5 Google Ads Updates You Need To Know for Q1 2025

5 Google Ads Updates You Need To Know for Q1 2025

Google Ads is constantly evolving, and the first quarter of 2025 has already brought some noteworthy changes for advertisers. 

Not all of these changes have been fully rolled out across accounts yet, and we recommend testing as much as possible when given the option to do so.


1. Performance Max Negative Keywords

Long-awaited and most-requested.

Campaign-level negative keywords were finally announced back in January but we still haven’t seen this feature rolled out to all of our ad accounts yet. Advertisers will be able to add up to 1000 negative keywords per campaign (up from 100 in the initial roll out!). 

This will be a great addition to help keep Performance Max on the right track and ensure your campaigns match to fewer irrelevant search terms.


2. Search ads with increased asset flexibility

Google is looking at new ways to serve up text ads by allowing more flexibility in assembling headlines, descriptions, and other assets. 

The goal is to deliver the most relevant message to the right user in the right format, potentially even omitting certain elements like description lines if it leads to better performance.

This increased flexibility builds upon a previous update from 2024 to responsive search ads (RSAs), where a single headline could appear within the description.  Now Google is taking this further by allowing up to two RSA headlines to serve in the space previously reserved for sitelinks when predicted to improve performance

While Google's testing indicates increased user engagement with this change, we suggest advertisers approach these changes with caution. It will be crucial to monitor performance closely and conduct thorough testing to understand the impact on their specific campaigns and ensure that the AI's choices align with their marketing objectives.

It's important to note that Google says they will still respect pinned assets, ensuring a degree of control for advertisers. The combinations report will also allow advertisers to see how their assets are being combined, including instances where headlines serve in the sitelink format. 

Does this increase the use of pinned ad copy? Only time will tell.


3. Performance Max Search Themes Usefulness Indicator

Search themes help steer Google’s algorithm in the right direction by adding keywords and phrases that you know your customers are using to look for you or your service, while helping to increase your reach.  

It has been challenging to determine the impact of these search themes on your campaigns beyond the audiences assets, feeds, and landing pages that Performance Max already uses to predict performance. 

With this change you now can see whether queries are coming from Performance Max’s keywordless targeting or from the search themes you’ve added.

This takes some of the guesswork out of the Search Themes feature and allows advertisers to move faster on changing themes out if they’re not actually contributing to the overall performance of the asset group.

 


4. Landing Pages & Navigation Now Play A Role In Ads Quality

In February 2025, a new AI prediction model was announced that helps Google’s ad quality system better understand the navigation experience on the website you’re sending users to. 

While landing page content has always been a key aspect we look at, this update emphasizes the importance of relevant content and easy-to-navigate landing pages…. 

If you are an advertiser, and your landing pages are not currently navigable, we recommend improving navigation on your site to enable people to get where they want to go….

Essentially, if you’re sending users to an “unexpected destination and doesn’t offer other helpful navigation options” this would be considered a negative experience and your ads will serve less. 

As an agency we haven’t seen any significant changes that would obviously be attributed to this change, but you should already be following website UX/UI best practices and if you’re having trouble scaling and losing impression share due to rank, this is another element that may be contributing to that.

Landing pages without navigation has become commonplace in digital marketing over the years and this could be Google’s vague way of saying to stop it.


5. Display Network Reach & Quality Standards

Google announced a series of updates regarding their Display Network (or GDN) including excluding parked domains automatically and more notably,  they’ve opened up this network to Demand Gen. This feature is not mandatory and can be turned off in campaign settings. 

This is the perfect opportunity to test the Demand Gen Experiments feature to see if you can increase your reach and overall conversions.  Google reported a 16% increase in Conversions during a 2023-2024 test with GDN inventory enabled.

As with everything, never blindly accept those reports. Always test when you can. 

For now and regardless of improvements, GLD will continue to go out of our way to use Content Suitability settings for all of our client accounts.


