Self-serve negative keyword lists are now live in Microsoft Advertising, according to Ads Liaison Navah Hopkins — giving advertisers long-requested control without submitting support tickets. What’s happening. Advertisers can now create and manage shared negative keyword lists directly in the UI. Lists support up to 5,000 negative keywords (one per line) and can be applied […]

OpenAI started introducing ads to free and Go-tier users of ChatGPT in the U.S., marking a significant shift in its monetization strategy — and drawing scrutiny from competitors. What’s happening. After signaling plans last month, OpenAI quietly rolled out ads to U.S.-based users earlier this month. The move comes amid rising competition, including high-profile marketing […]

Google Merchant Center is investigating an issue affecting Feeds, according to its public status dashboard. The details: Incident began: Feb. 4, 2026 at 14:00 UTC Latest update (Feb. 20, 14:43 UTC): “We’re investigating reports of an issue with Feeds. We will provide more information shortly.” Status: Service disruption The alert appears on the official Merchant […]

OpenAI is serving ads inside ChatGPT, and new findings suggest the experience looks quite different from what the company originally envisioned. What’s happening. Research from AI ad intelligence firm Adthena has identified the first confirmed ads appearing on ChatGPT for signed-in desktop users in the U.S. The big surprise. Early speculation suggested ads would only […]

Some advertisers are reporting that a Google Ads system tool designed for low-activity bulk changes is automatically enabling paused keywords — a behavior many account managers say they haven’t seen before. What advertisers are seeing. Activity logs show entries tied to Google’s “Low activity system bulk changes” tool that include actions enabling previously paused keywords. […]

On episode 341 of PPC Live The Podcast, I speak to Andrea Cruz, Head of B2B at Tinuiti, to unpack a mistake many senior marketers quietly struggle with: freezing when clients demand answers you don’t immediately have. The conversation explored how communication missteps can escalate client tension — and how the right mindset, preparation, and […]

Google is now promoting its own AI features inside Google Ads — a rare move that inserts marketing directly into advertisers’ workflow. What’s happening. Users are seeing promotional messages for AI Max for Search campaigns when they open campaign settings panels. The notifications appear during routine account audits and updates. It essentially serves as an […]

On episode 340 of PPC Live The Podcast, I speak to Amanda Farley, CMO of Aimclear and a multi-award-winning marketing leader, brings a mix of honesty and expertise to the PPC Live conversation. A self-described T-shaped marketer, she combines deep PPC knowledge with broad experience across social, programmatic, PR, and integrated strategy. Her journey — from […]

For many local businesses, performance looks healthier than it is. Rank trackers still show top-three positions. Visibility reports appear steady. Yet calls and website visits from Google Business Profiles are falling — sometimes fast. This gap is becoming a defining feature of local search today. Rankings are holding. Visibility and performance aren’t. The alligator has […]

As part of the v23 Ads API launch, Performance Max campaigns can now be reported by channel, including Search, YouTube, Display, Discover, Gmail, Maps, and Search Partners. Previously, performance data was largely grouped into a single mixed category. The change under the hood. Earlier API versions typically returned a MIXED value for the ad_network_type segment […]