Watch the full Google Marketing Live 2025 event here: YouTube link
Google Marketing Live 2025 set the stage for what the future of paid media looks like: hyper-automated, video-first, and deeply integrated with AI. And while much of it is exciting, it also raises critical questions about the direction digital advertising is headed.
As the founder of a European paid media agency and someone who cares deeply about transparency, data, and client performance, I watched this event not just with curiosity but with concern. Here’s what stood out—and what advertisers need to pay close attention to.
A Showcase of Innovation
Let’s start with what was showcased:
- AI-generated creatives: Google is now generating text, images, and videos on demand for advertisers. Need 15 assets? Done in a click.
- Demand Gen campaigns: Now with enhanced features prioritizing short-form video on YouTube Shorts and Discover.
- Product Studio: Merchants can now create lifestyle imagery using generative AI, reducing the need for custom photography.
- AI Overview in Search: Google’s new AI feature dominates the SERP, answering queries directly and pushing paid and organic links further down.
The unifying theme? Speed, automation, and more reliance on the platform itself to handle the heavy lifting.
This isn’t necessarily bad. In fact, some of it is very good.
The Good: What I Genuinely Like
Let’s be real. These tools can work. I’ve seen performance max campaigns outperform traditional setups when configured properly. AI-generated creatives, while still needing a human editor, are getting closer to the mark.
The in-platform insights that Google is rolling out are also a huge plus. Anything that reduces the time between feedback and optimisation is welcome in my book.
The tools are more accessible. They’re faster. They’re scalable. That’s worth celebrating.
But we have to talk about what we’re losing.
The Trade-off: Control, Transparency, and Data
Here’s the uncomfortable truth: every new update pulls us a little further away from owning the customer journey.
We’re seeing a repeat of what happened with Online Travel Agencies (OTAs) and MetaSearch. Users stay inside Google properties. Clicks to websites go down. Visibility drops.
AI Overview is the clearest example yet. It doesn’t just push your organic and paid listings down. It replaces the need for them altogether.
So while the AI might serve the user more quickly and contextually, it also bypasses your brand’s touchpoints entirely. That’s a big deal.
And then there’s data.
We’re not just losing visibility in the SERP. We’re losing visibility in our reporting. Search term data is increasingly vague. Attribution models are getting murkier. And without direct site visits, our first-party data strategies suffer.
This shift isn’t coincidental. It’s strategic. Google wins when it owns the whole funnel.
What the PPC Community is Saying
I’m not alone in thinking this.
From Reddit threads to LinkedIn breakdowns, the sentiment is cautious:
- Concern over search term transparency: Many worry that new campaign types will follow PMax’s footsteps in hiding actual search queries.
- Drop in CTRs: Ads within AI summaries are already impacting click-through rates.
- Automation without strategy: Some worry these tools are aspirational but not yet reliable without deep human oversight.
The mood is not negative. But it is skeptical. And that skepticism is healthy.
What Advertisers Can Do Now
We can’t opt out of these changes. So how do we stay effective?
1. Double Down on First-Party Data
If Google wants to keep users on its platforms, then we need to make every site visit count. That means email capture, event tracking, and CRM integrations.
2. Adapt Your Creative Strategy
Build assets specifically for in-platform usage. Think native. Think short-form. Think adaptable. The creative bar is rising.
3. Push for Transparency
Where you can, ask your Google reps the tough questions. Advocate for query-level insights. Push for better attribution modeling.
4. Diversify Your Channels
Don’t let Google own your entire funnel. Use Meta, TikTok, LinkedIn, even newsletters to create off-platform brand experiences.
5. Keep Testing, Keep Learning
Treat every new campaign type as a beta. Document your results. Share your learnings. Stay in community with other marketers.
Final Thought: Power or Prison?
Google’s updates are impressive. But they’re not neutral.
They tilt power away from advertisers and toward the platform. The more automated things get, the more we rely on Google’s judgment over our own.
That’s not inherently bad. But it’s risky. Especially if we stop questioning it.
We need to stay curious, stay creative, and stay in control of the parts of the journey we still can own. That means data. That means community. That means strategy.
Because in the end, standout results don’t come from full automation. They come from smart people using smart tools with purpose.
So what do you think? Are these changes empowering us or boxing us in? I’d love to hear your perspective.
GML 2025: Powerful AI, Less Control — What This Means for Advertisers
Watch the full Google Marketing Live 2025 event here: YouTube link
Google Marketing Live 2025 set the stage for what the future of paid media looks like: hyper-automated, video-first, and deeply integrated with AI. And while much of it is exciting, it also raises critical questions about the direction digital advertising is headed.
As the founder of a European paid media agency and someone who cares deeply about transparency, data, and client performance, I watched this event not just with curiosity but with concern. Here’s what stood out—and what advertisers need to pay close attention to.
A Showcase of Innovation
Let’s start with what was showcased:
- AI-generated creatives: Google is now generating text, images, and videos on demand for advertisers. Need 15 assets? Done in a click.
- Demand Gen campaigns: Now with enhanced features prioritizing short-form video on YouTube Shorts and Discover.
- Product Studio: Merchants can now create lifestyle imagery using generative AI, reducing the need for custom photography.
- AI Overview in Search: Google’s new AI feature dominates the SERP, answering queries directly and pushing paid and organic links further down.
The unifying theme? Speed, automation, and more reliance on the platform itself to handle the heavy lifting.
This isn’t necessarily bad. In fact, some of it is very good.
The Good: What I Genuinely Like
Let’s be real. These tools can work. I’ve seen performance max campaigns outperform traditional setups when configured properly. AI-generated creatives, while still needing a human editor, are getting closer to the mark.
The in-platform insights that Google is rolling out are also a huge plus. Anything that reduces the time between feedback and optimisation is welcome in my book.
The tools are more accessible. They’re faster. They’re scalable. That’s worth celebrating.
But we have to talk about what we’re losing.
The Trade-off: Control, Transparency, and Data
Here’s the uncomfortable truth: every new update pulls us a little further away from owning the customer journey.
We’re seeing a repeat of what happened with Online Travel Agencies (OTAs) and MetaSearch. Users stay inside Google properties. Clicks to websites go down. Visibility drops.
AI Overview is the clearest example yet. It doesn’t just push your organic and paid listings down. It replaces the need for them altogether.
So while the AI might serve the user more quickly and contextually, it also bypasses your brand’s touchpoints entirely. That’s a big deal.
And then there’s data.
We’re not just losing visibility in the SERP. We’re losing visibility in our reporting. Search term data is increasingly vague. Attribution models are getting murkier. And without direct site visits, our first-party data strategies suffer.
This shift isn’t coincidental. It’s strategic. Google wins when it owns the whole funnel.
What the PPC Community is Saying
I’m not alone in thinking this.
From Reddit threads to LinkedIn breakdowns, the sentiment is cautious:
- Concern over search term transparency: Many worry that new campaign types will follow PMax’s footsteps in hiding actual search queries.
- Drop in CTRs: Ads within AI summaries are already impacting click-through rates.
- Automation without strategy: Some worry these tools are aspirational but not yet reliable without deep human oversight.
The mood is not negative. But it is skeptical. And that skepticism is healthy.
What Advertisers Can Do Now
We can’t opt out of these changes. So how do we stay effective?
1. Double Down on First-Party Data
If Google wants to keep users on its platforms, then we need to make every site visit count. That means email capture, event tracking, and CRM integrations.
2. Adapt Your Creative Strategy
Build assets specifically for in-platform usage. Think native. Think short-form. Think adaptable. The creative bar is rising.
3. Push for Transparency
Where you can, ask your Google reps the tough questions. Advocate for query-level insights. Push for better attribution modeling.
4. Diversify Your Channels
Don’t let Google own your entire funnel. Use Meta, TikTok, LinkedIn, even newsletters to create off-platform brand experiences.
5. Keep Testing, Keep Learning
Treat every new campaign type as a beta. Document your results. Share your learnings. Stay in community with other marketers.
Final Thought: Power or Prison?
Google’s updates are impressive. But they’re not neutral.
They tilt power away from advertisers and toward the platform. The more automated things get, the more we rely on Google’s judgment over our own.
That’s not inherently bad. But it’s risky. Especially if we stop questioning it.
We need to stay curious, stay creative, and stay in control of the parts of the journey we still can own. That means data. That means community. That means strategy.
Because in the end, standout results don’t come from full automation. They come from smart people using smart tools with purpose.
So what do you think? Are these changes empowering us or boxing us in? I’d love to hear your perspective.