In the competitive world of digital marketing, not only must businesses and marketing groups seeking new clientele constantly evolve and adapt to a rapidly changing landscape, but the platforms we use to reach those potential customers are also constantly changing and growing.

Google, the Goliath of online advertising, has set the tone for the last two decades. What started as a simple search engine has blossomed into the go-to supplier of email, maps, video, chat, essential office tools (full disclosure: I wrote this blog in Google Docs), and more. Not only do businesses rely heavily on its capabilities and functions, but so does the basic consumer.

When using the original Google search function, once a user prompts a word or phrase, they can easily switch between an article search to news, images, or shopping based on their needs. Our devices almost always default to using Google whenever we ask our digital voice assistants to find answers to our questions.

In most ways, the flexibility and optimization of Google’s search function are incredible — a truly powerful tool that can help businesses and consumers alike. However, the article title alludes to this “deal with the devil,” which is always changing, and you must ensure that when using Google Ads, your business delivers optimized content aligned with the latest innovations for success.

🤫 The Keyword is Authenticity

Gone are the days of racking your brain to identify every potential keyword combination that may apply to your ad campaign. In fact, with the latest updates to the Google ad algorithm, you might do more harm than good by flooding the zone with a mass assault of semi-related keywords. We’ve compiled some tips to help you get on the right track.

Geo-location, Geo-location, Geo-location

Take advantage of Google’s ability to locate its users by using geo-specific keyword phrases in your campaigns. “Solar panel installers in Atlanta” will yield more veritable and effective leads than a simple “solar panel installer” search. Use your location to your benefit, and let Google match your ads with users who make the most sense. Sure, you can always geo-target your ad in general, and you absolutely should, but including location in some of your keywords just helps drive it home.

Quality Over Quantity

In 2025, one of Google’s major updates enabled its algorithm to identify keyword stuffing. In other words, it has become better at knowing when you’re trying to game the system to increase your ranking by cramming as many keywords into your content as possible. Google can tell if the copy helps the user or just rehashes technical jargon, and it will reward the former. While this may apply more heavily to blogs and general website copy, it also applies to headlines, subheads, and ad descriptions. As searches become more and more conversational, consider strategically implementing copy that mimics those conversational tones with descriptive and concise keyword phrases. Campaigns using this method find that Google is 63% more likely to judge the ad strengths as “Good” or “Excellent”.

On the other side of the coin, if a keyword or phrase attracts the opposite of the clients you want in front of your brand, that may be the perfect time to create a negative keyword. At the start of any campaign, assign some negative keywords to tell Google NOT to show your ad when a user searches for a specific term. But make sure you add to this list if you notice other search terms leading to clicks from outside your target audience.

🤖 Rage Against the Machine

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is everywhere and in everything. It is a handy tool, but relying on it too much can hurt your business in ways you never expected. We know it's oh-so-tempting to let the computer write some copy, create an image, or make a video. However, Google is better than any user at detecting AI-generated content and will punish you for using it.

Much like rewarding specific keywords and phrases, authentic content takes priority since it typically addresses what the user is seeking. Should the user reach your AI content, they’ll likely end up disappointed and frustrated.

BattleBots: Marketing Edition

Given that Google plans to spend over $75 billion in 2025 to help its own AI interface, Gemini, keep up with the likes of ChatGPT and DeepSeek, it stands to reason that using AI from Google’s competitors will result in devalued ads. Yet, that also means that using Gemini in the right capacity could help boost results.

Google already offers businesses using Google Ads the option to let Gemini assist in finding keywords, phrases, and even copy for headlines and descriptions. You may be thinking, “Great! My work is done here.” Well, not really. Businesses still need to remember rule 1: authenticity.

Artificial Reality

Even if Google likes your ad and puts it in front of the right people, you still need users to click on it. That’s why authenticity remains critically important. Data and content constantly swarms our brains, and we’ve learned to suss out insincere copy. There’s no problem in letting Google’s Gemini give you a starting place, but after that, you need to go through the suggestions with a fine-toothed comb and curate the copy so it reflects your offerings as well as a unique and precise message that connects with potential clients and customers.

