Google Ads and Meta Ads News Roundup For September 2024

Last Updated on: 5th November 2024, 07:33 am

It’s that time again – our monthly roundup of the latest PPC updates in Google Ads, Meta Ads, and, when there’s news, LinkedIn Ads. 

It’s another quiet month for LinkedIn Ads, with no major news to report. But don’t worry, Google Ads has been quite busy. Meta Ads brought us two solid updates worth paying attention to, but we’ve tripled down on Google Ads this month (and I’m not complaining).

Let’s look at what’s changed and how it can impact your strategy!

Google Ads News for September 2024

Advanced Performance Planner for YouTube Campaigns

Google Ads just came out with something special for YouTube campaigns: advanced Performance Planner plans. These updates are geared towards optimising both Action and Awareness goals through more tailored strategies, including Demand Gen campaigns.

This tool is now more powerful than ever for syncing your YouTube campaigns with your overall marketing goals, whether you’re hunting for conversions or building up your brand’s visibility. It lets you customise everything from budget and ad formats to buying methods and campaign objectives.

Now here’s a tip: When running Demand Gen campaigns, Google’s estimates assume you’re using a combo of image and video creatives. Take advantage of this mix to give your campaign more versatility and impact. 

What Works in Google Ads Ad Copy for 2024

Optmyzr, a PPC management and optimisation platform, recently analysed over 1 million ads, and the results might surprise you. 

We know how critical great ad copy is, but it’s also one of the hardest things to optimise. Every year, the rules seem to change, and what worked last year might wane now. Optmyzr’s research is key because it gives us fresh data-backed insights into what’s actually driving performance, and not what we think should work.

According to data from Search Engine Land:

• Over 22,000 accounts analysed, with at least $1,500 in monthly spend.
• 1 million ads reviewed across RSAs, ETAs, and Demand Gen.
• Metrics like CPA, CTR, and ROAS were all studied to see what’s really making an impact.

Key Findings

• Google’s Ad Strength metric is supposed to guide us, but here’s an interesting find: ads with “average” Ad Strength actually performed better in terms of CPA, conversion rates, and ROAS than those with “excellent” Ad Strength. Don’t worry if you can’t get that “Excellent” rating. Focus on ad copy that truly resonates with your audience and delivers results. Revenue numbers over ratings, every time!
• Pinning assets is always a hot topic. Optmyzr’s findings show that “some pinning” works best for cost metrics like CPA and ROAS, but fully pinned ads had slightly higher CTRs.So go for a balanced approach, and pin where you need creative control.
• The title vs. sentence case debate has been going on for ages now. Optmyzr’s research has settled it (for now) by showing that sentence case actually outperforms title case in most key metrics, particularly for RSAs and Demand Gen ads. The findings show shorter headlines outperformed longer ones, while longer descriptions had a slight edge, but not by much. So don’t get caught up in maxing out character counts. Focus on compelling messaging.

Ditch the old habits that aren’t pulling their weight, and focus on what’s proven to work!

4 Brand New Google Performance Max Updates

Google has just introduced a fresh set of updates to Performance Max, designed to give advertisers deeper insights and more streamlined reporting, so you can optimise your campaigns and creative assets with even more precision.

Creative Reporting Overhaul in 2024 Performance Max Ads News

Now, you’ll be able to track conversion metrics for each individual asset within your Performance Max campaigns. Even better – you’ll get custom recommendations, like adding new headlines or tweaking images, to help push those weaker assets over the edge.

Use these insights to trim the fat in your campaigns and focus on high-performing creatives while systematically replacing or improving assets that aren’t doing their job.

All-in-One Performance Insights

No more bouncing between multiple reports to figure out why your campaign performance fluctuated. Google’s integrating all the key insights, explanations, and recommendations into a single dashboard. So you can spot issues faster, implement changes sooner, and watch your campaign performance improve in real time.

Target Pacing Insights

This new feature allows you to track if your campaigns are hitting your CPA and ROAS targets, with a clearer breakdown of why you might be underperforming. 

Whether it’s market changes, budget constraints, or other factors, you’ll know exactly what’s holding you back.

Impression Share Reporting

For the first time in Performance Max, you’ll now see how your text and Shopping ads are performing in search results. 

Keep a close eye on impression share, especially in competitive markets. If you notice a drop, it could be time to rethink your bidding strategy or ad quality.

