May 2025 Google Ads Update – Google Marketing Live 2025: AI Takes the Lead in Performance Marketing

Granular analysis and first look

The 2025 edition of Google Marketing Live introduced substantial updates, centered around AI-powered campaign solutions, smarter measurement tools and deeper integrations across Search, YouTube, and Google’s broader ad ecosystem. If your brand relies on paid media for growth, these updates could redefine how you plan and execute campaigns. Below is a quick breakdown of what was covered and why it matters.

The Power Pack: Smarter Tools for Smarter Results

Google’s new Power Pack bundles the next generation of campaign solutions powered by AI. It spans across Search, YouTube, and Demand Gen with a focus on performance, control, and transparency.

Performance Max Evolves

• Channel-Level Performance Reporting: Now in global beta, this helps advertisers understand how their Performance Max campaigns are performing across each Google channel and format.
• Search Term Visibility: Soon, you’ll get granular reporting of search queries, bringing Search campaign transparency to Performance Max.
• Exclusion Controls for New Customer Acquisition: Exclude users who have previously interacted with your brand (e.g., site visitors, YouTube viewers, app users) to prioritize prospecting—beta coming soon.

AI Max for Search Campaigns

AI Max introduces advanced automation in keyword targeting with broad match and keywordless tech. It gives advertisers smart expansion capabilities without sacrificing control. It also includes new optimization insights and is coming soon in global beta.

Smart Bidding Exploration

Now globally available, Smart Bidding Exploration leverages flexible ROAS targets to discover and convert more diverse, high-value queries.

Demand Gen Gets an Upgrade

Demand Gen continues to gain traction, especially with visual-first advertisers. After more than 60 updates last year and a 26% YoY improvement in conversions per dollar, Demand Gen will soon extend to Google Maps via Promoted Pins—driving store traffic and in-person sales.

Future of Search Ads: Ads That Match the AI Moment

Search is evolving into a more dynamic, AI-powered experience—and ads are evolving with it.

• Ads in AI Overviews: Ads will be integrated directly into Google’s AI-generated summaries, appearing as natural next steps in the user journey. This is rolling out soon in English for select markets on desktop and mobile.
• Ads in AI Mode: These experimental placements sit directly within and beneath AI Mode responses, designed to feel like part of the exploration process. Currently testing in English in the U.S.

Future of Video & Apps: Conversions Meet Creators

Google is expanding video and app-based ad solutions to capture intent and spark action across more surfaces.

• Creator Partnerships Hub: Collaborate with YouTube creators directly within Google Ads. Launch partnership ads and integrate influencer content into your performance strategy—available in 20+ markets.
• YouTube Masthead Goes Shoppable: Add product links directly within YouTube’s most prominent ad slot on mobile. Live globally now.
• CTV Shopping & QR Integration: Use QR codes in connected TV ads to drive viewers directly to product pages. Available through Performance Max and Demand Gen—rolling out globally in the coming months.
• Accelerated Checkout for YouTube Ads: Cut down friction with links that take users straight to your checkout or cart. Available now in the U.S.
• New Video Placements on Search & Shopping: Add video assets to Performance Max campaigns to extend reach into Search, Image Search, and Google Shopping—coming soon to the U.S. and Canada.
• Generative Video Extensions: AI can now reformat your videos across all aspect ratios, expanding usability without requiring separate edits—available globally.

Future of Creative: Asset Creation Reimagined

Creating high-quality, conversion-ready assets is faster and more intuitive thanks to new creative AI tools.

• Asset Studio: A one-stop shop to create, import and preview assets using Google AI. Includes product-centric image generation for lifestyle visuals. Launching globally soon.
• Shopping in AI Mode: Users can browse product options in a new AI-powered shopping experience built with Gemini and Shopping Graph. Coming soon in the U.S.
• Virtual Try-On: Consumers can try on billions of apparel listings using just a photo, available in Search Labs.
• Brand Profiles in Search: Manage how your brand appears in Search via Merchant Center. Customize imagery, messaging and product presentation—coming globally.
• AI Video Content Hub: Centralized Merchant Center hub delivers AI-generated video suggestions pulled from your site and social—rolling out soon in key English-speaking markets.
• Predictive AI Insights & Product Studio Updates: Get content recommendations, run A/B tests, and let AI generate branded images and videos—available now in the U.S., UK, Canada, India, and Japan.

Future of Measurement & Data: Smarter Decisions, Faster

Google Ads continues to focus on making measurement more intuitive, timely, and actionable.

• New Customer Acquisition Goals: Now within Demand Gen, advertisers can target new customers while continuing to nurture existing ones, rolling out globally.
• Simplified Incrementality Testing: Results are now easier to access, with lower spend thresholds and custom settings—coming soon globally.
• Branded Search Attribution: A new metric measures how video ads drive branded search behavior—soon available globally.
• Meridian MMM + Scenario Planner: A modernized measurement model that includes cross-channel analysis and investment simulations. Meridian’s scenario planner helps forecast impact and adjust spend.
• MMM Data Platform API: Deliver Google data faster and more frequently for enhanced media mix modeling—coming soon.
• Multi-Touch Attribution (MTA) in GA: Includes impression-level data and enables new metrics like view-through conversions—launching globally.
• Budget Management in GA: Plan and adjust campaign budgets directly within Google Analytics, based on performance tracking and revenue goals.
• Data Manager Enhancements: Now supports more platforms (Salesforce, BigQuery, Shopify, etc.) and lets you measure first-party data strength across Google Ads.
• Google Tag Gateway: A new method for serving tags from your domain, improving signal resilience and boosting measurement accuracy—now available globally.

Agentic Capabilities: Let AI Do the Heavy Lifting

Google’s “agentic” tools are designed to simplify campaign management, diagnostics, and reporting.

• Your Google Ads Expert: A built-in assistant that helps create, optimize, and troubleshoot campaigns. Delivers customized recommendations and generates reports—now in beta.
• Your Google Analytics Expert: A data-driven advisor offering visualizations and answers to complex analysis requests—available in limited beta.
• Marketing Advisor for Chrome: An AI companion embedded in your browser that offers marketing guidance across the web, with voice interaction—coming soon.
• Google Ads AI Essentials 2.0: A diagnostic tool to help advertisers prioritize the right AI tools across data strength, creative assets, performance, and automation.

Key Takeaways

• Performance Max is now more transparent with channel insights and full search term reporting.
• AI Max expands targeting while preserving advertiser control.
• Demand Gen extends reach to Maps and CTV, while also simplifying checkout.
• New creative tools streamline asset production and elevate brand storytelling.
• Measurement gets faster and more robust with simplified incrementality, MTA, and predictive insights.
• Agentic tools reduce workload and help advertisers scale with confidence.

The updates from Google Marketing Live 2025 signal a transformative shift toward automation, transparency, and creative empowerment. Google continues to embed AI into every stage of the advertiser’s journey, from discovery to conversion, giving marketers more control and smarter tools to achieve real business outcomes. As always, Granular is here to help you adapt, test, and stay ahead of the curve.