SEO Tools and Resources

Google started placing ads inside chat conversations with some third-party AI assistants, according to a Bloomberg report, marking another step in its push to monetize AI-powered search alternatives. Driving the news. Google’s AdSense network — traditionally used for placing ads in search results and across websites — is now running ads within chatbot interactions, according to people familiar with the rollout. The company reportedly began testing the feature earlier this year with conversational AI search startups iAsk and Liner. A Google spokesperson confirmed that AdSense is available “for websites that want to show relevant ads in their conversational AI e…

A new creative feature has been spotted inside Google Ads Performance Max campaigns — and it could change how advertisers without video budgets approach animated display advertising. What was found. Vice President of Search at JumpFly, Inc. Nikki Kuhlman spotted an option to generate animated video clips directly within PMax asset groups, using AI to enhance and animate a single source image. How it works. Upload a source image — a logo, a product shot, a property photo AI generates several “enhanced” versions of that image Each enhanced image produces two animated clips Select up to five animated clips per asset group Note: faces cannot be us…

Google is beta testing Creator Partnerships in Google Ads. This new feature lets advertisers find and promote high-quality YouTube Shorts featuring their brand. How it works: Advertisers can discover Shorts videos from YouTube creators that mention their brand or products. The feature is powered by BrandConnect, Google’s creator marketing platform. Once enabled, Creator Partnerships can be accessed under the Tools section in the Google Ads interface. Why we care. This tool enables brands to leverage user-generated content (UGC) and creator collaborations more effectively, potentially boosting ad performance and reach. Between the lines. This move al…

A quiet but important policy update is coming to Google Shopping ads next month, requiring some merchants to verify their accounts before running ads featuring political content. What’s changing. From April 16, merchants running Shopping ads with certain political content in nine countries will need to verify their Google Ads account as an election advertiser. Google will also outright prohibit some political Shopping ads in India. The countries affected. Argentina, Australia, Chile, Israel, Mexico, New Zealand, South Africa, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Why we care. Shopping ads aren’t typically associated with political advertising — this updat…

As of a few days ago, Google now allows advertisers to use fingerprinting to track users across devices and websites, collecting data points like IP addresses, operating system details, and screen resolution. Why we care. Google’s decision to permit fingerprinting, a powerful user-tracking technique it banned in 2019, raises significant privacy concerns and has already drawn regulatory scrutiny. By allowing fingerprinting, Google gives advertisers a powerful way to track users across devices without relying on cookies, potentially improving ad personalization and attribution. However, the move also raises legal and ethical concerns, as regulators, especially in th…

Advertisers can now compare two sets of assets while keeping “common assets” consistent across both versions. Tests can be set up from the Experiments page under the Assets sub-menu, allowing marketers to see which creative combinations perform best. Google previously launched a similar experiment type for retail campaigns last year, and this expands the capability to all Performance Max campaigns. Why we care. Performance Max campaigns rely heavily on automation, which has historically made testing specific creative assets tricky. This new feature gives advertisers more control over asset-level performance insights without disrupting the overall campaign. Th…

As AI agents reshape how advertising platforms are used, Google is bringing focus toward the developers behind the systems and create content specifically for them. What’s happening. Google’s Advertising and Measurement Developer Relations team has launched Ads DevCast, a bi-weekly vodcast and podcast hosted by Cory Liseno. The show focuses on technical deep dives across Google Ads, Google Analytics, Display & Video 360 and related tools. Zoom out. This is a companion to Ads Decoded, hosted by Google Ads Liaison Ginny Marvin, which focuses on campaign strategy. Ads DevCast is explicitly built for developers and technical practitioners. Driving the news. E…

Google AI Mode is now available to all U.S. searchers without having to opt into it within Search Labs. When Google announced AI Mode in March, it was only available to U.S. users to opt into via Search Labs, now you no longer need to opt into it. A new tab for AI Mode will appear under the search bar on Google.com and in the Google Search apps for US searches this week. Google did say recently they have begun testing AI Mode in the wild, without opting into it. But starting today, as announced at Google I/O, AI Mode in the US no longer needs you to opt in to see it. AI Mode has “graduated” Search Labs. Google’s CEO, Sundar Pichai, said at Google I/O that AI…

