<div><img width="1920" height="1080" src="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/10/ChatGPT-Image-Your-ads-are-dying-How-to-spot-and-stop-creative-fatigue-before-it-tanks-performance.png" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" alt="Your ads are dying: How to spot and stop creative fatigue before it tanks performance" style="margin-bottom: 15px;" decoding="async" fetchpriority="high" srcset="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/10/ChatGPT-Image-Your-ads-are-dying-How-to-spot-and-stop-creative-fatigue-before-it-tanks-performance.png 1920w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/10/ChatGPT-Image-Your-ads-are-dying-How-to-spot-and-stop-creative-fatigue-before-it-tanks-performance-768x432.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" /></div>Falling CTRs, rising CPCs, and shrinking reach signal creative fatigue. Learn how to spot it early and use data to extend your ads’ lifespan.

<div><img width="1920" height="1080" src="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/10/ChatGPT-Image-Your-ads-are-dying-How-to-spot-and-stop-creative-fatigue-before-it-tanks-performance.png" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" alt="Your ads are dying: How to spot and stop creative fatigue before it tanks performance" style="margin-bottom: 15px;" decoding="async" srcset="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/10/ChatGPT-Image-Your-ads-are-dying-How-to-spot-and-stop-creative-fatigue-before-it-tanks-performance.png 1920w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/10/ChatGPT-Image-Your-ads-are-dying-How-to-spot-and-stop-creative-fatigue-before-it-tanks-performance-768x432.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" /></div>
<p>The death of an ad, <a href="https://poets.org/poem/hollow-men">like the end of the world</a>, doesn’t happen with a bang but with a whimper.&nbsp;</p>



<p>If you’re paying attention, you’ll notice the warning signs: click-through rate (CTR) slips, engagement falls, and cost-per-click (CPC) creeps up.&nbsp;</p>



<p>If you’re not, one day your former top performer is suddenly costing you money.</p>



<p>Creative fatigue – the decline in ad performance caused by overexposure or audience saturation – is often the culprit.&nbsp;</p>



<p>It’s been around as long as advertising itself, but in an era where platforms control targeting, bidding, and even creative testing, it’s become one of the few variables marketers can still influence.</p>



<p>This article explains how to spot early signs of fatigue across <a href="https://searchengineland.com/guide/what-is-paid-search">PPC</a> platforms before your ROI turns sour, and how to manually refresh your creative in the age of AI-driven optimization.&nbsp;</p>



<p>We’ll look at four key factors:&nbsp;</p>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Ad quality.</li>



<li>Creative lifecycle.</li>



<li>Audience saturation.</li>



<li>Platform dynamics.</li>
</ul>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" width="919" height="911" src="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/10/Forces-behind-creative-fatigue.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-463696" srcset="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/10/Forces-behind-creative-fatigue.jpg 919w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/10/Forces-behind-creative-fatigue-768x761.jpg 768w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/10/Forces-behind-creative-fatigue-95x95.jpg 95w" sizes="(max-width: 919px) 100vw, 919px" /></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-1-ad-quality">1. Ad quality</h2>



<p>Low-quality ads burn out much faster than high-quality ones.&nbsp;</p>



<p>To stand the test of time, your creative needs to be both relevant and resonant – it has to connect with the viewer.&nbsp;</p>



<p>But it’s important to remember that creative fatigue isn’t the same as bad creative. Even a brilliant ad will wear out if it’s shown too often or for too long.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Think of it like a joke – no matter how good it is, it stops landing once the audience has heard it a dozen times.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-data-behind-ad-quality">The data behind ad quality</h3>



<p>To track ad quality, monitor how your key metrics trend over time – especially CTR, CPC, and conversion rate (CVR).&nbsp;</p>



<p>A high initial CTR followed by a gradual decline usually signals a strong performer reaching the end of its natural run.</p>



<p>Because every campaign operates in a different context, it’s best to compare an ad’s results against your own historical benchmarks rather than rigid KPI targets.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Factor in elements like seasonality and placement to avoid overgeneralizing performance trends.&nbsp;</p>



<p>And to read the data accurately, make sure you’re analyzing results by creative ID, not just by campaign or ad set.</p>



<p><strong><em>Dig deeper: <a href="https://searchengineland.com/google-ads-ai-tools-asset-creation-456800">How Google Ads’ AI tools fix creative bottlenecks, streamline asset creation</a></em></strong></p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-2-creative-lifecycle-nbsp">2. Creative lifecycle&nbsp;</h2>



<p>Every ad has a natural lifespan – and every platform its own life expectancy.&nbsp;</p>



<p>No matter how timely or novel your ad was at launch, your audience will eventually acclimate to its visuals or message.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Keeping your creative fresh helps reset the clock on fatigue.</p>



<p>Refreshing doesn’t have to mean reinventing.</p>



<p>Sometimes a new headline, a different opening shot, or an updated call to action is enough to restore performance. (See the table below for rule-of-thumb refresh guidelines by platform.)</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" width="984" height="591" src="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/10/Average-lifecycles-by-platform.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-463697" srcset="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/10/Average-lifecycles-by-platform.jpg 984w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/10/Average-lifecycles-by-platform-768x461.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 984px) 100vw, 984px" /></figure>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-data-behind-creative-lifecycle">The data behind creative lifecycle</h3>



<p>To distinguish a normal lifecycle from an accelerated one that signals deeper issues, track declining performance metrics like CTR and frequency – how many times a user sees your ad.&nbsp;</p>



<p>A high-performing ad typically follows a predictable curve.</p>



<p>Engagement drops about 20-30% week over week as it nears the end of its run. Any faster, and something else needs fixing.</p>



<p>Your refresh rate should also match your spend. Bigger budgets drive higher frequency, which naturally shortens a creative’s lifespan.</p>


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img decoding="async" width="1600" height="954" src="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/10/Creative-fatigue-CTR-vs-frequency-over-time.png" alt="" class="wp-image-463698" srcset="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/10/Creative-fatigue-CTR-vs-frequency-over-time.png 1600w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/10/Creative-fatigue-CTR-vs-frequency-over-time-768x458.png 768w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/10/Creative-fatigue-CTR-vs-frequency-over-time-1536x916.png 1536w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px" /></figure></div>


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<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-3-audience-saturation">3. Audience saturation</h2>



<p>You’ve got your “cool ad” – engaging visuals, a catchy hook, and a refresh cadence all mapped out.&nbsp;</p>



<p>You put a big budget behind it, only to watch performance drop like a stone after a single day. Ouch.</p>



<p>You’re likely running into the third factor of creative fatigue: audience saturation – when the same people see your ad again and again, driving performance steadily downward.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Failing to balance budget and audience size leads even the strongest creative to overexposure and a shorter lifespan.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-data-behind-audience-saturation">The data behind audience saturation</h3>



<p>To spot early signs of saturation, track frequency, and reach together.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Frequency measures how many times each person sees your ad, while reach counts the number of unique people who’ve seen it.&nbsp;</p>



<p>When frequency rises but reach plateaus, your ad hits the same people repeatedly instead of expanding to new audiences. </p>



<p>Ideally, both numbers should climb in tandem.</p>



<p>Some platforms – including Google, Microsoft, LinkedIn, and DSP providers – offer frequency caps to control exposure.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Others, like Meta, Amazon, and TikTok, don’t.</p>



<p><strong><em>Dig deeper: </em></strong><a href="https://searchengineland.com/how-to-beat-audience-saturation-in-ppc-kpis-methodology-and-case-studies-449358"><strong><em>How to beat audience saturation in PPC: KPIs, methodology and case studies</em></strong></a></p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-4-platform-dynamics">4. Platform dynamics</h2>



<p>These days, algorithms don’t just reflect performance – they shape it.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Once an ad starts to underperform, a feedback loop kicks in.</p>



<p>Automated systems reduce delivery, which further hurts performance, which leads to even less delivery.</p>



<p>How each platform evaluates creative health – and how quickly you respond before your ad is demoted – is the fourth and final factor in understanding creative fatigue.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-data-behind-platform-dynamics">The data behind platform dynamics</h3>



<p>Every platform has its own system for grading creative performance, but the clearest sign of algorithmic demotion is declining impressions or spend despite stable budgets and targeting.</p>



<p>The tricky part is that this kind of underdelivery can look a lot like normal lifecycle decline or audience saturation. In reality, it’s often a machine-level penalty.&nbsp;</p>



<p>To spot it, monitor impression share and spend velocity week over week, at the creative level (not by campaign or ad set).</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-to-do-when-the-algorithm-punishes-you">What to do when the algorithm punishes you</h2>



<p>When impressions or spend drop despite a stable budget and consistent targeting, your ad has likely been demoted by the platform.&nbsp;</p>



<p>That doesn’t necessarily mean it’s poor quality.&nbsp;</p>



<p>This usually means the algorithm has lost “confidence” in its ability to achieve your chosen goal, such as engagement or conversions.</p>



<p>Here’s how to recover:</p>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li><strong>Check your performance metrics:</strong> Sharp declines in CTR, engagement, or conversions can trigger a penalty. Compare the trend line to earlier in the campaign.</li>



<li><strong>Assess audience saturation:</strong> If frequency exceeds 3 for prospecting or 5 for retargeting, your audience may be too small for the budget. Broaden targeting or reduce spend.</li>



<li><strong>Refresh the creative:</strong> Launch new or updated versions under new ad IDs so the system re-enters its learning phase.</li>



<li><strong>Don’t make drastic edits:</strong> Frequent budget, bid, or targeting changes reset learning and slow recovery.</li>
</ul>



<p>When the algorithm cools your ad, don’t panic.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Act quickly to identify whether the issue lies in quality, freshness, audience, or budget – and make deliberate adjustments, not hasty ones.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-turning-creative-fatigue-into-a-performance-signal">Turning creative fatigue into a performance signal</h2>



<p>Creative fatigue, like death and taxes, is inevitable. Every ad has a beginning, middle, and end.&nbsp;</p>



<p>The key is recognizing those stages early through vigilant data monitoring, so you can extend performance instead of waiting for the crash.</p>



<p>While automation may be taking over much of marketing, ad creative, and copy remain one arena where humans still outperform machines.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Great marketers today don’t just make good ads. They know how to sustain them through smart refreshes, rotations, and timely retirements.</p>



<p>Because when you can see the whimper coming, you can make sure your next ad lands with a bang.</p>



<p><strong><em>Dig deeper: <a href="https://searchengineland.com/ai-ad-creative-tools-446748">7 best AI ad creative tools, for beginners to pros</a></em></strong></p>

The death of an ad, like the end of the world, doesn’t happen with a bang but with a whimper. 
If you’re paying attention, you’ll notice the warning signs: click-through rate (CTR) slips, engagement falls, and cost-per-click (CPC) creeps up. 
If you’re not, one day your former top performer is suddenly costing you money.
Creative fatigue – the decline in ad performance caused by overexposure or audience saturation – is often the culprit. 
It’s been around as long as advertising itself, but in an era where platforms control targeting, bidding, and even creative testing, it’s become one of the few variables marketers can still influence.
This article explains how to spot early signs of fatigue across PPC platforms before your ROI turns sour, and how to manually refresh your creative in the age of AI-driven optimization. 
We’ll look at four key factors: 
Ad quality.
Creative lifecycle.
Audience saturation.
Platform dynamics.




1. Ad quality
Low-quality ads burn out much faster than high-quality ones. 
To stand the test of time, your creative needs to be both relevant and resonant – it has to connect with the viewer. 
But it’s important to remember that creative fatigue isn’t the same as bad creative. Even a brilliant ad will wear out if it’s shown too often or for too long. 
Think of it like a joke – no matter how good it is, it stops landing once the audience has heard it a dozen times.
The data behind ad quality
To track ad quality, monitor how your key metrics trend over time – especially CTR, CPC, and conversion rate (CVR). 
A high initial CTR followed by a gradual decline usually signals a strong performer reaching the end of its natural run.
Because every campaign operates in a different context, it’s best to compare an ad’s results against your own historical benchmarks rather than rigid KPI targets. 
Factor in elements like seasonality and placement to avoid overgeneralizing performance trends. 
And to read the data accurately, make sure you’re analyzing results by creative ID, not just by campaign or ad set.
Dig deeper: How Google Ads’ AI tools fix creative bottlenecks, streamline asset creation
2. Creative lifecycle 
Every ad has a natural lifespan – and every platform its own life expectancy. 
No matter how timely or novel your ad was at launch, your audience will eventually acclimate to its visuals or message. 
Keeping your creative fresh helps reset the clock on fatigue.
Refreshing doesn’t have to mean reinventing.
Sometimes a new headline, a different opening shot, or an updated call to action is enough to restore performance. (See the table below for rule-of-thumb refresh guidelines by platform.)




The data behind creative lifecycle
To distinguish a normal lifecycle from an accelerated one that signals deeper issues, track declining performance metrics like CTR and frequency – how many times a user sees your ad. 
A high-performing ad typically follows a predictable curve.
Engagement drops about 20-30% week over week as it nears the end of its run. Any faster, and something else needs fixing.
Your refresh rate should also match your spend. Bigger budgets drive higher frequency, which naturally shortens a creative’s lifespan.

