing lead management directly into Google Ads, giving advertisers a centralized place to track, qualify and manage Google-hosted form leads while feeding higher-quality conversion signals back into its AI bidding systems.
What’s new. Google Ads now includes a dedicated lead management interface designed to help advertisers organize and act on leads generated through Google-hosted forms.




The dashboard provides a consolidated view of lead activity, including:
Total leads
New leads
Qualified leads
Lost leads
Lead status and progression through the funnel
Advertisers can also review individual lead records, including contact information and lead stage, from a single interface.
Why we care. Advertisers can now sync lead-quality signals directly with Google Ads, helping Smart Bidding identify which leads are most likely to become customers rather than simply generating more form submissions.
The new dashboard also streamlines workflows by providing a centralized view of lead status and funnel performance, making it easier for marketing and sales teams to prioritize high-value prospects and improve conversion rates.
Key benefits:
Centralized lead management




Manage Google-hosted form leads in one place.
Reduce the risk of losing track of potential customers.
Better AI optimization




Share lead-quality and conversion signals with Google Ads.
Help bidding algorithms prioritize high-value prospects.
Faster sales cycles




Identify and prioritize qualified leads more quickly.
Move prospects through the funnel with greater efficiency.
Simplified workflows




Use a lightweight, integrated CRM-like experience without leaving Google Ads.
What to watch. The dashboard’s new reporting features also provide greater visibility into sales funnel performance, including qualified lead counts and conversion rates.
As Google continues to expand AI-powered advertising tools, direct access to lead-quality data could become increasingly important for advertisers looking to improve both lead volume and downstream revenue.

Google Ads now lets advertisers manage leads and share quality signals with AI to improve bidding performance.

Google Ads launches built-in lead management dashboard

<div><img width="1920" height="1080" src="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/05/How-to-train-Claude-to-sound-like-your-brand.png" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" alt="How to train Claude to sound like your brand" decoding="async" srcset="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/05/How-to-train-Claude-to-sound-like-your-brand.png 1920w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/05/How-to-train-Claude-to-sound-like-your-brand-768x432.png 768w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/05/How-to-train-Claude-to-sound-like-your-brand-1536x864.png 1536w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/05/How-to-train-Claude-to-sound-like-your-brand-1200x675.png 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" /></div>If Claude keeps writing beige, the problem is probably the brand rules you never gave it. Train AI on your voice, tone, visuals, and style.

If Claude keeps writing beige, the problem is probably the brand rules you never gave it. Train AI on your voice, tone, visuals, and style.

How to train Claude to sound like your brand

<div><img width="1920" height="1080" src="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/05/How-to-structure-paid-social-creative-testing-for-better-performance.png" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" alt="How to structure paid social creative testing for better performance" decoding="async" srcset="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/05/How-to-structure-paid-social-creative-testing-for-better-performance.png 1920w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/05/How-to-structure-paid-social-creative-testing-for-better-performance-768x432.png 768w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/05/How-to-structure-paid-social-creative-testing-for-better-performance-1536x864.png 1536w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/05/How-to-structure-paid-social-creative-testing-for-better-performance-1200x675.png 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" /></div>Platforms can recognize when creative variations are nearly identical, making differentiated concepts more valuable than cosmetic tweaks.

<div><img width="1920" height="1080" src="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/05/How-to-structure-paid-social-creative-testing-for-better-performance.png" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" alt="How to structure paid social creative testing for better performance" decoding="async" srcset="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/05/How-to-structure-paid-social-creative-testing-for-better-performance.png 1920w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/05/How-to-structure-paid-social-creative-testing-for-better-performance-768x432.png 768w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/05/How-to-structure-paid-social-creative-testing-for-better-performance-1536x864.png 1536w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/05/How-to-structure-paid-social-creative-testing-for-better-performance-1200x675.png 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" /></div>
<p>Creative testing has become a volume game in paid social, but producing more ads doesn’t automatically improve performance. When accounts become flooded with minor variations, budgets fragment, learning phases stretch longer, and performance insights become harder to interpret.</p>



<p>The strongest advertisers today are focusing less on creative quantity and more on differentiated concepts. They’re testing concepts built around audience psychology, emotional resonance, messaging angles, and formats that give algorithms stronger signals to optimize against.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-meaningful-creative-testing-actually-looks-like">What meaningful creative testing actually looks like</h2>



<p>One of the biggest misconceptions about creative testing is that every new asset automatically becomes a fresh test in the algorithm’s eyes. That’s not necessarily true.</p>



<p>Uploading a high volume of ad variations doesn’t automatically create meaningful differentiation. If the only difference between five creatives is the color of the overlay text, the platform can still recognize that the core message, intended audience, and visuals are nearly identical.</p>



<p>Platforms like Meta typically won’t find new audience pockets when this happens, so your creatives compete with one another, leading to delivery overlap. One or two ads may even cannibalize your budget, leaving some variations with little to no impressions.</p>



<p>Meaningful creative testing is rooted in psychology, messaging, emotional triggers, and differentiated creative angles that change how people experience the ad and how algorithms interpret it.</p>



<p>Creative testing works best when concepts truly differ. Lean into different hooks, emotional drivers, positioning, motivations, and formats. That’s where you’ll see meaningful performance shifts.</p>



<p><strong><em>Dig deeper: <a href="https://searchengineland.com/b2b-paid-social-creative-optimization-454162">A testing primer for B2B paid social creative optimization</a></em></strong>



<a href="https://www.semrush.com/lp/semrush-one/en/?utm_campaign=ic_semrush_one&#038;utm_source=searchengineland.com&#038;utm_medium=overlay&#038;onboarding=off" target="_blank">
  <div>

    <div>

      <div id="semrush-one-headline" class="headline-responsive">
        Your customers search everywhere. Make sure your brand <span>shows up</span>.
      </div>
      <p id="semrush-one-subhead">
        The SEO toolkit you know, plus the AI visibility data you need.
      </p>
    </div>
    <div>
      <span id="semrush-one-cta">Start Free Trial</span>
    </div>

    <div>
      <div>Get started with</div>
      <img decoding="async" src="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/11/semrush-one.webp" alt="Semrush One Logo">
    </div>
  </div>
</a>




<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-hidden-costs-of-creative-volume">The hidden costs of creative volume</h2>



<p>If creative volume is prioritized too heavily over creative value, it can create performance inefficiencies, waste resources, and add operational drag to your advertising processes.&nbsp;</p>



<p>When your account is flooded with high-volume, low-value creatives, analysis becomes more complicated and pulls you away from higher-level strategic thinking.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-fragmented-budgets-and-longer-learning-phases">Fragmented budgets and longer learning phases</h3>



<p>Every time a new asset is introduced, the platform needs data to determine who to show it to, how to optimize delivery, and where it’s most likely to drive results.&nbsp;</p>



