What’s new in Paid Media: March 2025 industry updates

Welcome to the latest blog from the Impression Paid Media Team, where we uncover the latest news and trends to help you stay ahead of the curve.

Spring is just around the corner, and so are some fresh updates in the paid media world! As we transition into a new season, March brings exciting changes to platforms like Reddit and Google, along with opportunities to refine your strategy for the months ahead. Let’s take a look at the latest shifts and what they mean for you.

Keep reading to discover:

Google Ads expands negative keyword limits in Performance Max

Google Ads has announced a significant increase in its negative keyword limit for Performance Max (PMax) campaigns, allowing advertisers to add up to 10,000 negative keywords – a major jump from the previous limit of just 100.

This update aligns PMax with Search campaigns, giving advertisers more control over where their ads appear while still leveraging Google’s AI-driven automation.

What’s changing?

• Previous limit: 100 negative keywords per PMax campaign
• New limit: 10,000 negative keywords per PMax campaign
• Rollout timeline: Gradually rolling out to all advertisers over the next few weeks

What does this mean for me?

Many advertisers found the 100-keyword cap restrictive, making it difficult to exclude unwanted placements and refine their targeting. With this increase, marketers can now exercise greater control without sacrificing automation.

This update brings a better balance between automation and control, allowing advertisers to fine-tune their campaigns with greater precision. Here’s how you can make the most of it:

• Improve brand safety: Exclude irrelevant or brand-damaging placements more effectively.
• Enhance efficiency: Prevent budget waste on non-converting audiences.
• Maintain AI-driven optimisation: While exclusions are useful, avoid over-filtering to let Google’s automation work effectively.

This update empowers advertisers with greater flexibility, ensuring their ads are placed in the most relevant and profitable environments. Now is the time to review your negative keyword lists and optimise your PMax campaigns accordingly!

Google PMax Gets Search Term Visibility

One of the biggest challenges with Performance Max (PMax) campaigns has been the lack of insight into what search queries are triggering ads. But that’s changing. Google is now rolling out search term visibility for PMax campaigns, giving advertisers more transparency and control.

What’s new?

• Search terms are now visible in the standard Search Terms report
• Negative keywords can be added directly from the report
• Match type insights provide better clarity on how queries align with targeting

What does this mean for me?

For a long time, PMax has operated as a “black box,” offering automation but little insight into why certain results were happening. Now, with search term visibility, you can:

• Eliminate wasted spend by excluding irrelevant searches directly from the report
• Identify high-performing queries and adjust creative and audience signals to double down on what works
• Gain better control by understanding how match types influence search performance

How to make the most of this update:

• Regularly audit the Search Terms report to find opportunities, spot inefficiencies, and fine-tune your targeting
• Use negative keywords strategically to filter out poor-fit traffic and improve ROI
• Leverage match type insights to refine your campaign strategy and optimise performance

Demand Gen campaigns get new channel controls in Google Ads

Google Ads is introducing channel control for select Demand Gen campaigns, allowing advertisers to specify where their ads appear across Google’s properties. This marks a step toward greater transparency, but some limitations remain.

What’s new?

• More control over ad placement across Google-owned channels
• Ability to choose where ads run (e.g., YouTube, Discover, Gmail)
• Performance data is still aggregated—no individual channel breakdowns yet

What does this mean for me?

While this update gives advertisers more say in where their Demand Gen ads show up, segmented performance reporting is still missing. This means:

• You can prevent ads from appearing on less relevant placements, improving targeting precision
• But making data-driven decisions remains difficult since all performance data is lumped together
• Marketers should hold off on big changes until Google provides clearer insights on individual channel performance

How to make the most of this update:

• Test different placements to see which ones align best with your audience and campaign goals
• Monitor overall performance closely, even if you can’t segment by channel yet
• Stay tuned for further updates, as more granular reporting could be on the horizon

Bing search results now feature 7+ sponsored listings

Microsoft Bing has recently been spotted testing a bold new search results format, focusing heavily on paid ads at the expense of organic content. Users have reported seeing search pages that are overwhelmingly dominated by sponsored listings, with very little room for organic results.

What’s new?

• Bing search result pages now display at least seven paid ads on the first page
• Organic search results are significantly reduced, sometimes only showing one or two listings
• Ad-heavy format has been confirmed by multiple users

What does this mean for me?

This new format could shake up your approach to Microsoft Ads (Bing Ads) in a big way. Here’s what you need to know:

• Increased competition for ad slots: With so many ads taking up the space, standing out on Bing could become harder and more expensive. Expect higher CPC rates as more advertisers compete for the limited ad spots.
• Organic visibility takes a hit: If you’re relying on organic search for traffic, this update could affect your website’s visibility, as fewer organic results are now visible on the first page.
• Shift in search dynamics: With Bing testing these changes, we could see a significant shift in how users interact with the search engine. More ads could mean a need for better ad targeting to grab attention before the user scrolls away.

