Google Ads News for June 2025

Last Updated on: 24th June 2025, 03:06 pm

Welcome to this month’s Google Ads news roundup!

This month, we’ll focus on video ads in Search, click-focused bidding sneaking into Demand Gen, offline conversions shifting toward real-world intent, Commerce Media starting to make sense…and more!

Oh, and in case you’ve been losing sleep over iOS tracking, Google just handed you four new tools to clean up the data mess.

The Data Tug-of-War: Google Makes Moves, but You Still Need to Think for Yourself

If you’ve been wrangling with iOS conversion tracking or trying to get your server-side tagging sorted, Google’s just dropped four new tools to theoretically make your life easier.

What’s New?

Google Tag Gateway is an easier way to upgrade to server-side tagging without needing a developer with six hands and a spare weekend. Google now lets you route your tags through your own server. It means cleaner signals and fewer “Where did that lead come from?” moments.

They’re also adding confidential computing by default, which sounds like something out of a spy novel, but really just means your customer data is getting a privacy-first treatment, encrypted even while in use.

Here’s what else has been updated:

• New first-party data diagnostics: You can now diagnose issues in your first-party setup across Google Ads products. If your match rates are mysteriously tanking or Google’s AI isn’t behaving as it should, you might finally get some answers.
• On-device iOS measurement (with app event data): This update expands Google’s ability to use de-identified iOS app event data to track conversions on the device itself. These aren’t cookies, just signals from the actual app.
• Integrated conversion measurement via attribution partners: The glue that ties everything together. It lets you see real-time insights by combining all of the above through your third-party app attribution provider. 

Why This Google Ads News Matters

If you’re running campaigns on iOS or using any kind of app install/ad funnel, you’ve probably watched your data get blurrier over the past few years. These tools are part of Google’s attempt to fight that decay without stepping on Apple’s privacy landmines.

But let me be clear once again: tools are only as good as your understanding of what they’re tracking. Server-side tagging can help, but if your CRM and website are throwing mismatched signals, all you’ve done is route bad data more privately.

What to Do Next

• Start looking at server-side tagging if you haven’t already. Even if you’re not ready to implement, understanding what the Gateway does gives you leverage.
  
• Review your first-party data. The new diagnostics are only helpful if your inputs are clean.
  
• iOS app advertisers: Dig into the on-device event tracking model and check what your app partner supports. This is not an instant fix, but it’s a step toward regaining visibility.

Vital Google Ads News: You Are Getting Some Click Control Back

Here’s something I didn’t expect to say in 2025: Google has launched a click-based bidding strategy. Yes, really. It’s called Target CPC, and it just landed in Demand Gen campaigns.

What’s the New Target CPC Strategy About?

Target CPC is automated bidding, but with a cost ceiling. You tell Google the average amount you’re willing to pay per click (say, $10), and the system will adjust bids up or down in real time to hit that average. 

Some clicks might cost more, some less, but the goal is volume at your target price for a predictable spend.

Why This News Matters (and Why It’s Strange)

For campaigns that care about traffic more than post-click actions (e.g. upper-funnel, awareness, or content plays), this is a useful lever. It automates your bidding, but without handing over all control like Maximise Clicks does.

You can apply it at the campaign or ad group level. Ad group overrides campaign, so if you’ve got specific segments worth more (or less), now you can reflect that without going full manual.

But…

Click-based bidding is something we thought Google was burying…right?

There are no official comms from Google and no sightings in most UIs, though there is a help doc spotted by Jyll Saskin Gales, who’s as surprised as the rest of us:

Google launching a new click-based bid strategy would never have been on my 2025 Bingo card – I’m a conversion-based Smart Bidding proponent all the way. But still…

“Will Target CPC eventually replace Manual CPC?”

“Why is it only being tested in Demand Gen, and not Search?”

“How will performance compare to Maximise Clicks and Manual CPC?”

I’ll let you all know as soon as we get more information!

What to Do Next

If you’re running Demand Gen and need traffic over leads, it’s worth testing. Just don’t expect this to signal a broader shift back toward control.

Now let’s see if they let us use it elsewhere.

Google’s Getting Picky About Store Visits, and That’s Not a Bad Thing

On June 17, Google tweaked how PMax, Smart Campaigns, and Omnichannel Goals handle offline conversions like shop visits or in-person sales. Instead of chasing volume, it’s shifting gears to focus on higher-intent users, especially those engaging on Search and Maps.

What’s New?

