Google launched a beta integration for Google Tag Gateway that lets advertisers deploy it through Google Cloud Platform (GCP) using a new one-click workflow inside Google Tag Manager and Google tag settings. What’s new. The GCP integration uses Google Cloud’s Global external Application Load Balancer to route tag traffic through an advertiser’s own first-party domain […]

Regulated industries have long faced heightened scrutiny in organic search. This is where “Your Money or Your Life” (YMYL) first took hold.  AI Overviews and LLMs like ChatGPT have intensified that scrutiny, expanding both the audience and the consequences.  Accuracy and credibility have always mattered for SEO success in regulated sectors, but in today’s AI-driven […]

Budgeting in paid search isn’t just about setting a daily number.  It requires understanding how platforms pace spend, the exceptions to those rules, and what changes when budgets are adjusted mid-month. Most PPC advertisers change budgets during the month and want to know how it will affect performance.  Enterprise advertisers add complexity, with fiscal cycles […]

Consumers are increasingly using AI tools — not Google — as their first source of information. This is driven by frustration with traditional search and rising expectations that AI will play a much larger role this year, according to a new report from Eight Oh Two, an SEO and PPC marketing agency. Why we care. […]

For years, OpenAI set the pace of the generative AI revolution with ChatGPT. Their partnership with Microsoft seemed unbeatable, coupling innovation and enterprise distribution. However, the lead they once held is now in the balance.  Faced with evidence that Google’s Gemini has not only caught up but surpassed capabilities in critical areas, OpenAI CEO Sam […]

The rules of search have changed. Marketing funnels aren’t meant to stall. You pour hours into creating content, refining workflows, optimizing landing pages, and protecting brand consistency. How can all that effort, content, and creativity go to waste? But your funnel feels it. The uncomfortable truth is that even the strongest funnel can’t save you […]

Starting in March 2026, Google Merchant Center will enforce a new system for multi-channel products — items sold both online and in physical stores — requiring advertisers to use separate product IDs when those products differ by channel. What’s changing. Under the new approach, online product attributes will become the default. If a product’s in-store […]

Google is updating its advertising policies to allow ads for Prediction Markets in the U.S. starting January 21st — but only for federally regulated entities. Who qualifies. Eligibility is limited to entities authorized by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) as Designated Contract Markets (DCMs) whose primary business is listing exchange-listed event contracts, or brokerages […]

Google introduced Creator Search, which allows advertisers to discover YouTube creators using keywords or channel handles, then narrow results by subscriber count, average views, location, and contact availability. The update significantly reduces the manual work involved in creator research and outreach. Alongside search, Google added a new Management section that centralizes creator communications. Advertisers can […]

The PPC landscape in 2025 shifted faster than ever, with updates arriving at a pace unmatched in the industry’s 20-year history. At SMX Next, a panel of industry experts broke down what’s working, what’s failing, and what advertisers should prepare for in 2026 and beyond. The state of PPC The panelists agreed that 2025 marked […]