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3. Audience saturation
You’ve got your “cool ad” – engaging visuals, a catchy hook, and a refresh cadence all mapped out. 
You put a big budget behind it, only to watch performance drop like a stone after a single day. Ouch.
You’re likely running into the third factor of creative fatigue: audience saturation – when the same people see your ad again and again, driving performance steadily downward. 
Failing to balance budget and audience size leads even the strongest creative to overexposure and a shorter lifespan.
The data behind audience saturation
To spot early signs of saturation, track frequency, and reach together. 
Frequency measures how many times each person sees your ad, while reach counts the number of unique people who’ve seen it. 
When frequency rises but reach plateaus, your ad hits the same people repeatedly instead of expanding to new audiences. 
Ideally, both numbers should climb in tandem.
Some platforms – including Google, Microsoft, LinkedIn, and DSP providers – offer frequency caps to control exposure. 
Others, like Meta, Amazon, and TikTok, don’t.
Dig deeper: How to beat audience saturation in PPC: KPIs, methodology and case studies
4. Platform dynamics
These days, algorithms don’t just reflect performance – they shape it. 
Once an ad starts to underperform, a feedback loop kicks in.
Automated systems reduce delivery, which further hurts performance, which leads to even less delivery.
How each platform evaluates creative health – and how quickly you respond before your ad is demoted – is the fourth and final factor in understanding creative fatigue.
The data behind platform dynamics
Every platform has its own system for grading creative performance, but the clearest sign of algorithmic demotion is declining impressions or spend despite stable budgets and targeting.
The tricky part is that this kind of underdelivery can look a lot like normal lifecycle decline or audience saturation. In reality, it’s often a machine-level penalty. 
To spot it, monitor impression share and spend velocity week over week, at the creative level (not by campaign or ad set).
What to do when the algorithm punishes you
When impressions or spend drop despite a stable budget and consistent targeting, your ad has likely been demoted by the platform. 
That doesn’t necessarily mean it’s poor quality. 
This usually means the algorithm has lost “confidence” in its ability to achieve your chosen goal, such as engagement or conversions.
Here’s how to recover:
Check your performance metrics: Sharp declines in CTR, engagement, or conversions can trigger a penalty. Compare the trend line to earlier in the campaign.
Assess audience saturation: If frequency exceeds 3 for prospecting or 5 for retargeting, your audience may be too small for the budget. Broaden targeting or reduce spend.
Refresh the creative: Launch new or updated versions under new ad IDs so the system re-enters its learning phase.
Don’t make drastic edits: Frequent budget, bid, or targeting changes reset learning and slow recovery.
When the algorithm cools your ad, don’t panic. 
Act quickly to identify whether the issue lies in quality, freshness, audience, or budget – and make deliberate adjustments, not hasty ones.
Turning creative fatigue into a performance signal
Creative fatigue, like death and taxes, is inevitable. Every ad has a beginning, middle, and end. 
The key is recognizing those stages early through vigilant data monitoring, so you can extend performance instead of waiting for the crash.
While automation may be taking over much of marketing, ad creative, and copy remain one arena where humans still outperform machines. 
Great marketers today don’t just make good ads. They know how to sustain them through smart refreshes, rotations, and timely retirements.
Because when you can see the whimper coming, you can make sure your next ad lands with a bang.
Dig deeper: 7 best AI ad creative tools, for beginners to pros

Falling CTRs, rising CPCs, and shrinking reach signal creative fatigue. Learn how to spot it early and use data to extend your ads’ lifespan.

Your ads are dying: How to spot and stop creative fatigue before it tanks performance

<div><img width="1920" height="1080" src="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/10/ChatGPT-Image-Your-Q4-ecommerce-checklist-for-peak-holiday-sales.png" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" alt="Your Q4 ecommerce checklist for peak holiday sales" style="margin-bottom: 15px;" decoding="async" srcset="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/10/ChatGPT-Image-Your-Q4-ecommerce-checklist-for-peak-holiday-sales.png 1920w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/10/ChatGPT-Image-Your-Q4-ecommerce-checklist-for-peak-holiday-sales-768x432.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" /></div>Get your store ready for the busiest shopping season. This checklist covers key site, creative, and ad steps for Q4 success.

<div><img width="1920" height="1080" src="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/10/ChatGPT-Image-Your-Q4-ecommerce-checklist-for-peak-holiday-sales.png" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" alt="Your Q4 ecommerce checklist for peak holiday sales" style="margin-bottom: 15px;" decoding="async" srcset="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/10/ChatGPT-Image-Your-Q4-ecommerce-checklist-for-peak-holiday-sales.png 1920w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/10/ChatGPT-Image-Your-Q4-ecommerce-checklist-for-peak-holiday-sales-768x432.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" /></div>
<p>Q4 is here – and for ecommerce brands, that means the biggest sales opportunities of the year are just ahead.</p>



<p>Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Christmas – the biggest sales events are just around the corner. To hit your targets, preparation is key. It’s not too late to act, and the opportunities ahead are huge.</p>



<p>Use this checklist to get up to speed quickly and set your account up for success.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-website-and-ux">Website and UX</h2>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-review-site-speed-nbsp">Review site speed&nbsp;</h3>



<p>Start with a website audit to identify any red flags. Tools like PageSpeed Insights can help diagnose technical issues.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Encourage clients to review key pages and the checkout process on multiple devices to ensure there are no bottlenecks.&nbsp;</p>



<p>If resources allow, use heatmap or session analysis tools such as <a href="https://searchengineland.com/microsoft-clarity-website-analytics-447323">Microsoft Clarity</a> or Hotjar to better understand user behavior and improve the on-site experience.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-confirm-tracking-setup">Confirm tracking setup</h3>



<p>Double-check that all tracking is configured correctly across platforms.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Don’t just verify that tags are firing – make sure all events are set up to their fullest potential.&nbsp;</p>



<p>For example, confirm high match rates in Meta and ensure Enhanced Conversions is fully configured.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-add-vip-sign-ups-pop-ups">Add VIP sign-ups/pop-ups</h3>



<p>Before the sales period begins, encourage users to join a VIP list for Black Friday or holiday promotions.&nbsp;</p>



<p>This can give them early access or exclusive deals. Set up a separate automated email flow to follow up with these subscribers.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-launch-sale-page-early">Launch sale page early</h3>



<p>Publish your sale page as soon as possible so Google can crawl and index it for SEO.&nbsp;</p>



<p>The page doesn’t need to be accessible from your site navigation or populated with products right away – the key is to get it live early.&nbsp;</p>



<p>If possible, reuse the same URL from previous years to build on existing SEO equity.&nbsp;</p>



<p>You can also add a data capture form to collect VIP sign-ups until the page goes live with products.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-display-cutoffs-clearly">Display cutoffs clearly</h3>



<p>If shipping cutoff dates aren’t clear, many users won’t risk placing an order close to the deadline.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Clearly display both standard and express delivery cutoff dates on your website.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-highlight-sales-sitewide-with-banners">Highlight sales sitewide with banners</h3>



<p>Don’t rely solely on a homepage carousel to promote your sale.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Add a banner or header across all pages so users know a sale is happening, no matter where they land.</p>



<p><strong><em>Dig deeper: <a href="https://searchengineland.com/holiday-ecommerce-to-hit-record-253-billion-heres-whats-driving-it-463057">Holiday ecommerce to hit record $253 billion – here’s what’s driving it</a></em></strong></p>



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-creative-and-messaging">Creative and messaging</h2>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-run-pre-sale-lead-gen-ads">Run pre-sale lead gen ads</h3>



<p>As mentioned with pop-ups, supplementing that strategy with lead generation ads can help grow your email list and build early buzz around your upcoming sale.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-launch-simple-clear-primary-sale-ads">Launch simple, clear primary sale ads</h3>



<p>These will be your Black Friday or holiday sale ads running for most of the campaign.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Keep the messaging and promotion straightforward. Any confusion in a crowded feed will make users scroll past.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Use strong branding, put the offer front and center, and include a clear CTA. On Meta, this often works best as a simple image ad.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-create-cyber-monday-specific-ads">Create Cyber Monday-specific ads</h3>



<p>Many brands simply extend their Black Friday sale rather than creating Cyber Monday-specific ads and web banners.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Take advantage of the opportunity to give your campaign a fresh angle – both in messaging and offer.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Since it’s often the final day of your sale, you can go bigger on discounts for one day or add a free gift with purchases over a certain amount.&nbsp;</p>



<p>It’s also a great way to move slower-selling inventory left over from Black Friday.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-refresh-primary-ads-with-last-days-urgency">Refresh primary ads with ‘last days’ urgency</h3>



<p>Add urgency to your messaging as the sale nears its end by including countdowns or end dates.&nbsp;</p>



<p>This tactic works especially well for longer campaigns where ad fatigue can set in.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-finalize-all-creative-assets-early">Finalize all creative assets early</h3>



<p>November and December are busy months for ad builds and platform reviews.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Make sure all sale assets are ready several weeks before launch to avoid rushed builds and delays from longer approval times.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-advertising-and-data">Advertising and data</h2>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-audit-product-feeds">Audit product feeds</h3>



<p>Make sure item disapprovals and limited products are kept to a minimum. Double-check that your setup is current.&nbsp;</p>



<p>For example, if your return window has changed, update that information in Google Merchant Center.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-refresh-first-party-data-and-remarketing-lists">Refresh first-party data and remarketing lists</h3>



<p>Update any lists you plan to use this season.&nbsp;</p>



<p>If you don’t have direct integrations, upload new or revised lists manually.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Review your integrations and confirm that data is flowing correctly.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-build-lookalike-and-custom-audiences-early">Build lookalike and custom audiences early</h3>



<p>Start building audiences as soon as your first-party and remarketing lists are refreshed.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Create Meta Lookalike Audiences, Performance Max audience signals, and Custom Audiences.&nbsp;</p>



<p>If you run into volume issues, you’ll have time to adjust or explore alternatives.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-finalize-budget-by-week-not-just-month">Finalize budget by week, not just month</h3>



<p>Agree on budgets early so you know your spending limits. Don’t plan just by month. Map out weekly spend, too.&nbsp;</p>



<p>You’ll likely want to invest more heavily in the final week of November than in the first.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-use-title-and-description-extensions-or-ad-customizers">Use title and description extensions or ad customizers</h3>



<p>Updating search ad copy can be tedious and time-consuming.&nbsp;</p>



<p>These tools let you control and update copy dynamically without editing every RSA manually – saving hours in campaign builds.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-use-ad-assets-promo-sitelinks-and-gmc-promotions">Use ad assets, promo sitelinks, and GMC promotions</h3>



<p>Enable sale-related sitelinks, callouts, and promotion extensions across search campaigns so your offers appear everywhere.&nbsp;</p>



<p>In Shopping, set up Google Merchant Center promotions to highlight deals and incentives in your Shopping ad annotations.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-apply-countdown-features">Apply countdown features</h3>



<p>Add a dynamic countdown timer to search ads to show exactly when your sale ends.&nbsp;</p>



<p>This feature helps your ads stand out and adds urgency as the sale nears its close.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-launch-search-remarketing-activity">Launch search remarketing activity</h3>



<p>Bid on generic keywords you wouldn’t normally target, but limit them to remarketing or first-party data audiences.&nbsp;</p>



<p>For example, people searching for “Black Friday deals” who have purchased from your site in the past 30 days already know your brand and are primed to buy again.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-apply-seasonality-adjustments">Apply seasonality adjustments</h3>



<p>If you use Google Ads or Microsoft Ads with a target ROAS strategy, apply seasonality adjustments to prepare the algorithm for higher conversion rates during the sale period.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Remember to apply a negative adjustment once the sale ends to prevent unnecessary spend spikes.</p>



<p><strong><em>Dig deeper: <a href="https://searchengineland.com/seasonal-ppc-your-guide-to-boosting-holiday-ad-performance-446038">Seasonal PPC: Your guide to boosting holiday ad performance</a></em></strong></p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-focus-on-what-matters-most-for-q4-success">Focus on what matters most for Q4 success</h2>



<p>Not every tactic will fit your business or resources – and that’s OK.&nbsp;</p>



<p>The key is to focus on what will have the biggest impact on your store. </p>



<p>By addressing most of the points in this checklist, you’ll build a solid foundation for a strong Q4 and set yourself up to capture more sales during the busiest shopping season of the year.</p>



<p>Preparation is everything. The earlier you audit, test, and launch, the smoother your campaigns will run when traffic – and competition – start to surge.</p>

Q4 is here – and for ecommerce brands, that means the biggest sales opportunities of the year are just ahead.
Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Christmas – the biggest sales events are just around the corner. To hit your targets, preparation is key. It’s not too late to act, and the opportunities ahead are huge.
Use this checklist to get up to speed quickly and set your account up for success.
Website and UX
Review site speed 
Start with a website audit to identify any red flags. Tools like PageSpeed Insights can help diagnose technical issues. 
Encourage clients to review key pages and the checkout process on multiple devices to ensure there are no bottlenecks. 
If resources allow, use heatmap or session analysis tools such as Microsoft Clarity or Hotjar to better understand user behavior and improve the on-site experience.
Confirm tracking setup
Double-check that all tracking is configured correctly across platforms. 
Don’t just verify that tags are firing – make sure all events are set up to their fullest potential. 
For example, confirm high match rates in Meta and ensure Enhanced Conversions is fully configured.
Add VIP sign-ups/pop-ups
Before the sales period begins, encourage users to join a VIP list for Black Friday or holiday promotions. 
This can give them early access or exclusive deals. Set up a separate automated email flow to follow up with these subscribers.
Launch sale page early
Publish your sale page as soon as possible so Google can crawl and index it for SEO. 
The page doesn’t need to be accessible from your site navigation or populated with products right away – the key is to get it live early. 
If possible, reuse the same URL from previous years to build on existing SEO equity. 
You can also add a data capture form to collect VIP sign-ups until the page goes live with products.
Display cutoffs clearly
If shipping cutoff dates aren’t clear, many users won’t risk placing an order close to the deadline. 
Clearly display both standard and express delivery cutoff dates on your website.
Highlight sales sitewide with banners
Don’t rely solely on a homepage carousel to promote your sale. 
Add a banner or header across all pages so users know a sale is happening, no matter where they land.
Dig deeper: Holiday ecommerce to hit record $253 billion – here’s what’s driving it
Get the newsletter search marketers rely on.
  