<p>When budgets are spread across too many creatives with minor variations, data becomes fragmented, and the algorithm struggles to gather enough conversion signals for each asset to move through the learning phase properly.</p>



<p>Instead of concentrating spend on stronger concepts, your budget becomes diluted across micro-test assets that are unlikely to achieve statistical significance.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Don’t waste budget accumulating inconclusive data that provides little guidance for future creative variations.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-analysis-tax">The analysis tax</h3>



<p>When an account is flooded with assets that contain only minor variations, advertisers get pulled away from macro-level strategy and trapped in the minutiae of the data.</p>



<p>Save yourself time parsing small differences in performance metrics to determine whether the red overlay text outperformed the blue one. Instead, analyze higher-level creative trends.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-misaligned-kpis">Misaligned KPIs</h3>



<p>While creative production speed and output matter, they shouldn’t be the primary indicators of success. When volume becomes the primary KPI, teams optimize for asset delivery instead of strategic differentiation. There should be a balance between production efficiency and a deeper strategy.</p>



<p>Produce meaningful ads that create measurable impact for both your account and the business.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-to-build-higher-value-creatives">How to build higher-value creatives</h2>



<p>If flooding the system with creative variations that contain only minor tweaks isn’t producing meaningful results, the next question becomes: How do you build high-value creative that actually scales?</p>



<p>Shift away from chasing trends, viral formats, and trendy audio. Instead, use real audience insights from reviews, customer service tickets, social media comments, survey results, and conversations in online forums like Reddit or Quora. Some of the strongest creative inputs already exist within your business.</p>



<p>Look for recurring themes. Are there recurring frustrations, objections, or emotional language patterns? Use AI to analyze them, save time, and uncover messaging insights that will resonate more deeply with your audience.</p>



<p>Once you identify your audience’s vocabulary and pain points, use those findings to shape your messaging and creative concepts. That’s where the real value lies.</p>



<p>High-value creative also doesn’t need high production quality or large budgets. <a href="https://searchengineland.com/ugly-ads-outperforming-polished-creative-475007">Raw, low-fi content</a> captured on a phone can perform extremely well. I’ve also found that founder-led ad content often performs best because it feels more native and less like polished advertising.</p>



<p>After all, value comes from the message, not the production quality.</p>


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img decoding="async" width="434" height="1029" src="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/05/An-image-of-a-Facebook-founder-led-ad-showing-a-wooden-product.png" alt="An image of a Facebook founder-led ad showing a wooden product" class="wp-image-478971"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><em>Source: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ads/library/?id=822377927560518" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AEKSA (Meta Ad)</a></em></figcaption></figure>
</div>


<div class="nl-inline-form border py-2 px-1 my-2">
	
	<div class="row align-items-center nl-inline-container">
		<div class="col-12 col-lg-3 col-xl-4 pe-md-0 pb-2 pb-lg-0">
			<p class="inline-form-text text-center mb-0">Get the newsletter search marketers rely on.</p>
		</div>
		<div class="col-12 col-lg-7 col-xl-6  pe-lg-0">
			<div class="form-nl-inline">
				<form id="mktoForm_16298"></form> 
				
				
			</div>
		</div>
		<div class="col-12 col-lg-2 col-xl-2 ps-1">
			<p class="text-center mb-0"><a class="nl-terms" href="https://searchengineland.com/termsofuse" target="_blank" aria-label="opens in a new tab">See terms.</a>
		</div>
	</div>
</div>




<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-strategically-feed-the-machine">Strategically feed the machine</h2>



<p>Emphasizing creative value doesn’t mean abandoning testing volume entirely. It means sequencing your testing intentionally by using a two-phase framework that separates the pursuit of value from volume.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-phase-1-macro-testing-for-value">Phase 1: Macro-testing for value</h3>



<p>This initial phase focuses on concept discovery. The goal is to test creative hypotheses.</p>



<p>For example, test three different concepts against one another and identify the winner. Use different formats, emotional angles, and creative styles across those concepts.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-phase-2-micro-testing-for-volume">Phase 2: Micro-testing for volume</h3>



<p>Once you have a clear winner from Phase 1, introduce volume.</p>



<p>If a founder-led video ad delivers a significantly lower CAC and a spike in hook rate, that creates an ideal opportunity to lean into volume. Take that winning creative and iterate on its components to maximize efficiency and extend its shelf life.</p>



<p>Test:</p>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Three different hooks in the first three seconds.</li>



<li>Two variations of pacing or music.</li>



<li>Several CTAs at the end.</li>
</ul>



<p>By structuring your workflow this way, volume serves to optimize a concept that has already proven valuable.</p>



<p><strong><em>Dig deeper: <a href="https://searchengineland.com/ppc-tests-nuance-465494">Why PPC tests in 2026 call for nuance, not winners</a></em></strong>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-weekly-creative-audit">The weekly creative audit</h2>



<p>Shifting from a volume-first approach to a value-first strategy can help pull your organization out of the content mill trap.</p>



<p>Once you implement this process, review your ad accounts each week with these questions in mind:</p>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li><strong>Are we launching three unique ads or the same ad three times?</strong> Review your latest batch of creatives and make sure they contain distinct psychological angles, not just visual changes.</li>



<li><strong>What customer insights drove the last three winning creatives?</strong> If you can’t identify the exact objection, review keyword, audience phrase, or use case that inspired a winning ad, you’re scaling on luck and using a strategy that isn’t repeatable.</li>



<li><strong>Is the data telling us a story? </strong>Step back from individual metrics and evaluate creative trends holistically. Are videos outperforming images? Are founder-led ads holding attention longer than UGC? Use your metrics systematically to guide your next creative strategy decisions.</li>
</ul>



<p><strong><em>Dig deeper: </em></strong><a href="https://searchengineland.com/how-to-read-meta-ads-metrics-like-a-system-not-a-scoreboard-470061"><strong><em>How to read Meta Ads metrics like a system, not a scoreboard</em></strong></a>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-slow-down-the-content-treadmill">Slow down the content treadmill</h2>



<p>Algorithms are powerful and, in many ways, mirror human behavior. They can’t manufacture interest where it doesn’t exist, nor can they turn weak messaging into profits through repetition.</p>



<p>No amount of creative volume will compensate for a lack of strategic value in your ads. Step back, assess the data, identify which concepts are actually working, and give the algorithm something meaningful to learn from to help drive business growth.</p>

Creative testing has become a volume game in paid social, but producing more ads doesn’t automatically improve performance. When accounts become flooded with minor variations, budgets fragment, learning phases stretch longer, and performance insights become harder to interpret.
The strongest advertisers today are focusing less on creative quantity and more on differentiated concepts. They’re testing concepts built around audience psychology, emotional resonance, messaging angles, and formats that give algorithms stronger signals to optimize against.
What meaningful creative testing actually looks like
One of the biggest misconceptions about creative testing is that every new asset automatically becomes a fresh test in the algorithm’s eyes. That’s not necessarily true.
Uploading a high volume of ad variations doesn’t automatically create meaningful differentiation. If the only difference between five creatives is the color of the overlay text, the platform can still recognize that the core message, intended audience, and visuals are nearly identical.
Platforms like Meta typically won’t find new audience pockets when this happens, so your creatives compete with one another, leading to delivery overlap. One or two ads may even cannibalize your budget, leaving some variations with little to no impressions.
Meaningful creative testing is rooted in psychology, messaging, emotional triggers, and differentiated creative angles that change how people experience the ad and how algorithms interpret it.
Creative testing works best when concepts truly differ. Lean into different hooks, emotional drivers, positioning, motivations, and formats. That’s where you’ll see meaningful performance shifts.
Dig deeper: A testing primer for B2B paid social creative optimization




  
shows up.
      
