Key Google Ads and Predictions for 2026

2025 was the year of many changes in Google Ads. We now have many new options for campaign optimization, more in-depth reporting, and AI continues to permeate the search ecosystem at seemingly every level. (If you want a full recap of the changes at Google in 2025, you can check out this post.)

But what does all this mean for the future?

While none of us can accurately predict everything that will happen in Google advertising going forward, we can take cues from the past and make some educated guesses about what might be important in the next 12 months. Without further ado, here are six things that I think will have a huge impact on the success of Google Ads in 2026.

Contents

1. 1. Better controls will allow for wider automation adoption (and better efficiency).
   2. The cleaner your data, the better your results
   3. Human-led optimization will continue to be critical to the success of Google Ads
   4. Advertisers will rethink their value proposition
   5. Google Ads landing page copy will be longer
   6. Advertisers will have more control over the features of their AI-powered Google ads

Google Ads Trends and Predictions You Can’t Miss in 2026

These are all 2026 Google Ads that can change your campaign approach in 2026.

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1. Better controls allow for wider automation adoption (and better efficiency).

By 2025, Performance Max was off the table for the majority of my clients. Every time we tested them, they would steal remarketing and brand traffic from our existing campaigns, see good results to begin with, then fall off a cliff in terms of volume or generate an obscene number of low-quality leads.

What changed with the new features released for PMAX campaigns:

• Campaign level negative keywords
• Placement reports
• Brand Exclusion Lists
• Device and demographic costs
• URL controls
• Extended search terms
• Improved asset performance reporting

Now, I’m able to control which terms my PMAX campaigns can show, gain better insight into what’s performing, and adjust strategies to increase lead quality. It also allows me to feed more accurate success metrics into PMAX campaigns so the machine can learn what is actually a good conversion and what isn’t. With these controls, you can now leverage your human intelligence to shape the AI ​​for better results all around.

Going forward, we’re going to have even more control with advertising signals in brand guidelines to ensure that the AI-infill text Google creates for you is tailored to your company.

But PMAX isn’t the only type of campaign with changes. Demand General campaigns also have a bit more control now, and AIMax was launched with almost all the controls you might want to add to the system already.

Each of these new tools is just one more lever you can pull to make sure you’re seeing good results from your campaigns. All this points to one thing for me: Campaign types that take advantage of machine learning are only available for many more brands. They have great appeal because they can be safely used for good quality and can be improved..

2. The cleaner your data, the better your results

This is a pseudo-extension of the above point, but from a different angle.

Algorithms derive their insights from existing datasets. Meaning, if they analyze patterns in your converting users, they can find other people who are like them. And that’s a good thing!

But to do that, you need to have accurate conversion data. Otherwise, the system is going to identify false positives, false negatives, or samples with confounding factors that will only skew the results.

Teams that have a clean data setup will have an advantage over their competition, but simple conversion tracking isn’t the only barrier:

• Enhanced conversion is not required, but can improve data signals In situations where regular conversion tracking makes a difference.
• Imported conversions can allow you to track actions in the buyer funnelnot just final conversions.
• Can bid based on value Increase conversion success Using these values ​​to differentiate between high-value and low-value initiatives and Google’s Smart Bidding to achieve profitable metrics.

Overall, the more integrated your platforms are, the better decision-making can be done within the platform to target your campaign KPIs.

For 2026, If you have the option to provide more data to the Google platform, I recommend that you do sond take full advantage of it.

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3. Human-led optimization will continue to be critical to the success of Google Ads

This may not be agreed by many people, but I believe that in 2026, A new premium can (and should) be added to the actual arrangement Because of all the new tools I mentioned above. Tools may be smart, but they are better when you direct them to achieve good results, and a skilled practitioner is the way to do that.

If I’m honest, I can’t say I think it’s ever really gone away, but now more automated campaign types are available to more advertisers, and Those who can make them work are going to win the year.

4. Advertisers will rethink their value proposition

Thanks to the growing reliance on AI in much of the market, there’s a bit of uncertainty at the moment, with some thinking we may be in an AI bubble. There are other factors weighing on the market, eg Revenueshealth care costs, and others. This is certainly not a financial article, and I’m not saying that I personally believe that this proposed “bubble” will burst, but I think Some companies and consumers are more cautious about where their funds are going.

Personally, I think it would at least be sensible Test a value angle in your promotions to see how it performs against your regular messaging..

Price doesn’t necessarily mean putting things on sale, although it can. Instead, value simply means showing the customer the real value in your offering. This can be done in several ways:

• Monetary value: Putting things on sale, taking things away from shopping.
• Quality: Demonstrating your high quality product to justify the expense.
• Reliable: Use customer reviews to drive potential customers your way by highlighting the stories of other customers.
• Extended Resources: Highlight other benefits customers get when they work with you: access to support, online community, etc.

Ideally, you already know how to deliver your products to make them appealing, but my guess is that 2026 is the year to give that little bit more and make your customers feel more comfortable. To start, you can use popular power words in your copy, like the examples below.

5. Google Ads landing page copy will be long

In our current round of AI reviews and AI-style ad creatives, Google has only shared that advertisers need to use some of Google’s automated targeting and that it needs to be relevant to both the query and response to be displayed.

My prediction is that companies that are highly driven to show up in these AI SERP solutions Will adopt long form landing pages that contain a lot of copy.

This will be a bit of a departure for some advertisers who have seen low, splash-type landing pages convert at high rates, so I’ll be curious to see which objective wins out, AI engagement or conversions, and if the two are mutually exclusive, as I think they might be.

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6. Advertisers will have more control over the features of their AI-powered Google ads

For our last Google Ads trend, I predict that as Google develops more ads in iOS and AI mode, they will get more comfortable with giving advertisers more control over what to show in those spaces. The current recommendation to “use keyword targeting and be relevant” leaves a lot of room for interpretation.

I expect we will have very clear guidelines and tools by the end of 2026but I’m not clear on what they might look like. They can be:

• Check boxes in/out to enable ads for AI solutions.
• New assets and features that only show up in AI placement.
• Landing page formatting tips to make pages more AI-friendly
• Reporting appointments in other similar network failures vs. AI solutions.

Obviously, the sky’s the limit, so while I’m pretty bullish on the possibilities for more control, I’m completely in the dark about how they’ll manifest.

Add these Google Ads trends to your strategy this year

As always, we never know what Google is thinking or planning when it comes to its updates, changes and new rollouts. But based on historical evidence and where we see the future of advertising, these are some of the areas I would recommend focusing on in 2026.

No matter what lies ahead, the most important thing is to be aware and make sure you’re testing with purpose. To help you stay ahead of Google advertising trends this year, see how our solutions can maximize your campaign results!