Google Ads 2025 Review and Beyond: How to Prepare for 2026

Google Ads evolved significantly in 2025, with AI and automation becoming more embedded into how advertisers manage campaigns, allocate budgets, and optimise performance. As we look towards 2026, it’s clear that PPC isn’t just about keywords anymore — it’s about context, creative, and being ready for AI-powered ad delivery.

What Changed in Google Ads During 2025?

In 2025, several high-impact features were released — particularly focused on Performance Max, AI creative, and multi-surface ad placements. At Google Marketing Live 2025, Google showcased updates across video, shopping, and search. A key theme was machine learning doing more of the heavy lifting, while giving advertisers better insights.

Notably, Performance Max campaigns received a major upgrade. Advertisers can now add campaign-level negative keywords, exclude certain demographics, and break down asset group performance more clearly. This offers a layer of control that many advertisers had requested. Google also introduced more robust search term insights and segmentation tools to better understand what’s actually working inside automated campaigns.

Alongside this, Google advanced keyword-less targeting — relying more on audience signals and creative combinations — while embracing AI-generated ad assets, dynamic visuals, and even AI-enhanced product images in Shopping ads. Automation is no longer optional; it’s now built into the foundation of how ads are created and delivered.

Why These Changes Matter

These updates fundamentally change how advertisers approach campaign planning. The shift from targeting keywords to providing quality signals and creative assets means marketers need to focus less on manual control and more on inputs — audience data, visuals, and conversion events.

For instance, instead of choosing the perfect match type or keyword variation, you’re now training the machine — feeding it strong copy, high-converting pages, audience intent data, and brand assets. The machine takes it from there, testing combinations across channels and placements you may never manually choose.

This also means that reporting, transparency and measurement are more critical than ever. While Performance Max was once a black box, the newer tools give advertisers greater visibility into what’s driving results — but only if they’re watching carefully.

Looking Ahead: PPC Trends for 2026

As we move into 2026, expect this evolution to continue — and accelerate. Here’s what advertisers should be ready for:

1. AI-First Campaign Structures: Google is likely to introduce campaign types built entirely around AI intent matching. Think of “AI Max” as an extension of Performance Max, where signals are the new keywords.

2. Creative-Driven Performance: Visual search, generative images, and short-form video will take centre stage. Product discovery is increasingly visual, and brands need strong creative assets to stand out in the SERP, YouTube Shorts, Discover feed and Shopping.

3. Search Ads in AI Overviews: Ads have already started appearing within Google’s AI Overviews. In 2026, advertisers may be able to directly target these placements or optimise content and landing pages for AI integration.

4. Smarter Use of First-Party Data: With cookie restrictions and data privacy changes, your own customer data becomes gold. Expect Google to increase support for first-party data targeting and CRM-linked audiences across channels.

5. Changing Definitions of Success: Traditional last-click conversions may be replaced by new measurement models. With multi-touch, multi-device journeys, tools like Enhanced Conversions, data-driven attribution, and offline conversion tracking will become the standard.

How to Prepare Your Google Ads Strategy Now

If you’ve been running PPC in 2025, now is the time to start future-proofing your campaigns. Here are practical steps you can take:

Audit your account structure: Review which campaigns are still using outdated formats. Are you leveraging Performance Max or Demand Gen? Are you using asset groups effectively? Where are you still relying on manual processes?

Invest in creative: High-quality ad assets are essential. Video, carousels, responsive visuals and copy variations give AI more to work with. If you’re feeding the machine, make sure you’re feeding it well.

Lean into audience signals: Upload your customer lists, build detailed audience segments, and test Google’s predictive audiences. The more context the system has, the better your results.

Use updated measurement tools: Ensure you’re using Enhanced Conversions, proper tagging, consented tracking, and linking Google Ads with GA4 for clean reporting. Attribution insights can help you understand where conversions are really happening.

Test, iterate, learn: The advertisers who test new formats early will have the advantage. Use Google’s experiments tools, segment your data, and be prepared to shift budget based on performance.

2025 was the year AI took the lead in PPC — and 2026 will be the year it becomes fully embedded in how campaigns are run. Google Ads is no longer just a bidding tool — it’s an AI‑powered engine that needs the right signals to deliver performance.

For advertisers, the takeaway is clear: if you want to compete, you need to stop managing keywords and start managing signals. Get your creative in shape, build stronger data foundations, and stay agile. The future of PPC isn’t about controlling every lever — it’s about training the system to work in your favour.