The second quarter of 2025 brought important Google Ads updates that marketers should watch closely. From new bidding options to improved planning tools and shifting paid media trends, these changes are already shaping how campaigns are built and optimized across paid media.
Target CPC Bidding in Demand Gen Campaigns
In June, Google added Target Cost-Per-Click (tCPC) bidding to Demand Gen campaigns. This strategy lets advertisers set the average cost they’re willing to pay per click, while Google adjusts bids in real time to hit that target.
When to use it: Campaigns focused on driving traffic, not necessarily conversions.
Why it matters: Offers predictable costs while still using automation to capture more clicks.
Keyword Planner Adds City and Device-Level Forecasting
Google’s Keyword Planner now includes forecasts broken down by city, region, and device type.
What’s new: Forecasts split by mobile, desktop, and tablet, plus local targeting insights.
Why it matters: Helps advertisers budget smarter and target areas where campaigns are most likely to perform.
Rising Costs, Privacy Shifts, and AI Ads
Q2 also highlighted bigger shifts in the paid media landscape:
- Privacy pressures continue. Google is exploring alternatives to cookies, making first-party data collection more important than ever.
- AI-driven ads are expanding. Google’s AI Mode and AI Overview ads are new formats that automatically insert ads into AI-generated answers in search results.
What Marketers Should Do Next
To stay ahead:
- Test Target CPC when traffic volume is your goal.
- Use localized forecasts to refine targeting and budgets.
- Plan for higher costs with tighter audience and messaging strategies.
- Build strong first-party data practices, collecting and using customer data you already own, to prepare for privacy changes.
At Foundery, we help brands stay ahead of paid media changes and get more out of every advertising dollar.
Want to know how these Google Ads changes will impact your budgets and results?
