There's no respite; although Google's policy of continuous improvements and modifications is part of every marketer's daily life, it's rare for so many new features to arrive simultaneously. The Californian giant hinted at this two days ago at the Google Performance Summit, referring to a series of significant changes soon to be implemented in the AdWords platform.
The list of modifications and new products, presented by two of its executives — Sridhar Ramaswamy, VP of Advertising and Sales, and Jerry Dischler, VP of Product Management — and reported by Search Engine Journal, includes changes to ad length, responsive design, the ability to choose devices most relevant to the advertiser, and local SEO searches.
Mobile Marketing Takes Centre Stage
Ramaswamy explains in a press release that Google has opted to redesign AdWords to “help marketers succeed in a mobile-first world,” leading the Palo Alto company to “rethink” its strategy to adapt it to the demands of mobile marketing.
The tech firm proposes a series of changes and new services, summarised below.
1) More Text in AdWords Ads
One of the most significant — and most anticipated — changes concerns ad text length. To improve this, Google will launch the new Expanded Text Ads, giving businesses more space to promote their products and services on the Google search results page (SERP). Here are the new features compared to current formats:
a) The ad title can be longer, increasing from 25 to 30 characters with spaces.
b) The ad body is expanded. The product description, previously split into two lines of 35 characters each, will be slightly longer, allowing for a single text of 80 characters with spaces, regardless of line breaks.
c) URL inclusion will no longer be manual. In addition to being automatic, Google AdWords will also allow URL editing.
With these changes, the Quality Score will become even more important, causing ads below the second or third position to lose relevance.
Expanded Text Ads are optimised for the screen formats of most common mobile phones. Google has reported that tests conducted with this format so far have resulted in a click-through rate (CTR) increase of over 20%.
According to Mountain View officials, this new format is expected to roll out later this year.
2) Responsive (and Personalised) Ads
The new ad format will allow ads to adapt to the screen of the device they are viewed on. Additionally, Google promises that necessary changes will be adopted so that businesses can attract users with ads whose look and feel match the product being advertised.
This won't be an additional headache for advertisers: they simply need to provide a title, a description of the product or service, an image, and the URL. Google will handle the rest.
3) Choose the Most Relevant Device
When the announced changes come into effect, businesses will be able to configure their ads based on the device they wish to appear on most frequently. Therefore, it will be possible to choose whether they want the ad to be displayed preferably on mobile phones, tablets, or computers.
4) Boost Local SEO
According to Google's data, almost a third of mobile searches are for local businesses or services. Given this, the new local search ads for Google.com and Google Maps will provide advertisers with more tools to define more precisely the geographical area they wish to target.
Additionally, users will be able to see special offers or navigate directly from Google Maps ads.
Will These Changes Affect Your AdWords Strategy?
Although some of these new features — such as the ad text extension — have only been implemented in a testing phase, these modifications will substantially influence the planning and configuration of any AdWords campaign once operational. In fact, these novelties will affect both the ad copy and design, as well as the local SEO strategy, including the need to segment the target audience based on the devices they use to browse.
If you need guidance on how to approach your AdWords campaigns in this new landscape, contact us or call us on 93 532 93 78. At ZDS Digital, we will analyse your case and advise you without obligation, helping you get the maximum return on your advertising investment. Our team is here to help.
The Evolution of Google Ads: From AdWords to the AI Era (2024-2026)
What was an emerging trend in 2018 is now the standard. Google AdWords transformed into Google Ads, reflecting a much more integrated and automated platform. The changes announced back then laid the groundwork for what we see in 2024 and what is projected for 2026. Mobile priority has intensified, and Artificial Intelligence (AI) is the brain behind campaign optimisation.
Impact of AI on Google Ads and Search
AI integration has revolutionised how ads are created, segmented, and optimised. Tools like Performance Max use AI to find customers across all Google channels (YouTube, Display, Search, Discover, Gmail, and Maps) with minimal manual intervention. This represents a fundamental shift from Expanded Text Ads, which, while an advancement, are now surpassed by AI's ability to generate creatives and adapt messages dynamically.
At ZDS Digital, we have observed that well-structured Performance Max campaigns can generate a 15-20% increase in conversions with a similar ROAS, especially in e-commerce and lead generation, compared to traditional search campaigns. However, precise initial setup and constant monitoring are crucial to guide the AI.
Furthermore, AI transforms search itself. With the emergence of models like ChatGPT and Perplexity, and the integration of generative AI into Google Search (Search Generative Experience – SGE), users get more direct and contextualised answers. This means advertisers must adapt their strategies to appear not only in traditional organic and paid results but also within these new AI-powered search experiences. Content relevance and brand authority (E-E-A-T) are more important than ever for AI to consider your site a reliable source.
E-E-A-T and Helpful Content: Pillars of Modern SEO and SEM
The concept of E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) has evolved and consolidated as a critical ranking factor for Google, affecting both organic SEO and indirectly the effectiveness of paid campaigns. A website with strong E-E-A-T will have a higher probability of its ads being considered relevant and high-quality by Google, which can influence the Quality Score and, therefore, the Cost Per Click (CPC).
