Google is about to stop letting you pick what language your Search ads target

by Digital Marketing Articles

Starting late September, campaign-level language targeting disappears from Search — and, in a reversal from what Google said last year, Performance Max search placements too. No more manually telling a campaign “target Spanish” or “target French.” Google’s systems decide that on their own from here on, based on ad and landing page language, the search term, and the user’s own language settings.

Where this actually bites:
→ A US business running Spanish-language campaigns for Miami or LA
→ A Canadian brand running French campaigns for Quebec inside a national account
→ Any company chasing expats — Brazilians in Portugal, Indians in the UAE — who keep searching in their home language wherever they’ve landed

That kind of precision came from stacking a location target with a manual language setting. Take the language lever away, and Google’s automatic matching has to do that job instead — with no guarantee it draws the line where you would.

The part worth flagging: language targeting also doubled as a diagnostic tool — the way you’d sanity-check why a campaign was picking up irrelevant-language impressions. That lever is going away too. And this lands about nine months later than Google’s original December 2025 deadline, with a scope that grew to include PMax along the way.

Shopping ads are untouched, PMax still respects language setting s on YouTube, Display, Discover, and Gmail, and Google still won’t translate your ad copy — this was always matching, not translation.

The timeline:
→ August 2025: Google says removal is coming by end of 2025, Search only
→ August 14, 2026: Ginny Marvin confirms the update — PMax added, new date set
→ Late September 2026: goes live, no action required for existing campaigns

Google calls this “not a big shift,” since the setting had become redundant. Fair enough for a single-language, single-market account. Less true if reaching a language community inside a bigger market is part of your job — that’s exactly the fine-tuning this removes.

If your campaigns are built around a specific language audience — diaspora, expats, a bilingual local market — are you testing what automatic matching actually catches before this goes live, or finding out after?

Search just got its biggest redesign in 25 years.

by Digital Marketing ArticlesNews

The way people search has changed, and Google answered with 4 new ad formats.

At Google Marketing Live this year, Google announced a new generation of ad formats built exclusively for AI Mode:

→ Conversational ads: woven into AI Mode’s response in natural language, based on your assets and brand guidelines. Not a banner. An answer.

→ Direct Offers: personalized discounts and bundles surfaced mid-conversation, at peak buying intent. Gemini builds the offer dynamically from your promotional rules.

→ AI-powered Shopping ads: Gemini-written copy that explains why that product answers the query — not just shows it.

→ Business Agent for Leads: the user asks the ad a question. The ad answers using your site content and pre-fills the contact form.

These formats exist because Search has fundamentally changed. Google made it official at GML: AI Mode now has 1B+ monthly users, searches are 3x longer than traditional queries, and usage has been doubling every quarter. The search box itself got its biggest redesign in 25 years: built for full sentences, not keyword fragments.

Google’s own words: “You can’t think in simple keywords anymore.”

One thing worth knowing: access to all of these requires AI Max or PMax, because they’re built for a different kind of search entirely. Longer queries, higher intent, conversational context. If you’re already running either, these placements are available to you now. If not, that’s the gap worth closing first.

Which of these new formats are you most excited to test?

ChatGPT Ads hit $100M in revenue in 6 weeks.

by Digital Marketing Articles

ChatGPT Ads hit $100M (yearly run rate) in revenue in 6 weeks. From less than 20% of eligible users.

Let that sink in. OpenAI has 600+ advertisers on the platform, self-serve access opening this month, and a runway that’s barely been touched.

This isn’t a curiosity anymore.
Here’s what the numbers actually mean 👇
85% of Free and Go tier users are eligible to see ads. Only 20% are currently seeing them. The $100M is essentially the proof of concept before the real rollout begins.

When self-serve opens up in April, this stops being an invite-only experiment and becomes a channel any advertiser can buy. CPMs are reportedly around $60. Minimum commitments drop. The herd arrives.

Should you care right now?
If you are in e-commerce, DTC, or any considered-purchase category — yes.
ChatGPT users aren’t scrolling. They’re actively asking, comparing, and deciding. That’s a different kind of intent than a banner ad or even a Google search. It’s closer to intercepting someone mid-conversation than mid-browse.

The format is still rough. Reporting is thin. Scale is limited outside the US for now. No one has written case studies yet.