				
								
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						// form.onSubmit(function(){
						// });
						
						// form.onSuccess(function (values, followUpUrl) {
						// });
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See terms.
Creative and messaging
Run pre-sale lead gen ads
As mentioned with pop-ups, supplementing that strategy with lead generation ads can help grow your email list and build early buzz around your upcoming sale.
Launch simple, clear primary sale ads
These will be your Black Friday or holiday sale ads running for most of the campaign. 
Keep the messaging and promotion straightforward. Any confusion in a crowded feed will make users scroll past. 
Use strong branding, put the offer front and center, and include a clear CTA. On Meta, this often works best as a simple image ad.
Create Cyber Monday-specific ads
Many brands simply extend their Black Friday sale rather than creating Cyber Monday-specific ads and web banners. 
Take advantage of the opportunity to give your campaign a fresh angle – both in messaging and offer. 
Since it’s often the final day of your sale, you can go bigger on discounts for one day or add a free gift with purchases over a certain amount. 
It’s also a great way to move slower-selling inventory left over from Black Friday.
Refresh primary ads with ‘last days’ urgency
Add urgency to your messaging as the sale nears its end by including countdowns or end dates. 
This tactic works especially well for longer campaigns where ad fatigue can set in.
Finalize all creative assets early
November and December are busy months for ad builds and platform reviews. 
Make sure all sale assets are ready several weeks before launch to avoid rushed builds and delays from longer approval times.
Advertising and data
Audit product feeds
Make sure item disapprovals and limited products are kept to a minimum. Double-check that your setup is current. 
For example, if your return window has changed, update that information in Google Merchant Center.
Refresh first-party data and remarketing lists
Update any lists you plan to use this season. 
If you don’t have direct integrations, upload new or revised lists manually. 
Review your integrations and confirm that data is flowing correctly.
Build lookalike and custom audiences early
Start building audiences as soon as your first-party and remarketing lists are refreshed. 
Create Meta Lookalike Audiences, Performance Max audience signals, and Custom Audiences. 
If you run into volume issues, you’ll have time to adjust or explore alternatives.
Finalize budget by week, not just month
Agree on budgets early so you know your spending limits. Don’t plan just by month. Map out weekly spend, too. 
You’ll likely want to invest more heavily in the final week of November than in the first.
Use title and description extensions or ad customizers
Updating search ad copy can be tedious and time-consuming. 
These tools let you control and update copy dynamically without editing every RSA manually – saving hours in campaign builds.
Use ad assets, promo sitelinks, and GMC promotions
Enable sale-related sitelinks, callouts, and promotion extensions across search campaigns so your offers appear everywhere. 
In Shopping, set up Google Merchant Center promotions to highlight deals and incentives in your Shopping ad annotations.
Apply countdown features
Add a dynamic countdown timer to search ads to show exactly when your sale ends. 
This feature helps your ads stand out and adds urgency as the sale nears its close.
Launch search remarketing activity
Bid on generic keywords you wouldn’t normally target, but limit them to remarketing or first-party data audiences. 
For example, people searching for “Black Friday deals” who have purchased from your site in the past 30 days already know your brand and are primed to buy again.
Apply seasonality adjustments
If you use Google Ads or Microsoft Ads with a target ROAS strategy, apply seasonality adjustments to prepare the algorithm for higher conversion rates during the sale period. 
Remember to apply a negative adjustment once the sale ends to prevent unnecessary spend spikes.
Dig deeper: Seasonal PPC: Your guide to boosting holiday ad performance
Focus on what matters most for Q4 success
Not every tactic will fit your business or resources – and that’s OK. 
The key is to focus on what will have the biggest impact on your store. 
By addressing most of the points in this checklist, you’ll build a solid foundation for a strong Q4 and set yourself up to capture more sales during the busiest shopping season of the year.
Preparation is everything. The earlier you audit, test, and launch, the smoother your campaigns will run when traffic – and competition – start to surge.

Get your store ready for the busiest shopping season. This checklist covers key site, creative, and ad steps for Q4 success.

Your Q4 ecommerce checklist for peak holiday sales

<div><img width="800" height="450" src="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2019/02/google-search-console-interface-ss-1920-800x450.jpg" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" alt="Screenshot of Google Search Console" style="margin-bottom: 15px;" decoding="async" srcset="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2019/02/google-search-console-interface-ss-1920-800x450.jpg 800w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2019/02/google-search-console-interface-ss-1920-600x338.jpg 600w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2019/02/google-search-console-interface-ss-1920-200x113.jpg 200w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2019/02/google-search-console-interface-ss-1920-768x432.jpg 768w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2019/02/google-search-console-interface-ss-1920-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2019/02/google-search-console-interface-ss-1920-150x84.jpg 150w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2019/02/google-search-console-interface-ss-1920.jpg 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /></div>The report has been stuck on Sunday, October 19th but Google said it will catch up.

<div><img width="800" height="450" src="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2019/02/google-search-console-interface-ss-1920-800x450.jpg" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" alt="Screenshot of Google Search Console" style="margin-bottom: 15px;" decoding="async" srcset="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2019/02/google-search-console-interface-ss-1920-800x450.jpg 800w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2019/02/google-search-console-interface-ss-1920-600x338.jpg 600w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2019/02/google-search-console-interface-ss-1920-200x113.jpg 200w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2019/02/google-search-console-interface-ss-1920-768x432.jpg 768w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2019/02/google-search-console-interface-ss-1920-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2019/02/google-search-console-interface-ss-1920-150x84.jpg 150w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2019/02/google-search-console-interface-ss-1920.jpg 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /></div>
<p>Google Search Console&#8217;s performance report is stuck and has not shown an update in the main report since Sunday, October 19th. Google confirmed the issue and said it will catch up.</p>



<p><strong>What it looks like. </strong>As I <a href="https://www.seroundtable.com/google-search-console-performance-report-stuck-40311.html">said</a> on the Search Engine Roundtable, before Google confirmed the issue, the performance reports for all Search Console profiles are stuck on Sunday. Here is a sample chart:</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" width="1482" height="506" src="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/10/google-search-console-performance-report-stuck-1761212741.png" alt="" class="wp-image-463768" srcset="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/10/google-search-console-performance-report-stuck-1761212741.png 1482w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/10/google-search-console-performance-report-stuck-1761212741-768x262.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1482px) 100vw, 1482px" /></figure>



<p><strong>More details. </strong>The weird thing is that when you dive in to 24 hour data, you do get recent data. So it does seem like the data is being collected and stored but it just isn&#8217;t being rendered in most of the reporting. </p>



<p>In addition, when you click on the by date breakdown under the chart, Google is only showing data as recent as this past Sunday.</p>



<p>Again, I really think the data is not lost and will soon show up in the main reporting charts soon.</p>



<p><strong>What Google said. </strong>Daniel Waisberg from the Google Search Central team who works with Search Console said on X, &#8220;We&#8217;re catching up.&#8221;</p>



<p>Here is that post:</p>



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">We&#39;re catching up!</p>&mdash; Daniel Waisberg (@danielwaisberg) <a href="https://twitter.com/danielwaisberg/status/1981650406041080060?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 24, 2025</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div></figure>



<p><strong>Why we care. </strong>If you&#8217;ve been looking to run reports for clients or stakeholders, you may have to wait a few more days for this report to catch up. It is not a bug just for your site, but for all sites in Google Search Console and it should be fixed soon.</p>


Google Search Console’s performance report is stuck and has not shown an update in the main report since Sunday, October 19th. Google confirmed the issue and said it will catch up.
What it looks like. As I said on the Search Engine Roundtable, before Google confirmed the issue, the performance reports for all Search Console profiles are stuck on Sunday. Here is a sample chart:




More details. The weird thing is that when you dive in to 24 hour data, you do get recent data. So it does seem like the data is being collected and stored but it just isn’t being rendered in most of the reporting. 
In addition, when you click on the by date breakdown under the chart, Google is only showing data as recent as this past Sunday.
Again, I really think the data is not lost and will soon show up in the main reporting charts soon.
What Google said. Daniel Waisberg from the Google Search Central team who works with Search Console said on X, “We’re catching up.”
Here is that post:


We're catching up!
— Daniel Waisberg (@danielwaisberg) October 24, 2025





Why we care. If you’ve been looking to run reports for clients or stakeholders, you may have to wait a few more days for this report to catch up. It is not a bug just for your site, but for all sites in Google Search Console and it should be fixed soon.

The report has been stuck on Sunday, October 19th but Google said it will catch up.

Google working on fixing Search Console performance report delay

<div><img width="1600" height="900" src="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/10/PLTP-IntroOutro-2-1.png" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" alt="" style="margin-bottom: 15px;" decoding="async" srcset="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/10/PLTP-IntroOutro-2-1.png 1600w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/10/PLTP-IntroOutro-2-1-768x432.png 768w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/10/PLTP-IntroOutro-2-1-1536x864.png 1536w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px" /></div>After being fired from his first PPC job, Jack Hepp shares how that became the foundation for his growth into a transparent, trusted PPC expert.

<div><img width="1600" height="900" src="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/10/PLTP-IntroOutro-2-1.png" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" alt="" style="margin-bottom: 15px;" decoding="async" srcset="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/10/PLTP-IntroOutro-2-1.png 1600w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/10/PLTP-IntroOutro-2-1-768x432.png 768w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/10/PLTP-IntroOutro-2-1-1536x864.png 1536w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px" /></div>
<div style="padding:56.25% 0 0 0;position:relative;"><iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/1129941268?badge=0&amp;autopause=0&amp;player_id=0&amp;app_id=58479" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; fullscreen; picture-in-picture; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;" title="riverside_jack__ oct 21, 2025 001_anu_adegbola's stud"></iframe></div><script src="https://player.vimeo.com/api/player.js"></script>



<p></p>



<p>On episode 329 of PPC Live The Podcast I speak to Jack Hepp, founder of industrious Marketing LLC, discussing the fallout and what it took to bring him back to feet after he got fired from his first PPC job. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-big-f-up-fired-from-his-first-agency-job">The big f-up: fired from his first agency job</h2>



<p>Jack’s defining career moment came just a year and a half into his first agency role. Despite being eager to learn, he was still new to digital marketing when a major mistake occurred.</p>



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">
<p>“We dramatically underspent a client’s ad budget for the month — by almost 50%,” Jack recalls.</p>
</blockquote>



<p>That underspend had serious consequences. The client relied heavily on Google Ads for online sales, and the missed spend translated directly into lost revenue. As the main point of contact, the blame fell on Jack.</p>



<p>“I was fired,” he says plainly. “It was my first job ever, and it crushed me.”</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-communication-breakdown-the-real-mistake">Communication breakdown: the real mistake</h2>



<p>Looking back, Jack believes the root issue wasn’t just the budget underspend — it was poor communication.</p>



<p>“There were other agencies, account reps, and multiple layers of management involved,” he explains. “But I didn’t communicate clearly enough. I was afraid to admit that something was going wrong.”</p>



<p>That fear of being honest about mistakes is common in early careers. I note, “If people hear that one mistake could get them fired, they’ll stop taking risks. That’s not how innovation happens.”</p>



<p>Jack now emphasizes transparency as a key professional value: “If I had communicated better, maybe things would’ve played out differently.”</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-role-of-leadership-and-training">The role of leadership and training</h2>



<p>As the conversation unfolds, it becomes clear that Jack’s situation reflected deeper organizational issues. He received no formal training before being handed digital responsibilities.</p>



<p>“It was very much like, ‘You’re young, you know how the internet works,’” Jack laughs. “But I didn’t know what I didn’t know.”</p>



<p>He and I agree that poor management and lack of mentorship can lead to preventable failures. “That agency set you up to fail,” I remark. “Good leadership means helping juniors understand what to do — and why.”</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-rising-again-the-power-of-networks">Rising again: the power of networks</h2>



<p>After being let go, Jack initially swore off marketing altogether. “I thought I was done. I even started applying for jobs in banking,” he says.</p>



<p>But three months later, his professional network changed everything. A local agency called him out of the blue — thanks to someone who had vouched for him.</p>



<p>“They told the agency, ‘You need to talk to Jack. He’s great — don’t judge him by that one mistake.’”</p>



<p>That opportunity reignited his marketing career, proving the power of community connections.</p>



<p>“Your network can be your safety net,” I said. “Join Slack groups, PPC chats, LinkedIn communities. Those relationships can literally save your career.”</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-lessons-learned-transparency-and-ownership">Lessons learned: transparency and ownership</h2>



<p>Since that early setback, Jack has gone on to manage countless campaigns and clients. And yes — he’s made other mistakes, including the classic daily budget typo (“$1,000 instead of $100”).</p>



<p>But this time, he handled it differently:</p>



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">
<p>“I went straight to my manager and owned it. We told the client, fixed the pacing, and moved on. Being transparent builds trust.”</p>
</blockquote>



<p>Jack’s biggest takeaway?</p>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>“Communicate openly, even when it’s uncomfortable. People are usually understanding if you’re honest and proactive about fixing the issue.”</li>
</ul>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-on-ai-and-the-future-of-ppc">On AI and the future of PPC</h2>



<p>In the latter part of the discussion, Jack and I explore how AI is changing the paid search landscape — and why experience still matters.</p>



<p>Jack cautions against over-reliance on automation:</p>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>“AI makes it easier to manage accounts, but harder to manage them <em>well</em>. You still need human judgment.”</li>
</ul>



<p>He’s noticed a worrying trend where brands “take the human out” of campaign management, trusting AI to do everything. “That’s when you start seeing nonsense ad copy or mismatched targeting,” he warns.</p>



<p>I add, “AI should be a tool, not a crutch. You still need people who understand the fundamentals of marketing — audience, message, and intent.”</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-advice-for-managers-and-new-marketers">Advice for managers and new marketers</h2>



<p>For managers training juniors in the AI era, Jack offers simple guidance:</p>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>“Even if AI can automate tasks, make sure your team understands <em>why</em> those tasks matter. Teach the reasoning, not just the process.”</li>
</ul>