Start Free Trial
    
Get started with
The hidden costs of creative volume
If creative volume is prioritized too heavily over creative value, it can create performance inefficiencies, waste resources, and add operational drag to your advertising processes. 
When your account is flooded with high-volume, low-value creatives, analysis becomes more complicated and pulls you away from higher-level strategic thinking.
Fragmented budgets and longer learning phases
Every time a new asset is introduced, the platform needs data to determine who to show it to, how to optimize delivery, and where it’s most likely to drive results. 
When budgets are spread across too many creatives with minor variations, data becomes fragmented, and the algorithm struggles to gather enough conversion signals for each asset to move through the learning phase properly.
Instead of concentrating spend on stronger concepts, your budget becomes diluted across micro-test assets that are unlikely to achieve statistical significance. 
Don’t waste budget accumulating inconclusive data that provides little guidance for future creative variations.
The analysis tax
When an account is flooded with assets that contain only minor variations, advertisers get pulled away from macro-level strategy and trapped in the minutiae of the data.
Save yourself time parsing small differences in performance metrics to determine whether the red overlay text outperformed the blue one. Instead, analyze higher-level creative trends.
Misaligned KPIs
While creative production speed and output matter, they shouldn’t be the primary indicators of success. When volume becomes the primary KPI, teams optimize for asset delivery instead of strategic differentiation. There should be a balance between production efficiency and a deeper strategy.
Produce meaningful ads that create measurable impact for both your account and the business.
How to build higher-value creatives
If flooding the system with creative variations that contain only minor tweaks isn’t producing meaningful results, the next question becomes: How do you build high-value creative that actually scales?
Shift away from chasing trends, viral formats, and trendy audio. Instead, use real audience insights from reviews, customer service tickets, social media comments, survey results, and conversations in online forums like Reddit or Quora. Some of the strongest creative inputs already exist within your business.
Look for recurring themes. Are there recurring frustrations, objections, or emotional language patterns? Use AI to analyze them, save time, and uncover messaging insights that will resonate more deeply with your audience.
Once you identify your audience’s vocabulary and pain points, use those findings to shape your messaging and creative concepts. That’s where the real value lies.
High-value creative also doesn’t need high production quality or large budgets. Raw, low-fi content captured on a phone can perform extremely well. I’ve also found that founder-led ad content often performs best because it feels more native and less like polished advertising.
After all, value comes from the message, not the production quality.
Source: AEKSA (Meta Ad)




	
	
Get the newsletter search marketers rely on.
 
				
				
			
See terms.
		
Strategically feed the machine
Emphasizing creative value doesn’t mean abandoning testing volume entirely. It means sequencing your testing intentionally by using a two-phase framework that separates the pursuit of value from volume.
Phase 1: Macro-testing for value
This initial phase focuses on concept discovery. The goal is to test creative hypotheses.
For example, test three different concepts against one another and identify the winner. Use different formats, emotional angles, and creative styles across those concepts.
Phase 2: Micro-testing for volume
Once you have a clear winner from Phase 1, introduce volume.
If a founder-led video ad delivers a significantly lower CAC and a spike in hook rate, that creates an ideal opportunity to lean into volume. Take that winning creative and iterate on its components to maximize efficiency and extend its shelf life.
Test:
Three different hooks in the first three seconds.
Two variations of pacing or music.
Several CTAs at the end.
By structuring your workflow this way, volume serves to optimize a concept that has already proven valuable.
Dig deeper: Why PPC tests in 2026 call for nuance, not winners



The weekly creative audit
Shifting from a volume-first approach to a value-first strategy can help pull your organization out of the content mill trap.
Once you implement this process, review your ad accounts each week with these questions in mind:
Are we launching three unique ads or the same ad three times? Review your latest batch of creatives and make sure they contain distinct psychological angles, not just visual changes.
What customer insights drove the last three winning creatives? If you can’t identify the exact objection, review keyword, audience phrase, or use case that inspired a winning ad, you’re scaling on luck and using a strategy that isn’t repeatable.
Is the data telling us a story? Step back from individual metrics and evaluate creative trends holistically. Are videos outperforming images? Are founder-led ads holding attention longer than UGC? Use your metrics systematically to guide your next creative strategy decisions.
Dig deeper: How to read Meta Ads metrics like a system, not a scoreboard



Slow down the content treadmill
Algorithms are powerful and, in many ways, mirror human behavior. They can’t manufacture interest where it doesn’t exist, nor can they turn weak messaging into profits through repetition.
No amount of creative volume will compensate for a lack of strategic value in your ads. Step back, assess the data, identify which concepts are actually working, and give the algorithm something meaningful to learn from to help drive business growth.

Platforms can recognize when creative variations are nearly identical, making differentiated concepts more valuable than cosmetic tweaks.

How to structure paid social creative testing for better performance

<div><img width="1920" height="1080" src="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/05/ai-filtration-pipeline.png" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" alt="AI filtration pipeline" decoding="async" srcset="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/05/ai-filtration-pipeline.png 1920w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/05/ai-filtration-pipeline-768x432.png 768w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/05/ai-filtration-pipeline-1536x864.png 1536w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/05/ai-filtration-pipeline-1200x675.png 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" /></div>AI search has outgrown simple RAG. Learn how today’s hidden AI retrieval systems decide whether your content gets surfaced or filtered out.

AI search has outgrown simple RAG. Learn how today’s hidden AI retrieval systems decide whether your content gets surfaced or filtered out.

Beyond RAG: Why every AI search platform is now agentic and what that means for your content

<div><img width="1920" height="1080" src="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/05/Why-your-B2B-PPC-metrics-may-be-lying-to-you.png" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" alt="Why your B2B PPC metrics may be lying to you" decoding="async" srcset="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/05/Why-your-B2B-PPC-metrics-may-be-lying-to-you.png 1920w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/05/Why-your-B2B-PPC-metrics-may-be-lying-to-you-768x432.png 768w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/05/Why-your-B2B-PPC-metrics-may-be-lying-to-you-1536x864.png 1536w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/05/Why-your-B2B-PPC-metrics-may-be-lying-to-you-1200x675.png 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" /></div>More conversions and higher ROAS don’t always translate to more pipeline or revenue. Here’s how to measure incremental value more accurately.