But that’s exactly when it’s worth paying attention — before the platform matures, CPMs inflate, and everyone’s fighting over the same inventory.
We’re watching this one closely.

What’s your take — is ChatGPT ads a real channel in 2026, or still too early to justify budget?

Shopify launches Collabs

by Digital Marketing ArticlesNews

Creators will be able to find and partner with independent businesses easily. If you want to know more about this launch, keep on reading.

Shopify announced a new Shopify Collabs on its platform, allowing creators to connect with merchants and give them a new way to make money. 

How to get started? First, creators need to apply for an account to be able to browse for merchants that align with their audience. Once they find a brand, a partnership can be created in order to list the products to share on social media via Linkpop. If someone purchases a product using the shared link, creators will receive a payment. 

Linkpop, which launched earlier this year, allows creators to sell products directly from their page, include important links, and launch storefronts to sell directly on their platforms where they engage with followers.

The company also offers a mobile-friendly option that can be used to share links to their communities on Instagram, Tiktok, Spotify, and other social media platforms.

Would you apply for a Collabs account? Do you think this can help independent brands?

Collabs can be a good way to make stores and products more visible, and it can also help manage relationships between creators and merchants. 

This launch is available to all merchants in USA and Canada, and they can apply for access on Shopify’s website.

We will be gathering further information about Collabs and we will let you know if creators are happy with this integration or not. Stay tuned!

About Quantikal

Quantikal is a data-driven performance marketing agency based in Buenos Aires, Argentina. We help clients scale their business through profitable digital ad spending by constantly obsessing over clients’ key metrics. Quantikal’s experience working in diverse online companies in marketing roles including media buying allows us to provide solutions in the ever-demanding increase of marketing performance, doing more with less thus becoming a strategic partner.

What the latest Search updates mean for advertisers

by Digital Marketing ArticlesNews

At their latest event, Google showcases recent Search updates that could help marketers unlock its full potential.

Google is stepping out of the traditional search box by combining new inputs and developments in computer science. From text searches to phone camera pictures and voice-overs, Google has been optimizing its search engine toward a more natural way of exploring information. 

Earlier this year, Google introduced multisearch. By searching images and text simultaneously, multisearch will be available in over 70 new languages in a few months’ time. 

Also, Google intends to make searching a more visual experience. Google Maps will include more immersive capabilities with 3D images using advanced computer vision. This visual approach is beneficial when it comes to shopping, where people are looking for the most accurate display of products. 

With the recent launch of landscape images available on the mobile results page, advertisers can now be more in control of how images appear, making it easier for them to get noticed and drive in more results. 

Google also mentions the addition of Business Messages, where customers will be able to message brands through Search ads. With a 30-day response window, advertisers could create relationships with customers, before and after sales. 

If you want to read more about what Google has to say about the latest Search On event, you can keep on reading here.

Google seems to be moving in a more direct and easy way of searching, leaving the infamous search box behind. This new mindset could especially help Shopping ads, but any advertisers that prefer a more visual approach will be intrigued by these potential innovations. We recommend all marketers try these out as soon as they roll out. 

As always, we will let you know when Google announces these launches officially and we’ll keep an eye out for any new features coming your way. Stay tuned!

About Quantikal

Quantikal is a data-driven performance marketing agency based in Buenos Aires, Argentina. We help clients scale their business through profitable digital ad spending by constantly obsessing over clients’ key metrics. Quantikal’s experience working in diverse online companies in marketing roles including media buying allows us to provide solutions in the ever-demanding increase of marketing performance, doing more with less thus becoming a strategic partner.

YouTube is now testing a Promotions Tab

by Digital Marketing ArticlesNews

If you want to learn more about this new feature, keep on reading.

YouTube is now letting creators promote their channel and content without going through Google Ads Manager. This is being tested with a limited number of users.

This new tab will be found in YouTube Studio, so if you have access to this new tool, you may see the tab in the Promotions section on YouTube Studio’s Content page.

Adding a Promotions tab will allow creators to be their own content managers, running quicker promotions for their videos and encouraging channel growth. This way, those who didn’t have the knowledge to run their own channel promotions will now be able to do so more efficiently. Although creators will not have to go through Google Ads, YouTube is funneling more ad revenue. 

