Google Ads Now Bids Up to 5x More for New Customers
Google now lets you bid 1.1x to 5x more for predicted new customers, scaled to cart size. Who it helps, what it needs, what to do first.
Insights
The Shepherd's Blog
Meta Turns On Product Browsing Oct 28: Opt Out Now
Meta turns product browsing on for your existing Facebook and Instagram ads on October 28, 2026. What changes, and how to opt out in time.
AI Overviews Now Hit 88% of Buying Searches
Semrush found AI Overviews on 88% of 400 US commercial keywords by August 2026, up from 46%. Here is what small-business owners should fix now.
Google Starts Pulling Images From Your Site Dec 4
From December 4, 2026, new Performance Max campaigns pull images from your website by default. Google's account-level switch won't stop it.
Canadian Finance Ads Will Need Licence Proof in 2027
Google will require Canadian financial advertisers to prove regulator authorization before running finance ads, starting in early 2027.
Meta’s New Ad Formats: Do Small Budgets Need Them?
Meta's new Super Burst and First Impression ads are reach buys for big brands. On $500–$10k a month, skip them and use Reels Trending Ads instead.
Why ChatGPT Traffic Now Shows as Direct in GA4
Your ChatGPT traffic didn't drop. ChatGPT stopped passing tracking data in October 2026, so those visits now land in analytics as direct.
Google Now Cuts Demand Gen Costs for Up to 60 Days
Google now reduces eligible Demand Gen costs for up to 60 days when campaigns miss its forecast. Here is who qualifies and what to check.
Meta Turns On Product Browsing in Your Ads Oct 28
Meta switches product browsing on for your existing Facebook and Instagram ads on October 28, 2026. Here is how to opt out per ad.
Google’s AI Answers Now Link Out More: What to Do
Google added more links, an official-site section and news carousels to AI Mode and AI Overviews on Oct 15, 2026. Here is what owners should do.
Google Ads Now Lets You Cap Display and Partner Spend
Google Ads now lets you mark Search partners and Display as low priority and cap the share of your daily budget they can spend.
Meta Took Away Ad Placement Controls: What Now?
Meta removed ad set placement exclusions in August 2026. You can now bid a placement down 90% but not switch it off. Here is how to keep control.
Is AI Search Sending You Customers? How to Check
Search Console's AI report shows how often Google's AI features showed your site: impressions only, no clicks. Here is how to read it properly.
Performance Max or Search: Which Should You Run?
Run Search first. Performance Max only pays off once you have steady conversion data, brand exclusions applied and budget enough for it to learn.
Meta’s New AI Ad Tools: What’s Actually Live Now
Meta announced new AI ad tools on 6 October 2026. Only two are live for every advertiser: Customer Lifecycle Strategy and Advantage+ video from static.
Google Spam Update Done: Is Your Blog at Risk?
Google's September 2026 spam update ended 8 October after 13 days. Manual penalties for thin, mass-produced blog content are rising.
Google Ads Can Now Set ROAS Targets From Your Margin
Google Ads is testing a calculator that turns your profit margin into a Target ROAS. A 15% margin means a 667% breakeven target.
AI Agents Are Building Ads. Who’s Checking Them?
AI agents built 17.5% of Meta ad batches in September 2026. Here is what owners should ask their agency before agents touch the account.
How Much Should You Spend on Facebook Ads in 2026?
Most small businesses need $1,500-$3,000 a month on Facebook ads. Here is how to size your budget from your cost per lead, not a benchmark.
Google AI Now Answers 8 in 10 Searches for Your Name
AI Overviews hit ~80% of branded searches by late Sept 2026, up from 26%. What that means when a customer Googles your business name.
Google Ads Auto-Adds Website Promos From Oct 12
Google Ads starts pulling offers off your website into Search and Performance Max ads on Oct 12, 2026. It is on by default. Here is how to control it.
Why Meta’s Cheap Leads Don’t Show Up in Your Sales
Meta optimises for the event you send it. Send only form fills and it finds form fillers. Send qualified leads back and cost per sale drops.
Google: Fact-Check Your AI Content Before Publishing
Google now says to manually fact-check all AI-generated content before publishing, including titles, meta descriptions, structured data and alt text.
Google Ads Dropped Language Targeting. Now What?
Google Ads removed campaign language targeting in September 2026. Language now comes from your ad copy, landing page and the searcher's settings.
ChatGPT Ads Hit $1B: Worth It for Small Business?
ChatGPT Ads hit a $1B annualized run rate in 2026, but it is still an incremental channel. Here is how much a small business should test.