<p>This builds critical thinking — the kind that prevents mistakes before they happen.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-final-thoughts-the-ppc-sequel">Final thoughts: The PPC Sequel</h2>



<p>If Jack’s PPC career were a movie, what would it be called?</p>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>“The PPC Sequel: I thought it was over, but I came back for part two.”</li>
</ul>



<p>It’s the perfect metaphor for his journey — from fired beginner to respected thought leader.</p>



<p>I closes the conversation with a reminder:</p>



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">
<p>“No matter how low things seem, things can always turn around.”</p>
</blockquote>



<p></p>


On episode 329 of PPC Live The Podcast I speak to Jack Hepp, founder of industrious Marketing LLC, discussing the fallout and what it took to bring him back to feet after he got fired from his first PPC job. 
The big f-up: fired from his first agency job
Jack’s defining career moment came just a year and a half into his first agency role. Despite being eager to learn, he was still new to digital marketing when a major mistake occurred.
“We dramatically underspent a client’s ad budget for the month — by almost 50%,” Jack recalls.
That underspend had serious consequences. The client relied heavily on Google Ads for online sales, and the missed spend translated directly into lost revenue. As the main point of contact, the blame fell on Jack.
“I was fired,” he says plainly. “It was my first job ever, and it crushed me.”
Communication breakdown: the real mistake
Looking back, Jack believes the root issue wasn’t just the budget underspend — it was poor communication.
“There were other agencies, account reps, and multiple layers of management involved,” he explains. “But I didn’t communicate clearly enough. I was afraid to admit that something was going wrong.”
That fear of being honest about mistakes is common in early careers. I note, “If people hear that one mistake could get them fired, they’ll stop taking risks. That’s not how innovation happens.”
Jack now emphasizes transparency as a key professional value: “If I had communicated better, maybe things would’ve played out differently.”
The role of leadership and training
As the conversation unfolds, it becomes clear that Jack’s situation reflected deeper organizational issues. He received no formal training before being handed digital responsibilities.
“It was very much like, ‘You’re young, you know how the internet works,’” Jack laughs. “But I didn’t know what I didn’t know.”
He and I agree that poor management and lack of mentorship can lead to preventable failures. “That agency set you up to fail,” I remark. “Good leadership means helping juniors understand what to do — and why.”
Rising again: the power of networks
After being let go, Jack initially swore off marketing altogether. “I thought I was done. I even started applying for jobs in banking,” he says.
But three months later, his professional network changed everything. A local agency called him out of the blue — thanks to someone who had vouched for him.
“They told the agency, ‘You need to talk to Jack. He’s great — don’t judge him by that one mistake.’”
That opportunity reignited his marketing career, proving the power of community connections.
“Your network can be your safety net,” I said. “Join Slack groups, PPC chats, LinkedIn communities. Those relationships can literally save your career.”
Lessons learned: transparency and ownership
Since that early setback, Jack has gone on to manage countless campaigns and clients. And yes — he’s made other mistakes, including the classic daily budget typo (“$1,000 instead of $100”).
But this time, he handled it differently:
“I went straight to my manager and owned it. We told the client, fixed the pacing, and moved on. Being transparent builds trust.”
Jack’s biggest takeaway?
“Communicate openly, even when it’s uncomfortable. People are usually understanding if you’re honest and proactive about fixing the issue.”
On AI and the future of PPC
In the latter part of the discussion, Jack and I explore how AI is changing the paid search landscape — and why experience still matters.
Jack cautions against over-reliance on automation:
“AI makes it easier to manage accounts, but harder to manage them well. You still need human judgment.”
He’s noticed a worrying trend where brands “take the human out” of campaign management, trusting AI to do everything. “That’s when you start seeing nonsense ad copy or mismatched targeting,” he warns.
I add, “AI should be a tool, not a crutch. You still need people who understand the fundamentals of marketing — audience, message, and intent.”
Advice for managers and new marketers
For managers training juniors in the AI era, Jack offers simple guidance:
“Even if AI can automate tasks, make sure your team understands why those tasks matter. Teach the reasoning, not just the process.”
This builds critical thinking — the kind that prevents mistakes before they happen.
Final thoughts: The PPC Sequel
If Jack’s PPC career were a movie, what would it be called?
“The PPC Sequel: I thought it was over, but I came back for part two.”
It’s the perfect metaphor for his journey — from fired beginner to respected thought leader.
I closes the conversation with a reminder:
“No matter how low things seem, things can always turn around.”

After being fired from his first PPC job, Jack Hepp shares how that became the foundation for his growth into a transparent, trusted PPC expert.

Jack Hepp talks about getting fired from his first PPC job

<div><img width="1920" height="1080" src="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/10/chatgpt-queries.png" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" alt="ChatGPT queries" style="margin-bottom: 15px;" decoding="async" srcset="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/10/chatgpt-queries.png 1920w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/10/chatgpt-queries-768x432.png 768w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/10/chatgpt-queries-1536x864.png 1536w" sizes="(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" /></div>OpenAI's new AI browser ChatGPT Atlas can mimic human clicks, potentially inflating ad costs and distorting website analytics.

<div><img width="1920" height="1080" src="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/10/chatgpt-queries.png" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" alt="ChatGPT queries" style="margin-bottom: 15px;" decoding="async" srcset="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/10/chatgpt-queries.png 1920w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/10/chatgpt-queries-768x432.png 768w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/10/chatgpt-queries-1536x864.png 1536w" sizes="(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" /></div>
<p>Following OpenAI’s launch of <a href="https://searchengineland.com/openai-launches-a-web-browser-chatgpt-atlas-463623">ChatGPT Atlas</a>, software company Search Atlas flagged a major issue: the AI-powered browser can interact with websites in a way that looks indistinguishable from real human users, including clicking on paid advertisements.</p>



<p><strong>Why we care.</strong> Businesses running digital ad campaigns could unknowingly pay for clicks generated by AI agents, not real prospects. The technology also threatens to corrupt analytics data, making it harder to measure genuine traffic and user behavior.</p>



<p><strong>The problem</strong>. ChatGPT Atlas is built on Google Chrome, so ad networks and websites perceive its activity as a legitimate user.</p>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Every AI click on sponsored posts can trigger ad spend just like a real visitor.</li>



<li>Website metrics may become unreliable, affecting marketing decisions and ROI.</li>



<li>Most platforms ban bot traffic, but current detection methods cannot flag AI agents like ChatGPT Atlas.</li>
</ul>



<p><strong>What to do</strong>.<span style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><strong> </strong>Look for unusual traffic spikes or patterns in your analytics, as well as odd click behavior or declining conversion rates.</span> If irregular activity is detected, inform marketing teams and ad providers.</p>



<ol class="wp-block-list"></ol>



<p><strong>Industry implications</strong>. Search Atlas founder <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/manick-bhan/">Manick Bhan</a> warned this could push platforms like Google and Meta to develop new standards for distinguishing human traffic from AI agents. He predicts the rise of AI-driven agents operating in the background will make separating human and AI activity critical for accurate measurement and protecting ad budgets.</p>



<p><strong>Bottom line</strong>. As AI browsers gain adoption, brands may face hidden costs and unreliable data unless new detection tools and standards are developed – signaling both risk and opportunity for innovation in ad measurement and traffic verification.</p>


Following OpenAI’s launch of ChatGPT Atlas, software company Search Atlas flagged a major issue: the AI-powered browser can interact with websites in a way that looks indistinguishable from real human users, including clicking on paid advertisements.
Why we care. Businesses running digital ad campaigns could unknowingly pay for clicks generated by AI agents, not real prospects. The technology also threatens to corrupt analytics data, making it harder to measure genuine traffic and user behavior.
The problem. ChatGPT Atlas is built on Google Chrome, so ad networks and websites perceive its activity as a legitimate user.
Every AI click on sponsored posts can trigger ad spend just like a real visitor.
Website metrics may become unreliable, affecting marketing decisions and ROI.
Most platforms ban bot traffic, but current detection methods cannot flag AI agents like ChatGPT Atlas.
What to do. Look for unusual traffic spikes or patterns in your analytics, as well as odd click behavior or declining conversion rates. If irregular activity is detected, inform marketing teams and ad providers.




Industry implications. Search Atlas founder Manick Bhan warned this could push platforms like Google and Meta to develop new standards for distinguishing human traffic from AI agents. He predicts the rise of AI-driven agents operating in the background will make separating human and AI activity critical for accurate measurement and protecting ad budgets.
Bottom line. As AI browsers gain adoption, brands may face hidden costs and unreliable data unless new detection tools and standards are developed – signaling both risk and opportunity for innovation in ad measurement and traffic verification.

OpenAI's new AI browser ChatGPT Atlas can mimic human clicks, potentially inflating ad costs and distorting website analytics.

ChatGPT Atlas browser could drain ad budgets by mimicking human clicks

<div><img width="1920" height="1080" src="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/08/When-Google-Ads-automation-hurts-more-than-it-helps-and-how-to-catch-it.jpg" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" alt="When Google Ads automation hurts more than it helps and how to catch it" style="margin-bottom: 15px;" decoding="async" srcset="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/08/When-Google-Ads-automation-hurts-more-than-it-helps-and-how-to-catch-it.jpg 1920w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/08/When-Google-Ads-automation-hurts-more-than-it-helps-and-how-to-catch-it-768x432.jpg 768w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/08/When-Google-Ads-automation-hurts-more-than-it-helps-and-how-to-catch-it-1536x864.jpg 1536w" sizes="(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" /></div>Google marks 25 years of Ads, evolving from search keywords to AI-powered campaigns that reach audiences and deliver answers.

<div><img width="1920" height="1080" src="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/08/When-Google-Ads-automation-hurts-more-than-it-helps-and-how-to-catch-it.jpg" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" alt="When Google Ads automation hurts more than it helps and how to catch it" style="margin-bottom: 15px;" decoding="async" srcset="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/08/When-Google-Ads-automation-hurts-more-than-it-helps-and-how-to-catch-it.jpg 1920w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/08/When-Google-Ads-automation-hurts-more-than-it-helps-and-how-to-catch-it-768x432.jpg 768w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/08/When-Google-Ads-automation-hurts-more-than-it-helps-and-how-to-catch-it-1536x864.jpg 1536w" sizes="(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" /></div>
<p>Google today celebrated the 25th anniversary of its ad platform, first launched as AdWords in 2000. Now known as Google Ads, the platform remains the backbone of the company’s revenue engine.</p>



<p>Over two and a half decades, Google Ads has evolved from a manually managed system to a sophisticated AI-driven advertising platform spanning Search, YouTube, Play, and the wider web.</p>



<p><strong>What Google is saying. </strong><a href="https://blog.google/products/ads-commerce/google-ads-turns-25/">Google is celebrating</a>, with Vidhya Srinivasan, VP/GM of Ads &amp; Commerce, sharing how AI is empowering us to rethink what&#8217;s possible&#8217; and create a future of smarter, more helpful advertising.</p>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>&#8220;Generative AI is transforming digital marketing, and I am so proud to see us leading the way with agentic capabilities, tools that automate and optimize campaigns and cutting-edge creative generation&#8221;</li>
</ul>



<p>She emphasizes that the best ads provide answers and opportunities for inspiration, especially on Search and YouTube. She finally thanks its teams, advertisers, publishers, and creators for 25 years of collaboration, looking forward to the next 25.</p>



<p><strong>Lookback.</strong> On this quarter-century milestone, Google has been moving fast on AI updates in the past few years and has really sped up the frequency of update announcements, with many of them coming from industry experts instead of Google itself.</p>



<p>Let&#8217;s look at some significant Google Ads stories in the past couple of years:</p>



<p><strong>New products at Google Marketing Live 2024</strong></p>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li><a href="https://searchengineland.com/google-pmax-upgrade-mass-ai-creative-asset-production-440646">Google PMax upgrade allows mass AI creative asset production</a></li>



<li><a href="https://searchengineland.com/google-rolls-out-immersive-ai-powered-shopping-ads-440647">Google rolls out immersive, AI-powered Shopping Ads</a></li>



<li><a href="https://searchengineland.com/?p=440648">Google visual storytelling advances for YouTube, Discover, Gmail&nbsp;</a></li>



<li><a href="https://searchengineland.com/google-tests-ads-ai-overviews-440649">Google starts testing ads in AI overviews</a></li>



<li><a href="https://searchengineland.com/?p=440650">Google’s first-party data unification Ads Data Manager available to all</a></li>



<li><a href="https://searchengineland.com/?p=440661">Google gives merchants new brand profiles, AI branding tools</a></li>



<li><a href="https://searchengineland.com/google-tests-ai-powered-ads-complex-purchases-440694">Google tests AI-powered ads for complex purchases</a></li>
</ul>



<p><strong>New products at Google Marketing Live 2025</strong></p>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li><a href="https://searchengineland.com/google-ads-ai-overviews-ai-mode-desktop-455733">Google expands ads in AI Overviews, AI Mode to desktop</a></li>



<li><a href="https://searchengineland.com/google-ai-tools-creative-ads-video-campaigns-brand-listings-455748">New Google AI tools transform Creative Ads, Video Campaigns, Brand Listings</a></li>



<li><a href="https://searchengineland.com/google-smart-bidding-exploration-455756">Google unveils Smart Bidding Exploration</a></li>



<li><a href="https://searchengineland.com/google-tools-testing-measurement-data-455760">Google unveils new tools for testing, measurement, data</a></li>



<li><a href="https://searchengineland.com/google-ads-analytics-agentic-tools-455788">Google is putting agentic tools in Ads and Analytics</a></li>



<li><a href="https://searchengineland.com/google-marketing-advisor-chrome-455796%E2%86%97">Google Marketing Advisor, an AI sidekick for advertisers, coming soon to Chrome</a></li>
</ul>