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    Navigating Automotive Tariffs: Our Focus on Efficiency & Competitive Strategy

    Navigating Automotive Tariffs: Our Focus on Efficiency & Competitive Strategy

    As an advertising agency specializing in the automotive industry, we understand that upcoming tariffs on vehicles and parts are beyond the control of both dealers and agencies alike. While these changes may impact pricing and margins, our commitment to our clients remains the same: driving efficiency, maximizing ROI, and staying ahead of the competition. Now more than ever, dealers need an agency that prioritizes performance over percentage-based fees, ensuring that every marketing dollar is working as hard as possible. Our approach has always been rooted in paid search and paid social best practices, focusing on high-intent buyers and strategic optimizations to maintain an edge in an increasingly competitive market.

    Group of apple products displaying automotive search results

    In addition to strong digital advertising strategies, having compelling specials and clear calls to action on your dealership’s website will be more critical than ever. Ensuring these offers are updated quickly and efficiently can make all the difference in driving conversions. That’s why Green Line’s DRIVE software, included in our SEO packages, makes it simple to update specials and CTAs seamlessly, keeping your dealership agile in a shifting market.

    While external factors like tariffs may create industry challenges, our mission is to ensure that your dealership remains competitive, visible, and profitable—regardless of market conditions. By leveraging data-driven strategies, advanced targeting, and continuous campaign optimizations, we help dealers navigate uncertainty without sacrificing performance.

    The automotive landscape is shifting, but our focus remains steadfast: efficiency, transparency, and results.
    Let’s continue to drive success together.

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      Green Line’s Customer Data Platform Now Integrates with Tekion DMS

      Green Line’s Customer Data Platform Now Integrates with Tekion DMS

      At Green Line, we are always looking for ways to enhance our technology and provide our customers with seamless, efficient solutions. That’s why we’re excited to announce that our Customer Data Platform now integrates with Tekion DMS! This powerful new integration is designed to optimize data flow and improve digital targeting.

      Key Benefits of Using a CDP

      1. Personalized Targeting
      2. Improved Customer Experience
      3. Optimized Ad Spend
      4. Retargeting Strategies
      5. Measuring Campaign Effectiveness
      6. Compliance and Trust
      7 Cross-Channel Integration

      How the CDP Works

      CDP Infographic

      View our case study on how using The Green Line CDP Add-On in Paid Media & Performance Max Campaigns helped improve performance.

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        Green Line Automotive Extends Partnership With Volkswagen After Sales

        Green Line Automotive Extends Partnership With Volkswagen After Sales

        FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

        Schaumburg, IL- (February 12th, 2025) - Green Line Automotive has been selected to continue as the Agency of Record for After Sales for Volkswagen of America Tier One National Media. Green Line looks forward to continuing the great work they have been doing with Volkswagen of America (VWoA) After Sales and helping achieve their goals.

        Green Line Automotive started its partnership with VWoA Afer Sales in 2022. Green Line works closely with the VWoA team on digital strategy and a full-funnel approach to after-sales marketing, including Paid Search, Programmatic and Paid Social efforts.

        “Having the opportunity to work with the Volkswagen team has allowed us to rethink how we manage and approach after-sales marketing, and we are appreciative of the VWoA team for allowing us to test new ideas and get creative,” said Brent Rogers, Vice President and Managing Partner of Green Line Automotive.

        Green Line Automotive offers industry-leading insight on digital marketing efforts, specifically crafted to each client’s needs. From strategies such as SEO, SEM, Display, Social, Video & First Party Data Integrations, there are multiple avenues for every dealership to engage with their target audience.


        About Green Line Automotive
        Green Line Automotive is a digital advertising agency created for automotive dealerships. Our mission is to deliver tier-one automotive advertising expertise, technology, and service to tier-three dealers. We give you an advantage over your competition by giving every dealership the best in technology coupled with a fully customizable approach.