Threads Ads Without Instagram: Should You Bother?
Meta now lets businesses run Threads ads with no Instagram profile. For most local advertisers, Facebook and Instagram still deserve the budget.
Why Is My Google Maps Pin in the Middle of the Ocean?
Google is placing ocean map pins on some service area business profiles. How to check yours today, and why you should not unhide your address.
Did Google Ads Switch You to AI Max in September?
Google auto-migrated broad match and auto-created-asset Search campaigns to AI Max in September 2026. Here's what changed and what to check.
Meta’s 250-Ad Page Limit Is Quietly Disappearing
Meta appears to have dropped its 250-ad Page cap for accounts under $100,000 a month. It is unconfirmed, and more ads will not cut your cost per lead.
Google’s September 2026 Spam Update: What to Check
Google's September 2026 spam update began rolling out Sept 24 and may take up to two weeks. What small-business owners should check first.
Google Ads AI Max Migration: Dates and What to Do
Google auto-upgraded broad match and ACA campaigns to AI Max in September 2026. Dynamic Search Ads migrate February 2027. Here is what to check.
Ad Costs Fell in Q3 2026. Should You Raise Q4 Budgets?
Display CPMs fell up to 45% in Q3 2026 (US data), but consumer sentiment fell too. How Canadian owners should set Q4 ad budgets.
Advantage+ or Manual Meta Ads: Which Should You Run?
Advantage+ suits steady conversion volume. Manual suits tight budgets and local lead gen. How a small business should choose in 2026.
How to Check If AI Search Is Sending You Traffic
Google Search Console's Generative AI report shows how often your pages appear in AI Overviews and AI Mode — impressions only, no clicks.
Google Ads AI Max Upgrade: What Owners Must Do Now
Google is auto-upgrading Search campaigns to AI Max through September 2026. Here is what changes in your account and the settings to check now.
Should Small Businesses Use Meta Advantage+ Campaigns?
Advantage+ is the right default for most small businesses under $10k a month. Keep manual controls only for service areas, licence limits or exclusions.
Google Business Profile Collected Info: What to Do
Google’s Collected Info tab, live 14 September 2026, shows what its automated assistant recorded about your business. Here’s how to check and fix it.
Google Ads AI Max Upgrade: What to Check This Month
Google is auto-upgrading broad match and auto-created asset campaigns to AI Max through September 2026. Check your search terms, URLs and brand controls.
ChatGPT Ads: Can Small Businesses Buy Them Yet?
No self-serve buying tool yet, and Amazon's DSP route is US-only. What Canadian small businesses should actually do about ChatGPT ads this week.
Meta Ad Placements: Can You Still Exclude Them?
Meta is removing placement exclusions from ad sets. Account-level Placement Controls still block placements; value rules only cut bids 90%.
Google’s Collected Info Tab: Check Yours This Week
Google now shows what its automated assistant collected about your business by phone. Check the Collected Info tab and delete anything wrong.
Google Ads Product Value Optimization: Bid by Profit
Google Ads is testing Product Value Optimization, a beta letting Performance Max and Shopping bid harder on your high-margin products without feed hacks.
Google Ads Searches Are Getting Longer: What to Change
Search Engine Land data (Sept 11, 2026) shows 1–2 word Google searches fell from 42% to 24% of impressions since Jan 2025; 3–4 word searches rose to 48%. What to change.
Google Ads Promo Credits Revoked: What to Check Now
Yes, Google Ads can revoke a promo credit after you spend it: a $3,200 credit was voided a month after use (Sept 10, 2026). Treat credits as a discount, not a budget.
Google Ads Target CPA Is Now a Real Target: What Changed
Since Aug 17, 2026, a Google Ads Target CPA or ROAS is a real target, not a ceiling. If your cost per lead rose, lower the target to your actual numbers.
Can Google Ads Track In-Store Sales? What Changed Sept 8
Yes, with limits. Google's Sept 8, 2026 update adds a Performance Max toggle for nearby buyers and a Data Manager link counting in-store sales as conversions.
Google Ads Automated Promotions: What to Check This Week
Google Ads automated promotions is an on-by-default asset that pulls deals from your website into Search and Performance Max ads. Check your site or opt out.
Waze Ads Now in Canada: What Local Businesses Need to Know
Yes. On September 4, 2026, Google's Performance Max help docs added Canada to the 42 countries where Waze ads can serve, via PMax for store goals only.
