Google’s AI Max for Search campaigns is changing how we run search ads.  Launched in private beta as Search Max, the feature began rolling out globally in late May, with full availability expected by early Q3 2025.  But will AI Max actually drive incremental growth or simply take credit for conversions your existing setup would […]

Google AI Mode is getting more visual by providing a more graphical response to some of your queries, including your shopping search queries. Google can do this by using its new visual version of the query fan-out technique it has used with AI Overviews and AI Mode. Google AI Mode, for certain queries, particularly those […]

Pinterest is rolling out Top of Search ads, a new ad format that places brands directly in the first 10 slots of search results and Related Pins, where nearly half of user clicks occur. Shopping on Pinterest is inherently visual, and most searches on the platform (96%) are unbranded according to Pinterest. That makes the […]

OpenAI is launching Instant Checkout inside ChatGPT to Plus, Pro, and Free users in the U.S. Users will be able to buy products from Etsy sellers. Purchases are powered by the new Agentic Commerce Protocol (ACP), co-developed with Stripe. How it works. Users search in plain language (e.g., “gifts for a ceramics lover”). Then: ChatGPT […]

TikTok is introducing a new ad solution, Travel Ads powered by Smart+, designed to help brands connect with travelers during the discovery and booking phases. Why now. Travel is one of TikTok’s fastest-growing verticals. According to internal TikTok data: 66% of users say the app is their most helpful source of travel inspiration. Users are […]

In episode 325 of PPC Live The Podcast, I sat down with Inderpaul “Indi” Rai, group account director at WeDiscover, to explore the lessons learned from mistakes, team dynamics, and the evolving role of automation and AI in paid search. Indi, a veteran with over a decade of experience in AdTech, MarTech, SEO, analytics, and […]

You can now pull Pinterest cost, click, and impression data directly into Google Analytics via Pinterest Ads Data Import. Why we care. Bringing Pinterest Ads data into Analytics gives advertisers a unified view of performance across channels. But mismanaging imports can lead to duplicate or inaccurate reporting. How it works. When you set up a […]

Google Search Labs has a new experiment you can opt into that turns on some Agentic capabilities within AI Mode. This allows Google to help you make a reservation at a restaurant and will soon give you the ability to book local service appointments and event tickets. Agentic capabilities in AI Mode. The new labs […]

Crawl waste – basically, cluttering your crawlable content with tons of non-indexed pages – is one of the most insidious SEO pitfalls. We know (because we do it all the time for my agency’s clients) that reducing the number of non-indexed pages and highlighting richer, authoritative content is a factor in improving rankings and visibility […]