Google's Helpful Content Update, launched in 2022 and continued in 2023-2024, reinforces the importance of creating useful, original, and user-centric content. For advertisers, this means that the landing pages their ads direct to must offer real value and not just be mere sales showcases. A high-quality landing page improves user experience, reduces bounce rate, and increases conversion rates, directly impacting Google Ads performance.
Core Web Vitals and User Experience: INP at the Forefront
Core Web Vitals (CWV) remain a crucial factor for SEO and user experience. In 2024, FID (First Input Delay) was replaced by INP (Interaction to Next Paint) as a key metric for measuring page interactivity. A good INP (below 200 milliseconds) ensures users can interact quickly with page elements, which is vital for ad landing pages. A poor landing page experience can negate the effort of a well-targeted Google Ads campaign.
- INP (Interaction to Next Paint): Measures the latency of all user interactions on the page. A low INP indicates a highly responsive page.
- LCP (Largest Contentful Paint): Measures the time it takes for the largest content element visible in the viewport to load.
- CLS (Cumulative Layout Shift): Quantifies the visual instability of a page.
At ZDS Digital, we recommend regularly auditing your Google Ads campaign landing pages using tools like Google PageSpeed Insights or Lighthouse. Optimising images, reducing JavaScript and CSS code, and improving server speed are actions that directly impact CWV and, consequently, the effectiveness of your ads.
GA4 and Privacy: A New Measurement Paradigm
The mandatory transition to Google Analytics 4 (GA4) in 2023 marked a turning point in digital marketing measurement. GA4, focused on events and a more flexible data model, offers a unified view of the customer journey across different platforms and devices. This is fundamental for optimising Google Ads campaigns, allowing for more precise attribution and a better understanding of user behaviour.
In a privacy-first context, GA4 is designed to be more resilient to changes in privacy regulations and the deprecation of third-party cookies. The implementation of Consent Mode v2 is a clear example of how Google adapts to these demands, allowing advertisers to adjust the behaviour of Google tags (including Google Ads tags) based on user consent. It is vital for businesses to have a robust consent strategy and appropriate GA4 configuration to ensure continuous measurement and campaign optimisation.
Advanced Strategies for Google Ads in 2026
Looking towards 2026, Google Ads optimisation will focus even more on intelligent automation and large-scale personalisation. Here are some key strategies:
1. Performance Max Optimisation with Audience Signals
While Performance Max is an automated campaign, it's not a “set-it-and-forget-it.” Providing high-quality audience signals (customer lists, custom audiences, GA4 data) is crucial to guide AI towards the most valuable users. At ZDS Digital, we have seen that precise initial audience segmentation can improve Performance Max ROAS by up to 25%.
2. Dynamic and Adaptive Creatives
With generative AI, advertisers will be able to create an almost unlimited number of ad variations (titles, descriptions, images, videos) that will adapt in real-time to the search context and user profile. Google Ads AI tools are already evolving to facilitate this, but human oversight and strategic input will remain essential for maintaining brand consistency.
3. CRM Data Integration for Deep Personalisation
Connecting Google Ads with CRM (Customer Relationship Management) systems will enable even deeper personalisation, from the ad offer to the landing page experience. The ability to segment users based on their purchase history, previous interactions, or stage in the sales funnel will open new opportunities for highly effective remarketing campaigns.
4. Optimisation for Conversational and Voice Search
As voice search and conversational interfaces (like Google's SGE) become more common, advertisers will need to adapt their keywords and creatives to reflect more natural language and complete questions. This involves a focus on long-tail keywords and the intent behind queries.
5. Multi-channel Measurement and Attribution with GA4
GA4 will be the single source of truth for measurement. Mastering its data-driven attribution reports and its ability to model conversions will be fundamental. This will allow advertisers to better understand the impact of each touchpoint in the customer journey and allocate budgets more efficiently across different marketing channels.
Common Mistakes to Avoid in Google Ads Today
- Ignoring landing page quality: A good ad campaign is useless if the landing page is slow, irrelevant, or not mobile-optimised.
- Not using negative audiences: Excluding irrelevant search terms and unwanted audiences is key to avoiding wasted spend.
- Not optimising for mobile: With “mobile-first” as the standard, a poor mobile experience is a critical error.
- Lack of conversion tracking: Without accurate conversion tracking in GA4, it's impossible to know what works and optimise campaigns.
- Leaving Performance Max campaigns unsupervised: Although automated, they need initial guidance and regular adjustments based on performance and objectives.
- Not adapting content to E-E-A-T: Google values experience and authority. Poor or unreliable content will negatively affect performance.
At ZDS Digital, we are aware of all these evolutions and prepare our clients for the future of digital marketing. Adaptability and proactivity are key to success in a dynamic ecosystem like Google Ads. If you want your digital marketing strategy to be at the forefront, contact us or call us on 93 532 93 78. Our team of experts is ready to help you navigate this new landscape and maximise your return on investment.
