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Welcome to Cultivative’s weekly roundup for all things PPC from around the web—everything you need to know right now about PPC!

At Cultivative, we’re all about making your life easier. We’ve gathered the top PPC news and innovations from around the web and getting it into your hands. Check out what we found this past week.

Google Ads refreshes custom columns UI and adds new metrics

By George Nguyen | Dec 10, 2021 | Search Engine Land

In the next few weeks, Google Ads will be rolling out a new user interface for custom columns and new metrics. “Custom columns add flexibility by enabling advertisers to compare the metrics that are most important for their particular needs,” writes George Nguyen. The new metrics include:

• Spreadsheet functions.
• Calculate/compare metrics across date ranges (example).
• Non-metric columns (like Campaign name or Budget).
• Reference other custom columns.
• Search, Click and Display impression share.
• Three phone call metrics, and others.

Google Ads Allows Stock Photos For Image Extensions

By Matt Southern | Dec 12, 2021 | Search Engine Journal

“Google Ads is relaxing its policy on the use of stock photos in image extensions, meaning you’re no longer required to source your own visuals. This update is part of a series of changes to image extensions, which also includes the ability to display them in desktop ads,” explains Matt Southern. Updates to image extensions include:

• Create Google Ads Image Extensions With Stock Photos
• Image Extensions Now Shown In Desktop Ads
• Use Dynamic Image Extensions With Any Language

Looking Ahead with Skai™: 2022 Paid Search Predictions

By Joshua Dreller | Dec 13, 2021 | Skai

The team at Skai has identified some of the following trends for paid search in 2022 to keep an eye on:

• Marketers will be ready way ahead of the RSA deadline
• Better alignment to the new commerce funnel
• The rise of automation rewrites the paid search marketer’s to-do list
• Search audiences become a major practice area
• Search marketers ensure they are even more compliant with data and privacy 
• First-party data as a true, competitive advantage in paid search
• Testing complements—or even replaces—attribution measurement

How To Think More Creatively About PPC

By Navah Hopkins | Dec 13, 2021 | Search Engine Journal

“It’s easy to fall into a strategic rut in PPC. Maybe you’re just sticking to proven tactics instead of testing,” writes Navah Hopkins. To help you think more creatively and outside-the-box, Hopkins recommends:

• Getting Comfortable With Your Testing Period
• Budget For Wild & Crazy Ideas
• Over-Document Everything

4 Ways to Improve Your YouTube Ads

By Joe Martinez | Dec 14, 2021 | SocialMedia Examiner

If you need fresh ideas to improve your YouTube ad results and think that tweaking your creative could help, then Joe Martinez has four tips to improve your YouTube video ad creative. They include:

1. Show Your Brand Name and Logo at All Times in Your YouTube Ads
2. Test a Variety of Different Hooks in Your YouTube Ads
3. Test Completely Different Types of YouTube Video Creative
4. Unlist Video Ads on Your YouTube Channel Page

How to Use the Google Ads Budget Report (+10 Can’t-Miss Budgeting Tricks)

By Kristen McCormick | Dec 15, 2021 | WordStream

Kristen McCormick covers everything you need to know about the Google Ads budget report so you can start saving money. She provides a complete walkthrough of the Google Ads budget report. Also, McCormick includes five steps to determine a realistic Google Ads budget. And, lastly, she gives five expert-suggested strategies to get the most out of your spend.

5 Changes that Impacted Paid Social Advertisers in 2021

By Emily Sullivan | Dec 15, 2021 | Tinuiti

Advertisers and marketers have seen a lot of changes over the past year – some good, some bad, and some that have yet to make their impact known. Emily Sullivan dives into the top significant changes that impacted paid social in 2021, including:

• The IDFA update and its impact on privacy
• Social commerce integrations
• Facebook Analytics going away
• Facebook conversations API (CAPI)
• Social media algorithm updates

We hope you learned something new you can apply to your PPC business strategy. Let us know in the comments below what you want to start implementing. As always, we are happy to be a resource for your paid advertising needs. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us.

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