Google Marketing Live 2025: Top Takeaways for Digital Marketers

After the recent Google Marketing Live event, the industry is buzzing about what’s to come from the search engine giant. From Performance Max updates to AI expansion, here’s what marketers need to know now.

Staying up to date on the marketing industry’s latest and greatest advancements can feel like its own full-time job. Because of that, we like to take advantage of any opportunity we can to stay ahead of the game.

So, attending this year’s Google Marketing Live virtual event was a no-brainer. During the session, we learned all about the search engine’s latest updates, new features, insider insights, and more.

Below, HawkSEM Director of Account Performance Jess Weber breaks down her top takeaways from the buzzy event, so you can stay in the know about what Google’s got up its sleeve.

What is Google Marketing Live?

Google Marketing Live is a virtual event hosted and live broadcast by Google. It offers attendees access to news and updates about groundbreaking ad innovations across Google and YouTube.

This year’s event included a keynote and a virtual Q&A session with product experts. It also highlighted new products, expert tips, and action-oriented insights for marketers looking to stay on the cutting edge of the industry.

If you missed it and want to catch up after reading our takeaways below, you can view the on-demand videos below.

Google Marketing Live 2025: 6 key takeaways

Without further ado, here are our top actionable insights from this year’s Google Marketing Live event.

1. Transparency and control in Performance Max

Performance Max is a type of Google Ads campaign that automatically builds and displays ads across all of Google’s channels.

With Google leaning more and more towards automation, digital marketers are keen for the platform to remain transparent and offer up as much control as possible to ensure proper optimization.

GML speakers discussed more channel-specific reporting and search terms when it comes to PMax.

2. AI Max

Formerly dubbed Search Max, we’ve covered Google’s new AI Max campaign setting before.

We’re excited to have the same AI-led algorithm as PMax with more control (even at the ad group level) without the additional channels like display and YouTube.

The added controls at the ad group level expand possibilities, locations of interest for local businesses as an example.

These options also add more control, so the ability to turn off automated ad copy at the campaign level allows companies with compliance concerns to explore AI Max.

3. YouTube Creator Partnerships Hub and Brand Connect

ICYMI, Google’s parent company also owns YouTube.

GML speaker highlighted a growing emphasis on partnerships with creators and making it easier for brands to connect with these creators via the Google Ads platform.

In Weber’s own words, “Work with YouTube creators and influencers straight through Google Ads? Yes, please!”

4. Agentic Capabilities in Google Ads and GA4

No surprise here: AI was a big topic of conversation at this year’s GML. One standout development was Google’s introduction of a personal Gemini AI assistant in GA4.

These assistants can help digital marketers analyze campaigns and offer different perspectives to help fine-tune strategies. As Google’s model continues to be top of the charts, the extra analysis is very welcome.

5. Incrementality testing

We’re big fans of A/B testing around here for obvious reasons. So we were excited to hear that Google is working to take the doubt out of the equation when it comes to visual ad impact via incrementality testing.

This will allow marketers to see how many more conversions happened as a result of using Google media placements.

According to Google, “Incrementality testing has become the industry’s gold standard for understanding advertising’s true impact in a privacy-first way.”

An incrementality test is “a randomised, controlled experiment involving two groups of people: those who are exposed to your marketing campaign (the control group) and those who are not (the treatment group),” Google reports.

“Tests can be run on any advertising channel and focus on revenue, profit, or any site or app action that drives value for your business.

6. Video in search results

Eagle-eyed marketers have already noticed an increasing amount of video results on search engine results pages (SERPs), both on Google and on alternative search engines like Bing.

But now Google will be integrating video ads right into search results, starting with ecommerce-related searches.

According to execs, this trend will only continue to grow. The bottom line seems to be: If you invest in video, you will squash your non-video competitors in SERPs.

The takeaway

Big changes are happening in tech, and in the realm of digital marketing as a result.

While change can be scary, having all the facts and knowing what’s coming down the pipeline is the best way to stay informed and pivot your strategies as necessary.

If this all seems overwhelming, it doesn’t have to be. Partner with the HawkSEM team to take marketing campaigns off your plate while still crushing your goals.

Connect with us to find out more.