        For more information on GREEN LINE AUTOMOTIVE:

        See our premier services at gldauto.com such as Automotive Search Engine Optimization or contact us at info@greenline.nyc or 833-GLD-CARS.

        https://www.facebook.com/greenlinedigitalauto
        https://www.instagram.com/greenlinedigitalauto
        LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/green-line-digital-auto/

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          Understanding Google’s November 2024 Core Update

          Understanding Google's November 2024 Core Update

          Google's November 2024 Core Update has made some more changes to how they evaluate and rank search results. Google regularly updates its algorithm to ensure users receive the highest quality content for the best search experience.

          This update is just another step in Google's ongoing mission to make sure that genuinely helpful and relevant content gets the spotlight, while low-quality, keyword-stuffed pages fade into the background. This has led to ranking volatility over the last couple of weeks.


          Key Changes and Focus Areas

          • Enhanced Content Quality Metrics: Google has emphasized the importance of E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authority, and Trustworthiness). Websites with in-depth topic knowledge that are trustworthy, made by people who know what they're talking about, are likely to maintain or improve rankings.
          • Alignment with Search Intent: Google matches content to search results that best aligns with user intent. This includes favoring websites that provide actionable, clear, and query-specific information over generic or overly optimized pages.
          • Demotion of Thin Content: Pages that offer limited value for users or are over-optimized for SEO purposes, including excessive keyword stuffing, may observe a decline in their search engine rankings. Google's algorithm prioritizes content that is both comprehensive and user-friendly.

          Initial Impact on Websites

          Websites relying on content created solely for ranking purposes are likely to see a decline in search visibility. However, sites offering well-researched, user-centric content are likely to see improvements. This update reinforces consistency in topical representation and prevents larger publishers from using existing ranking authority to outrank smaller publishers in new categories. These outcomes underscore Google's commitment to user satisfaction over algorithm manipulation.


          Recommendations for Recovery and Core Update Response

          Search results are constantly changing as user expectations, search behaviors, and web content evolve. Google emphasizes that websites affected by the update may take several months to recover their rankings as its systems learn and validate improvements. Furthermore, making reactive changes does not guarantee a ranking recovery.

          • Conduct a Content Audit: Identify underperforming or thin pages and work to improve their quality. Content should be original and engaging, and it should give users what they're searching for.
          • Optimize User Experience: Address technical SEO issues like page speed, mobile-first design, and accessibility. These factors are key to maintaining rankings and encouraging visitors to interact with your content.
          • Update Old Content: Complete content refreshes where necessary to remove outdated information on high-performing pages. This is essential to maintain relevance and align with current user needs.
          • Build Niche Authority: Establish expertise in specific topics to enhance overall domain credibility. Google has also recently communicated that if a website publishes content that strays too far from its main topic, that content might experience downgraded rankings.

          Most importantly, wait until the update is completed before analyzing the ranking impact.


          Long-Term Strategy

          Core updates often bring temporary volatility. Don't rush into making changes. Instead, use tools like Google Search Console to track your performance and identify areas for improvement.

          Organic Keywords Trend

          Here’s an example of a website that focuses on providing a great user experience and valuable content, supported by a holistic, long-term SEO plan, has seen immediate benefits from the update.

          Google Data Chart


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            POV: Utilizing Conversion Value Bidding For Automotive Paid Search

            POV: Utilizing Conversion Value Bidding For Automotive Paid Search

            Google's ad algorithm is now best at optimizing performance when ad campaigns are structured with either a max conversion value bid strategy or target ROAS, even when the target KPI is a lead submission or phone call. The max conversion value bid strategy allows advertisers to set values for each conversion action, which tells the bidding algorithm to prioritize higher-value actions. Using a value-focused bidding strategy can both increase lead volume, decrease CPA & help prioritize conversions that are more meaningful for your business.


            Testing Max Conversion Value To Increase Key Conversions’ Volume

            Assigning a value to non-purchase conversions is quickly becoming a best practice in paid search advertising. In our latest test, we assigned values to phone calls & form fills for 3 different car dealerships based on which conversion was most valuable to them. Other conversions that are tracked, but not a priority were left with a $1 conversion value to deprioritize them in the algorithm.

            Two dealerships prioritized phone calls & one dealership prioritized form fills.