<p><strong>Performance Max</strong></p>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li><a href="https://searchengineland.com/google-brand-customization-performance-max-448055?utm_source=chatgpt.com">Advertisers gained control to customise elements</a> like logos, colours and fonts within PMax campaigns for better brand alignment.</li>



<li><a href="https://searchengineland.com/google-reverses-stance-performance-max-campaign-controls-451271?utm_source=chatgpt.com">Google acknowledged that API-based placement exclusions do work</a> for PMax campaigns (contrary to earlier guidance) giving more granular control.</li>



<li><a href="https://searchengineland.com/google-message-asset-performance-max-453147?utm_source=chatgpt.com">PMax campaigns can now include “Message” assets</a> (chat-based interaction) allowing direct messaging from ads, increasing engagement options.</li>



<li><a href="https://searchengineland.com/google-adds-search-terms-visibility-to-performance-max-campaigns-453489?utm_source=chatgpt.com">Advertisers gained visibility</a> into which search terms triggered PMax ads and can now add negative keywords directly from that report—boosting transparency.</li>



<li><a href="https://searchengineland.com/google-ads-device-targeting-performance-max-455395?utm_source=chatgpt.com">PMax campaigns can now include or exclude specific device types</a> (desktop, mobile, tablet, TV) offering more precision in device-level targeting.</li>



<li><a href="https://searchengineland.com/google-ads-expands-search-themes-limit-in-performance-max-454925?utm_source=chatgpt.com">Advertisers can now add up to 50 “Search Themes”</a> (signals guiding PMax toward search intent) — up from earlier limits (10→25→50).</li>



<li><a href="https://searchengineland.com/google-ads-expands-negative-keyword-limits-pmax-453154?utm_source=chatgpt.com">The negative keyword cap in PMax campaigns was raised </a>from 100 to 10,000 per campaign — giving much greater control over exclusions.</li>



<li><a href="https://searchengineland.com/google-ads-expands-pmax-channel-reporting-to-account-level-461218?utm_source=chatgpt.com">Advertisers can now view cross-campaign channel performance for all PMax campaigns</a> at the account level instead of individual campaigns only.</li>



<li><a href="https://searchengineland.com/google-performance-max-vertical-916-image-ads-463336?utm_source=chatgpt.com">PMax campaigns now support 9:16 vertical image formats</a> (e.g., for mobile/Shorts-type placements) — enabling mobile-first creative flexibility.</li>
</ul>



<p><strong>Audience</strong>.</p>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li><a href="https://searchengineland.com/google-expands-audience-signal-targeting-to-app-campaigns-443837?utm_source=chatgpt.com">Google broadened “Audience Signal Targeting”</a> (previously only for Performance Max) to App campaigns — giving advertisers more direct audience signals in app-install/engagement campaigns.</li>



<li>Advertisers can now <a href="https://searchengineland.com/google-youtube-creator-based-audience-targeting-446043?utm_source=chatgpt.com">build remarketing lists from viewers of specific YouTube creator videos</a> (not just own channel) — expanding the audience-targeting toolkit.</li>



<li>Due to consent issues, <a href="https://searchengineland.com/google-cuts-conversion-tracking-eu-consent-mode-459606?utm_source=chatgpt.com">Google disabled key conversion tracking &amp; remarketing audience building for EU traffic</a> if Consent Mode v2 isn’t used — impacting audience signal quality.</li>



<li>Google introduced <a href="https://searchengineland.com/google-tightens-customer-match-data-rules-in-major-privacy-update-451887?utm_source=chatgpt.com">a limit on how long a user can remain in a Customer Match list</a> (540 days max) to improve data freshness and privacy compliance.</li>



<li><a href="https://searchengineland.com/google-analytics-4-audiences-google-ads-435464?utm_source=chatgpt.com">GA4 audiences (including predictive ones) can now be created and used directly in Google Ads</a>, giving more segmentation and activation capability.</li>
</ul>



<p><strong>RSAs</strong>.</p>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>For developers/advertisers: via API <a href="https://searchengineland.com/google-ads-api-v17_1-introduces-new-features-and-enhancements-445072?utm_source=chatgpt.com">you can remove automatically created assets linked to RSAs</a>, giving more control.</li>



<li>Google’s AI now dynamically assembles above- and below-the-fold assets: omitted descriptions, headlines used as sitelinks, etc., increasing flexibility of RSAs.</li>



<li><a href="https://searchengineland.com/google-ads-rolls-out-search-term-categories-for-rsas-459615?utm_source=chatgpt.com">Data for each RSA headline (clicks &amp; conversions) is now available</a> — big step for creative optimisation in RSAs.</li>
</ul>



<p><strong>New AI Tools</strong>.</p>



<p>Google officially announced<a href="https://searchengineland.com/google-ads-ai-max-search-454980?utm_source=chatgpt.com"> AI Max for Search campaigns</a> — enabling automation of keywords, creative and landing pages. In the following months advertisers kept noticing even more capabilities for this new functionality:</p>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li><a href="https://searchengineland.com/googles-ai-max-search-ginny-marvin-455582?utm_source=chatgpt.com">Additional insights on rollout</a>, keyword-less targeting, geo controls and reporting enhancements.</li>



<li><a href="https://searchengineland.com/google-ads-brand-controls-ai-max-new-search-campaigns-458954?utm_source=chatgpt.com">Brand inclusion/exclusion controls</a> integrated into the AI Max settings panel for new campaigns.</li>



<li><a href="https://searchengineland.com/google-ads-rolls-out-ai-max-search-match-type-457922?utm_source=chatgpt.com">AI Max appears as its own match type in reporting dashboards</a> — giving advertisers visibility into automated matches.</li>



<li>Reporting now <a href="https://searchengineland.com/ai-max-new-reporting-features-459953?utm_source=chatgpt.com">allows viewing search terms,</a> ad headlines and landing pages together for AI Max campaigns.</li>



<li><a href="https://searchengineland.com/ai-max-experiments-arrive-in-google-ads-heres-how-they-work-459935?utm_source=chatgpt.com">Google introduced a new experiment type for testing AI Max</a> within campaigns (50/50 split control-variant).</li>



<li><a href="https://searchengineland.com/google-sources-column-ai-max-search-term-reports-463464?utm_source=chatgpt.com">New “Sources” column shows where AI Max traffic comes from</a> (landing page inclusion, expanded matches etc.).</li>
</ul>



<p><strong>Privacy concerns continue</strong>.</p>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>In October 2025, after industry concerns of Google&#8217;s privacy solution and Google saying they will <a href="https://searchengineland.com/google-third-party-cookies-chrome-reversal-444317">no longer be removing third party cookies from Chrome</a>, <a href="https://searchengineland.com/google-officially-shuts-down-privacy-sandbox-463561?utm_source=chatgpt.com">Google officially shut down its Privacy Sandbox</a> initiative, which aimed to replace third-party cookies with privacy-preserving ad technologies.</li>



<li>In February 2025, Google introduced a 540-day cap on Customer Match list durations across its advertising platforms.</li>



<li>In May 2024, Google began rolling out changes to comply with new state privacy laws and user opt-out preferences across its ads and analytics products.</li>



<li>In January 2024, Google updated its data privacy policies for targeted ads in Europe to comply with the Digital Markets Act (DMA).</li>
</ul>


Google today celebrated the 25th anniversary of its ad platform, first launched as AdWords in 2000. Now known as Google Ads, the platform remains the backbone of the company’s revenue engine.
Over two and a half decades, Google Ads has evolved from a manually managed system to a sophisticated AI-driven advertising platform spanning Search, YouTube, Play, and the wider web.
What Google is saying. Google is celebrating, with Vidhya Srinivasan, VP/GM of Ads & Commerce, sharing how AI is empowering us to rethink what’s possible’ and create a future of smarter, more helpful advertising.
“Generative AI is transforming digital marketing, and I am so proud to see us leading the way with agentic capabilities, tools that automate and optimize campaigns and cutting-edge creative generation”
She emphasizes that the best ads provide answers and opportunities for inspiration, especially on Search and YouTube. She finally thanks its teams, advertisers, publishers, and creators for 25 years of collaboration, looking forward to the next 25.
Lookback. On this quarter-century milestone, Google has been moving fast on AI updates in the past few years and has really sped up the frequency of update announcements, with many of them coming from industry experts instead of Google itself.
Let’s look at some significant Google Ads stories in the past couple of years:
New products at Google Marketing Live 2024
Google PMax upgrade allows mass AI creative asset production
Google rolls out immersive, AI-powered Shopping Ads
Google visual storytelling advances for YouTube, Discover, Gmail 
Google starts testing ads in AI overviews
Google’s first-party data unification Ads Data Manager available to all
Google gives merchants new brand profiles, AI branding tools
Google tests AI-powered ads for complex purchases
New products at Google Marketing Live 2025
Google expands ads in AI Overviews, AI Mode to desktop
New Google AI tools transform Creative Ads, Video Campaigns, Brand Listings
Google unveils Smart Bidding Exploration
Google unveils new tools for testing, measurement, data
Google is putting agentic tools in Ads and Analytics
Google Marketing Advisor, an AI sidekick for advertisers, coming soon to Chrome
Performance Max
Advertisers gained control to customise elements like logos, colours and fonts within PMax campaigns for better brand alignment.
Google acknowledged that API-based placement exclusions do work for PMax campaigns (contrary to earlier guidance) giving more granular control.
PMax campaigns can now include “Message” assets (chat-based interaction) allowing direct messaging from ads, increasing engagement options.
Advertisers gained visibility into which search terms triggered PMax ads and can now add negative keywords directly from that report—boosting transparency.
PMax campaigns can now include or exclude specific device types (desktop, mobile, tablet, TV) offering more precision in device-level targeting.
Advertisers can now add up to 50 “Search Themes” (signals guiding PMax toward search intent) — up from earlier limits (10→25→50).
The negative keyword cap in PMax campaigns was raised from 100 to 10,000 per campaign — giving much greater control over exclusions.
Advertisers can now view cross-campaign channel performance for all PMax campaigns at the account level instead of individual campaigns only.
PMax campaigns now support 9:16 vertical image formats (e.g., for mobile/Shorts-type placements) — enabling mobile-first creative flexibility.
Audience.
Google broadened “Audience Signal Targeting” (previously only for Performance Max) to App campaigns — giving advertisers more direct audience signals in app-install/engagement campaigns.
Advertisers can now build remarketing lists from viewers of specific YouTube creator videos (not just own channel) — expanding the audience-targeting toolkit.
Due to consent issues, Google disabled key conversion tracking & remarketing audience building for EU traffic if Consent Mode v2 isn’t used — impacting audience signal quality.
Google introduced a limit on how long a user can remain in a Customer Match list (540 days max) to improve data freshness and privacy compliance.
GA4 audiences (including predictive ones) can now be created and used directly in Google Ads, giving more segmentation and activation capability.
RSAs.
For developers/advertisers: via API you can remove automatically created assets linked to RSAs, giving more control.
Google’s AI now dynamically assembles above- and below-the-fold assets: omitted descriptions, headlines used as sitelinks, etc., increasing flexibility of RSAs.
Data for each RSA headline (clicks & conversions) is now available — big step for creative optimisation in RSAs.
New AI Tools.
Google officially announced AI Max for Search campaigns — enabling automation of keywords, creative and landing pages. In the following months advertisers kept noticing even more capabilities for this new functionality:
Additional insights on rollout, keyword-less targeting, geo controls and reporting enhancements.
Brand inclusion/exclusion controls integrated into the AI Max settings panel for new campaigns.
AI Max appears as its own match type in reporting dashboards — giving advertisers visibility into automated matches.
Reporting now allows viewing search terms, ad headlines and landing pages together for AI Max campaigns.
Google introduced a new experiment type for testing AI Max within campaigns (50/50 split control-variant).
New “Sources” column shows where AI Max traffic comes from (landing page inclusion, expanded matches etc.).
Privacy concerns continue.
In October 2025, after industry concerns of Google’s privacy solution and Google saying they will no longer be removing third party cookies from Chrome, Google officially shut down its Privacy Sandbox initiative, which aimed to replace third-party cookies with privacy-preserving ad technologies.
In February 2025, Google introduced a 540-day cap on Customer Match list durations across its advertising platforms.
In May 2024, Google began rolling out changes to comply with new state privacy laws and user opt-out preferences across its ads and analytics products.
In January 2024, Google updated its data privacy policies for targeted ads in Europe to comply with the Digital Markets Act (DMA).

Google marks 25 years of Ads, evolving from search keywords to AI-powered campaigns that reach audiences and deliver answers.

Google Ads turns 25: A look back at the biggest changes and advances in search

<div><img width="1920" height="1080" src="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/10/ChatGPT-Image-Blackhat-GEO-is-real-–-Heres-why-you-should-be-paying-attention.png" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" alt="Blackhat GEO is real – Here’s why you should be paying attention" style="margin-bottom: 15px;" decoding="async" srcset="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/10/ChatGPT-Image-Blackhat-GEO-is-real-–-Heres-why-you-should-be-paying-attention.png 1920w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/10/ChatGPT-Image-Blackhat-GEO-is-real-–-Heres-why-you-should-be-paying-attention-768x432.png 768w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/10/ChatGPT-Image-Blackhat-GEO-is-real-–-Heres-why-you-should-be-paying-attention-1536x864.png 1536w" sizes="(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" /></div>AI-driven search has enabled large-scale manipulation. Here’s how it happens, what Google’s doing, and why best practices still win.