Although most advertisers would stick to the Google Ads method, there are some experienced creators that can also use the Promotions tab.

What will you do? Would you migrate toward this new Promotions tab? Let us know in the comments below.

As usual, we advise new creators to proceed with caution and start out with a small budget before scaling to bigger numbers. By learning Google Ads’ best ways to go, you will be developing more skills to properly test your promotions. 

Quantikal will be looking out for any more updates that are worth communicating, so stay tuned!

About Quantikal

Quantikal is a data-driven performance marketing agency based in Buenos Aires, Argentina. We help clients scale their business through profitable digital ad spending by constantly obsessing over clients’ key metrics. Quantikal’s experience working in diverse online companies in marketing roles including media buying allows us to provide solutions in the ever-demanding increase of marketing performance, doing more with less thus becoming a strategic partner.

Microsoft announces new updates

by Digital Marketing ArticlesNews

If you want to know more details about Microsoft’s announcement, keep on reading

Microsoft announced new updates on its blog, including vertical-based ads, Automotive ads, Customer Match enhancements, and more. These features should be rolling out in these upcoming weeks across US markets.

Vertical-based ads: these types of ads appear in different formats depending on the user’s search intent. Microsoft’s AI uses the data feed to source the needed information to display in the ad. Now, Microsoft claims that this new format will shorten the time span and resources required to set up these campaigns. 

Automotive Ads: these will be unique to the automobile industry. Microsoft’s format will display a picture of the vehicle along with its main details and a brief product description. These ads will be shown mainly in the Asia Pacific and Latin American markets, after successfully testing in North America and Europe. 

Customer Match: Microsoft announced that Customer Match will be available in new markets. If you are using a Customer Data platform, you can connect it to Microsoft Advertising and import your customer lists. This integration includes Ampertiy and Adobe Ad Cloud, but further integrations will be available soon. 

What does Microsoft mean by “new audiences”? In-market audiences are now available in 20+ new Latin American countries, 10+ countries in the Asia Pacific region, and piloting new markets in France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, New Zealand, and Singapore. 

Reminder: Microsoft also added a warning for advertisers regarding the end of Expanded Text Ads. In September, the only search ad type that can be created will be Responsive Search Ads (RSA), as we’ve already seen with Google Ads this past June. 

Our Take

Once again, Microsoft is finally trying to keep up with Google and Facebook’s pace. It is always a good thing for search engines to release features and updates that give marketers more control over their ads. However, we were intrigued by the announcement of the new Automotive format, since Google tried to implement this in the past, and failed. Will this be Microsoft’s advantage? If the biggest search engine couldn’t pull it off, it should be interesting to see how Microsoft plans to win this battle.

As expected, we will see these updates in the near future and we’ll let you know if anything catches our eye. Stay tuned!

About Quantikal

Quantikal is a data-driven performance marketing agency based in Buenos Aires, Argentina. We help clients scale their business through profitable digital ad spending by constantly obsessing over clients’ key metrics. Quantikal’s experience working in diverse online companies in marketing roles including media buying allows us to provide solutions in the ever-demanding increase of marketing performance, doing more with less thus becoming a strategic partner.

Upgraded YouTube shopping tab: new Shopify integration

by Digital Marketing ArticlesNews

If you want to learn about this new alliance, keep on reading

YouTube recently announced new shopping features to its platform given the recent integration with Shopify. Now, creators will be able to link their store to their own YouTube channel so that users can complete purchases without leaving the platform.

It looks pretty straightforward: in YouTube Studio, with the monetization tab, creators can add their Shopify account through the Shopping tab. This gives advertisers more control over how their products appear across their channel. Also, YouTube enables tagging on live streams, making it easier for users to stay within the platform while having access to the product. 

Shopify has a real-time inventory syncing that will operate in YouTube’s live shop, so users will never be able to click on a product if it’s out of stock. 

Will you link your Shopify platform to YouTube Shopping? Do you think this is a good integration? Let us know in the comments below

Our Take

This is an easy way to bring products directly to your audience. Many smaller advertisers that don’t have the means to set up Google Merchant Center to its full potential, and do not typically run Shopping or Video ads will enjoy this as an imagery complement to display their products through their own YouTube channel. We can also see how YouTube is understanding the value of influencer marketing, which has proven an increase in number of conversions. It also gives influencers the opportunity to work with brands that they support or see fit for their own image. We hope this integration can help all advertisers increase sales and aid user experience.

