Welcome to our monthly roundup of the latest PPC advertising news and updates. August 2025 has brought significant developments across both Google Ads and Microsoft Advertising platforms, with a particular focus on AI-powered features, brand safety controls, and enhanced targeting capabilities.
Performance Max Brand Guidelines Migration
Google has started notifying advertisers about updating brand guidelines within their Performance Max campaigns, following a structural shift to campaign-level management.
This brand guidelines restructure reflects Google's strategy to centralise brand management by relocating controls from individual asset groups to the campaign level. Advertisers should examine their campaign settings and incorporate comprehensive brand elements like colour schemes and typography to maintain creative consistency throughout Google's advertising network.
This update provides advertisers with better control over how their brand appears across Performance Max campaigns, reducing the complexity of managing brand consistency at multiple levels within the campaign structure.
AI Max Experiments Launch
New settings for experiment testing AI Max capabilities in Search campaigns have been introduced by Google Ads. This approach differs from traditional testing methods by operating within existing campaigns rather than creating duplicates, implementing an equal budget distribution to deliver quicker, statistically significant insights.
These AI Max testing tools automatically activate Search Term Matching and Asset Optimization across the campaign, whilst allowing granular adjustments at both campaign and ad group tiers. The system defaults to implementing successful results automatically, though advertisers can modify this behaviour through manual settings.
Enhanced Targeting for AI Max Search
Google has rolled out Locations of Interest targeting specifically for AI Max for Search campaigns. This new targeting option allows advertisers to reach users based on places they've shown interest in or visited, expanding the targeting capabilities beyond traditional location-based parameters. This change provides advertisers with better location targeting options, particularly valuable for businesses looking to reach audiences based on their demonstrated interest in specific locations rather than just their current or home locations.
Premium Streaming Campaigns Launch
A new addition to Microsoft's advertising portfolio has emerged with Premium Streaming campaigns, enabling advertisers to place high-quality video content across premier streaming services including Netflix, Roku, Paramount, LG, Samsung, and Rakuten.
The Premium Streaming platform operates on a quality-based placement system with three distinct tiers:
- Standard tier: Basic requirements for entry-level placements
- Enhanced tier: Superior quality standards accessing broader placement opportunities
- Premium tier: Top-specification content eligible for all premium inventory positions
This strategic move positions Microsoft within the Connected TV landscape, providing access to brand-secure, high-quality video placements across multiple device categories including smart televisions, mobile platforms, desktop computers, tablets, and gaming systems.
Unified Website Exclusion Lists
Microsoft has introduced centralised website exclusion management that covers both Audience and Search advertising formats, streamlining brand protection and performance monitoring.
The new consolidated exclusion system supports up to 100 individual lists per account, each containing as many as 10,000 excluded domains. Campaign application can be done through simplified account and manager controls located in the Content suitability section.
Whilst ad group exclusions remain available, Microsoft now recommends managing exclusions at the campaign level for improved consistency.
Meta Ads Value Rules Launch
Meta has introduced 'Value Rules' functionality, allowing advertisers to modify bidding strategies based on audience demographics including age ranges, gender, geographical location, and mobile operating systems. The system accommodates up to 10 rules with dual criteria each, designed to optimise conversions through strategic bid adjustments for preferred audience segments.
When multiple rules could apply to the same user, only the first matching rule takes effect, making rule sequencing a critical strategic consideration for campaign success.
This feature provides granular bid control for specific demographic segments, allowing advertisers to increase bids for high-value audiences whilst reducing spend on less profitable segments. The functionality represents a significant step towards more sophisticated audience-based bidding strategies within Meta's advertising ecosystem.
LinkedIn Expands B2B Advertising Options
LinkedIn has unveiled First Impression Ads alongside expanded Connected TV advertising capabilities to strengthen B2B video marketing opportunities. Additionally, the platform has implemented Company Attribution within Revenue Attribution Reports to enhance measurement of B2B advertising effectiveness.
Looking Ahead
August’s news keep showing the continued evolution of AI-powered advertising features, with both Google and Microsoft improving their automation capabilities whilst providing advertisers with greater control and transparency. The expansion into Connected TV and streaming environments, as per Microsoft's Premium Streaming campaigns, signals the industry's shift towards omnichannel advertising approaches.
Stay tuned for September’s PPC news round-up, with more automation, diagnostics, and creative tools on the horizon!
