Google Ads Update Tracker
Google Ads is always changing. We help you stay ahead of the curve so your business never misses a beat with the latest platform updates.
Six most recent Google updates
All Google Ads updates and details
Google Adwords updates and changes used to mean better ads, better targeting, and higher ROI from your PPC campaigns. Now with Google Ads, it seems that 9/10 changes are in favor of Google’s stock price and increasing their massive profit margin. At Granular, we help you navigate each change by helping you understand the risks and opportunities that come with each core change to Google Ads.
Click into each of the Google Ads updates below to learn more about what they mean for your PPC account, but more importantly what they mean for your business.
October 2024 Google Ads Update – New Performance Max features
Introduced
Oct 23, 2024
Impact Rating
Medium
Google Ads introduces new Performance Max features, including AI-powered video enhancements, asset experiments, and improved coordination with Shopping campaigns. These updates enable more creative flexibility, higher ad effectiveness, and seamless campaign management for PPC professionals during the peak holiday season. More about the Google Ads update and what you need to know:
October 2024 Google Ads Update – Simplified Video Experiments
Introduced
Oct 16, 2024
Impact Rating
Low
Google’s simplified Video experiments let advertisers test creative variations efficiently, measuring impact on metrics like Brand Lift and conversions. Automatic campaign duplication ensures accurate tests with fast, actionable insights. Ideal for Video Reach and Video View campaigns, the tool helps marketers refine ad performance through quick, data-driven experimentation. More about the Google Ads update and what you need to know:
September 2024 Google Ad Update – First Position Now available across YouTube in Display & Video 360
Introduced
Sep 06, 2024
Impact Rating
Medium
First Position allows brands to be the first ad seen by YouTube viewers. Now expanded across all YouTube content through Display & Video 360, it helps advertisers target audiences dynamically for key moments, boosting brand awareness and recall. More about the Google Ads update and what you need to know:
September 2024 Google Ad Update – YouTube Studio offers new website visits goal
Introduced
Sep 05, 2024
Impact Rating
Low
YouTube now allows creators to use video promotions to drive website visits directly from YouTube Studio. This feature offers simplified targeting and promotion setup but keeps ad engagement separate from organic growth. Google Ads remains the preferred choice for advanced campaign needs, offering more control and detailed reporting. More about the Google Ads update and what you need to know:
August 2024 Google Ad Update – New First-Party Data Tools
Introduced
Aug 28, 2024
Impact Rating
High
Google introduces Tag Diagnostics and integrated CMP setup tools to enhance first-party data strategies. These tools help PPC advertisers ensure accurate measurement, simplify consent management, and build trust, aligning with evolving privacy regulations. More about the Google Ads update and what you need to know:
August 2024 Google Ad Update – New AI Acquisition goals, creative tools & more
Introduced
Aug 27, 2024
Impact Rating
Low
Google AI offers tools and strategies to optimize holiday campaigns, emphasizing real-time insights, flexible budgeting, and creative AI tools. Focus on customer acquisition, profit optimization, and omnichannel strategies to drive growth year-round. More about the Google Ads update and what you need to know:
Four tips to maximize sales this back-to-school season
Introduced
Jul 25, 2024
Impact Rating
Low
Maximize back-to-school sales by utilizing Google’s automated discounts, promotion assets, and local inventory ads to attract price-sensitive shoppers and promote in-store and online purchases.
More about the Google Ads update and what you need to know:
Fewer ad breaks and more user engagement on YouTube-connected TVs
Introduced
Aug 14, 2024
Impact Rating
Low
YouTube reduces ad interruptions on connected TVs by grouping ads into fewer, longer breaks. This strategy leads to longer viewing sessions, offering advertisers better engagement opportunities without requiring changes to their campaigns.
More about the Google Ads update and what you need to know:
Results from Google’s display ads experiment with the Privacy Sandbox APIs
Introduced
Jul 22, 2024
Impact Rating
Medium
Google’s Privacy Sandbox APIs experiment shows 89%+ ad performance recovery without third-party cookies. Future innovations in privacy-preserving tech promise continued growth.
Maximize performance on Search with updates to query matching
Introduced
Jun 26, 2024
Impact Rating
Medium
Google’s new updates improve broad match performance and brand controls. Enhancements include better AI-driven query matching, brand inclusions, exclusions across match types, and increased visibility in search terms reports.
More about the Google Ads update and what you need to know:
Introducing Cross Media Reach
Introduced
Jun 24, 2024
Impact Rating
Low
Cross Media Reach in Google Ads allows precise measurement of video campaign reach across YouTube and TV. It deduplicates data, provides demographic insights, and enhances advertisers’ ability to optimize campaign effectiveness through detailed, adjustable reports on a user-friendly platform. More about the Google Ads update and what you need to know:
Introducing Brand Recommendations in Google Ads
Introduced
Jun 06, 2024
Impact Rating
Medium
Google Ads introduces AI-driven Brand Recommendations to optimize CPM and CPV campaigns. This feature analyzes campaign data to provide tailored suggestions across ads, bidding, keywords, and measurement, helping advertisers enhance campaign performance and achieve their brand goals. More about the Google Ads update and what you need to know:
Completing the Transition to a New Google Ads Design
Introduced
May 30, 2024
Impact Rating
Low
Google Ads will fully transition to its new design on August 30, 2024. The update offers improved organization and ease of use, featuring a left-side main menu with categories like Campaigns, Goals, Tools, Billing, and Admin.