Google’s putting more weight on local signals, such as people looking you up on Google Maps, searching “near me,” or looking around for directions. These are the users who are likely to show up in person, not just browse and bounce.

Why This Matters

The goal is fewer, but better, offline conversions. That means you might see:

• Lower total conversion counts
  
• Higher CPCs and cost-per-store-visit
  
• But better quality results that drive real-world revenue

What to Do Next

Google wants advertisers to adapt, and quickly:

• Loosen your Smart Bidding targets to give the system room to find the right people
  
• Expand your location coverage (cast a slightly wider net)
  
• Track more offline actions, like calls or requests for directions, instead of just physical foot traffic
  
• Dismiss ad schedule restrictions if you want full delivery
  
• Refresh your ad creative and add more Search themes

Will it hurt to see fewer conversions in the dashboard? Sure. But the ones that remain will be far more valuable if you’ve done your setup right.

Big Google Ads News: Video Ads in Search (Yes, Video Video)

Google’s been flirting with shoppable video for a while, but now they’ve made it official: Video ads are coming to Search, Image, and Shopping results, starting only in the U.S. and Canada.

What’s New?

These placements are part of PMax, and they’re aimed squarely at top-of-funnel discovery. Your video might show up when someone scrolls through Shopping for “birthday gift ideas.” 

The videos can appear in: the Search, Image Search, Google Shopping, and the Discover Feed – next to product carousels and under text ads.

Why This Matters

For years, videos lived on YouTube and in the Display land. Now, Google’s planting it right in the middle of high-intent real estate. That means earlier brand exposure before the click, even before comparison shopping starts.

And with this change baked into PMax, the machine can now match video to users based on signals like query type, shopping stage, and surface.

How to Make the Most of These Google Ads News

Google didn’t do this for the advertisers, by the way. They did it because TikTok, Pinterest, and Amazon are eating their lunch in terms of product discovery.

Still, if you’ve got strong, vertical-specific video content, this could be a smart new lever to pull as long as you don’t treat it like a TV spot. 

Keep it tight, product-focused, and keyword-aware. 

Google’s Commerce Media Expansion: Retail Media at Scale 

After teasing bits and pieces at Marketing Live, Google is now rolling out proper tools to help brands and retailers collaborate like grown-ups, with actual data, performance visibility, and multi-platform control through the Commerce Media suite.

What’s New?

• Performance Max meets retail media: Retail networks like Roundel can now measure online, app, and in-store sales directly in PMax via Search Ads 360.
  
• Beyond PMax: Google Ads now supports Search, Shopping, and Demand Gen campaigns under the Commerce Media umbrella.
  
• Catalogue sharing gets smarter: Marketplaces like Shopee, Rakuten, and Flipkart can now hand brands access to their product feeds (as in self-service). Better alignment and cleaner campaigns are on the horizon.
  
• YouTube joins the party: You can now scale retail media campaigns to YouTube via DV360, with shoppable inventory and commerce integrations.
  
• Product-level attribution: A new pilot program lets advertisers see which SKUs are driving sales, not just “Brand Campaign X did something.” This is huge for understanding media impact down to the category or product level.

Why This Matters

Retail media’s been growing, but in a fragmented way. If you’ve ever tried to run cross-platform campaigns with your retail partners, you know it’s a mess of disconnected data and vendor-specific platforms.

Google’s trying to fix that.

This rollout makes Commerce Media smarter, broader, and more brand-retailer friendly. It isn’t just for Amazon-style giants anymore. If you’re a brand selling through marketplaces or big box retailers, you now have better tools to work together and tie spend to real outcomes.

What to Do Next

Clean up your product feeds, start testing new placements, and (if you’re eligible) ask your Google accounts team about joining the beta program.

What Do June’s Changes Mean for Advertisers?

Clicks are back on the menu, offline conversions are being filtered for “quality”, and video is now everywhere – even in Search. If your campaigns haven’t evolved past static images and ROAS spreadsheets, it’s time.

But here’s a necessary reminder: new tools don’t equal better performance. Knowing when to lean in and when to hold back is still your job, not Google’s. They’ll keep throwing features at you. You have to decide which ones deserve your budget.

If you’re not sure where to start (or what to ignore), don’t stress. I’ve spent nearly two decades helping advertisers test these updates in the most profitable way. Interested? You know where to find me.

Or, if you’d rather go hands-on, grab Rapid Google Ads Success, my guide to setting up profitable campaigns that don’t rely on wishful thinking or Google’s ever-moving goalposts.

See you in July!