Welcome to our monthly roundup of the latest pay-per-click advertising developments. This September edition covers significant developments from late August through early September 2025, featuring major advances in AI-powered fraud detection, enhanced targeting capabilities, and important policy updates across multiple advertising platforms.
AI-Powered Click Fraud Detection
Google has deployed large language models from its Ad Traffic Quality team, Google Research, and DeepMind to combat invalid traffic with unprecedented precision. The system targets bots, click farms, and deceptive placements using real-time analysis of app and web content, placements, and user behaviour patterns.
According to Google's official announcement, these AI models have already reduced dodgy clicks tied to deceptive practices by 40%. The technology operates before ads are served, analysing multiple signals to identify suspicious activity patterns that traditional detection methods might miss.
This advancement particularly benefits travel advertisers who face significant click fraud challenges due to high-value keywords and competitive bidding environments. Travel agencies often encounter CPCs exceeding £5-15 for competitive destinations, making invalid traffic especially costly. The improved fraud detection should enhance ROI for travel campaigns by eliminating waste from bot clicks originating from gaming applications and irrelevant forums where genuine travel booking intent is minimal.
Performance Max Gender Exclusions Beta
Google has begun testing gender exclusion capabilities within Performance Max campaigns, addressing a long-standing limitation in the platform's targeting precision. This development, initially mentioned in API v21 release notes and subsequently spotted in live accounts by industry specialists, represents a significant evolution in Performance Max targeting granularity.
Previously, Performance Max operated with limited demographic controls, often resulting in campaigns displaying gender-specific products to inappropriate audiences. The new exclusion functionality enables advertisers to prevent their advertisements from appearing to specific gender demographics, improving relevance and reducing wasted spend.
Enhanced Targeting for AI Max Search
Google has expanded Locations of Interest targeting specifically for AI Max for Search campaigns. This targeting capability allows advertisers to reach users based on places they've demonstrated interest in or visited, extending beyond traditional location-based parameters.
This enhancement proves valuable for travel businesses, enabling them to target users who've shown interest in specific destinations, reach people researching competitor locations, and capture audiences in extended travel planning phases before booking decisions occur. The capability addresses the unique nature of travel purchase behaviour, where research and booking can span weeks or months across multiple touchpoints.
eCommerce Cart Data Health Check
Google has introduced the Conversions with cart data diagnostics tool, providing eCommerce advertisers with comprehensive auditing capabilities for product-level conversion tracking. This diagnostic system examines data transmitted with each transaction, including item IDs, prices, and quantities, identifying discrepancies that could impact campaign performance.
The tool evaluates cart data completeness and accuracy, assigning grades from Excellent to Urgent based on data quality. It specifically checks for missing conversion attachments, incomplete product details, and ID mismatches with Merchant Centre listings.
Sitelinks Integration in Ad Strength Scoring
Performance Max ad strength calculations now officially incorporate sitelinks as a scoring component. This change, identified by PPC specialists monitoring asset group interfaces, upgrades sitelinks from optional enhancements to essential campaign elements.
The integration reflects Google's emphasis on comprehensive asset coverage within Performance Max campaigns. Ad strength scores directly influence campaign reach and performance potential, making sitelink implementation crucial for optimal campaign delivery.
Advertisers should ensure their Performance Max asset groups include relevant, conversion-focused sitelinks directing users to high-performing landing pages, seasonal promotions, or lead generation assets.
AI Max Search Experiments Launch
Google Ads has unveiled AI Max Experiments, a streamlined testing methodology for Search campaigns that eliminates the complexity of campaign duplication. This approach implements a 50/50 budget split within existing campaigns to evaluate AI Max features, including Search Term Matching and Asset Optimisation.
The new experimental framework addresses previous testing barriers where advertisers needed to create duplicate campaign structures, monitor multiple performance streams, and manage complex data interpretation. Results auto-apply by default, though advertisers retain manual override capabilities.
EU Political Advertising Restrictions
Google has implemented restrictions on political content within Shopping campaigns across European Union markets, effective September 2025. This policy adjustment affects how political advertisers utilise Google's Shopping infrastructure within EU territories, requiring alternative campaign approaches for political messaging.
The restriction aligns with broader regulatory requirements across European markets and reflects Google's ongoing adaptation to regional political advertising regulations. Advertisers promoting political content must explore Search, Display, or Video campaign alternatives within EU jurisdictions.
Google Ads API v21 Release
The latest API version introduces enhanced Performance Max search term insights and EU political advertising compliance fields, effective September 23, 2025. These updates provide developers with improved campaign management capabilities and ensure alignment with European regulatory requirements.
The API enhancement supports more granular Performance Max reporting whilst facilitating compliance with evolving political advertising regulations across different geographical markets.
Meta AI Video Translation Testing
Meta has begun testing automatic English-to-Spanish voiceover translation capabilities for video advertisements. This AI-powered functionality automatically generates Spanish audio tracks from English video content, potentially expanding reach across Hispanic audiences without requiring separate creative production.
The translation technology represents Meta's investment in multilingual advertising capabilities, addressing the growing demand for localised content across diverse audience segments whilst reducing production complexity for advertisers.
Connected TV Requirements Update
Google has announced new requirements for Connected TV and Digital Out-of-Home inventory monetisation, affecting how publishers and advertisers engage with these growing advertising channels. These requirements establish quality standards and compliance frameworks for CTV and DOOH advertising placements.
The policy updates reflect the maturation of Connected TV advertising and Google's commitment to maintaining inventory quality across emerging advertising formats.
Looking Ahead
The developments throughout September demonstrate the industry's continued evolution towards more sophisticated, AI-driven advertising solutions.
We'll be back in October with more key updates. Until then, keep testing and optimising.