Meta ads can now link directly to Google Analytics

Meta is offering advertisers an exciting opportunity to gain early access to ad system updates by connecting their Google Analytics account to Meta’s ad platform. This integration has shown to boost conversions, and Meta is encouraging advertisers to make the switch for a competitive edge.

What’s new?

• Google Analytics integration with Meta’s ad accounts is now being encouraged
• Advertisers with established connections are receiving early access to system updates
• 5% increase in conversions for advertisers who have set up the integration

What does this mean for me?

By integrating Google Analytics with your Meta ad account, you can unlock several benefits for your campaigns:

• Access early updates: By acting now, you’ll be among the first to get Meta’s latest ad system updates, potentially giving you a head start in optimising your campaigns.
• Boost conversions: Meta’s internal data shows that a high-quality integration can lead to an additional 5% increase in conversions, helping your campaigns perform better.
• Improve performance tracking: This integration helps you track your ad performance in greater detail, making it easier to refine your strategy and improve ROI.

Reddit introduces ‘Hide’ button for ads

Reddit has introduced a new ad control feature that allows users to block ads from specific advertisers, giving them more power over the content they see on the platform. This move aims to enhance the user experience by allowing people to control what kind of ads show up in their feeds.

What’s new?

• New “Hide” option lets users block ads from specific advertisers
• Blocked ads are hidden for at least a year
• Works alongside the Report function to trigger advertiser blocking
• Gradual rollout across iOS, Android, and desktop over several weeks

What does this mean for me?

This update shifts the power back to the users, meaning that if your ads are irrelevant or poorly targeted, they could face permanent removal from a significant portion of your audience. Here’s how it affects you:

• Focus on quality: Poorly targeted or disruptive ads can lead to audience loss for up to a year, making it crucial to deliver ads that resonate.
• Prioritise segmentation: With the potential to lose reach, segmenting your audience and personalising your creatives becomes even more important to avoid hitting a dead end.
• Better creative: Ads that fail to provide value or interest will likely be hidden, so make sure your messaging speaks to the audience’s needs.

YouTube video action line items are moving to Demand Gen

Exciting news for advertisers! YouTube is rolling out an upgrade replacing YouTube video action line items with Demand Gen. This means enhanced features for more powerful campaigns across YouTube, Google Display Network, Gmail, and Discover!

What’s changing?

• Video action line items will be replaced by Demand Gen, which expands the inventory from just YouTube to include Discover, Gmail, and the Google Display Network.
• Maximise clicks bid strategy and Lookalike segments are now available to help you target your audience more effectively.
• Image formats and other new ad features are coming soon in April 2025, making your campaigns even more versatile.

What does this mean for me?

This shift opens up more opportunities for advertisers, but also brings new challenges. Here’s how it affects you:

• Broader reach: You now have access to more platforms (Discover, Gmail, etc.), allowing you to expand your ad exposure.
• Target smarter: With advanced audience segmentation, including lookalike audiences, you can easily reach users similar to your existing customers.
• Optimise creatives: The addition of image ads means more creative flexibility, so make sure your visuals and messaging are optimised for both video and static formats.

Google Display Network now available in Demand Gen

Google is expanding Demand Gen campaigns by integrating the Google Display Network (GDN). Starting in March 2025, advertisers will be able to serve Demand Gen ads across GDN alongside YouTube, Discover, and Gmail. This update enhances reach, introducing more visual ad opportunities beyond video formats.

What’s changing?

• Inventory source controls are now available, allowing you to choose where your ads are shown.
• Google Video Partners within Demand Gen will be renamed to Google Display Network to reflect the expanded inventory.
• The opt-in setting for inventory will move from the line item level to the ad group level, giving you more control.
• Starting in April 2025, all Demand Gen campaigns with image assets will start serving on the Google Display Network.
• Reporting will include image ads starting in April 2025, giving you a clearer picture of ad performance.

What does this mean for me?

This update streamlines ad management and gives you more power to customise where and how your ads are displayed. Here’s how it impacts you:

• Greater control: You can now manage inventory for both video and image ads at the ad group level, making your campaigns more adaptable. 
• Enhanced targeting: By choosing where your ads show up, you ensure they reach the right audience across YouTube, Gmail, and the Google Display Network. 
• Simpler management: The shift to ad group-level controls means fewer steps and a smoother setup, allowing you to focus on what matters most—delivering your message. 

Look out for our April edition of “What’s new in Paid Media” for a round-up of next month’s industry updates to inspire your PPC, Paid Social and Programmatic strategy. If you want to talk about your business’s aspirations, get in touch!