We’ve compiled the most critical updates from across the digital marketing landscape in the past two weeks, covering everything from new AI creative tools to urgent security warnings.
Here is your rundown of the latest news from Google, Microsoft, TikTok, and more.
🚨 Urgent Security Warning
Google Ads MCC Takeover Attacks on the Rise
A sophisticated phishing scam targeting Google Ads Manager accounts (MCCs) is surging. Attackers are sending near-perfect phishing emails that mimic Google account access invitations. Once they gain access, they can drain budgets and launch fraudulent campaigns within hours.
What to watch for: Emails that look like standard client access invites but link to non-Google login pages (often Google Sites).
Action: Always verify the URL and confirm invites directly inside your MCC, not just via email.
Read more: Search Engine Land: Google Ads MCC Hijacks Are Surgin
🤖 AI & Creative Updates
“Nano Banana Pro”: Google’s New Image Model
Google DeepMind’s new image generation model, codenamed “Nano Banana Pro” (Gemini 3 Pro), is rolling out. This tool allows for high-resolution image creation and editing directly within Google Ads, offering better text rendering and brand consistency.
News: Gradient Group: Nano Banana Pro & Image Animation
Microsoft’s “Image Animation” & Performance Comparison
Microsoft Advertising has introduced “Image Animation” in Copilot, allowing advertisers to turn static images into short, engaging video assets. Additionally, a new “Performance Comparison” feature helps benchmark campaigns against control groups and historical data.
Read more: MediaPost: Microsoft Animates Images & Adds Performance Tracking
Demand Gen Updates & Creative Guide
More Demand Gen features are launching just in time for the holidays:
AI Enhancements: New AI image and video enhancements automatically create and optimize additional versions of your ads so your campaigns can scale effectively.
Pathmatics Integration: The availability of images and videos provided by Pathmatics in Google Ads will soon allow advertisers to easily download and move the most successful creatives from other platforms to Demand Gen.
A/B Experiments: Experiments with lifting elements make it easy to run creative tests so that you can use the most successful elements.
Suitability Controls: New suitability controls and content topic exclusions are now available for the Discover feed, giving you more branding controls for Demand Gen campaigns.
Official Announcement: Google Blog: Discover what’s new in Demand Gen
PMax Direct Video Uploads
You can now upload videos directly to Performance Max campaigns without hosting them on a YouTube channel first (stored in a “House channel”), though YouTube uploads remain best practice for analytics.
Source: Swipe Insight: Google Performance Max gets direct video uploads
📈 Google Ads Platform Updates
Website Optimizer Tool
New documentation has appeared signaling that a “Website Optimizer” tool is likely coming to the Google Ads interface. This built-in A/B testing feature aims to replace the functionality lost when the standalone Google Optimize tool was sunset.
Read more: Search Engine Roundtable: Google Ads To Resurrect Website Optimizer?
Search Partner Reporting for PMax
New transparency features allow advertisers to see how much budget Performance Max spends on Search Partners and whether that traffic is driving value.
Read more: Search Engine Land: Google adds Search Partners segment to PMax reporting
New Overview Stats: “Performance By Stage”
Advertisers are spotting a new “Performance By Stage” widget in the Overview tab, breaking down metrics by Awareness, Consideration, and Action.
Community Spot: Search Engine Roundtable: Google Ads Overview Tab Gains Trends & Performance By Stage
Optimization Score Phasing Out?
There are reports from the community (Jamie Leckie) that the “Optimization Score” might be getting phased out or de-emphasized in some accounts, potentially signaling a shift in how Google incentivizes recommendations.
Text Guidelines for PMax (Beta) & Search (AI Max)
Google has documented new “Text Guidelines” for PMax and Search campaigns, allowing advertisers to provide specific instructions on brand voice and prohibited terms for AI-generated copy.
Resource: PPC News Feed: Text Guidelines Now Fully Documented
🔍 Search & AI Search
Ads in AI Mode & AI Overviews
Ads in AI Mode: Google has officially started showing sponsored ads within its Gemini-powered AI search results (AI Mode).
AI Overviews on Mobile: Google is connecting AI Overviews to AI Mode on mobile, creating a more seamless conversational search experience.
Read more: How-To Geek: Google starting showing ads in a popular search mode
ChatGPT Shopping Research
OpenAI has launched a “Shopping Research” feature in ChatGPT, creating personalized buyer’s guides and potentially disrupting traditional product discovery.
Read more: Search Engine Journal: ChatGPT Adds Shopping Research
ChatGPT Ads Incoming?
Code found in the Android beta version of ChatGPT suggests OpenAI is preparing to launch an ad network, with references to “sponsored” and “search ads.”
Read more: eWeek: ChatGPT Free Tier Could Include Ads
📱 Social Media & Video
YouTube Partner Match
The forthcoming “Partner Match” targeting option will let advertisers build custom YouTube audiences using their third-party data, including hashed emails and ZIP codes.
Read more: Search Engine Land: Google Unveils Partner Match
Pew Research: YouTube Dominance
New data shows that 84% of US adults use YouTube, solidifying its position as a dominant platform as growth continues across the board.
Read more: Search Engine Journal: Pew: 84% Of Adults Use YouTube
Creator Partnerships & Trust
Amplifying creator content is shown to strengthen trust and lower media costs. TikTok has highlighted new data supporting the value of these partnerships for marketing performance.
Read more: Search Engine Land: How amplifying creator content strengthens trust
Read more:TikTok Highlights the Value of Creator Partnerships for Marketing | Social Media Today
Instagram Reminder Ads
A guide on how to create Reminder Ads to build anticipation for events and launches directly within the Instagram Ads Manager.
Resource: Blogging Wizard: How To Add A Reminder To An Instagram Post
💼 Other Updates
Microsoft Asset-Level Disapprovals
Microsoft Ads now allows individual assets (a single headline or image) to be disapproved without pausing the entire ad group, offering more granular control.
Read more: Search Engine Land: Microsoft Ads introduces asset-level disapprovals
Europe’s Cookie Pledge
The European Commission is proposing a “Cookie Pledge” to simplify cookie consent, potentially moving preferences to the browser level to eliminate constant pop-ups.
Disclaimer: This blog post and accompanying podcast have been fully produced with Gemini AI, and reviewed by a human being, following weekly news-digest meetings at SeekandHit.
For more information contact [email protected].
