Google has rolled out several key updates to its Demand Gen campaign tools, allowing businesses to drive more meaningful engagement across YouTube, Google’s Discover feed, and Gmail. The changes are designed to give advertisers greater control over placements, improve creative options, and integrate advanced features aimed at improving performance, particularly for retail businesses.
One of the most notable updates is the expanded control over where ads are placed. Advertisers can now precisely select the platforms on which their ads will appear, whether on YouTube, Google Discover, or Gmail. Additionally, Google is tailoring these campaigns to cater to YouTube Shorts, providing a unique opportunity to engage with mobile-first audiences. With the growing popularity of short-form content, this feature aims to boost reach by capitalizing on YouTube’s rapidly expanding user base.
In a further push to widen ad reach, Google is integrating its video partners network into the Google Display Network. This move connects advertisers to a broader audience across more than three million websites and apps, vastly expanding campaign visibility. The expanded reach comes with enhanced video tools that allow advertisers to adapt their content to various formats with ease. Specifically, advertisers can now run 9:16 vertical image ads tailored for YouTube Shorts, enabling them to create more engaging content that resonates with mobile users.
Retailers also stand to benefit from the updates, as Google introduces product feeds for Demand Gen campaigns. This feature enables shoppers to directly access detailed product information through ads, making it easier for them to discover and engage with offerings. Local offers, another feature being rolled out, will provide real-time product availability, helping drive foot traffic to physical store locations and enhancing the overall shopping experience.
Google is also offering advertisers more transparency with the introduction of new reporting columns in Google Ads. This addition will provide businesses with clearer insights into campaign performance, enabling them to make better budget decisions and optimize their marketing efforts compared to traditional paid social campaigns.
Starting in April, Google plans to upgrade its Video Action Campaigns to Demand Gen, which will make the expanded features available to all advertisers. However, advertisers should be aware that new Video Action Campaigns will no longer be allowed, and the automatic upgrade process will begin in July. This change will allow businesses to leverage the full power of Demand Gen while maintaining their historical campaign settings and performance data.
With these enhancements, Google is positioning Demand Gen as an increasingly powerful tool for advertisers looking to optimize their marketing efforts across multiple platforms.