<div><img width="1920" height="1080" src="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/05/Why-your-B2B-PPC-metrics-may-be-lying-to-you.png" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" alt="Why your B2B PPC metrics may be lying to you" decoding="async" srcset="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/05/Why-your-B2B-PPC-metrics-may-be-lying-to-you.png 1920w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/05/Why-your-B2B-PPC-metrics-may-be-lying-to-you-768x432.png 768w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/05/Why-your-B2B-PPC-metrics-may-be-lying-to-you-1536x864.png 1536w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/05/Why-your-B2B-PPC-metrics-may-be-lying-to-you-1200x675.png 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" /></div>
<p>B2B <a href="https://searchengineland.com/guide/what-is-paid-search">PPC</a> advertisers have more options than ever for measuring success. In the past, you had to rely on form-fill data alone. Now, you can feed a wealth of <a href="https://searchengineland.com/offline-conversion-tracking-best-practices-testing-strategies-434211">offline conversion</a> data into Google Ads and Microsoft Ads.</p>



<p>It’s tempting to measure every possible metric, but optimizing toward all of them isn’t a good idea. If you’re optimizing toward everything, you’ll probably end up succeeding at nothing.</p>



<p>So how do you know whether you’ve actually driven incremental value, and what are the right success metrics for B2B PPC campaigns? The metrics that matter might not be the ones you’re focused on.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-advertising-metrics-that-matter">The advertising metrics that matter</h2>



<p>I’ve seen advertisers set up offline conversions and get excited because their total conversions increased. Then frustration sets in because they don’t see corresponding increases in their bottom line.</p>



<p>Usually, those conversion increases happen because the advertiser added more conversion actions and <a href="https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/11461796?hl=en&amp;sjid=1023226550902365970-NA" target="_blank" rel="noopener">set them all to primary</a>. Before making changes, they were only tracking form fills. Afterward, they were tracking form fills, leads, marketing qualified leads (MQLs), sales qualified leads (SQLs), and opportunities.</p>



<p>Instead of one conversion action, they now have four. But the same person could complete all four, meaning leads are being quadruple-counted. A similar issue can happen with platform-reported return on ad spend (ROAS). If you’ve attached conversion values to each action — which you absolutely should do — you’ll also see ROAS increase. Both are false signals created by faulty math.</p>



<p>Focusing only on average cost per action (CPA) can also be misleading. Average CPA can mask your marginal CPA — the cost of acquiring one additional conversion as marketing spend increases. You might be overspending on incremental conversions as you scale your account.</p>



<p><a href="https://www.semrush.com/lp/semrush-one/en/?utm_campaign=ic_semrush_one&amp;utm_source=searchengineland.com&amp;utm_medium=overlay&amp;onboarding=off" target="_blank">
  <div>

    <div>

      <div id="semrush-one-headline" class="headline-responsive">
        Your customers search everywhere. Make sure your brand <span>shows up</span>.
      </div>
      <p id="semrush-one-subhead">
        The SEO toolkit you know, plus the AI visibility data you need.
      </p>
    </div>
    <div>
      <span id="semrush-one-cta">Start Free Trial</span>
    </div>

    <div>
      <div>Get started with</div>
      <img decoding="async" src="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/11/semrush-one.webp" alt="Semrush One Logo">
    </div>
  </div>
</a>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-set-up-conversion-values-correctly">Set up conversion values correctly</h2>



<p>Setting up conversion values is a must for offline conversions. A lot of B2B advertisers get hung up on this step. They say, “We don’t know the value of the conversion at the time it happens. We won’t know that until it works its way through the system.”</p>



<p>While using actual conversion values is ideal, don’t worry if you can’t. Just assign relative values to each conversion action. Here’s a simple example:</p>


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img decoding="async" width="601" height="360" src="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/05/Microconversion-value.jpeg" alt="Microconversion value" class="wp-image-478932"/></figure>
</div>


<p>In this case, the advertiser is measuring four conversion actions: video views, ungated asset downloads, form fills, and MQLs. MQLs come from offline conversions. The rest are measured through Google Tag conversions.</p>



<p>Each conversion is worth 10x the previous action. Ungated asset downloads are worth 10x a video view, and so on. MQLs are worth 1,000x a video view. The advertiser would rather get one MQL than 999 video views.</p>



<p>If you set arbitrary values, make sure to validate them against real data to ensure they’re directing bidding algorithms accurately. Setting values that are too high for lower-funnel actions can cause the algorithm to favor those easier-to-generate actions while deprioritizing lower-funnel actions.</p>



<p>This happened to us recently with a client who was getting a lot of leads, but very few MQLs and SQLs. We reduced the value of leads by a factor of 10, which made MQLs and SQLs look more valuable to the algorithm and increased MQLs and SQLs relative to leads.</p>



<p>Within two weeks, MQL and SQL volume increased significantly, while leads stayed flat. That might not sound like a good thing, but it was. The client was getting higher-quality leads for the same cost.</p>



<p>By using the right conversion values, even relative ones, you can measure incremental conversion value more effectively.</p>



<p><strong><em>Dig deeper: </em></strong><a href="https://searchengineland.com/why-incrementality-is-the-only-metric-that-proves-marketings-real-impact-463439"><strong><em>Why incrementality is the only metric that proves marketing’s real impact</em></strong></a>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-get-more-specific-with-campaign-specific-goals">Get more specific with campaign-specific goals</h2>



<p>If you want Smart Bidding to focus on down-funnel actions, you can use <a href="https://searchengineland.com/campaign-specific-goals-google-ads-456653">campaign-specific goals</a>. You can assign conversion actions at the campaign level, so Smart Bidding only optimizes toward those actions.</p>



<p>You can find the feature in campaign settings in both Google Ads and Microsoft Ads.</p>



<p>Here’s what that looks like in Google:</p>


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img decoding="async" width="769" height="347" src="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/05/Google-Ads-campaign-specific-goals.jpeg" alt="Google Ads campaign-specific goals" class="wp-image-478933"/></figure>
</div>


<p>And here’s what it looks like for Microsoft:</p>


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img decoding="async" width="524" height="336" src="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/05/Microsoft-Ads-campaign-specific-goals.png" alt="Microsoft Ads campaign-specific goals" class="wp-image-478934"/></figure>
</div>


<p>Let’s say you have a campaign that’s driving a lot of leads, but few MQLs and SQLs. You could use campaign-specific goals to optimize only for MQLs and SQLs and ignore leads, even though leads are a primary conversion in the account.</p>



<p>Note: If lower-funnel actions have low volume, this technique may not work. Automation still needs a clear enough signal to optimize toward. So if you only have one or two MQLs in a month, the automation might struggle.</p>