<div><img width="1920" height="1080" src="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/10/ChatGPT-Image-Blackhat-GEO-is-real-–-Heres-why-you-should-be-paying-attention.png" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" alt="Blackhat GEO is real – Here’s why you should be paying attention" style="margin-bottom: 15px;" decoding="async" srcset="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/10/ChatGPT-Image-Blackhat-GEO-is-real-–-Heres-why-you-should-be-paying-attention.png 1920w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/10/ChatGPT-Image-Blackhat-GEO-is-real-–-Heres-why-you-should-be-paying-attention-768x432.png 768w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/10/ChatGPT-Image-Blackhat-GEO-is-real-–-Heres-why-you-should-be-paying-attention-1536x864.png 1536w" sizes="(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" /></div>
<p>In the early days of <a href="https://searchengineland.com/guide/what-is-seo">SEO</a>, ranking algorithms were easy to game with simple tactics that became known as “black hat” SEO – white text on a white background, hidden links, keyword stuffing, and paid link farms. </p>



<p>Early algorithms weren’t sophisticated enough to detect these schemes, and sites that used them often ranked higher.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Today, large language models power the next generation of search, and a new wave of black hat techniques are emerging to manipulate rankings and prompt results for advantage.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-ai-content-boom-and-the-temptation-to-cut-corners">The AI content boom – and the temptation to cut corners</h2>



<p><a href="https://searchengineland.com/ai-tool-adoption-surges-search-stays-strong-461235#:~:text=Data%20shows%20AI%20growth%20is,increased%20year%2Dover%2Dyear.">Up to 21%</a> of U.S. users access AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Copilot, Perplexity, and DeepSeek more than 10 times per month, according to SparkToro. </p>



<p>Overall adoption has jumped from 8% in 2023 to 38% in 2025. </p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" width="1600" height="985" src="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/10/image-75.png" alt="" class="wp-image-463685" srcset="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/10/image-75.png 1600w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/10/image-75-768x473.png 768w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/10/image-75-1536x946.png 1536w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px" /></figure>



<p>It’s no surprise that brands are chasing visibility – especially while standards and best practices are still taking shape.</p>



<p>One clear sign of this shift is the surge in AI-generated content. Graphite.io and Axios report that the share of articles written by AI has now surpassed those created by humans.</p>



<p>Two years ago, Sports Illustrated was caught publishing AI-generated articles under fake writer profiles – a well-intentioned shortcut that backfired.&nbsp;</p>



<p>The move damaged the brand’s credibility without driving additional traffic.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Its authoritativeness, one of the pillars of Google’s <a href="https://searchengineland.com/google-e-e-a-t-guide-seo-394191">E-E-A-T</a> (experience, expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness) framework, was compromised.</p>



<p>While Google continues to emphasize E-E-A-T as the North Star for quality, some brands are testing the limits.&nbsp;</p>



<p>With powerful AI tools now able to execute these tactics faster and at scale, a new wave of black hat practices is emerging.</p>



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-new-black-hat-geo-playbook">The new black hat GEO playbook</h2>



<p>As black hat <a href="https://searchengineland.com/what-is-generative-engine-optimization-geo-444418">GEO</a> gains traction, several distinct tactics are emerging – each designed to exploit how AI models interpret and rank content.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-mass-ai-generated-spam">Mass AI-generated spam</h3>



<p>LLMs are being used to automatically produce thousands of low-quality, keyword-stuffed articles, blog posts, or entire websites – often to build private blog networks (PBNs).&nbsp;</p>



<p>The goal is sheer volume, which artificially boosts link authority and keyword rankings without human oversight or original insight.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-fake-e-e-a-t-signals">Fake E-E-A-T signals</h3>



<p>Search engines still prioritize experience, expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Black hat GEO now fabricates these signals using AI to:</p>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Create synthetic author personas with generated headshots and fake credentials.</li>



<li>Mass-produce fake reviews and testimonials.</li>



<li>Generate content that appears comprehensive but lacks genuine, human-validated experience.</li>
</ul>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-llm-cloaking-and-manipulation">LLM cloaking and manipulation</h3>



<p>A more advanced form of cloaking, this tactic serves one version of content to AI crawlers – packed with hidden prompts, keywords, or deceptive schema markup – and another to human users.&nbsp;</p>



<p>The goal is to trick the AI into citing or ranking the content more prominently.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-schema-misuse-for-ai-overviews">Schema misuse for AI Overviews</h3>



<p>Structured data helps AI understand context, but black hat users can inject misleading or irrelevant schema to misrepresent the page’s true purpose, forcing it into AI-generated answers or rich snippets for unrelated, high-value searches.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-serp-poisoning-with-misinformation">SERP poisoning with misinformation</h3>



<p>AI can quickly generate high volumes of misleading or harmful content targeting competitor brands or industry terms.&nbsp;</p>



<p>The aim is to damage reputations, manipulate rankings, and push legitimate content down in search results.</p>



<p><strong><em>Dig deeper: </em></strong><a href="https://searchengineland.com/hidden-prompt-injection-black-hat-trick-ai-outgrew-462331"><strong><em>Hidden prompt injection: The black hat trick AI outgrew</em></strong></a></p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-real-risks-of-black-hat-geo">The real risks of black hat GEO</h2>



<p>Even Google surfaces YouTube videos that explain how these tactics work. But just because they’re easy to find doesn’t mean they’re worth trying.&nbsp;</p>



<p>The risks of engaging in – or being targeted by – black hat GEO are significant and far-reaching, threatening a brand’s visibility, revenue, and reputation.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-severe-search-engine-penalties">Severe search engine penalties</h3>



<p>Search engines like Google are deploying increasingly advanced AI-powered detection systems (such as SpamBrain) to identify and penalize these tactics.</p>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li><strong>De-indexing</strong>: The most severe penalty is the complete removal of your website from search results, making you invisible to organic traffic.</li>



<li></li>



<li><strong>Manual actions</strong>: Human reviewers can issue manual penalties that lead to a sudden and drastic drop in rankings, requiring months of costly, intensive work to recover.</li>



<li></li>



<li><strong>Algorithmic downgrading</strong>: The site&#8217;s ranking for targeted keywords can be significantly suppressed, leading to a massive loss of traffic and potential customers.</li>
</ul>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-reputation-and-trust-damage-nbsp">Reputation and trust damage&nbsp;</h3>



<p>Black hat tactics inherently prioritize manipulation over user value, leading to poor user experience, spammy content, and deceptive practices.</p>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li><strong>Loss of credibility</strong>: When users encounter irrelevant, incoherent, or keyword-stuffed content – or find that an AI-cited answer is baseless – it damages the perception of the brand&#8217;s expertise and honesty.</li>



<li><strong>Erosion of E-E-A-T</strong>: Since AI relies on E-E-A-T signals for authoritative responses, being caught fabricating these signals can permanently erode the brand&#8217;s trustworthiness in the eyes of the algorithm and the public.</li>



<li><strong>Malware distribution</strong>: In some extreme cases, cybercriminals use black hat SEO to poison search results, redirecting users to sites that install malware or exploit user data. If a brand&#8217;s site is compromised and used for such purposes, the damage is catastrophic.</li>
</ul>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ai-changes-the-game-not-the-rules">AI changes the game – not the rules</h2>



<p>The growth of AI-driven platforms is remarkable – but history tends to repeat itself.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Black hat SEO in the age of LLMs is no different. </p>



<p>While the tools have evolved, the principle remains the same: best practices win.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Google has <a href="https://searchengineland.com/google-says-normal-seo-works-for-ranking-in-ai-overviews-and-llms-txt-wont-be-used-459422">made that clear</a>, and brands that stay focused on quality and authenticity will continue to rise above the noise.</p>

In the early days of SEO, ranking algorithms were easy to game with simple tactics that became known as “black hat” SEO – white text on a white background, hidden links, keyword stuffing, and paid link farms. 
Early algorithms weren’t sophisticated enough to detect these schemes, and sites that used them often ranked higher. 
Today, large language models power the next generation of search, and a new wave of black hat techniques are emerging to manipulate rankings and prompt results for advantage.
The AI content boom – and the temptation to cut corners
Up to 21% of U.S. users access AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Copilot, Perplexity, and DeepSeek more than 10 times per month, according to SparkToro. 
Overall adoption has jumped from 8% in 2023 to 38% in 2025. 




It’s no surprise that brands are chasing visibility – especially while standards and best practices are still taking shape.
One clear sign of this shift is the surge in AI-generated content. Graphite.io and Axios report that the share of articles written by AI has now surpassed those created by humans.
Two years ago, Sports Illustrated was caught publishing AI-generated articles under fake writer profiles – a well-intentioned shortcut that backfired. 
The move damaged the brand’s credibility without driving additional traffic. 
Its authoritativeness, one of the pillars of Google’s E-E-A-T (experience, expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness) framework, was compromised.
While Google continues to emphasize E-E-A-T as the North Star for quality, some brands are testing the limits. 
With powerful AI tools now able to execute these tactics faster and at scale, a new wave of black hat practices is emerging.
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See terms.
The new black hat GEO playbook
As black hat GEO gains traction, several distinct tactics are emerging – each designed to exploit how AI models interpret and rank content.
Mass AI-generated spam
LLMs are being used to automatically produce thousands of low-quality, keyword-stuffed articles, blog posts, or entire websites – often to build private blog networks (PBNs). 
The goal is sheer volume, which artificially boosts link authority and keyword rankings without human oversight or original insight.
Fake E-E-A-T signals
Search engines still prioritize experience, expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness. 
Black hat GEO now fabricates these signals using AI to:
Create synthetic author personas with generated headshots and fake credentials.
Mass-produce fake reviews and testimonials.
Generate content that appears comprehensive but lacks genuine, human-validated experience.
LLM cloaking and manipulation
A more advanced form of cloaking, this tactic serves one version of content to AI crawlers – packed with hidden prompts, keywords, or deceptive schema markup – and another to human users. 
The goal is to trick the AI into citing or ranking the content more prominently.
Schema misuse for AI Overviews
Structured data helps AI understand context, but black hat users can inject misleading or irrelevant schema to misrepresent the page’s true purpose, forcing it into AI-generated answers or rich snippets for unrelated, high-value searches.
SERP poisoning with misinformation
AI can quickly generate high volumes of misleading or harmful content targeting competitor brands or industry terms. 
The aim is to damage reputations, manipulate rankings, and push legitimate content down in search results.
Dig deeper: Hidden prompt injection: The black hat trick AI outgrew
The real risks of black hat GEO
Even Google surfaces YouTube videos that explain how these tactics work. But just because they’re easy to find doesn’t mean they’re worth trying. 
The risks of engaging in – or being targeted by – black hat GEO are significant and far-reaching, threatening a brand’s visibility, revenue, and reputation.
Severe search engine penalties
Search engines like Google are deploying increasingly advanced AI-powered detection systems (such as SpamBrain) to identify and penalize these tactics.
De-indexing: The most severe penalty is the complete removal of your website from search results, making you invisible to organic traffic.




Manual actions: Human reviewers can issue manual penalties that lead to a sudden and drastic drop in rankings, requiring months of costly, intensive work to recover.




Algorithmic downgrading: The site’s ranking for targeted keywords can be significantly suppressed, leading to a massive loss of traffic and potential customers.
Reputation and trust damage 
Black hat tactics inherently prioritize manipulation over user value, leading to poor user experience, spammy content, and deceptive practices.
Loss of credibility: When users encounter irrelevant, incoherent, or keyword-stuffed content – or find that an AI-cited answer is baseless – it damages the perception of the brand’s expertise and honesty.
Erosion of E-E-A-T: Since AI relies on E-E-A-T signals for authoritative responses, being caught fabricating these signals can permanently erode the brand’s trustworthiness in the eyes of the algorithm and the public.
Malware distribution: In some extreme cases, cybercriminals use black hat SEO to poison search results, redirecting users to sites that install malware or exploit user data. If a brand’s site is compromised and used for such purposes, the damage is catastrophic.
AI changes the game – not the rules
The growth of AI-driven platforms is remarkable – but history tends to repeat itself. 
Black hat SEO in the age of LLMs is no different. 
While the tools have evolved, the principle remains the same: best practices win. 
Google has made that clear, and brands that stay focused on quality and authenticity will continue to rise above the noise.

AI-driven search has enabled large-scale manipulation. Here’s how it happens, what Google’s doing, and why best practices still win.

Black hat GEO is real – Here’s why you should pay attention

<div><img width="800" height="457" src="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/04/openai-shopping-bag-1920-800x457.jpg" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" alt="" style="margin-bottom: 15px;" decoding="async" srcset="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/04/openai-shopping-bag-1920-800x457.jpg 800w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/04/openai-shopping-bag-1920-592x338.jpg 592w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/04/openai-shopping-bag-1920-198x113.jpg 198w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/04/openai-shopping-bag-1920-768x439.jpg 768w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/04/openai-shopping-bag-1920-1536x878.jpg 1536w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/04/openai-shopping-bag-1920.jpg 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /></div>ChatGPT’s shopping traffic is growing fast, but a new study says it won’t catch Google Search in conversions or revenue anytime soon.

