Paid Media News & Opinion #140

Google Ads releases key updates for iOS app campaigns

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> What’s happening

Google has rolled out upgrades to iOS App campaigns, including new ad formats (expanded reach on YouTube Shorts, Search and Display); co-branded creator ads in YouTube in-feed/Shorts; and playable end cards on select AdMob inventory.

Bidding and measurement have also had key updates, including the ability to use “Target ROAS” and “Maximize Conversions” for iOS app campaigns. Additionally, there are now AI video tools auto-fit assets to placements, and privacy-centric measurement improvements for faster and more accurate conversion tracking when using app attribution partners.

> Why we care

It’s always been a lot more challenging to run iOS App campaigns with Google Ads. Historically there have been a lot of limitations that have heavily impacted delivery, optimisation and reporting when it specifically comes to iOS on Google Ads.

These updates should go some way towards improving performance and scope for advertisers. Considering the vast reach of Google Ads, and the volume of users that are on iOS, it can only be a positive to open up more doors for iOS App campaigns.

Updates for YouTube TV eligibility from Google

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> What’s happening

YouTube TV is a US TV subscription service with ad placements that can be bought either via standard auction or on a reservation basis through Google Ads and DV360.

To clear up eligibility criteria, Google have published a new guide detailing this. For auctions:

• 15s non-skippable in-stream, 30s skippable, and 6s bumper ads must be using tCPM auction bidding

• Ads must be free of music rights (copyright) claims

All ads are eligibile to show on all categories of content, but political and election ads will have additional criteria and scrutiny, available in the help guide.

On a reservation basis, ads can be bought through reserved media placement, Display and Video 360 Programmatic Guaranteed or Instant Reserve, or Google Ads Reservation. Also, creative review is mandatory before ads can serve.

> Why we care

The YouTube TV service is a huge trend with estimates putting the platform’s market share ahead of today’s typical cable providers by 2027 – read more here – with 9.2M subscribers, and rapidly growing, as of April this year. This presents more opportunities for high-quality ad placements, paired with the biggest shows in the world, as YouTube shifts into mainstream core viewing.

While this is limited to a relatively small user base and in the US only, we’re keeping an eye on this space in case it launches in new markets. Given the popularity of YouTube today, and the trend of YouTube TV in the US, there’s no doubting the potential for advertisers.

Google adds cost transparency and gender exclusions to Performance Max

Source 1, Source 2

> What’s happening

A new cost feature in PMax reporting now shows advertisers exactly how their budget is being allocated across Google’s different channels. By toggling this setting on, advertisers can view Share of Cost data, highlighting the percentage of total spend consumed by each placement (Search, YouTube, Display, Discover, Gmail, Maps, etc.), this can help advertisers with:

• Cost transparency: Clear view of budget distribution across channels.

• Optimisation insights: Compare spend share vs. conversion share to flag inefficiencies.

• Scaling opportunities: Identify high-performing, underfunded placements to drive incremental growth.

In addition, Google has released a new feature that allows advertisers to exclude audiences by gender within PMax campaigns. The gender exclusion setting provides advertisers with more precise audience controls, allowing for sharper targeting and more relevant campaign structures.

This functionality was previously missing in PMax, where broad targeting often made it difficult to segment audiences effectively.

> Why we care

The cost reporting could really help advertisers with budget optimisation. By comparing channel spend to actual performance, advertisers can quickly identify inefficiencies, such as YouTube or Display consuming disproportionate spend without generating strong returns. And the feature may highlight underinvested, high-ROAS placements, creating opportunities to scale profitably.

For brands managing large budgets across multiple markets, this added visibility could be the difference between wasted spend and precision scaling.

The gender exclusion provides a new lever for audience relevance and efficiency. For many advertisers, this is an opportunity to run more personalized and cost-efficient campaigns, especially for markets where audience segmentation is crucial.

Together, these updates suggest that Google is steadily evolving PMax from a “black box” automation tool into a more transparent and customisable campaign type. They make campaigns more transparent and more targeted. For advertisers, that means smarter budget allocation, sharper audience control, and the potential to unlock new performance gains.

What else we've been talking about:

• Google taps large language models to cut invalid ad traffic by 40%

• LinkedIn enables brands to sponsor user posts for LinkedIn events

• Snapchat launches ‘McDonaldland’ AR experience

• Google Ads launches diagnostics tool for cart data conversions

• Unlock more visibility and control in Performance Max