Google AI Mode Ads: Exact Match Keywords Now Eligible
Google confirmed Sept 4, 2026 that exact and phrase match keywords now show text ads in AI Mode, so tight Search campaigns no longer need AI Max to get there.
Is Google Upgrading Your Search Campaigns to AI Max This September? What Changes and What to Check (2026)
Between September 1 and 30, 2026, Google is auto-upgrading Search campaigns using campaign-level broad match or automatically created assets to AI Max.
Google Won’t Be Broken Up: What the September 2 Ad Tech Ruling Means for Your Google Ads Bill
Google will not be forced to sell its ad exchange. On September 2, 2026, Judge Brinkema ordered rule changes instead. Search ads: no change. Display, PMax, Demand Gen: auction rewired within a year.
Google Search Console Now Shows If AI Answers Are Using Your Site. Here’s How to Read It
Google's generative AI performance report went global August 31, 2026. You can now see how often your pages show up in AI Overviews and AI Mode.
PPC & Meta Ads News, Sept 2, 2026: Meta Kills Placement Exclusions, Google Pre-Fills PMax, and a Security Setting You Should Turn On Today
Meta is removing placement exclusions, Google will pre-fill Performance Max asset groups, and Google Ads now offers passkey verification. Here is what each change does to a small-business ad budget, and the three things to fix this week.
Those Little Gold Stars on Google Ads? Here’s How to Get Them (and Why They Matter More Now)
You’ve seen them — those little gold stars sitting under some Google ads, right below the web address. “4.6 ★ (1,243 reviews).” They make […]
Google Is Auto-Upgrading Your Search Campaigns to AI Max on September 1 (No Opt-Out). Here’s What to Do
If you run Google Search ads, there’s a good chance an email landed in your inbox this week that’s easy to skim past and […]
Meta Just Passed Google in Ad Revenue for the First Time. Here’s What It Actually Means for Your Small Business
For as long as most of us have been running ads, one thing has been a given: Google is the biggest advertising platform in […]
ChatGPT Ads Is Quietly Turning Into a Real Ad Platform. Should You Care Yet?
A little while back I wrote about ChatGPT getting ads, and the general vibe from most business owners was “interesting, but not my problem […]
Google Is Moving Local Services Ads Into Google Ads: What Home-Services Businesses Need to Know
If your business runs Local Services Ads — the “Google Guaranteed” ads with the green checkmark that sit right at the top of local […]
Google Adds Maximize Conversion Value Bidding to Standard Shopping (Without a Target ROAS)
If you run Google Shopping ads for an online store, there’s a quiet but meaningful update worth knowing about. Google is rolling out Maximize […]
Bidding on Competitor Keywords? Two Smarter, Cheaper Alternatives for 2026
Bidding on a competitor’s brand name feels like an obvious move — put your ad in front of people already searching for the other […]
Google’s June 2026 Spam Update: What It Means for Your Website
On June 24, 2026, Google began rolling out its June 2026 spam update — a global change that affects all languages and should finish […]
Why Calling Yourself “The Best” Can Backfire in Google’s AI Overviews
For years, the SEO playbook said: write a “best [your service]” page, rank yourself number one, and watch the leads roll in. New research […]
Google’s August 17 Bidding Change: What Every Advertiser Needs to Do Before the Deadline
If you run Google Ads with a Target CPA or Target ROAS bidding strategy, there’s a change coming on August 17, 2026 that you […]
ChatGPT Is Getting Ads: What It Means for Small Business Advertisers (2026)
For years, “search advertising” meant Google, with Meta close behind. That’s starting to change. In June 2026, OpenAI began letting retailers run product-feed ads […]
Google’s New “Limited Ad Serving” on Search: What It Means for Your Ads (2026)
On June 12, 2026, Google quietly made one of the most important paid-search changes in years: it extended its “Limited Ad Serving” policy to […]
What Is Google AI Max for Search? A Plain-English Guide for Small Businesses (2026)
Google AI Max for Search is the biggest change to standard Search campaigns in years — and starting in September 2026, many advertisers will […]
Google Ads vs Meta Ads: Which Is Right for Your Business in 2026?
If you’re deciding where to put your advertising budget, the Google Ads versus Meta Ads question comes up fast — and the honest answer […]
Google Ads Account Suspended? How to Fix It and Get Reinstated
A suspended Google Ads account can stop your lead flow overnight. The good news is that most suspensions are fixable, and many are resolved […]
Why Are My Google Ads Not Working? 8 Reasons (and Fixes)
If your Google Ads are running but not producing calls, form fills, or sales, you’re not alone — and in most cases the problem […]