More about the Google Ads update and what you need to know:
Google Marketing Live 2024: Key Updates and The Impact on Marketers
Introduced
May 21, 2024
Impact Rating
High
The 2024 Google Marketing Live event was a lot to take in, as Google unveiled several updates allegedly designed to supercharge our advertising efforts. From AI-powered creative assets to immersive shopping ads, there’s a lot to unpack. Let’s dive into these updates and explore what they could mean for digital advertisers.
More about the Google Ads update and what you need to know:
Google I/O 2024: Making AI Helpful for Everyone
Introduced
May 14, 2024
Impact Rating
Medium
Google I/O 2024 introduced AI advancements in Google Search, launched the Gemini 1.5 models, and showcased new generative media models. Focused on responsible AI, Google unveiled innovations like SynthID for content identification and LearnLM for improved learning experiences.
More about the Google Ads update and what you need to know:
New ways to steer your Performance Max campaigns to success
Introduced
Apr 29, 2024
Impact Rating
High
Google’s Performance Max updates from April 29, 2024 include new customer lifecycle goals, IP exclusions, real-time testing with Final URL expansion, enhanced demographic insights, and budget pacing insights. These features attempt to provide advertisers with more control, deeper insights and improved campaign performance across all Google Ads channels.
More about the Google Ads update and what you need to know:
Capture sales this spring shopping season and engage shoppers with AR & VR features
Introduced
Feb 28, 2024
Impact Rating
Medium
AR and VR tools enhance the online shopping experience, reduce returns, and boost engagement. Google’s tools offer virtual try-ons for beauty and apparel, 3D visuals, and AI-powered campaigns to capture seasonal demand and maximize ROI.
More about the Google Ads update and what you need to know:
Building more durable and effective bidding strategies for Hotel Campaigns
Introduced
Feb 06, 2024
Impact Rating
Low
On February 6, 2024, Google announced that it will be phasing out commissions-based bid strategies for Hotel Ads by October 2024, replacing them with target ROAS (tROAS) and Performance Max for travel goals. These AI-powered solutions enhance bidding accuracy and adapt to evolving privacy regulations, ensuring better campaign performance and compliance. More about the Google Ads update and what you need to know:
Drive more performance from AI-powered Search ads with new asset changes
Introduced
Feb 01, 2024
Impact Rating
Medium
On February 1, 2024, Google announced an update to responsive search ads by now allowing only a single headline, adding campaign-level headlines and descriptions, and using dynamic assets alongside those provided by the advertiser. These updates leverage AI to optimize ad performance, providing flexibility and deeper insights for advertisers.
More about the Google Ads update and what you need to know:
Adapt to privacy and regulatory changes with consent mode
Introduced
Jan 18, 2024
Impact Rating
Medium
On January 18, 2024 Google announced a new enhanced EU User Consent Policy enforcement that requires advertisers to send verifiable consent signals and update APIs/SDKs by March 2024. Upgrades to consent mode and partnerships with CMPs help manage compliance and ad performance amid evolving privacy regulations.
More about the Google Ads update and what you need to know:
A new way to buy reservation ads in Google Ads
Introduced
Dec 18, 2023
Impact Rating
Low
As of December 18, 2023, Google Ads now offers self-service buying options for various YouTube ad products, including YouTube Select and TV lineups, masthead ads, and standard reservations. These updates simplify ad setup and management while integrating advanced audience targeting and traditional fixed CPMs. More about the Google Ads update and what you need to know:
Information on Google Ads buying behavior on apps
Introduced
Dec 14, 2023
Impact Rating
Medium
On December 14, 2023 Google Ads announced shifts to real-time bidding auctions for apps, discontinuing support for multicall requests without bidding ad units. The change enhances ad value, ensures fair bidding practices, and includes penalties for evading detection systems, effective January 2024. More about the Google Ads update and what you need to know:
YouTube builds a better streaming experience with fewer ad breaks and expansion of Shorts
Introduced
Dec 14, 2023
Impact Rating
Low
As of December 12th, 2023, YouTube’s Video Reach Campaigns now incorporate in-feed and Shorts ads, amplifying reach and efficiency through multiformat ads and Google AI. More about the Google Ads update and what you need to know:
Maximize your awareness with more formats now available in Video Reach Campaigns
Introduced
Dec 12, 2023
Impact Rating
Medium
As of December 12, 2023, YouTube’s Video Reach Campaigns now incorporate in-feed and Shorts ads, amplifying reach and efficiency through multiformat ads and Google AI.
More about the Google Ads update and what you need to know:
Engage with your most valuable audiences without third-party cookies
Introduced
Nov 09, 2023
Impact Rating
High
Google announced on November 9, 2023, that with the deprecation of third-party cookies in 2025, it will emphasize privacy-preserving technologies and AI solutions for audience engagement. Marketers should adopt Privacy Sandbox APIs, leverage AI-powered targeting, and focus on first-party data strategies to sustain performance and build trust. More about the Google Ads update and what you need to know: