Google’s Latest Advertising & Analytics Updates: What They Mean for Your Google Advertising Strategy

The world of digital advertising is constantly evolving, and keeping up with Google’s latest updates can help businesses stay ahead of the competition. With recent changes to Demand Gen campaigns and Google Analytics 4 (GA4), advertisers now have greater control over where their ads appear and access to improved data analysis tools.

If you work with a Google advertising agency, understanding these updates is crucial for refining your strategy and maximising ad performance across Google’s platforms.

Google Expands Demand Gen with Display Network Integration

Google’s Demand Gen campaigns are getting a major upgrade in March 2025, expanding how advertisers control ad placements and increasing potential reach. These changes are designed to improve ad performance across YouTube, Discover, Gmail, and the Google Display Network (GDN).

What’s Changing?

Expanded Reach for Demand Gen Ads Demand Gen will fully integrate with the Google Display Network, allowing image ads to appear across 3 million sites and apps, reaching 90% of the global internet population. Previously, Demand Gen only supported video ads via Google Video Partners (GVP).

Google Video Partners is Rebranding to GDN

The term Google Video Partners (GVP) will be retired, and all video placements will now be categorized under GDN.

New Opt-In Controls for Advertisers

Advertisers can now opt in or out of GDN placements at the ad group level, offering more flexibility than the previous line item-level control.

Why This Matters for a Google Advertising Agency Like Us

If you’re working with a Google advertising agency, these updates present new opportunities for better targeting and campaign optimisation. The ability to place image ads across GDN means your business can now extend reach beyond video ads and capture a larger share of your target audience.

By leveraging these expanded placements, a we can create cross-platform ad strategies, ensuring that your campaigns perform well across multiple Google-owned channels.

How to Adapt Your Strategy

Check Your Opt-In Settings

If your campaigns were previously opted into Google Video Partners, they will automatically migrate to GDN in March 2025. To opt out, adjust the settings at the ad group level.

Incorporate Image Ads into Demand Gen Campaigns

If you’ve only been using video ads, now is the time to test high-quality image ads to expand your reach and improve brand visibility.

Use Performance Segmentation for Better Insights

Google is expanding performance segmentation by inventory source, meaning advertisers can analyse how video and image ads perform separately. This will help businesses fine-tune their ad strategy and prioritise placements that deliver the best results.

Google Analytics 4 Introduces Annotations & AI-Powered Anomaly Drivers

Alongside changes to Google Ads, Google Analytics 4 (GA4) is introducing two powerful new features to improve data tracking and performance analysis:

Annotations – Allowing users to add contextual notes directly in GA4 reports.

Anomaly Key Drivers – Using machine learning to explain why traffic spikes or dips occur.

Why These Features Matter

Both of these updates provide deeper insights into how advertising campaigns are performing. If you’re using a Google advertising agency, these tools will help them make data-driven decisions and optimise your campaigns more effectively.

How Annotations Help Advertisers

Annotations let businesses document key marketing events directly in GA4. This is useful for:

Tracking major campaign launches to measure impact.

Logging technical issues that might affect data accuracy.

Noting external events, such as seasonality or market trends.

For businesses running Google Ads, keeping track of when ads launched and when optimisations were made can improve analysis and help a Google advertising agencies like ours refine future strategies.

How Anomaly Key Drivers Improve Performance Analysis

This AI-powered feature identifies why specific performance changes happen. For example, if a Google Ads campaign suddenly spikes in traffic, Anomaly Key Drivers might reveal:

A major increase in mobile traffic from a specific country.

A change in audience behavior (e.g., more returning users clicking on ads).

A spike in conversions due to a pricing promotion. Understanding these insights allows you to adjust campaigns in real time, ensuring ad spend is optimised for the best results.

How to Adapt Your Business Strategy to These Changes

With Google’s latest updates, businesses need to take a proactive approach to advertising and analytics. Here’s what you should do next:

Review Your Google Ads Placements If you’re running Demand Gen campaigns, check your GDN opt-in settings to ensure ads appear in the right places.

Expand Your Ad Formats If you’re only using video ads, now is the time to experiment with image-based Demand Gen ads to capture a larger audience.

Use GA4 Annotations to Track Key Events Keep a log of campaign launches, optimisations, and external factors that might impact your results.

Leverage AI Insights for Smarter Decisions If you see sudden performance fluctuations, use Anomaly Key Drivers to identify the cause and make real-time adjustments.

Work with a Google Advertising Agency for Expert Guidance Navigating these changes can be complex, but an experienced agency can help optimise your campaigns, improve ad performance, and ensure data is tracked effectively.

Staying Competitive in Google Advertising

Google’s latest updates signal a move toward greater control, smarter data analysis, and expanded ad reach. Whether you’re running Google Ads yourself or working with a Google advertising agency, taking advantage of these updates will help your business stay ahead of the competition. Key Takeaways:

Demand Gen ads are expanding to Google Display Network (GDN) – offering greater reach and more placement control.

Image-based Demand Gen ads will be a powerful addition to video campaigns.

GA4’s Annotations feature allows businesses to track key events within reports for better analysis.

Anomaly Key Drivers in GA4 use AI to explain unexpected traffic spikes or dips, helping advertisers make smarter campaign decisions.

Working with a Google advertising agency can help businesses navigate these changes and maximise ad performance.

By keeping up with these changes and adapting your strategy, your business can stay competitive, reach the right audience, and optimise ad spend effectively.