            Results Achieved

            After one month, we saw a 25% increase in phone calls & a 45% increase in form fills. We also saw a 45% increase in overall conversions. While each client had a goal to improve a specific conversion, we saw an overall increase in conversions as well.

            Monthly Phone Call & Form Leads by Bid Strategy

            While a maximize conversion bidding strategy is meant to increase conversion volume and control your Cost Per Lead, we saw that a maximize conversion value strategy not only increased the number of key conversions but also improved the CPL.

            Across the same 3 auto accounts, we saw a 20% improvement in our cost per lead.


            Conclusion

            GLD recommends assigning a value to KPIs in Google Ads and testing into a maximize conversion value or target ROAS bidding strategy. Utilizing this bidding strategy helped improve automotive clients' conversion volume & cost per lead in comparison to maximize conversion bidding. Value-based bidding also drove more key conversions for clients based on their business objectives.

            This strategy takes advantage of the algorithm’s most optimized bidding strategy & applies it to conversions that do not directly lead to revenue (such as a purchase) to mimic the success that is seen in other industries with this bidding strategy.


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              Google Analytics Bot Traffic

              Witches, ghosts and the scariest of all…
              BOT TRAFFIC!

              Bot traffic in Google Analytics are often miscategorized as Direct traffic, making it hard to filter out unwanted data from sources like web crawlers, scrapers, and spam. While eliminating bot traffic isn't feasible, focusing on users who spend more than a few seconds on your site helps you evaluate meaningful interactions and reduce the impact of bots.


              Where does bot traffic come from?
              Bot traffic comes from a variety of sources… too many to list, but below are some of the most common sources:

              • WEBSITE WIDGETS that crawl your site looking for data, i.e. pricing data for dealers. This is often crawled off websites and pushed to you in a software.
              • WEB SPIDERS AND CRAWLERS who are checking your site for issues/broken links and errors.
              • INVENTORY URL SCRAPERS from websites such as 3rd party providers will grab your VDP URLs so that your inventory on their website links to the right page on your site.
              • SPAMMERS that are trying to collect phone numbers and email address to sell and distribute.

              How do I eliminate bot traffic from GA4?
              Unfortunately, you can't eliminate bot traffic from GA4. GA4 automatically filters out known bots and spiders from your property, and updates traffic numbers as their database updates. These traffic sources are identified by Google research as well as by Google referencing the International Spiders and Bots list, maintained by the Interactive Advertising Bureau.
              Sometimes internal or 3rd party tools will masquerade as a bot or spider, even though they will not be flagged by Google’s systems. For systems like this, it is recommended that you reach out to these partners and see if it is possible to get their IP address(es) so you can set up an IP exclusion within your property. IP exclusions will allow you to label this traffic as “internal” so that it can be more easily filtered in reports.


              If I can't eliminate Bot Traffic, how do I best evaluate my direct traffic?

              • Focus on users and not sessions.
              • Identify people who spend time on your site, i.e., users who have spent more than 15 seconds on your website. Most bots come, get their required information and leave in a few seconds, so focusing on time on site will help evaluate quality traffic.

              How to Reduce Bot Traffic
              Although it’s a continuous effort, refining your filters this way offers the most practical solution for reducing the impact of bot traffic on your GA data. As mentioned above, if it is possible to label this traffic as “internal” (using IP exclusion) then that can go a long way in ensuring your reports remain clean of this data.


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                Google Chrome Rolled Out Three New AI Features

                Google Chrome Rolled Out Three New AI Features: See how they can impact you for Paid Search

                Google Chrome has rolled out its August update, and the effects impact how consumers search. This includes 3 new AI features including Google Lens for desktop Chrome, Tab Compare for products, and search with Gemini.

                Over the past few months we’ve talked about how the Search Generative Experience will impact the SERP and new Google Ads AI features or how to leverage AI in paid search, but now with this latest update Google is bringing AI features right to users’ desktops. Here’s what’s going on, what we think the impact will be and how to prepare.