<p><strong><em>Dig deeper: <a href="https://searchengineland.com/google-ads-ga4-crm-numbers-never-match-476978">Why Google Ads, GA4 and CRM numbers never match</a></em></strong>



<div class="nl-inline-form border py-2 px-1 my-2">
	
	<div class="row align-items-center nl-inline-container">
		<div class="col-12 col-lg-3 col-xl-4 pe-md-0 pb-2 pb-lg-0">
			<p class="inline-form-text text-center mb-0">Get the newsletter search marketers rely on.</p>
		</div>
		<div class="col-12 col-lg-7 col-xl-6  pe-lg-0">
			<div class="form-nl-inline">
				<form id="mktoForm_16298"></form> 
				
				
			</div>
		</div>
		<div class="col-12 col-lg-2 col-xl-2 ps-1">
			<p class="text-center mb-0"><a class="nl-terms" href="https://searchengineland.com/termsofuse" target="_blank" aria-label="opens in a new tab">See terms.</a>
		</div>
	</div>
</div>




<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-the-success-metrics-for-measuring-incremental-conversions">The success metrics for measuring incremental conversions</h2>



<p>Looking at simple CPA and ROAS metrics isn’t enough to measure success. You also need to look at each conversion action and measure incremental conversions. A basic way to measure incremental conversions is to establish your baseline first and then measure the CPA and ROAS of conversions at a higher spend level.</p>



<p>For example, let’s say you’re currently spending $5,000 per week and getting an average of 50 conversions, so your CPA is $100.</p>



<p>Now let’s say you increase your weekly spend to $7,500 and end up getting 70 conversions, for an average CPA of $107 — not much higher than the previous CPA of $100.</p>



<p>Your marginal spend is $2,500, marginal conversions are 20, and marginal CPA is $125 — 25% higher than the original CPA.</p>



<p>The difference in CPA may or may not be acceptable for your goals. It might make sense to invest more to increase sales. But you need to understand where your upper limit is. At some point, you may exceed the amount you’re willing to invest for an additional lead while still making fiscal sense.</p>



<p>If you want to get more sophisticated, you can <a href="https://searchengineland.com/marketing-mix-modeling-crucial-448348">use a marketing mix modeling tool</a> (MMM) to run an incrementality test.</p>



<p>There are several MMM tools you could use to do this. Some are expensive, and some are low-cost or even free.&nbsp;</p>



<p>For example, <a href="https://searchengineland.com/google-brings-meridian-marketing-mix-modeling-into-analytics-360-478110">Google’s Meridian</a> is an open-source tool and it’s free, but the trade-off is that it requires technical know-how to set up and use.&nbsp;</p>



<p>MMMs also require a <a href="https://searchengineland.com/marketing-measurement-crawl-sprint-473986">significant amount of historical data </a>— two or more years’ worth — but once the data is ingested, they’re fantastic for measuring incrementality.&nbsp;</p>



<p><strong><em>Dig deeper: </em></strong><a href="https://searchengineland.com/avoid-marketing-mix-modeling-mistakes-463576"><strong><em>How to avoid marketing mix modeling mistakes that derail results</em></strong></a>



<p><a href="https://www.semrush.com/lp/semrush-one/en/?utm_campaign=ic_semrush_one&amp;utm_source=searchengineland.com&amp;utm_medium=overlay&amp;onboarding=off" target="_blank">
  <div>

    <div>

      <div id="semrush-one-headline-bottom" class="headline-responsive">
        See the <span>complete picture</span> of your search visibility.
      </div>
      <p id="semrush-one-subhead-bottom">
        Track, optimize, and win in Google and AI search from one platform.
      </p>
    </div>
    <div>
      <span id="semrush-one-cta-bottom">Start Free Trial</span>
    </div>

    <div>
      <div>Get started with</div>
      <img decoding="async" src="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/11/semrush-one.webp" alt="Semrush One Logo">
    </div>
  </div>
</a>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-true-test-of-whether-your-success-metrics-are-working">The true test of whether your success metrics are working</h2>



<p>MQLs, SQLs, and closed deals are important. But the true measure of incremental value is revenue or pipeline. That means you need to make sure you’re actually measuring for it.</p>



<p>Not all sales are created equal. You might see one deal for $5,000 and another for $2 million. Both register as closed sales in the CRM, but the two are nothing alike. Which would you rather have?</p>



<p>It’s easy to undervalue conversion actions if you’re using proxy values like the ones described above. Yet pipeline and revenue are often determined outside the 90-day conversion window required for offline conversions.</p>



<p>It’s crucial to look at the data in your CRM and map it back to your paid search campaigns. Are there campaigns or content assets driving relatively few leads and MQLs, but a lot of pipeline? If so, don’t devalue them. Make sure you keep them running and give them enough budget to succeed.</p>



<p>Also, don’t forget about incremental revenue.</p>



<p>If you’re scaling your spend, keep an eye on incremental revenue to find the point of diminishing returns. Doing this can prevent overspending on campaigns or channels once they’re no longer cost-effective.</p>

B2B PPC advertisers have more options than ever for measuring success. In the past, you had to rely on form-fill data alone. Now, you can feed a wealth of offline conversion data into Google Ads and Microsoft Ads.
It’s tempting to measure every possible metric, but optimizing toward all of them isn’t a good idea. If you’re optimizing toward everything, you’ll probably end up succeeding at nothing.
So how do you know whether you’ve actually driven incremental value, and what are the right success metrics for B2B PPC campaigns? The metrics that matter might not be the ones you’re focused on.
The advertising metrics that matter
I’ve seen advertisers set up offline conversions and get excited because their total conversions increased. Then frustration sets in because they don’t see corresponding increases in their bottom line.
Usually, those conversion increases happen because the advertiser added more conversion actions and set them all to primary. Before making changes, they were only tracking form fills. Afterward, they were tracking form fills, leads, marketing qualified leads (MQLs), sales qualified leads (SQLs), and opportunities.
Instead of one conversion action, they now have four. But the same person could complete all four, meaning leads are being quadruple-counted. A similar issue can happen with platform-reported return on ad spend (ROAS). If you’ve attached conversion values to each action — which you absolutely should do — you’ll also see ROAS increase. Both are false signals created by faulty math.
Focusing only on average cost per action (CPA) can also be misleading. Average CPA can mask your marginal CPA — the cost of acquiring one additional conversion as marketing spend increases. You might be overspending on incremental conversions as you scale your account.

  
shows up.
      
