Google Marketing Live 2024: Top 9 AI-Powered Updates You Need To Know

Google Marketing Live 2024 was dominated by AI advancements, showcasing its growing role in shaping the future of advertising. The focus wasn’t just on technology, with announcements addressing creative strategies, data utilisation, and user experience within search results.  

Tariq Mohammed, Founder and CEO at 360 OM, shared his thoughts on the recent Google Marketing Live 2024 announcements, highlighting the focus on Performance Max updates. “More product updates for Performance Max should keep retailers happy.” He believes these will be well-received by retailers, as “PMax sheds its ‘black box’ reputation from its beta phase.”

Here are the top 9 updates you need to know about.

Performance Max

The Google PMax platform received a major upgrade, enabling mass production of creative assets powered by AI. You can now generate high-quality ad materials quickly and efficiently for your Performance Max campaigns. The Ads Power Pair will drive industry-leading conversions and ROI across all Google channels.

See the Performance Max Advantage:

• Faster Creation: Generative AI significantly accelerates the process, potentially creating ads up to 5 times faster.
• Brand Consistency: Maintain your brand identity with the ability to incorporate specific fonts, colours, and imagery.
• Advanced Editing: Edit images seamlessly – add objects, extend backgrounds, and optimise sizing and cropping for all platforms. Add/remove objects, extend backgrounds, and adjust images for any size or aspect ratio.
• Automated Product Feeds: For retailers, product feeds can be automatically showcased within the AI-generated creatives.‍
• Higher Conversions: Most retailers using Performance Max report significant gains. Even beyond retail, advertisers see an average increase of 27% more conversions or value with similar CPA/ROAS, even if they already use broad match and Smart Bidding in Search.‍
• Effortless Collaboration: Integrate seamlessly with creative platforms like Canva, Smartly, and Pencil Pro for streamlined asset creation and import.

Performance Max is now the default campaign type for new advertisers due to its ease of use and powerful results.

Additionally, Google has introduced new reporting functionalities for YouTube and individual creative assets, providing deeper insights into campaign performance.

Search

Google is pushing the boundaries of Search Ads with cutting-edge AI advancements. 

Here are the exciting developments in Search:

• Visual Search Boom: Reach visually-inspired shoppers by showcasing your products in Shopping ads displayed at the top of Google Lens and Circle to Search results.
• Interactive Recommendations: Reimagine the Search ad. We’re testing interactive experiences powered by AI that offer personalised recommendations based on user input, including photos!
• Exploring AI Overviews: Be part of a pilot program where your Search and Shopping ads appear within relevant AI Overviews, helping users discover what your business offers.

Building impactful Search campaigns just got easier. Our conversational experience in Google Ads streamlines the process, guiding you with just a single URL from your website. This helps small businesses create high-performing campaigns with a 63% increase in campaigns rated “Good” or “Excellent” in Ad Strength.

Enhanced Demand Gen Campaigns

Demand Gen empowers you to dominate Google’s most engaging platforms – YouTube, Shorts, Discover, and Gmail. Craft captivating narratives, cultivate new demand, and secure conversions on these immersive surfaces.  On average, advertisers using Demand Gen alongside Search or Performance Max campaigns saw a 14% uplift in conversions. 

Here are some exciting advancements to optimise performance, deliver visually stunning ads, and reach high-value audiences.

• Harness the Power of Google Marketing Platform: Demand Gen seamlessly integrates with Display & Video 360 and Search Ads 360 in the coming months. Leverage your established Floodlight measurement setup for powerful optimisation.
• Spark Engagement with Animated Image Ads: Retailers with Merchant Center accounts can now showcase relevant products on YouTube Shorts with eye-catching, automatically generated animated image ads based on product feed images.
• Pinpoint Ad Delivery with Creative Preferences: Coming soon, pin specific video assets to preferred surfaces within your Demand Gen campaigns. This allows for greater control over ad placement. Imagine promoting a creator-made ad that thrives on Shorts by pinning it to appear more frequently there. We're actively learning from Demand Gen to potentially extend these controls to other video campaigns.
• Effortlessly Target High-Potential Customers: Lookalike segments, exclusive to Demand Gen, allow you to connect with new audiences mirroring your existing customer base. We’re making this even more accessible for smaller businesses by lowering the minimum user list size from 1,000 to just 100.
• Gain Deeper Audience Insights: Uncover valuable details about your Lookalike segments, including affinity categories, in-market segments, demographics, and device preferences.