                Google Lens on desktop Chrome

                What it is: Google Lens lets you search visually. Previously this was only available on mobile devices, but bringing it to desktop means you’ll be able to select and search for anything that you see on the web, and even refine the search to get you the best results without ever leaving the tab they are on.

                Why we care/what to do: As users read articles, search or browse the web, they can snip and discover more information on vehicles or products, compare pricing more easily, and even be led to where to shop. Depending on the question, you might also receive an AI overview response which impacts both paid and organic search:

                Paid search: Without keyword based searches, you’ll need to be ready to capture queries through broad match and audience based campaigns with a visual component like Performance Max, Performance Max with Vehicle Listings and Demand Gen.

                Have an optimized vehicle or product feed to make sure your vehicles and products are discovered and can be correlated to image searches.

                We expect that conversion rates would improve for the searches your products/vehicles are shown for, especially when someone refines a search with Gemini to look for a new color or where to buy.

                Be aware of product and vehicle pricing compared to competitors

                We may see a decline in impressions and clicks depending on how often the AI overview is presented, and if they are getting the information they need from those results. However, we anticipate that engagement on site from a landed visitor will be greater.


                Search with Gemini

                What it is: Chrome’s latest feature is to be able to chat with Gemini right from your browser. By typing @gemini you can ask any question and you’ll be presented with an AI response.

                Why we care/What to do:

                Paid search: This has the potential to impact spend, clicks and impressions as users adopt this and skip the search results page altogether.

                This has not be monetized yet so we would anticipate as this gets adopted for search volume to decrease until they add ad placements

                With longer, more specific searches, we’ll need to incorporate new match types to capture these queries when this does roll out

                As research based questions are redirected or skipped altogether, we will need to find more visual ways to grab consumers by diversifying spend to different ad types or even social channels for discovery.


                Tab Compare

                What it is: While this hasn’t launched yet, Tab Compare allows users to review products across multiple tabs all in one place. Chrome will offer to generate a comparison table by showing a suggestion next to your tabs. By bringing all the essential details — product specs, features, price, ratings — into one tab to make an informed decision.

                Tab Compare

                Why we care/What to do: Pricing is going to be even more important than ever as potential customers will have an easier time comparing on the fly.

                Paid search: Ensure all feed attributes are filled out correctly and completely and ensure competitive pricing!


                What Does this mean?

                There are a lot of changes going on this year for Search. As your agency, we will help keep you updated and make sure you’re ahead of the curve by conducting early testing, ensuring your feeds are in good working order, and helping you diversify spend to get you the best results.


                About Green Line Automotive:

                Green Line Automotive is a digital advertising agency created for automotive dealerships. Our mission is to deliver tier-one automotive advertising expertise, technology, and service to the tier-three dealers. We give you an advantage over your competition by giving every dealership the best in technology coupled with a fully customizable approach.

                See our services such as Automotive Paid Search & SEO for car dealerships or contact us at info@greenline.nyc or 833-GLD-CARS.


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                Fill out the form below and someone from our team will reach out to you to set up a time to connect.

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                  Google Rolls Out Dealership Pricing For All Vehicle Listings

                  Google Rolls Out Dealership Pricing For All Vehicle Listings

                  Performance Max with Vehicle Feeds (formerly known as Vehicle Listing Ads) is getting a major update to pricing that will be beneficial to auto dealership PPC marketing. We reported back in April that Google was testing and slowly rolling out Dealership Pricing on cars for sale sponsored ads.

                  Launching mid-September, the Dealership Pricing feature is now available to all dealerships in the US. Right now this price is displayed in green above the MSRP which showcases the discounts, while giving the consumer all the pricing information before they click on an ad.

                  Screenshot of Google search results showing new Performance Max sale pricing.

                  Since vehicle listing ads are part of Google Shopping (a comparison shopping engine), pricing will play an integral role in performance - both from an awareness standpoint and engagement - as Google is more likely to show inventory at lower price points. This could result in a dip in impressions if your pricing isn’t competitive with other local dealerships, or if your feeds are not fully optimized.