Start Free Trial
    
Get started with
Set up conversion values correctly
Setting up conversion values is a must for offline conversions. A lot of B2B advertisers get hung up on this step. They say, “We don’t know the value of the conversion at the time it happens. We won’t know that until it works its way through the system.”
While using actual conversion values is ideal, don’t worry if you can’t. Just assign relative values to each conversion action. Here’s a simple example:




In this case, the advertiser is measuring four conversion actions: video views, ungated asset downloads, form fills, and MQLs. MQLs come from offline conversions. The rest are measured through Google Tag conversions.
Each conversion is worth 10x the previous action. Ungated asset downloads are worth 10x a video view, and so on. MQLs are worth 1,000x a video view. The advertiser would rather get one MQL than 999 video views.
If you set arbitrary values, make sure to validate them against real data to ensure they’re directing bidding algorithms accurately. Setting values that are too high for lower-funnel actions can cause the algorithm to favor those easier-to-generate actions while deprioritizing lower-funnel actions.
This happened to us recently with a client who was getting a lot of leads, but very few MQLs and SQLs. We reduced the value of leads by a factor of 10, which made MQLs and SQLs look more valuable to the algorithm and increased MQLs and SQLs relative to leads.
Within two weeks, MQL and SQL volume increased significantly, while leads stayed flat. That might not sound like a good thing, but it was. The client was getting higher-quality leads for the same cost.
By using the right conversion values, even relative ones, you can measure incremental conversion value more effectively.
Dig deeper: Why incrementality is the only metric that proves marketing’s real impact



Get more specific with campaign-specific goals
If you want Smart Bidding to focus on down-funnel actions, you can use campaign-specific goals. You can assign conversion actions at the campaign level, so Smart Bidding only optimizes toward those actions.
You can find the feature in campaign settings in both Google Ads and Microsoft Ads.
Here’s what that looks like in Google:




And here’s what it looks like for Microsoft:




Let’s say you have a campaign that’s driving a lot of leads, but few MQLs and SQLs. You could use campaign-specific goals to optimize only for MQLs and SQLs and ignore leads, even though leads are a primary conversion in the account.
Note: If lower-funnel actions have low volume, this technique may not work. Automation still needs a clear enough signal to optimize toward. So if you only have one or two MQLs in a month, the automation might struggle.
Dig deeper: Why Google Ads, GA4 and CRM numbers never match




	
	
Get the newsletter search marketers rely on.
 
				
				
			
See terms.
		
The success metrics for measuring incremental conversions
Looking at simple CPA and ROAS metrics isn’t enough to measure success. You also need to look at each conversion action and measure incremental conversions. A basic way to measure incremental conversions is to establish your baseline first and then measure the CPA and ROAS of conversions at a higher spend level.
For example, let’s say you’re currently spending $5,000 per week and getting an average of 50 conversions, so your CPA is $100.
Now let’s say you increase your weekly spend to $7,500 and end up getting 70 conversions, for an average CPA of $107 — not much higher than the previous CPA of $100.
Your marginal spend is $2,500, marginal conversions are 20, and marginal CPA is $125 — 25% higher than the original CPA.
The difference in CPA may or may not be acceptable for your goals. It might make sense to invest more to increase sales. But you need to understand where your upper limit is. At some point, you may exceed the amount you’re willing to invest for an additional lead while still making fiscal sense.
If you want to get more sophisticated, you can use a marketing mix modeling tool (MMM) to run an incrementality test.
There are several MMM tools you could use to do this. Some are expensive, and some are low-cost or even free. 
For example, Google’s Meridian is an open-source tool and it’s free, but the trade-off is that it requires technical know-how to set up and use. 
MMMs also require a significant amount of historical data — two or more years’ worth — but once the data is ingested, they’re fantastic for measuring incrementality. 
Dig deeper: How to avoid marketing mix modeling mistakes that derail results




  
complete picture of your search visibility.
      
Start Free Trial
    
Get started with
The true test of whether your success metrics are working
MQLs, SQLs, and closed deals are important. But the true measure of incremental value is revenue or pipeline. That means you need to make sure you’re actually measuring for it.
Not all sales are created equal. You might see one deal for $5,000 and another for $2 million. Both register as closed sales in the CRM, but the two are nothing alike. Which would you rather have?
It’s easy to undervalue conversion actions if you’re using proxy values like the ones described above. Yet pipeline and revenue are often determined outside the 90-day conversion window required for offline conversions.
It’s crucial to look at the data in your CRM and map it back to your paid search campaigns. Are there campaigns or content assets driving relatively few leads and MQLs, but a lot of pipeline? If so, don’t devalue them. Make sure you keep them running and give them enough budget to succeed.
Also, don’t forget about incremental revenue.
If you’re scaling your spend, keep an eye on incremental revenue to find the point of diminishing returns. Doing this can prevent overspending on campaigns or channels once they’re no longer cost-effective.

More conversions and higher ROAS don’t always translate to more pipeline or revenue. Here’s how to measure incremental value more accurately.

Why your B2B PPC metrics may be lying to you

<div><img width="1920" height="1080" src="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/05/20-for-20-brad-geddes-cover-.png" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" alt="" decoding="async" srcset="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/05/20-for-20-brad-geddes-cover-.png 1920w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/05/20-for-20-brad-geddes-cover--768x432.png 768w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/05/20-for-20-brad-geddes-cover--1536x864.png 1536w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/05/20-for-20-brad-geddes-cover--1200x675.png 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" /></div>Brad Geddes reflects on the evolution of search marketing and why human creativity will remain essential in an AI-driven future.

<div><img width="1920" height="1080" src="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/05/20-for-20-brad-geddes-cover-.png" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" alt="" decoding="async" srcset="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/05/20-for-20-brad-geddes-cover-.png 1920w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/05/20-for-20-brad-geddes-cover--768x432.png 768w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/05/20-for-20-brad-geddes-cover--1536x864.png 1536w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/05/20-for-20-brad-geddes-cover--1200x675.png 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" /></div>
<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">
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/embed/8pT-WP0tbkI?feature=oembed" rel="noopener noreferrer">Watch this video on YouTube</a>
</div></figure>



<p id="h-brad-geddes-is-an-industry-veteran-who-began-his-career-in-seo-in-1996-and-paid-search-in-1998-after-experiencing-burnout-in-a-completely-different-industry-he-learned-website-design-and-started-as-an-at-home-affiliate-marketer-for-companies-like-amazon-and-ebay-in-the-1990s-today-he-is-a-prominent-educator-a-leading-voice-in-the-ppc-community-and-the-creator-of-the-adalysis-platform-having-navigated-every-major-shift-in-the-search-marketing-landscape-over-the-last-two-decades">Brad Geddes began his career in the digital marketing industry by starting in SEO in 1996 and 1997, and then expanding into paid search in 1998. After experiencing burnout in a different field, he taught himself website design and entered the digital space as an at-home affiliate marketer for major companies like Amazon and eBay. </p>