<div><img width="800" height="457" src="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/04/openai-shopping-bag-1920-800x457.jpg" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" alt="" style="margin-bottom: 15px;" decoding="async" srcset="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/04/openai-shopping-bag-1920-800x457.jpg 800w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/04/openai-shopping-bag-1920-592x338.jpg 592w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/04/openai-shopping-bag-1920-198x113.jpg 198w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/04/openai-shopping-bag-1920-768x439.jpg 768w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/04/openai-shopping-bag-1920-1536x878.jpg 1536w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/04/openai-shopping-bag-1920.jpg 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /></div>
<p>ChatGPT referral traffic converts worse than Google search, email and affiliate links, trailing on both conversion rate and revenue per session, according to a new analysis of 973 ecommerce sites. </p>



<p><strong>Why we care. </strong>AI search platforms are starting to refer meaningful traffic to retailers – but not yet sales. For now, Google (paid organic) search still wins on conversion and revenue per session.</p>



<p><strong>By the numbers</strong>. The dataset consisted of 12 months (Augusut 2024 to July 2025), 973 ecommerce sites, and $20 billion combined revenue.</p>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>ChatGPT referral traffic was ~0.2% of total sessions – ~200× smaller than Google organic.</li>



<li>>90% of LLM-originating ecommerce traffic came from ChatGPT (Perplexity, Gemini, Copilot, etc., are were negligible).</li>



<li>Affiliate (+86%) and organic search (+13%) conversion rates were higher than ChatGPT; only paid social converted worse than ChatGPT.</li>



<li>ChatGPT trailed paid and organic search on revenue per session, but beat paid social.</li>



<li>ChatGPT referrals had lower bounce rates than most channels, but organic/paid search was still best on bounce rate. Session depth was generally lower than most channels.</li>
</ul>



<p><strong>Trendline.</strong> Conversion rate and revenue per session from ChatGPT improved, while average order value declined. </p>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Model projections suggested continued gains but no parity with organic search within the next year.</li>
</ul>



<p><strong>Between the lines.</strong> Authors suggested early-stage friction – trust and verification behavior – may push shoppers to confirm elsewhere before buying, shifting last-click credit to traditional channels.</p>



<p><strong>Yes, but.</strong> Findings reflect last-click attribution and an emerging channel. If ChatGPT (and other LLMs) reshape customer journeys or make it easier to buy directly, its impact on sales could become more visible in the data.</p>



<p><strong>Bottom line. </strong>Despite the hype, the data suggests AI assistants haven&#8217;t disrupted Google Search – and won&#8217;t at least in the next year. However, the trajectory for AI assistants is up and to the right. Now is the time to test, learn, and iterate to be ready when LLM shopping matures.</p>



<p><strong>About the research.</strong> The study analyzed 12 months of first-party Google Analytics data from 973 ecommerce websites generating $20 billion in combined revenue. Researchers compared more than 50,000 ChatGPT-driven transactions with 164 million from traditional digital channels, using regression models that accounted for data sparsity, site effects, and device differences to evaluate conversion, order value, and engagement metrics.</p>



<p><strong>Recent studies echo the same pattern.</strong> LLM traffic may be rising, but it’s weaker on engagement and conversion. </p>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>A SALT.agency analysis found <a href="https://searchengineland.com/llm-organic-traffic-engagement-study-455328">organic search visitors were more likely to engage or complete key actions</a> across most sectors, with LLMs performing better only in a few niches like health and careers. </li>



<li>Another study by Amsive showed <a href="https://searchengineland.com/llm-organic-search-traffic-convert-same-research-461567">no significant conversion difference between LLM and organic traffic</a>, and that LLM referrals made up less than 1% of total sessions. </li>



<li>All of this research points to a consistent takeaway: AI-driven referrals are growing, but still lag traditional search in both scale and purchase intent.</li>
</ul>



<p><strong>The working paper. </strong><a href="https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=5585812" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ChatGPT Referrals to E-Commerce Websites: Do LLMs Outperform Traditional Channels?</a></p>



<p><strong>Dig deeper:</strong></p>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li><a href="https://searchengineland.com/chatgpt-shopping-ecommerce-seo-rules-462865">ChatGPT Shopping is here – and it’s changing ecommerce SEO rules</a></li>



<li><a href="https://searchengineland.com/optimizing-chatgpt-shopping-463316">Optimizing for ChatGPT Shopping: How product feeds power GEO</a></li>
</ul>


ChatGPT referral traffic converts worse than Google search, email and affiliate links, trailing on both conversion rate and revenue per session, according to a new analysis of 973 ecommerce sites. 
Why we care. AI search platforms are starting to refer meaningful traffic to retailers – but not yet sales. For now, Google (paid organic) search still wins on conversion and revenue per session.
By the numbers. The dataset consisted of 12 months (Augusut 2024 to July 2025), 973 ecommerce sites, and $20 billion combined revenue.
ChatGPT referral traffic was ~0.2% of total sessions – ~200× smaller than Google organic.
>90% of LLM-originating ecommerce traffic came from ChatGPT (Perplexity, Gemini, Copilot, etc., are were negligible).
Affiliate (+86%) and organic search (+13%) conversion rates were higher than ChatGPT; only paid social converted worse than ChatGPT.
ChatGPT trailed paid and organic search on revenue per session, but beat paid social.
ChatGPT referrals had lower bounce rates than most channels, but organic/paid search was still best on bounce rate. Session depth was generally lower than most channels.
Trendline. Conversion rate and revenue per session from ChatGPT improved, while average order value declined. 
Model projections suggested continued gains but no parity with organic search within the next year.
Between the lines. Authors suggested early-stage friction – trust and verification behavior – may push shoppers to confirm elsewhere before buying, shifting last-click credit to traditional channels.
Yes, but. Findings reflect last-click attribution and an emerging channel. If ChatGPT (and other LLMs) reshape customer journeys or make it easier to buy directly, its impact on sales could become more visible in the data.
Bottom line. Despite the hype, the data suggests AI assistants haven’t disrupted Google Search – and won’t at least in the next year. However, the trajectory for AI assistants is up and to the right. Now is the time to test, learn, and iterate to be ready when LLM shopping matures.
About the research. The study analyzed 12 months of first-party Google Analytics data from 973 ecommerce websites generating $20 billion in combined revenue. Researchers compared more than 50,000 ChatGPT-driven transactions with 164 million from traditional digital channels, using regression models that accounted for data sparsity, site effects, and device differences to evaluate conversion, order value, and engagement metrics.
Recent studies echo the same pattern. LLM traffic may be rising, but it’s weaker on engagement and conversion. 
A SALT.agency analysis found organic search visitors were more likely to engage or complete key actions across most sectors, with LLMs performing better only in a few niches like health and careers. 
Another study by Amsive showed no significant conversion difference between LLM and organic traffic, and that LLM referrals made up less than 1% of total sessions. 
All of this research points to a consistent takeaway: AI-driven referrals are growing, but still lag traditional search in both scale and purchase intent.
The working paper. ChatGPT Referrals to E-Commerce Websites: Do LLMs Outperform Traditional Channels?
Dig deeper:
ChatGPT Shopping is here – and it’s changing ecommerce SEO rules
Optimizing for ChatGPT Shopping: How product feeds power GEO

ChatGPT’s shopping traffic is growing fast, but a new study says it won’t catch Google Search in conversions or revenue anytime soon.

ChatGPT, LLM referrals convert worse than Google Search: Study

<div><img width="1920" height="1080" src="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/10/ChatGPT-Image-GSC-impressions-dropped.png" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" alt="Why your Google Search Console impressions dropped – and how to interpret the data" style="margin-bottom: 15px;" decoding="async" srcset="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/10/ChatGPT-Image-GSC-impressions-dropped.png 1920w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/10/ChatGPT-Image-GSC-impressions-dropped-768x432.png 768w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/10/ChatGPT-Image-GSC-impressions-dropped-1536x864.png 1536w" sizes="(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" /></div>Google’s &#038;num=100 change removed automated crawler noise, giving SEOs a truer picture of real search visibility.

<div><img width="1920" height="1080" src="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/10/ChatGPT-Image-GSC-impressions-dropped.png" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" alt="Why your Google Search Console impressions dropped – and how to interpret the data" style="margin-bottom: 15px;" decoding="async" srcset="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/10/ChatGPT-Image-GSC-impressions-dropped.png 1920w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/10/ChatGPT-Image-GSC-impressions-dropped-768x432.png 768w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/10/ChatGPT-Image-GSC-impressions-dropped-1536x864.png 1536w" sizes="(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" /></div>
<p>In mid-September, many <a href="https://searchengineland.com/guide/what-is-seo">SEO</a> professionals began <a href="https://searchengineland.com/google-num100-impact-data-462231">noticing unusual drops</a> in <a href="https://searchengineland.com/google-search-console-seo-guide-443942">Google Search Console</a> (GSC) data.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Impressions were down, average positions shifted, and the number of reported queries changed overnight.&nbsp;</p>



<p>This wasn’t the result of a ranking update but a reporting change – one that redefines how we interpret GSC visibility data going forward.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-happened-to-gsc-impressions">What happened to GSC impressions</h2>



<p>The drop traces back to Google’s quiet decision to <a href="https://searchengineland.com/google-search-confirms-it-does-not-support-the-results-per-page-parameter-462244">stop supporting the <code>&amp;num=100</code> parameter</a>, which allowed tools and crawlers to retrieve up to 100 results per query. </p>



<p>Once support ended, those <a href="https://searchengineland.com/google-search-rank-and-position-tracking-is-a-mess-right-now-461984">extra data points disappeared</a> – and with them, many of the impressions and positional averages SEOs had been tracking.</p>



<p>While search results themselves didn’t change, GSC reporting did.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Third-party platforms lost signal beyond Positions 1–20, and GSC data recalibrated to reflect real user activity rather than automated crawler noise.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-this-change-makes-sense">Why this change makes sense</h2>



<p>As I’ve spoken with SEOs and reviewed multiple sites, it’s clear we need to reset how we interpret impressions: treat the data you see now as the new normal.</p>



<p>Discontinuing support for the <code>&amp;num=100</code> parameter makes sense. </p>



<p>I saw the same principle in action at my community garage sale last weekend – fewer choices led to better results.</p>



<p>It’s also easier for Google to show 10 or 20 results per search than to generate 100.&nbsp;</p>



<p>While this shift disrupted tools built on the now-unsupported parameter, it didn’t affect real users.&nbsp;</p>



<p>It did, however, catch the attention of SEOs who monitor every fluctuation in how Google reports data.</p>



<p>We saw no visible changes in the SERP, but Search Console told a different story:</p>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>A drop in impressions.</li>



<li>Changes to average position.</li>



<li>An increase in the number of queries ranking in Positions 1–20.</li>
</ul>



<p>Those shifts changed how we think about GSC data.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-alligator-effect">The alligator effect</h3>



<p>Earlier in the year, we observed another pattern – the alligator effect.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Starting around February, GSC charts showed rising impressions and steady clicks, creating a shape that resembled an open alligator’s mouth.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Many assumed the growth was tied to AI Overviews and an increase in zero-click searches.</p>



<p>When Google ended support for the <code>&amp;num=100</code> parameter on September 12, that alligator finally closed its mouth.</p>


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img decoding="async" width="1533" height="685" src="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/10/image-74.png" alt="" class="wp-image-463679" srcset="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/10/image-74.png 1533w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/10/image-74-768x343.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1533px) 100vw, 1533px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><em><em>Increasing impressions were referred to by some as the ‘Alligator Effect’ in Google Search Console reports. It held until around September 12 when Google stopped supporting the &amp;100 parameter and impressions dropped back down to prior levels.</em></em></figcaption></figure></div>


<p>Experts now believe automated crawlers inflated impression counts.&nbsp;</p>



<p>The post-change drop reflects a more accurate baseline and changes how impressions should be interpreted going forward.</p>



<p>Some impressions may even have reflected exposure in large language models (LLMs), like ChatGPT, that used third-party tools to scrape Google results.&nbsp;</p>



<p>While unconfirmed, it suggests those inflated impressions were signals of visibility – just not on Google’s SERP.</p>



<p><strong><em>Dig deeper: <a href="https://searchengineland.com/seo-reporting-black-box-era-463461">SEO in the black box era: Why reports will look more like Mad Men than Search Console</a></em></strong></p>



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-this-means-for-reporting">What this means for reporting</h2>



<p>Despite the fluctuations, GSC remains the most reliable source for keyword ranking data – especially now that third-party tools no longer capture results beyond Positions 1–20.</p>



<p>For most reporting contexts, annotate the measurement change in GSC and use the current impression and average position levels as your new baseline.</p>



<p><strong>Suggested annotation:</strong></p>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>“The data reported in Google Search Console (GSC) from 9/13/2025 onwards is the most accurate accounting of how your brand appears in Google organic search. GSC stopped supporting the <code>&amp;num=100</code> parameter around 9/12/2025 resulting in impressions generated by third-parties and automated crawlers being removed from reporting.”</li>
</ul>



<p>If impressions or average position are used in broader models or long-term trend analyses, adjustments between Feb. 1 and Sept. 12, 2025, may be appropriate.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-option-1-simple-method">Option 1: Simple method</h3>



<p>Use prior-year impressions and average position up to the start of volatility in early February.&nbsp;</p>



<p>When impressions began to rise sharply (Feb. 1–Sept. 12, 2025), revert to prior-year values, then use GSC data as reported from Sept. 13 onward.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-option-2-advanced-method">Option 2: Advanced method</h3>



<p>Rebuild historical impressions and average position using trend data and adjustment factors. Evaluate:</p>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Differences in fluctuation by query type or ranking position (branded, non-branded, long-tail).</li>



<li>Metrics such as GSC clicks, which were less correlated with impressions during the affected period.</li>



<li>Other factors unaffected by impression volatility.</li>
</ul>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-to-expect-from-gsc-going-forward">What to expect from GSC going forward</h3>



<p>Treat the post-change figures as the new baseline. The numbers you see now reflect how GSC will report visibility from here on.</p>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Impressions will stabilize at lower levels compared with earlier 2025 trends.</li>



<li><a href="https://support.google.com/webmasters/answer/7042828?hl=en#position" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Average position</a> will level out, since it’s calculated relative to impressions.</li>



<li>The number of unique queries reported in Positions 1–20 will hold steady. With less long-tail data, GSC will show more queries ranking in those positions.</li>



<li>Clicks and traffic should remain consistent, confirming that user engagement with your listings hasn’t changed.</li>
</ul>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-impressions-and-average-position-still-matter">Why impressions and average position still matter</h2>



<p>Even with the recalibration, impressions and average position are still key indicators of visibility and progress – just measured more accurately than before.</p>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li><strong>Consistency:</strong> GSC metrics now reflect real search activity instead of automated crawler data, making them more reliable for SEO measurement.</li>



<li><strong>Visibility tracking:</strong> Still useful for identifying when optimizations begin to take effect.</li>