Google is introducing new Merchant Center tools designed to help retailers improve visibility across AI-powered shopping experiences as announced today at Google Marketing Live 2026. Driving the news. The company announced AI Performance Insights, a new reporting feature that helps merchants understand how their brand performs across AI surfaces. The tool compares a brand’s share of voice against similar competitors and provides visibility into AI-driven discovery performance. Google is also rolling out Conversational Attributes, a new product data capability that helps retailers optimize listings for more natural, conversational search behavior. How it wo…

Google is rolling out two new AI-powered assistants — Ads Advisor and Analytics Advisor — built on its latest Gemini models to help advertisers manage campaigns and uncover insights faster. The tools, which begin rolling out to all English-language Google Ads and Google Analytics accounts in early December, are designed to turn complex campaign management and data analysis into simple, conversational experiences. Ads Advisor: optimization and automation in one place. Ads Advisor serves as an in-platform AI partner that helps advertisers manage, troubleshoot, and scale their campaigns. It learns from user interactions to deliver increasingly personalized …

Google is introducing Ask Advisor, a new Gemini-powered AI collaborator designed to work across Google Ads, Google Analytics, Merchant Center and Google Marketing Platform as announced today at Google Marketing Live 2026. Driving the news. Ask Advisor acts as a unified agent that connects insights, workflows and recommendations across Google’s marketing ecosystem. According to Google, the tool can help marketers launch campaigns, analyze performance and surface optimization recommendations without needing to switch between products. For example, a marketer could ask Ask Advisor to “find new customers for my hair care products,” and the system would automatical…

Google today rolled out a new feature that automatically uses businesses’ marketing content to enhance their visibility across Google products. All merchants will be automatically enrolled in the marketing content usage program. You can opt out at any time through Merchant Center settings. How it works. Google will extract marketing information in two ways: Automatic signup to businesses’ marketing communications. Direct submission when merchants add Google’s dedicated email address (marketingemailtogoog@gmail.com) to their marketing lists. Why we care. Google can now extract and display information about your promotions, new products, and social media…

Google is rolling out a new Data Manager API designed to help advertisers more easily connect their first-party data to Google’s AI-powered ad tools — aiming to boost measurement, targeting and performance without the complexity of juggling multiple systems. Why we care. The Data Manager API makes it easier to feed high-quality first-party data into Google’s AI, which directly improves targeting, measurement, and bidding performance. By replacing multiple APIs with one streamlined connection, it reduces engineering work and speeds up how quickly insights flow back into campaigns. As cookies fade, this becomes a key tool for getting better results from the data adverti…

Google is making Merchant Center for Agencies generally available in the U.S. and Canada today — giving agency teams a single login to manage, monitor, and optimize merchant clients at scale. What’s included: A unified dashboard for managing all client accounts from a single login Proactive diagnostics that surface critical alerts across the portfolio Merchandising-based opportunity tools to identify performance improvements feeding directly into Google Ads. Why we care. Managing multiple merchant accounts across Google’s ecosystem has historically meant jumping between logins and dashboards. Having it all surfaced in one place means problems …

Google is consolidating its advertising and measurement resources into a single destination, aiming to make it easier for developers and technical marketers to build, automate and scale campaigns. What’s happening. Google has introduced a new Advertising and Measurement Developers Hub, a centralized site designed to help users access tools, documentation and support across its ad ecosystem. The hub brings together resources for products like the Google Ads API, Google Analytics and publisher tools such as AdMob and Google Ad Manager, all organized into categories including advertising, tagging and measurement. How it works. The site offers a streamlined homep…

Google Ads launched four new tools to help improve first-party data use and better measure app performance – especially in the face of evolving privacy standards and complex user journeys. Driving the news. Google today announced a slate of updates aimed at strengthening measurement and data capabilities: Google tag gateway for advertisers: A simplified way to upgrade tags so they serve from the advertiser’s own server, improving signal reliability and data control. Google plans to add confidential computing by default for enhanced security and transparency. New diagnostics for data quality: You can now access diagnostics across Google Ads products to t…

Google is rolling out new more visibile links within AI Overviews and AI Mode. These new link cards appear in a pop-up window when you hover over them on desktop. They also show more prominent details about the website. Google was testing these earlier and now this new style is live. What it looks like. Here is a screenshot of these new link pop up menus on hover: What Google said. Google’s Robby Stein posted on X saying: “New on Search: In AI Overviews and AI Mode, groups of links will automatically appear in a pop-up as you hover over them on desktop, so you can jump right into a website to learn more. And we’ll show more descriptive and prominent…

