Google Performance Summit 2016

Google Performance Summit 2016
Some say that this was the best Google Performance Summit yet, and I think we have to agree. If you missed it, you can catch up below (skip to 28 mins)…
Overview:
Designing products for a Mobile first world – a new vision for Google Adwords and Analytics. Understanding context is more important than ever. There are more ‘moments’ than ever, and Google has to help advertisers target customers at the moments that matter the most. Everything that was discussed today was about ‘bridging intent with context’ across all Google products to enable advertisers to do this.
- Design – Google have overhauled how ads look on Mobile to help consumers and advertisers succeed.
- Adwords Interface – we had the first demo, and you can read our blog here.
- It’s focus is on 3 things;
- Helping you to Identify Opportunities within your campaigns.
- Making the interface more relevant for your business.
- Allowing you to Accomplish More by making the tools you use simple through less clutter yet powerful by being more intuitive.
- It’s focus is on 3 things;
- Adwords Interface – we had the first demo, and you can read our blog here.
It’s clear that it’s completely different to the interface which we have now which was built in a Desktop first world. This is designed to make it easier for marketers to get to where they want to go within one click. It’s completely designed for a Mobile first world.

Screenshot for Location Targeting
- Expanded Text Ads (blog available here) – Biggest update to the ad creative since Adwords has began; helping you to be there, and be useful when consumers are looking for answers.
- 50% more Ad Text which means that Headline 1 – has 30 characters, Headline 2 – 30 characters, Description Line – 80 characters.

Text Ad Character Length Updates – Expanded Text Ads – Rolled out late 2016
- Bids – Google have overhauled bidding = Big News!
- Desktop & Tablet bids will split up. This means that we will again be able to have individual bid adjustments across different devices.
- Similar Audiences for Search Ads announced – Reach searchers who are interested in products you have on site, but haven’t visited your site before. Allows for unrivalled reach and allows you to grow your campaigns using Audiences targeting. Could this replace Generic Keywords in the future?
- Demographics for Search Ads – target Age & Gender more aggressively. Some have seen a +65% increase in CTR from using this.
- Google are going to be investing a lot more into Audiences targeting over the year.
- Measure – Reimagined measurement to bridge online and physical worlds
- They highlighted the successes of Model Automotive Ads and In Store Visits (read our blog here) with Toyota in understanding their brand and context – targeting customers at the right moment to deliver in store visits.
- Google is also going to expand it’s Store Visits (online to offline) foot traffic measurement using Beacon systems – offering a new level of precision and scale for Store Visit Data.
- Other – New products and features to help navigate the Mobile world
- Promoted Pins for Maps – Google introducing the next generation of Local Search ads (find out more here)
- The phrase “Machine Learning” was mentioned a good few times. We know that Google are going to keep pushing this over the next few years, particularly around automation and audiences.
- Cross Exchange Inventory – extended reach for GDN campaigns. More can be found here.
- Updates to Google Analytics 360 features, including an introduction of a ‘Data Assistant’ (which is effectively like an’OK Google’ for Analytics’) and updates around collaboration. It now has a dashboard & reporting feature which works very much like Google Docs, allowing you to work collaboratively on the same worksheet using your Analytics data.

Google Analytics 360 – Collaborative Reporting Features
Keep an eye out on out POV’s around Expanded Text ads, Individual Bid Adjustments for Device Types (deja vu anyone?), and Audiences as the new Keywords.
Archived Live Blog:
Join us as we fight through the hubbub of Ads and Analytics Innovations from this year’s Google Performance Summit.
We’ll be live blogging right here throughout the announcements to tell you what the latest news and updates really mean!
Join the debate by replying below!
Be here on Tuesday 24th May – 9am PT / 12pm ET / 5pm GMT
You can register for the Google Performance Summit here
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