As always, we will be following this alliance and we’ll let you know if any updates are coming your way. Stay tuned!

About Quantikal

Quantikal is a data-driven performance marketing agency based in Buenos Aires, Argentina. We help clients scale their business through profitable digital ad spending by constantly obsessing over clients’ key metrics. Quantikal’s experience working in diverse online companies in marketing roles including media buying allows us to provide solutions in the ever-demanding increase of marketing performance, doing more with less thus becoming a strategic partner.

What does Google have to say about shifting privacy settings?

by Digital Marketing ArticlesNews

Now that third-party data is saying goodbye, learn about Google’s new privacy approach

As many of you know, third-party cookies have been the typical source for digital marketing over the past years. However, user privacy and new regulations are making advertisers reevaluate their ways. Now, Google is actively testing new ways to engage with audiences.

Google announced a few key steps that they are taking to replace third-party data’s common identifiers:

  1. Build a strong first-party data organization
  2. Invest in durable tagging solutions that meet measurement needs
  3. Start your shift as soon as possible 

First-party data is now your best ally. However, not all Google products use first-party data for advertising, so for those that do, it is crucial to honour user privacy while making the most out of the data provided.

Also, accurate insights in measurements are a top priority for Google’s team. This can help reach more people in the cookieless future and give a better view of conversion activity and a good tagging method based on customer preference. 

Even for a huge company like Google, building a strong foundation for first-party data takes time, so it is better to start your efforts ASAP. Google’s automated processes ensure that user peivacy is taken into account while making the most out of this new shift. 

What will you do about this new privacy shift? Are you optimistic about the cookieless future? Let us know in the comments below.

About Quantikal

Quantikal is a data-driven performance marketing agency based in Buenos Aires, Argentina. We help clients scale their business through profitable digital ad spending by constantly obsessing over clients’ key metrics. Quantikal’s experience working in diverse online companies in marketing roles including media buying allows us to provide solutions in the ever-demanding increase of marketing performance, doing more with less thus becoming a strategic partner.

New features for Discovery Ads

by Digital Marketing ArticlesNews

Better ad experience, creative support, new insights, and more. Keep on reading to find out!

Google is launching new features for Discovery ads to help keep audiences engaged with your ads. The new features include better ad experiences, improved creative support, new insights, and enhanced campaign management.  

Let’s be honest: the feature that caught our eye is the new audience insights and management. Now, advertisers can create and reuse audiences across all your campaigns using a new audience builder, Google Ads Editor, and API for managing large campaigns. 

Also, the insights page can give you more data about those segments that have the biggest interaction with your ad. Using asset reporting and optimized targeting, advertisers can view performance and compare between assets to decide which ones are worth turning off, editing, or changing. 

What does Google mean by “improved creative support”? When creating the ad, advertisers will be able to see quick recommendations on ratios, headlines, and text overlays for images. This will also include feedback on your ad strength and an optimization score with further guidance. Feedback rating will go from “poor” to “excellent” so that you can figure out what is in need of improvement. 

With all this being said, Google says that they will be focusing on the Gmail user experience. They aim to build a browseable Social and Promotions tab that will include more details, with images and prices. How? Google will use its machine learning algorithm to target audiences at the proper time.

Lucky for you, we include the link to the official announcement here, in case you want to read the full official statement. 

Our Take

Although these are not jaw-dropping features, it is always a good addition if it means more tools and creative opportunities to help advertisers properly showcase their brand. It is nice to see them put in the work to perfect their ad platforms and user experience, especially if it makes it simpler for users to browse. However, we recommend you test these features before applying and have a defined audience or segment in mind so that these assets can work their best. 

As expected, we will review these specific features and let you know if anything new is coming your way. Stay tuned!

About Quantikal

Quantikal is a data-driven performance marketing agency based in Buenos Aires, Argentina. We help clients scale their business through profitable digital ad spending by constantly obsessing over clients’ key metrics. Quantikal’s experience working in diverse online companies in marketing roles including media buying allows us to provide solutions in the ever-demanding increase of marketing performance, doing more with less thus becoming a strategic partner.