I know everyone says this, but, sometimes it feels like Google really can read our minds.
Just when you’re thinking “Wow, I haven’t seen any Google Ads updates in a while! Maybe we’re off the hook for this season…” a Tweet flies across your screen or a blog article shows up in your news feed.
Oh no… It’s happening… The wave of Google Ads updates!
But don’t worry! These updates are nothing like the wave of changes we faced last year. We’ve covered the top six Google Ads updates you need to know about for the second half of 2022— including what they mean, the benefits or drawbacks, and what action you may need to take.
As was promised in Google Marketing Live 2022, Google announced August 2, 2022 that the global site tag is now the Google tag, which works with both your Google Ads and Analytics accounts for easier reporting and conversion tracking without additional code.
Stay tuned! Soon, you’ll be able to use your existing Google tag installation when creating new Google products, accounts, conversion actions – no extra code needed. Plus, more updates to come, including for those using Google Tag Manager.
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You may or may not recall that Google changed the default attribution model for new conversion actions to data-driven attribution last year. In this latest update, Google Ads is now automatically switching eligible current conversion actions over to data-driven attribution in some accounts.
This did not come as a formal announcement, as it only applies to some accounts, but those Google Ads account owners who are eligible for this received a notification email that said:
We’re reaching out because one or more of your conversion actions is a strong candidate for data-driven attribution. Unless you take further action by 8/24/22, we’ll switch your model.
On July 27, Google announced that the deprecation of third-party cookies in Chrome has been pushed out yet again—to the second half of 2024.
If that sounds like a foreign language to you, here’s some context.
Our recommendations for this are nothing new, but you should be taking action now:
On July 20, 2022 Google added a text-to-speech voice-over tool to the Google Ads platform right within the asset library. This new technology uses AI to convert your written script into natural-sounding speech.
In fact, Google analyzed 5,000 YouTube ads to model seven unique voices, four male and three female. This should give advertisers a few different options in trying to match their brand voice. I know from personal experience that creating voice-overs can be a huge video marketing time-suck, so I think this update will be a win for advertisers.
Performance Max campaigns were a buzz-worthy addition to the platform last year, and it’s been known that this campaign type will eventually fully replace Smart Shopping and Local campaigns. That being said, Google announced that starting July 21, 2022, it will be automatically upgrading Smart Shopping campaigns to Performance Max.
Speak of the devil, there is one last Google Ads update that also has to do with this newer campaign type. In early July, Google added a new diagnostic insights view to the Insights page and Overview page within the platform. These help advertisers to ensure that their Performance Max campaigns are firing correctly and nothing is slipping through the cracks.
This tool can automatically identify issues related to:
Performance Max still feels like uncharted territory for many advertisers, so I’d recommend taking a peek at diagnostic insights to gather all the information you can about your campaigns.
When a new year hits and Google Marketing Live comes and goes, you know a round of Google Ads updates is coming your way. While changes within the platform are unavoidable, being as prepared as possible is your best bet to handle any updates with ease.
Knowing what every update means, when and why it’s happening, and how you can best take action will save you from headaches in the long run. Any easy way to do this? Keep your eyes peeled for more Google Ads updates roundups from WordStream, of course!
To recap, here are the top six most recent Google Ads updates:
Susie is the Senior Content Marketing Specialist at WordStream, where she uses her experience as a PPC consultant to share tips, tactics, and best practices in the ever-evolving marketing and advertising space. Outside of work, Susie loves to get outside for some snowboarding or (once the cold weather melts away) hiking!
See other posts by Susie Marino
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