By: Jyll Saskin Gales, Google Ads Coach

 Google Marketing Live (GML) 2024 was a whirlwind of announcements, with AI taking center stage (as expected). But what did the event really reveal about the future of Google Ads? And more importantly, what should you, as an advertiser, focus on?

In this blog post, we'll go beyond the buzzwords and dissect the unspoken implications of GML. We'll also explore the key themes you need to prioritize to stay ahead of the curve.

Three Unspoken Truths from Google Marketing Live

1. The Decline of Keywords: GML's emphasis on visual and AI-powered search, with just 2 mentions of keywords, signals a shift away from traditional keyword-based campaigns. The future of search is conversational, complex, and multimodal, making keywords less relevant.

2. The Rise of Performance Max (PMax): Google's proclamation of Search + PMax as the "Power Pair" reinforces the importance of embracing PMax campaigns. It won't be long before the Power Pair is just... PMax + PMax. If you haven't started testing PMax yet, now's the time.

3.  Google's Play for Social and Marketplace Ad Dollars: GML's focus on features like Google Lens and Circle to Search indicates Google's aggressive push to capture ad revenue from social media and marketplace platforms like TikTok, Amazon, and Meta. This move aims to redirect user intent and spending back to Google's ecosystem.

Three Key Things You Should Focus On This Year

1. Creative is King (or Queen): GML highlighted the importance of visual creative, from generative AI-powered images to the rise of visual search results. If you've been relying solely on text ads, it's time to invest in high-quality images and videos.

2. AI and Data Optimization: With AI Overviews and new AI Essentials recommendations on the horizon, ensure your website is well-optimized for Google's understanding. Leverage first-party data and optimize your Merchant Center feed to give Google's AI the information it needs to deliver the best results.

3. Transparency and Control: While Google talked about giving advertisers more control, the real focus seems to be on transparency. New features will offer more insights into PMax and Demand Gen campaigns, allowing you to make more informed decisions.

Your Google Ads Action Plan

• Test New Creative: Experiment with different image and video formats to see what resonates with your audience.
• Get Your Data House in Order: Optimize your website, leverage first-party data, and refine your Merchant Center feed to fuel Google's AI.
• Embrace Performance Max: Start testing PMax campaigns now to adapt to the changing landscape of Google Ads and stay ahead of potential deprecations.

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