AI-Powered Shopping Ads

Get ready for a more immersive shopping experience! Google has unveiled AI-powered Shopping Ads featuring video and virtual elements.

Here’s what’s in store for advertisers:

• Short-form product videos: Showcase your products in action directly within the ad.
• Virtual try-on (for select items): Let shoppers see how clothing might look on different body types, increasing confidence in their purchase decisions.
• 360-degree product spins (for shoes): Provide an in-depth view of footwear from all angles, allowing customers to virtually inspect details.

These features allow consumers to engage with your brand and products on a deeper level before even visiting your website.

Visual Storytelling

Google is amplifying visual storytelling across YouTube, Discover, and Gmail, empowering advertisers to reach a massive audience of 3 billion users.

Demand Gen campaigns now offer a wider range of engaging ad formats, including:

• Captivating vertical videos: Perfectly suited for mobile viewing on YouTube Shorts and Discover.
• Interactive stickers: Add a playful touch and encourage user engagement on YouTube Shorts.
• Eye-catching animated image ads: Automatically generated by Google's AI, these ads can save you time and resources.

With these diverse ad formats, you can craft compelling stories that resonate with your target audience across Google's most popular platforms.

Testing Ads in AI Overviews

Google is piloting a program to display relevant Search and Shopping ads within AI-powered overviews on Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs). These overviews, also known as AI Overviews, provide summaries of complex search queries.

The good news? You don't need to take any action! Existing Search, Performance Max (PMax), and Shopping campaigns are automatically eligible to appear in these sponsored sections.

While specific details about opting out are still under development, Google will likely provide information in the future.

Google Ads Data Manager

Google Ads Data Manager is now open to everyone. This powerful tool simplifies managing your first-party data, the information you collect directly from customers.

Here’s how Ads Data Manager empowers your campaigns:

• Centralised Data Hub: Consolidate all your first-party data sources (website visits, email lists, etc.) into a single, unified platform.
• Deeper Audience Insights: Gain a richer understanding of your customer base with comprehensive data analysis.
• Targeted Advertising: Leverage those insights to create highly targeted audiences for your AI-powered campaigns, maximising effectiveness.

By leveraging first-party data, you can unlock more powerful and personalised ad experiences for your customers.

Gain Insights on YouTube

YouTube isn’t just about reach; it’s about forging connections with captivated viewers across all marketing goals. Here are some unveil exciting advancements to inspire viewers to act and provide deeper understanding of your ad placements.

• Interactive Shorts Ads: Infuse your Shorts ads with interactive stickers. Leverage elements from your product feed, app store listings, or campaign information to create clickable stickers that enhance the native Shorts experience and boost conversions.
• Power Up Product Sales with Creators: The YouTube Shopping affiliate program expands! Eligible Shopify Plus and Advanced merchants in the US can seamlessly integrate their products, gain insights on creator performance, and drive sales through product tagging in videos, Shorts, and live streams.‍
• Clearer Ad Context: Gain more visibility into where your YouTube ads appear. Industry-standard adjacency insights now reveal the content your ads neighbour across YouTube environments, including Shorts. Trusted third-party partners can also access and report on Shorts ad placements within campaigns.
• ‍Enhanced Control and Exclusions: Refine your ad placement strategy. Utilise enhanced placement and thematic exclusions for in-stream ads, and now, YouTube Shorts. This empowers you to manage exactly where your ads appear.

AI-Powered Ads For Purchases

Google is piloting a new approach to search results, leveraging AI to offer interactive experiences for complex purchases. Imagine searching for "home gym equipment" and receiving personalised recommendations based on your space, budget, and fitness goals.

This innovative approach promises a win-win:

• Enhanced User Experience: Consumers receive tailored advice and recommendations directly on the Search Engine Results Page (SERP), streamlining their purchase journey.
• Ready-to-Convert Shoppers: By the time they reach a brand’s landing page, users are likely pre-qualified and conversion-ready.

However, the potential impact on organic search traffic remains to be seen. While AI-powered ads might improve user experience, it's unclear if they'll divert traffic away from brand websites.

Google Marketing Live 2024 offered a glimpse into the future of advertising, with a strong focus on streamlining the consumer journey. 

While the potential impact on traditional website traffic remains to be seen, there’s no denying the value these updates bring. 

Need a fresh perspective? Let’s talk.

At 360 OM, we specialise in helping businesses take their marketing efforts to the next level. Our team stays on top of industry trends, uses data-informed decisions to maximise your ROI, and provides full transparency through comprehensive reports.