Google Ads is constantly evolving, with new features and updates being released all the time. In September and October 2023, there were a number of significant updates that advertisers should be aware of.
September 2023
Helpful content update: Google rolled out the September 2023 helpful content update, which aims to improve the ranking of high-quality content that is helpful to users. Advertisers should focus on creating content that is informative, engaging, and relevant to their target audience.
Shopping campaign Enhanced CPC deprecation: Google announced that it will be deprecating Enhanced CPC (eCPC) for Shopping campaigns in early October 2023. This means that advertisers who are currently using eCPC for their Shopping campaigns will need to switch to a different bidding strategy, such as Manual CPC or Target ROAS.
October 2023
Spam update: Google rolled out the October 2023 spam update, which aims to reduce the visibility of spam in search results. Advertisers should make sure that their ads and landing pages are compliant with Google's advertising policies.
Broad core update: Google released the October 2023 broad core update, which is a major update to Google's search algorithm. Broad core updates can have a significant impact on the ranking of websites in search results, so it is important for advertisers to monitor their performance and make adjustments as needed.
Other updates
In addition to the major updates listed above, there were a number of other minor updates to Google Ads in September and October 2023. These include:
New Google Analytics audiences and metrics: Google Ads advertisers can now access new Google Analytics audiences and metrics, such as website visitors who have made a purchase or signed up for a newsletter. This can help advertisers to better target their campaigns and measure their results.
Third-party cookie sunsetting postponed to 2024: Google has postponed the sunsetting of third-party cookies to 2024. This gives advertisers more time to prepare for a future without third-party cookies.
Say goodbye to Similar Audiences: Google Similar Audiences will be discontinued in March 2024. Advertisers should start planning to use alternative targeting methods, such as Custom Audiences and In-Market Audiences.
Performance Max expands to Smart Shopping and Local campaigns: Performance Max, a new campaign type that uses machine learning to optimize for conversions across Google channels, is now available for Smart Shopping and Local campaigns.
Conclusion
Advertisers should be aware of the new Google Ads updates that were released in September and October 2023. These updates can have a significant impact on the performance of Google Ads campaigns. Advertisers should review their campaigns and make adjustments as needed to ensure that they are compliant with Google's policies and best practices.