December 2021 SEM and PPC News and Updates

Facebook Ads: Audience targeting changes to Facebook Ad campaigns announced

Facebook parent brand, Meta, has revealed audience targeting changes to Facebook Ad campaigns

Beginning January 19, 2022, Facebook will remove advertiser targeting settings across four main categories; health causes, sexual orientation, religious practices and groups and political beliefs.

This move indicates a broader trend. On the one hand, a level of targeting precision supports the creation of highly personalised experiences, which enable valuable user interaction. However, at the same time, there is a rising sensitivity when people are identified based on their links to health conditions, social causes or demographic characteristics. 

Taking this into account, Facebook is limiting advertiser options and will no longer allow targeting based on these sensitive parameters.

» Find out more information here.

Google Ads: Stock photos now allowed for image extensions

Google Ads relaxes its policy…

Whilst the use of stock photos in image extensions was previously not allowed, Google Ads is now relaxing its policy: users no longer have to source their own visuals. 

This update is one of several changes to image extensions, including the ability to display them in desktop ads.

So how can these new updates to image extensions help businesses?

1) Businesses can now use stock photos to create Google Ads image extensions

Google’s searchable library of stock photos is completely free for businesses to use in their ads, making it easier to utilise image extensions.

2) Desktop Ads will now show image extensions

Google will show image extensions in desktop ads over the next few weeks (image extensions were previously exclusive to mobile ads).

3) Businesses can use dynamic image extensions with all languages

Dynamic image extensions use machine learning to select relevant visuals from landing pages to append to ads. They were previously only available in English but are now available for all languages.

» Read more here.

Google Ads: Drive better performance with new features on the Insights page

Updates to Google Ads Insights page

The insights page helps users keep up with trends tailored to their businesses. To help drive superior performance, Google Ads have introduced several new features.

1) Demand forecasts (beta)

Previously, the Insights page provided users with search trends to help them understand consumer demand. With demand forecasts (beta), users will see forward-looking trends. Through a combination of machine learning technology with past seasonal search trends, demand forecasts can predict search interest personalised to businesses over the next six months.

2) Consumer interest insights (beta)

Consumer interest insights (beta) enable users to understand better how people find them on search by anonymising and aggregating the top-performing search query themes driving performance in campaigns. 

3) Audience insights (beta)

Users can learn more about the interests of their customers with audience insights (beta), including which creative resonates the most.

4) Change history insights and auction insights (beta)

Change history insights and auction insights (beta) will also be visible on the Insights page, helping users understand how shifts in auction competition or changes they make in their account impact performance.

» Learn more here.

Microsoft Advertising: The 3 features advertisers loved most in 2021

Popular tools 

Microsoft Advertising has identified three features that rose to the top of advertisers preferred tools. These features utilise intelligent automation to save time and money and increase engagement. 

Feature 1: Smart Pages

Smart Pages, launched in February, enables advertisers to remove cost barriers associated with building webs. They can also save time by providing a simple and free solution for small businesses to get started with a website. 

Feature 2: Multimedia Ads

The competition for customers’ attention has risen, alongside the growth in the value of search advertising over the years. With a new rich ad format designed to combine users’ assets such as headlines, images and descriptions with the power of machine-learning technology, Multimedia Ads deliver attention-grabbing visual ads.

Feature 3: Automated bidding

Automated bidding is popular amongst users because it helps them ensure effective bidding and maximise Return on Investment (ROI). In addition, automated bid strategies give advertisers the tools to maximise ad spending and save time.

» Read more here.

To find out more about the world of advertising, read last months SEM and PPC News and Updates here.