🤷 New Dashboard, Who Dis?

The part that drives most people crazy about Google Ads is its dashboard. Nothing is ever located in a logical spot, and the most basic functions are often hidden and difficult to access. Even when you manage to get an ad running and want to change the copy or images, you end up feeling like a rat in a maze.

To top it off, when you think you’ve got a handle on things, it's time for an update, and you’re lost all over again. Not to worry! That’s what a good marketing agency is here to handle. Say your product line changes, and you need to adjust the current campaign. The ads are churning along, turning out clicks and conversions, so you don’t want to stop everything and start over. Just give it a minor update or optimize it for even better results. Here are some of the most practical yet elusive elements your marketing department must keep an eye on.

Roll the Dice and Let Google Adjust the Odds

If you set up your campaign yourself, you may wonder, “What will my ad look like?” You’ve given Google tons of assorted images, logos, headlines, descriptions, phone numbers, site links, and more. Random combinations of everything you’ve provided become cycled in the preview window, never settling on one look.

Well, get used to that! Google wants its algorithm to do its thing and feed every possible combination to users as they enter different keywords and phrases. Then, as users click ads, Google notes that the combination of assets works and will keep experimenting with various mixes until leaders begin to pull ahead.

So, if you want a rough idea of how your ads look, they’re most likely some mix of your top assets. Google will keep trying your other assets to see if they can gain any footing, but unless they do, they tend to get buried.

Image Isn’t Everything, but It's Still Pretty Important

The images you choose for your campaign are the first thing a potential customer sees while scrolling. Google has stringent guidelines for what it will accept and recommend.

A size maximum of 5120 KB to ensure a quick loading time
Multiple, specific dimension ratios so it can place ads on different platforms
A strict “no text” policy on the images, including logos or graphic overlays
Images with too much blank space are often rejected
Blurry or distorted images are also often rejected if Google thinks they are too unrecognizable or difficult for the viewer to understand

Once you’ve uploaded your images, you can find them and make changes in the Assets tab, listed along with every other asset programmed into the campaign.

Optimize Prime

You want the best bang for your buck when running an ad. However, most campaigns lose 25% or more of their total ad spend due to leakage from ineffective assets. Some loss is inevitable, but by monitoring your ad’s progress, you will significantly limit the waste in your budget.

As discussed above, it’s important to let Google experiment with different asset combinations. Still, at specific campaign benchmarks, it’s equally as essential for you to scale back assets that are not leading to clicks or conversions or replace them with new assets that may perform better.

The points of a campaign where you should optimize change depending on the campaign’s planned overall length. Sometimes, just one optimization at the halfway point will do. This method typically works great if your campaigns last a few months or less. Often, businesses run open-ended campaigns to keep brand awareness fresh and in front of users. By watching the analytics, you can most likely identify when to optimize for these campaigns.

Fading impressions and clicks indicate a stale ad needing a fresh coat of paint or a weeding out to eliminate free-loading assets no longer pulling their weight.

😈 The Devil’s Bargain

Always remember that Google isn’t trying to make it harder for companies to create ads. Its goal is to make the ads more effective. By rewarding companies whose ads use specific keywords, phrases, locations, and client-focused copy, they believe that the users will find what they seek more quickly and, therefore, purchase or reach out for information. Google sees this as a win for everyone.

At Brayer Marketing, we know this can easily seem overwhelming at times. As a business owner, big or small, you have a lot to take care of, and babysitting your digital ads is one time-consuming and temperamental tot. That’s why partnering with an experienced marketing agency is crucial for delivering compelling content representing your brand. We take the time to get to know our clients so that when we create content for them, the authenticity shines through, creating a trusted narrative for your customers.

Ready to learn more about how Brayer Marketing can set your brand apart from the competition? Contact us today, and let’s discuss how we can help your business succeed and grow.

Google Ads: How to Make the Most Out of a Deal with the Devil