AI in Marketing
Smart Bidding’s 18% Query Lift Comes With New Limits
Smart Bidding can now find 18% more query categories, but an August 2026 change pushes budget-capped campaigns toward their targets. Here's what to fix.
Smart Bidding.
Digital Marketing
Google Ads PM: Budget and Target Changes Don’t Trigger Learning
Google Ads PM Tal Akabas says changing a stable campaign's budget or target does not reset learning. New rollouts hit promotion mode and more.
Digital Marketing
Google Ads Critics: Budget Is the New Quality Score
Google Ads practitioners argue budget has replaced Quality Score after August's bidding change. Here's what to audit before you spend.
Digital Marketing
Smart Bidding Needs 30 Conversions Per Campaign
Fragmented Google Ads accounts starve Smart Bidding of data. Consolidate redundant PPC structure and keep only strategic splits to stabilise bids.
Digital Marketing
Google’s Aug 17 change ends 4,000% Shopping ROAS
Google's Aug 17 change ended a 4,000% Shopping ROAS setup built on a 300% target. Here's why budget-limited tROAS now behaves differently.
Digital Marketing
What the Learning Phase Actually Costs Advertisers
Meta, Google and TikTok each set different conversion thresholds before automated bidding stabilizes. Here's how to stop resetting the clock.
Digital Marketing
Google Ads Customer Lifecycle Goals: Use the 1% Rule
Customer Lifecycle Goals can sharpen Google Ads targeting or quietly inflate ROAS. Here’s the 1% rule and the mistakes to avoid.
Digital Marketing
Lead Journey Mapping in Google Ads: Track Beyond the Form
Google Ads now lets lead gen advertisers map sales stages to conversion data, exposing gaps between clicks and closed revenue. Here's what to do.
Digital Marketing
Google Ads: Add 3 Form Checks to Stop Fake Leads
Google Ads says invalid traffic filters won't stop junk form submissions. Here are the three advertiser-side safeguards and why they matter.
AI in Marketing
Google Ads AI Needs Guardrails, Not Blind Trust
Mike Ryan on AI Max mistakes, over-segmentation, and why advertisers should verify automation instead of trusting headline performance.