<p id="h-brad-geddes-is-an-industry-veteran-who-began-his-career-in-seo-in-1996-and-paid-search-in-1998-after-experiencing-burnout-in-a-completely-different-industry-he-learned-website-design-and-started-as-an-at-home-affiliate-marketer-for-companies-like-amazon-and-ebay-in-the-1990s-today-he-is-a-prominent-educator-a-leading-voice-in-the-ppc-community-and-the-creator-of-the-adalysis-platform-having-navigated-every-major-shift-in-the-search-marketing-landscape-over-the-last-two-decades">Geddes identifies the 1998 launch of Goto.com by Bill Gross as the true inception of the pay-per-click system. This platform, which later became Overture and Yahoo Search Marketing, introduced a revolutionary pricing model that placed a financial value on clicks rather than just impressions.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-google-s-rise-to-dominance-and-the-changing-industry-culture"><strong>Google&#8217;s rise to dominance and the changing industry culture</strong> </h2>



<p>Google did not firmly establish itself as the accepted industry leader until around 2006 or 2007, and advertisers initially disliked its complex system. Google introduced the concept of &#8220;ad groups,&#8221; which forced marketers to transition from spending just a few hours a year on traditional advertising to managing digital campaigns on a weekly basis. </p>



<p>Ultimately, advertisers only adopted Google&#8217;s platform because its superior, user-centric search engine attracted the vast majority of internet traffic. Around the time Search Engine Land launched in 2006, the culture of the search industry was rapidly shifting from casual, basement-run operations into a mainstream corporate environment fueled by venture capital money, oversized salaries, and lavish private yacht parties. </p>



<p>Additionally, earlier days of the industry saw greater information sharing among professionals because there were fewer corporate lock-downs and NDAs compared to today.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-major-milestones-that-changed-ppc-forever"><strong>Major milestones that changed PPC forever</strong> </h2>



<p>Geddes points to two major turning points that permanently altered the paid search landscape. First, Google&#8217;s organic algorithm updates—Panda, Penguin, and Pigeon—made organic search highly complex, forcing marketers to realize they could no longer be generalists and had to specialize in either SEO or paid search. </p>



<p>The second major milestone was the successful implementation of automated bidding. Before this technology, bidding required tedious, transient work using Excel formulas. Automation freed up massive amounts of time for marketers to focus on creativity and strategic account management instead. </p>



<p>Furthermore, Geddes highlights a massive change in 2005 when Google decided to only allow one ad per domain on a search results page, which forced affiliate marketers to build dedicated landing pages and add real value to the user experience in order to survive.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-outdated-tactics-and-missed-platform-features"><strong>Outdated tactics and missed platform features</strong> </h2>



<p>Reflecting on older practices, Geddes expresses a strong dislike for Single Keyword Ad Groups (SKAGs), an over-segmentation strategy that once forced advertisers to build thousands of campaigns due to early platform limitations. </p>



<p>However, he does miss several features that are no longer available, such as the original Enhanced Cost-Per-Click (ECPC) that allowed advertisers to dictate the exact price they wanted to pay per click and have Google do the math. </p>



<p>He also misses hyper-specific geo-targeting tools that allowed marketers to draw custom radius points around specific interstates, as well as features that allowed custom ad adjustments for individual business locations.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ai-misconceptions-and-the-next-20-years-of-search"><strong>AI misconceptions and the next 20 years of search</strong> </h2>



<p>Looking toward the future, Geddes warns against the widespread misconception that artificial intelligence can completely run an advertising account. He argues that just as marketers shouldn&#8217;t blindly hit &#8220;accept all&#8221; on Google&#8217;s auto-applied recommendations, they shouldn&#8217;t hand total control over to AI because it can write both good and bad ads. </p>



<p>Over the next two decades, he predicts the industry will reward creativity, strategic tactics, and business optimization rather than basic &#8220;button-pushers&#8221;. Because marketing fundamentally relies on connecting with human beings—who often make illogical choices contrary to how an AI thinks—human creativity will remain critical.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-rapid-fire-retrospective"><strong>Rapid-fire retrospective</strong> </h2>



<p>When asked for quick thoughts on the industry, Geddes noted that a major prediction he got wrong was thinking mobile adoption would happen much faster than it actually did. </p>



<p>Conversely, he accurately predicted that voice search was overblown and would simply become part of normal search queries rather than a completely separate channel. He observed that Google rarely admits how the world actually functions today, preferring instead to market ideal future scenarios based on massive amounts of data that most advertisers don&#8217;t have. </p>



<p>Furthermore, he believes that PPC professionals rarely test their campaigns as much as they claim to. Finally, if he could give his younger self one piece of advice from 10 to 15 years ago, it would simply be to buy more Google stock.</p>


Watch this video on YouTube




Brad Geddes began his career in the digital marketing industry by starting in SEO in 1996 and 1997, and then expanding into paid search in 1998. After experiencing burnout in a different field, he taught himself website design and entered the digital space as an at-home affiliate marketer for major companies like Amazon and eBay. 
Geddes identifies the 1998 launch of Goto.com by Bill Gross as the true inception of the pay-per-click system. This platform, which later became Overture and Yahoo Search Marketing, introduced a revolutionary pricing model that placed a financial value on clicks rather than just impressions.
Google’s rise to dominance and the changing industry culture 
Google did not firmly establish itself as the accepted industry leader until around 2006 or 2007, and advertisers initially disliked its complex system. Google introduced the concept of “ad groups,” which forced marketers to transition from spending just a few hours a year on traditional advertising to managing digital campaigns on a weekly basis. 
Ultimately, advertisers only adopted Google’s platform because its superior, user-centric search engine attracted the vast majority of internet traffic. Around the time Search Engine Land launched in 2006, the culture of the search industry was rapidly shifting from casual, basement-run operations into a mainstream corporate environment fueled by venture capital money, oversized salaries, and lavish private yacht parties. 
Additionally, earlier days of the industry saw greater information sharing among professionals because there were fewer corporate lock-downs and NDAs compared to today.
Major milestones that changed PPC forever 
Geddes points to two major turning points that permanently altered the paid search landscape. First, Google’s organic algorithm updates—Panda, Penguin, and Pigeon—made organic search highly complex, forcing marketers to realize they could no longer be generalists and had to specialize in either SEO or paid search. 
The second major milestone was the successful implementation of automated bidding. Before this technology, bidding required tedious, transient work using Excel formulas. Automation freed up massive amounts of time for marketers to focus on creativity and strategic account management instead. 
Furthermore, Geddes highlights a massive change in 2005 when Google decided to only allow one ad per domain on a search results page, which forced affiliate marketers to build dedicated landing pages and add real value to the user experience in order to survive.
Outdated tactics and missed platform features 
Reflecting on older practices, Geddes expresses a strong dislike for Single Keyword Ad Groups (SKAGs), an over-segmentation strategy that once forced advertisers to build thousands of campaigns due to early platform limitations. 
However, he does miss several features that are no longer available, such as the original Enhanced Cost-Per-Click (ECPC) that allowed advertisers to dictate the exact price they wanted to pay per click and have Google do the math. 
He also misses hyper-specific geo-targeting tools that allowed marketers to draw custom radius points around specific interstates, as well as features that allowed custom ad adjustments for individual business locations.
AI misconceptions and the next 20 years of search 
Looking toward the future, Geddes warns against the widespread misconception that artificial intelligence can completely run an advertising account. He argues that just as marketers shouldn’t blindly hit “accept all” on Google’s auto-applied recommendations, they shouldn’t hand total control over to AI because it can write both good and bad ads. 
Over the next two decades, he predicts the industry will reward creativity, strategic tactics, and business optimization rather than basic “button-pushers”. Because marketing fundamentally relies on connecting with human beings—who often make illogical choices contrary to how an AI thinks—human creativity will remain critical.
Rapid-fire retrospective 
When asked for quick thoughts on the industry, Geddes noted that a major prediction he got wrong was thinking mobile adoption would happen much faster than it actually did. 
Conversely, he accurately predicted that voice search was overblown and would simply become part of normal search queries rather than a completely separate channel. He observed that Google rarely admits how the world actually functions today, preferring instead to market ideal future scenarios based on massive amounts of data that most advertisers don’t have. 
Furthermore, he believes that PPC professionals rarely test their campaigns as much as they claim to. Finally, if he could give his younger self one piece of advice from 10 to 15 years ago, it would simply be to buy more Google stock.