<li><strong>Stability:</strong> Data for keywords ranking in the top 20 positions show steadier trends than long-tail terms, since positions beyond 20 are no longer captured.</li>
</ul>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-clearer-baseline-for-visibility">A clearer baseline for visibility</h2>



<p>The impression and average position levels you see now in GSC represent a more accurate view of real user search activity. Treat these as your baseline for reporting.</p>



<p>If impressions or average position are used in models or performance controls, normalization methods can adjust historical data. But in most cases, it’s best to move forward with current figures as-is.</p>



<p>Google simply made fewer results available. Searchers still find what they’re looking for, and third-party tools will adapt.</p>

In mid-September, many SEO professionals began noticing unusual drops in Google Search Console (GSC) data. 
Impressions were down, average positions shifted, and the number of reported queries changed overnight. 
This wasn’t the result of a ranking update but a reporting change – one that redefines how we interpret GSC visibility data going forward.
What happened to GSC impressions
The drop traces back to Google’s quiet decision to stop supporting the &num=100 parameter, which allowed tools and crawlers to retrieve up to 100 results per query. 
Once support ended, those extra data points disappeared – and with them, many of the impressions and positional averages SEOs had been tracking.
While search results themselves didn’t change, GSC reporting did. 
Third-party platforms lost signal beyond Positions 1–20, and GSC data recalibrated to reflect real user activity rather than automated crawler noise.
Why this change makes sense
As I’ve spoken with SEOs and reviewed multiple sites, it’s clear we need to reset how we interpret impressions: treat the data you see now as the new normal.
Discontinuing support for the &num=100 parameter makes sense. 
I saw the same principle in action at my community garage sale last weekend – fewer choices led to better results.
It’s also easier for Google to show 10 or 20 results per search than to generate 100. 
While this shift disrupted tools built on the now-unsupported parameter, it didn’t affect real users. 
It did, however, catch the attention of SEOs who monitor every fluctuation in how Google reports data.
We saw no visible changes in the SERP, but Search Console told a different story:
A drop in impressions.
Changes to average position.
An increase in the number of queries ranking in Positions 1–20.
Those shifts changed how we think about GSC data.
The alligator effect
Earlier in the year, we observed another pattern – the alligator effect. 
Starting around February, GSC charts showed rising impressions and steady clicks, creating a shape that resembled an open alligator’s mouth. 
Many assumed the growth was tied to AI Overviews and an increase in zero-click searches.
When Google ended support for the &num=100 parameter on September 12, that alligator finally closed its mouth.
Increasing impressions were referred to by some as the ‘Alligator Effect’ in Google Search Console reports. It held until around September 12 when Google stopped supporting the &100 parameter and impressions dropped back down to prior levels.
Experts now believe automated crawlers inflated impression counts. 
The post-change drop reflects a more accurate baseline and changes how impressions should be interpreted going forward.
Some impressions may even have reflected exposure in large language models (LLMs), like ChatGPT, that used third-party tools to scrape Google results. 
While unconfirmed, it suggests those inflated impressions were signals of visibility – just not on Google’s SERP.
Dig deeper: SEO in the black box era: Why reports will look more like Mad Men than Search Console
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See terms.
What this means for reporting
Despite the fluctuations, GSC remains the most reliable source for keyword ranking data – especially now that third-party tools no longer capture results beyond Positions 1–20.
For most reporting contexts, annotate the measurement change in GSC and use the current impression and average position levels as your new baseline.
Suggested annotation:
“The data reported in Google Search Console (GSC) from 9/13/2025 onwards is the most accurate accounting of how your brand appears in Google organic search. GSC stopped supporting the &num=100 parameter around 9/12/2025 resulting in impressions generated by third-parties and automated crawlers being removed from reporting.”
If impressions or average position are used in broader models or long-term trend analyses, adjustments between Feb. 1 and Sept. 12, 2025, may be appropriate.
Option 1: Simple method
Use prior-year impressions and average position up to the start of volatility in early February. 
When impressions began to rise sharply (Feb. 1–Sept. 12, 2025), revert to prior-year values, then use GSC data as reported from Sept. 13 onward.
Option 2: Advanced method
Rebuild historical impressions and average position using trend data and adjustment factors. Evaluate:
Differences in fluctuation by query type or ranking position (branded, non-branded, long-tail).
Metrics such as GSC clicks, which were less correlated with impressions during the affected period.
Other factors unaffected by impression volatility.
What to expect from GSC going forward
Treat the post-change figures as the new baseline. The numbers you see now reflect how GSC will report visibility from here on.
Impressions will stabilize at lower levels compared with earlier 2025 trends.
Average position will level out, since it’s calculated relative to impressions.
The number of unique queries reported in Positions 1–20 will hold steady. With less long-tail data, GSC will show more queries ranking in those positions.
Clicks and traffic should remain consistent, confirming that user engagement with your listings hasn’t changed.
Why impressions and average position still matter
Even with the recalibration, impressions and average position are still key indicators of visibility and progress – just measured more accurately than before.
Consistency: GSC metrics now reflect real search activity instead of automated crawler data, making them more reliable for SEO measurement.
Visibility tracking: Still useful for identifying when optimizations begin to take effect.
Stability: Data for keywords ranking in the top 20 positions show steadier trends than long-tail terms, since positions beyond 20 are no longer captured.
A clearer baseline for visibility
The impression and average position levels you see now in GSC represent a more accurate view of real user search activity. Treat these as your baseline for reporting.
If impressions or average position are used in models or performance controls, normalization methods can adjust historical data. But in most cases, it’s best to move forward with current figures as-is.
Google simply made fewer results available. Searchers still find what they’re looking for, and third-party tools will adapt.

Google’s &num=100 change removed automated crawler noise, giving SEOs a truer picture of real search visibility.

Why Google Search Console impressions fell (and why that’s good)

<div><img width="800" height="457" src="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2024/05/google-reddit-splatter-1920-800x457.jpg" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" alt="" style="margin-bottom: 15px;" decoding="async" srcset="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2024/05/google-reddit-splatter-1920-800x457.jpg 800w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2024/05/google-reddit-splatter-1920-592x338.jpg 592w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2024/05/google-reddit-splatter-1920-198x113.jpg 198w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2024/05/google-reddit-splatter-1920-768x439.jpg 768w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2024/05/google-reddit-splatter-1920-1536x878.jpg 1536w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2024/05/google-reddit-splatter-1920.jpg 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /></div>Perplexity and SerpApi disguised bots to scrape Reddit data from Google at 'industrial scale,' according to Reddit's new lawsuit.

<div><img width="800" height="457" src="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2024/05/google-reddit-splatter-1920-800x457.jpg" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" alt="" style="margin-bottom: 15px;" decoding="async" srcset="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2024/05/google-reddit-splatter-1920-800x457.jpg 800w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2024/05/google-reddit-splatter-1920-592x338.jpg 592w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2024/05/google-reddit-splatter-1920-198x113.jpg 198w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2024/05/google-reddit-splatter-1920-768x439.jpg 768w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2024/05/google-reddit-splatter-1920-1536x878.jpg 1536w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2024/05/google-reddit-splatter-1920.jpg 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /></div>
<p>Reddit is taking four data-scraping companies to court – including AI search engine Perplexity and SEO data firm SerpApi – accusing them of illegally using its content via Google search results.</p>



<p><strong>The lawsuit. </strong>SerpApi, Oxylabs, AWMProxy, and Perplexity “devised a scheme” to scrape Reddit data indirectly from Google, then resell or reuse it to train AI models. That&#8217;s according to Reddit&#8217;s lawsuit, filied today in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.</p>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Reddit alleged the companies hid their identities to bypass technical restrictions and scraped its data “at an industrial scale.” </li>



<li>Reddit is seeking financial damages, a permanent injunction, and a ban on using or selling previously scraped data.</li>



<li><a href="https://searchengineland.com/openai-chatgpt-serpapi-google-search-results-461226">SerpAPI was or is a customer of OpenAI</a>, which explained how Google search results sometimes appeared in ChatGPT. </li>
</ul>



<p><strong>Why Reddit sued.</strong> Reddit already licenses its data to OpenAI and Google – but said others have tried to sidestep those deals.</p>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>The complaint claims Reddit even “set a trap” for Perplexity, creating a test post only visible to Google’s crawler. Within hours, that post appeared in Perplexity search results – evidence that the company relied on scraped Google data, Reddit said.</li>
</ul>



<p><strong>Why we care. </strong>It’s harder than ever for SEOs and site owners to access reliable search data. Google is cracking down on scraping and tightening APIs just as websites are seeing traffic drop from AI overviews and zero-click results. The result: less visibility, fewer insights, and a tougher environment to understand — or influence — AI search.</p>



<p><strong>Meanwhile.</strong> <a href="https://searchengineland.com/reddit-google-deepen-ai-partnership-report-462136">Reddit and Google are reportedly discussing a new partnership</a> that would weave Reddit content more directly into Google’s AI products. If those talks advance, more Reddit discussions could surface in AI Overviews and other Google experiences – potentially further reshaping how Reddit and Google influence your brand visibility and traffic.</p>



<p><strong>The big picture</strong>. <a href="https://searchengineland.com/ai-scraping-ai-search-traffic-report-453160">AI is scraping continues to rise</a>, but it still isn’t sending meaningful visitors back. <a href="https://searchengineland.com/google-more-visitors-ai-systems-report-462905">Google sends 831x more visitors than AI systems</a>, according to TollBit.</p>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li><a href="https://searchengineland.com/cloudflare-pay-per-crawl-seo-geo-458310">Cloudflare shared data in July</a> highlighting the skewed ratio of crawls compared to the number of visitors sent to a website:
<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li><strong>Google:&nbsp;</strong>18:1</li>



<li><strong>OpenAI:</strong>&nbsp;1,500:1</li>



<li><strong>Anthropic:</strong>&nbsp;60,000:1</li>
</ul>
</li>



<li>Google and content creators used to work symbiotically – but that relationship has turned adversarial since the emergence of generative AI due to the rise of zero clicks and decline of organic traffic.</li>
</ul>



<p><strong>The New York Times report.</strong> <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/22/technology/reddit-data-scrapers-perplexity-theft.html">Reddit Accuses ‘Data Scraper’ Companies of Stealing Its Information</a> (subscription required)</p>



<p><strong>Update &#8211; Perplexity responds. </strong><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/perplexity_ai/comments/1odpofv/our_response_to_reddits_lawsuit/">Perplexity responded, on Reddit,</a> to the lawsuit. In part, Perplexity said:</p>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>&#8220;So, why sue Perplexity? Our guess: it’s about a show of force in Reddit’s training data negotiations with Google and OpenAI. (Perplexity doesn’t train foundation models!) </li>



<li>&#8220;What does Perplexity actually do with Reddit content? We summarize Reddit discussions, and we cite Reddit threads in answers, just like people share links to posts here all the time. </li>



<li>&#8220;Reddit changed its mind this week on whether they want Perplexity users to find your public content on their journeys of learning. Reddit thinks that’s their right. But it is the opposite of an open internet.&#8221;</li>
</ul>


Reddit is taking four data-scraping companies to court – including AI search engine Perplexity and SEO data firm SerpApi – accusing them of illegally using its content via Google search results.
The lawsuit. SerpApi, Oxylabs, AWMProxy, and Perplexity “devised a scheme” to scrape Reddit data indirectly from Google, then resell or reuse it to train AI models. That’s according to Reddit’s lawsuit, filied today in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.
Reddit alleged the companies hid their identities to bypass technical restrictions and scraped its data “at an industrial scale.” 
Reddit is seeking financial damages, a permanent injunction, and a ban on using or selling previously scraped data.
SerpAPI was or is a customer of OpenAI, which explained how Google search results sometimes appeared in ChatGPT. 
Why Reddit sued. Reddit already licenses its data to OpenAI and Google – but said others have tried to sidestep those deals.
The complaint claims Reddit even “set a trap” for Perplexity, creating a test post only visible to Google’s crawler. Within hours, that post appeared in Perplexity search results – evidence that the company relied on scraped Google data, Reddit said.
Why we care. It’s harder than ever for SEOs and site owners to access reliable search data. Google is cracking down on scraping and tightening APIs just as websites are seeing traffic drop from AI overviews and zero-click results. The result: less visibility, fewer insights, and a tougher environment to understand — or influence — AI search.
Meanwhile. Reddit and Google are reportedly discussing a new partnership that would weave Reddit content more directly into Google’s AI products. If those talks advance, more Reddit discussions could surface in AI Overviews and other Google experiences – potentially further reshaping how Reddit and Google influence your brand visibility and traffic.
The big picture. AI is scraping continues to rise, but it still isn’t sending meaningful visitors back. Google sends 831x more visitors than AI systems, according to TollBit.
Cloudflare shared data in July highlighting the skewed ratio of crawls compared to the number of visitors sent to a website:

Google: 18:1
OpenAI: 1,500:1
Anthropic: 60,000:1
Google and content creators used to work symbiotically – but that relationship has turned adversarial since the emergence of generative AI due to the rise of zero clicks and decline of organic traffic.
The New York Times report. Reddit Accuses ‘Data Scraper’ Companies of Stealing Its Information (subscription required)
Update – Perplexity responds. Perplexity responded, on Reddit, to the lawsuit. In part, Perplexity said:
“So, why sue Perplexity? Our guess: it’s about a show of force in Reddit’s training data negotiations with Google and OpenAI. (Perplexity doesn’t train foundation models!) 
“What does Perplexity actually do with Reddit content? We summarize Reddit discussions, and we cite Reddit threads in answers, just like people share links to posts here all the time. 
“Reddit changed its mind this week on whether they want Perplexity users to find your public content on their journeys of learning. Reddit thinks that’s their right. But it is the opposite of an open internet.”

Perplexity and SerpApi disguised bots to scrape Reddit data from Google at 'industrial scale,' according to Reddit's new lawsuit.

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