                  What’s Next for Dealerships?
                  The first thing you will need to do is make sure you have the Dealership Pricing attribute included as a field in your shopping feeds so that the discounted pricing can be displayed. At Green Line, this is built into the feeds from day one for our automotive advertising clients.

                  Outside of pricing, you’ll need to ensure your vehicle data feeds are set up in a way that will improve your rankings and relevancy:

                  • Ensure your feeds have high-quality data by optimizing your titles & descriptions by providing as much detail as you can to help boost search relevance.
                  • Ensure the images you use in your feed are high-quality in not only resolution, but theme, and that the images match the rich descriptions you provided.

                  At Green Line, we ensure our clients' feeds are fully optimized for rankings by providing keyword-rich, unique and meaningful titles and descriptions that will influence visibility and drive performance. We also use additional feed attributes such as color, trim, etc. to provide additional product information to drive search query relevance.

                  In addition to optimizing titles and descriptions we also use high-quality images that showcase our client’s vehicles without the use of watermarks or busy backgrounds. If we are not provided with high-quality images, our team works with our clients and utilizes other resources - such as the Product Studio in the Merchant Center - to showcase the vehicles in ads in the way Google prefers.

                  We also perform robust competitor research and will work with our clients to improve their pricing/sale pricing models to be able to better compete with local competition if needed.


                  Performance Max & Green Line Automotive
                  Performance Max with Vehicle Listings can be a tricky campaign type to optimize for, and we do Performance Max differently for our clients to ensure high-quality leads at the lowest cost. Having great feeds and, now, highlighting dealership pricing will help performance moving forward. If you’re not sure if your ad feeds are optimized for Dealership Pricing, contact us for support.


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                    Google Adds New Search Ad Experiences Powered By AI

                    Google Adds New Search Ad Experiences Powered By AI

                    On the latest Google Marketing Live event, Google revealed how paid ads will appear in the new search experience with AI overviews, along with introducing a few new features that heavily incorporate AI.

                    We hypothesized about this a few months ago, but here our takeaways from the keynote:

                    1. Google will be showcasing paid ads that aim to guide consumers through complicated buying decisions using AI assistance, tailoring advice and recommendations based on a user’s search.

                    What this means for advertisers:

                    • We anticipate higher conversion rates, but a potential decrease in site traffic.
                    • Ensure your product feeds are high quality including detailed titles and descriptions
                    • Diversify your campaign types
                    • Ensure the use of impactful creative

                    three phones


                    zoomed in phone

                    2. New immersive Shopping & Ad Experiences to engage customers

                    What this means for advertisers:

                    • Similar to the above, with the ability to get more information without ever leaving the Search Engine Results page, you may see a decrease in traffic, but you should also experience higher conversion rates.
                    • New features will continue to roll out like uploading photos to get recommendations.

                    3. New Tools to create Performance Max creative at scale with AI powered image editing

                    What this means for advertisers:

                      • This gives you the ability to turn one photo shoot into a whole new set of creative without a lot of lift.
                      • Take your best performing product and showcase it in new light.
                      • Be careful to stay on brand and review all imagery prior to publishing.

                      google ai image editing

                      So what's next?

                      Google’s ads above and below the AI-generated overview sections have already rolled out, and soon Shopping ads will roll out next. Ads from existing Search and Performance Max campaigns have the opportunity to appear within the AI Overview, and your search team already has access to the new tools for making new creative.


                      About Green Line Automotive:

                      Green Line Automotive is an automotive digital advertising agency created for automotive dealerships. Our mission is to deliver tier-one automotive advertising expertise, technology, and service to the tier-three dealers. We give you an advantage over your competition by giving every dealership the best in technology coupled with a fully customizable approach.

                      See our premier services such as Automotive Paid Search or contact us at info@greenline.nyc or 833-GLD-CARS.

                      Want to connect about your Digital Strategy?

                      Fill out the form below and someone from our team will reach out to you to set up a time to connect.

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