Just a heads-up that asset-level reporting will be available by the end of the month, with all other updates ready for use now.

Meta Ads News for September 2024

Meta’s New Ad Tools for the Holidays

Get ready for the holiday rush! Meta has just released new advertising tools, powered by AI, that could give you the edge you need. 

Promo Features

Meta is testing exciting new ad formats that highlight promotions, first-time purchase offers, and personalised discounts. These formats are integrated into Facebook and Instagram Reels, making it incredibly easy to apply promo codes and boost conversions.

So, if you’ve been waiting for the right moment to experiment with Reels ads, this is it! Short-form video is where the attention is, so start planning your holiday offers and make them interactive and visually engaging.

Reminder Ads

Reminder ads are now live, letting you retarget shoppers with friendly reminders about upcoming sales or events. These are perfect for in-app purchases and keeping your audience engaged, especially when holiday sales are in full swing.

You can use reminder ads to create a sense of urgency. Countdown timers, limited-time offers, and exclusive events can gently nudge hesitant buyers towards the “yes.” 

Multi-Landing Page Capabilities in Facebook Ads News

You can now link multiple landing pages to a single ad, which is perfect for businesses with a variety of products to showcase. You can use this feature to guide different audience segments toward the most relevant product pages. 

The easier you make it for shoppers to find what they’re looking for, the better your chances of turning clicks into sales!

Use promo-focused ads to grab attention, reminder ads to keep people engaged, and multiple landing pages to boost relevance and ease of shopping. Start testing now, and let me know how it works for you!

Meta Ads News on Data Restrictions for Business Tools

Big changes are coming to Meta’s Business Tools that could impact your ad targeting and reporting. 

In their latest privacy push, Meta is tightening up the data advertisers can use, which could mean a few headaches for those of us relying on highly targeted UTMs and custom audiences.

While privacy is a good thing for users…it’s not always smooth sailing for advertisers. I’m being totally honest, as these new restrictions could lead to paused ads, reduced visibility, and more limited tracking options.

If you’re running campaigns that rely on super-granular targeting or specific URL parameters, you’ll want to listen up. Here’s what’s changing:

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​URL and UTM Restrictions

Meta Ads will now automatically restrict certain URL parts and custom parameters. 

If you’re using highly targeted UTMs, this might result in ads being paused, so review your ad sets ASAP. If you’ve been relying heavily on UTMs for tracking or targeting, look for alternative ways to track performance, like campaign-specific landing pages or focusing on first-party data collection.

Custom Audiences and Ad Set Pauses

Custom audiences that depend on these restricted parameters could be affected, which may lead to certain ad sets being paused unexpectedly. Revisit your custom audiences and ensure they aren’t overly dependent on URL paths or device targeting rules. Diversifying your audience strategies could help reduce the impact.

And speaking of reducing…

Reduced Reporting in Events Manager

Visibility in Events Manager will be scaled back, making it harder to track user behaviour as granularly as before. If your reporting relies heavily on the Events Manager, try using a broader approach to performance tracking, like more holistic KPIs, to get around this reduced visibility.

Review all your custom audiences and any UTMs you’re using to ensure they align with these new restrictions. And more importantly, if you’re a Meta Ads professional like me, start communicating with your stakeholders about possible changes in reporting and ad performance.

What Can We Take Away From This Month’s Google and Meta Ads Updates?

This month, it’s clear Google is once again prioritising improvement in efficiency and insights. Meanwhile, Meta is tightening privacy and precision targeting.

Even though all these updates are crucial to keep in mind, there’s something important you should focus on: while updates can be unpredictable, you still have control over your audience and strategy.

Yes, audiences can change over time – maybe their pain points shift, or they start expecting different solutions – but you can adapt to those changes. 

Unlike with platform updates, you get to actively shape how you approach your audience, where you find them, and what messages resonate with them. Focusing on what you can control keeps your campaigns steady, no matter how Google or Meta tweak their system.

What are your thoughts? Will these updates help or hinder your current campaigns?

In the meantime, why not grab a copy of my book, Achieve Rapid Google Ads Success in 7 Simple Steps, and keep fine-tuning your strategy? Plus, if you need any help with your Google, Meta, or LinkedIn Ads, my team and I are here to help!