Brad Geddes reflects on the evolution of search marketing and why human creativity will remain essential in an AI-driven future.

Brad Geddes on 20 Years of Paid Search Evolution

<div><img width="1658" height="949" src="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/05/AI-shopping-visibility-insights-to-Merchant-Center.png" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" alt="" decoding="async" srcset="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/05/AI-shopping-visibility-insights-to-Merchant-Center.png 1658w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/05/AI-shopping-visibility-insights-to-Merchant-Center-768x440.png 768w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/05/AI-shopping-visibility-insights-to-Merchant-Center-1536x879.png 1536w" sizes="(max-width: 1658px) 100vw, 1658px" /></div>Google is adding new AI shopping insights to Merchant Center, giving retailers visibility into how products perform across their AI platforms. 

<div><img width="1658" height="949" src="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/05/AI-shopping-visibility-insights-to-Merchant-Center.png" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" alt="" decoding="async" srcset="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/05/AI-shopping-visibility-insights-to-Merchant-Center.png 1658w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/05/AI-shopping-visibility-insights-to-Merchant-Center-768x440.png 768w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/05/AI-shopping-visibility-insights-to-Merchant-Center-1536x879.png 1536w" sizes="(max-width: 1658px) 100vw, 1658px" /></div>
<p>Google is rolling out new AI performance insights inside Merchant Center to help retailers track how products appear across AI-powered shopping experiences.</p>



<p><strong>What’s happening.</strong> The new reporting tools are designed to show advertisers how their products perform across Google’s AI-powered shopping surfaces.</p>



<p>The reports will include:</p>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>share of voice insights benchmarking brand visibility against similar retailers,</li>



<li>shopping funnel performance across discovery, evaluation and purchase stages,</li>



<li>product term insights showing popular conversational shopping queries,</li>



<li>and product attribute insights highlighting missing product specifications.</li>
</ul>



<p>Google says advertisers will also be able to identify which structured product attributes, such as color, material or style, are incomplete across their product feeds.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" width="2048" height="1152" src="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/05/AI-shopping-visibility-insights-to-Merchant-Center-1.png" alt="" class="wp-image-478990" srcset="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/05/AI-shopping-visibility-insights-to-Merchant-Center-1.png 2048w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/05/AI-shopping-visibility-insights-to-Merchant-Center-1-768x432.png 768w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/05/AI-shopping-visibility-insights-to-Merchant-Center-1-1536x864.png 1536w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/05/AI-shopping-visibility-insights-to-Merchant-Center-1-1200x675.png 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px" /></figure>



<p><strong>Why we care. </strong>AI-powered shopping experiences are changing how consumers discover products across Search and Gemini, making visibility inside conversational results increasingly important. The new Merchant Center insights give brands early access to performance data that could help improve product feed quality, optimize discoverability and better understand how Google’s AI surfaces are ranking and recommending products.</p>



<p><strong>The bigger picture.</strong> Merchant Center is steadily evolving from a product feed management tool into an AI commerce optimization platform.</p>



<p>As Search, Gemini and AI Overviews become more conversational, retailers may need to optimize product feeds more like SEO content — focusing on completeness, context and natural language discoverability.</p>



<p><strong>What to watch. </strong><a href="https://support.google.com/merchants/answer/17117204">The new insights</a> could give advertisers an early look into how Google measures “share of voice” inside AI shopping environments — an area likely to become increasingly important as AI-generated commerce experiences expand.</p>



<p><strong>Availability.</strong> AI performance insights will roll out to advertisers in the U.S., Canada, Australia, India and New Zealand in the coming months.</p>


Google is rolling out new AI performance insights inside Merchant Center to help retailers track how products appear across AI-powered shopping experiences.
What’s happening. The new reporting tools are designed to show advertisers how their products perform across Google’s AI-powered shopping surfaces.
The reports will include:
share of voice insights benchmarking brand visibility against similar retailers,
shopping funnel performance across discovery, evaluation and purchase stages,
product term insights showing popular conversational shopping queries,
and product attribute insights highlighting missing product specifications.
Google says advertisers will also be able to identify which structured product attributes, such as color, material or style, are incomplete across their product feeds.




Why we care. AI-powered shopping experiences are changing how consumers discover products across Search and Gemini, making visibility inside conversational results increasingly important. The new Merchant Center insights give brands early access to performance data that could help improve product feed quality, optimize discoverability and better understand how Google’s AI surfaces are ranking and recommending products.
The bigger picture. Merchant Center is steadily evolving from a product feed management tool into an AI commerce optimization platform.
As Search, Gemini and AI Overviews become more conversational, retailers may need to optimize product feeds more like SEO content — focusing on completeness, context and natural language discoverability.
What to watch. The new insights could give advertisers an early look into how Google measures “share of voice” inside AI shopping environments — an area likely to become increasingly important as AI-generated commerce experiences expand.
Availability. AI performance insights will roll out to advertisers in the U.S., Canada, Australia, India and New Zealand in the coming months.

Google is adding new AI shopping insights to Merchant Center, giving retailers visibility into how products perform across their AI platforms.

All About
Digital Marketing

Read the Latest Trends and Headlines in Digital Marketing.

Here are some of the latest headlines on digital marketing insights, search, and ecommerce:

Free Consultation

Reach out with any questions you might have regarding how RSO can help you with digital marketing.

All About Digital Marketing

Read the Latest Trends and Headlines in Digital Marketing.

Here are some of the latest headlines on digital marketing insights, search, and ecommerce:

Free Consultation

Reach out with any questions you might have regarding how RSO can help you with digital marketing.

All About
Digital Marketing