Google is releasing the Google Ads API Developer Assistant v1.0, a new Gemini CLI extension that lets developers interact with the Ads API using natural language — turning plain-English prompts into answers, code, and even live API calls. How it works: The assistant sits inside the Gemini CLI and uses project context from GEMINI.md and configuration files to generate accurate code based on the user’s environment. Ask a question — for example, “How do I filter by date in GAQL?” — and it delivers instant guidance. Describe a task — “Show me campaigns with the most conversions in the last 30 days” — and it outputs both the GAQL query and a complete Python script aligned …

Google is launching Scenario Planner, a no-code tool that lets you test budget scenarios and forecast ROI using its Meridian marketing mix model without needing data science expertise. What’s new. Scenario Planner turns complex MMM outputs into actionable marketing insights: Intuitive, code-free interface: You can test different budget allocations and view ROI estimates without writing any code. Forward-looking planning: The tool lets you simulate investment scenarios and stress-test strategies, moving beyond retrospective reporting. Digestible insights: Technical model outputs are visualized in clear, easy-to-understand formats so you can leverage them for…

Google today unveiled the Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP), an open standard that lets AI agents work across the entire shopping journey, from discovery to purchase to post-sale support. Additionally, Google is introducing new AI tools for retailers, including branded shopping agents and ad formats optimized for AI-driven discovery. About UCP. UCP establishes a shared language between AI agents and commerce systems, removing the need for custom integrations across agents or platforms. UCP works with existing standards (e.g., Agent2Agent, Agent Payments Protocol, and Model Context Protocol). Google co-developed it with partners including Shopify, Etsy, W…

Google is rolling out VRC Non-Skip ads, expanding how brands reach connected TV audiences on YouTube. What’s happening. VRC (Video Reach Campaign) Non-Skips are now live globally in Google Ads and Display & Video 360. The format is built specifically for the living room experience, ensuring ads run as non-skippable placements optimized for connected TV (CTV) screens. Why we care. YouTube has become the No. 1 streaming platform in the U.S. for three consecutive years, making the TV screen a critical battleground for brand budgets. With guaranteed, non-skippable delivery, advertisers can ensure their full message reaches viewers in premium, lean-back environment…

Less than 1% of views of YouTube videos come from Google search clicks, according to a member of Google’s legal team. The quote. Here’s what Attorney John Schmidtlein said, according to Courthouse News Service: “Roughly less than 1% of views on YouTube come from people who click on [search] links,” Attorney John Schmidtlein of Williams & Connolly, who represented Google, said in court. Why we care. This is the first time this statistic has been revealed publicly, as far as I know. It might be 100% true. The majority of people likely discover and view videos directly on YouTube, either via YouTube search or YouTube’s recommendation algorithm. But. Go…

Google is leaving the door open to advertising in its Gemini AI app, with a senior executive telling WIRED the company is “not ruling them out” — a notable shift from the flat denials made just months ago. What’s changed: In January, Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis told reporters at Davos that Google had no plans to put ads in Gemini. Now, SVP Nick Fox is saying otherwise — noting that learnings from ads in AI Mode will “likely carry over” to Gemini down the road. The current strategy. Rather than rushing into Gemini, Google is using AI Mode — its Gemini-powered Search product — as a testing ground for ad formats in AI experiences. Ads are kept separate fr…

Google is now letting searchers build their own apps directly into Google Search. This enables searchers to set up a search feature that delivers the information they need, in the format they want, from the sources they want. Liz Reid, the head of Google Search, announced at Google I/O, “Search can build the ideal response, in the right format for your question – completely on the fly. So you can get custom generative Ul, including visual tools and simulations, tailored precisely to your needs.” Examples. Here are a few examples of what you can code yourself into Google Search: (1) Whether you want to wrap your mind around astrophysics or visualize how your …

Google has updated two of its help documents to explain the limits of Googlebot when it crawls. Specifically, how much Googlebot can consume by filetype and format. The limits. The limits, some of which were documented already and are not new, include: 15MB for web pages: Google wrote, “By default, Google’s crawlers and fetchers only crawl the first 15MB of a file.” 64MB for PDF files: Google wrote, “When crawling for Google Search, Googlebot crawls the first 2MB of a supported file type, and the first 64MB of a PDF file.” 2MB for supported files types: Google wrote, “When crawling for Google Search, Googlebot crawls the first 2MB of a supported file type,…