Biddable Monthly Industry Update

Industry Update

This month’s update highlights key changes across Google Ads and Meta that affect how ads are created, delivered and measured. The focus is on clearer pricing rules, new creative formats, shifts in user behaviour signals and new systems that decide which ads people see. These changes influence visibility, cost and performance across all paid channels, so staying aware of them helps you understand why results may move and where to adjust your approach.

Image to video conversion for Demand Gen

What’s happening:
Google has introduced a feature that automatically turns existing Demand Gen images and copy into short video clips. The system does this using machine-generated animation, transitions and basic motion. These videos can begin serving even if you did not upload video files. The feature is being rolled out across accounts in stages and will increasingly become part of how Demand Gen delivers creative.

Why it matters:
Video usually outperforms static in engagement-led formats, but only when the source assets are strong. If your images are low resolution, cluttered or inconsistent, the video output will reflect that. This can make your ads feel less polished and affect results. Reporting may also shift because performance will now blend image-based and video-based delivery, which affects cost, reach and engagement patterns.

What you can do:

• Review your current image assets
• Monitor results before and after video versions appear
• Replace any weak images
• Upload stronger images to guide better video outputs
• Partner with Fingo to improve your asset library with performance-led creative.

TikTok Ads Only Mode

What’s happening:

TikTok has introduced Ads-Only Mode, an option that allows advertisers to choose whether an ad also appears as organic content on the brand’s TikTok profile. When the toggle is on, the ad will run only as a paid placement and will not appear on the organic feed. When the toggle is off, the ad appears in both places. This gives advertisers more control over how paid content sits alongside their regular posts.

Why it matters:
Some brands prefer their ads to appear on their profile to build social proof and fill out their content library. Others prefer to keep ads separate so their organic feed stays focused on brand storytelling. And some want to advertise on TikTok without having an organic content strategy. This update gives you clearer control over how users see your paid content. It also helps manage comments, engagement patterns and the overall look of your profile.

What you can do:

• Decide whether Ads Only mode supports your TikTok goals
• Keep the toggle on if you are running TikTok ads without an organic presence
• Turn the toggle off if your ads help strengthen your content library
• Review past ad formats to see which ones fit your feed
• Fingo can help you decide when to use Ads Only mode and build a setup that supports both performance and brand presence.

Revised Misrepresentation and Pricing Policy

What’s happening:
Google is now enforcing a stricter pricing policy that focuses on clarity and accuracy. Any ad that mentions a price, discount or deal must match the landing page exactly. If the price is unclear, incomplete or inconsistent with the destination page, the ad may be rejected. Repeated issues can lead to account-level disruption.

Why it matters:
Many advertisers use price ranges, seasonal discounts or variable pricing. These approaches now carry more risk. If Google detects any mismatch, your ads may stop running. Since this policy applies across all sectors, cost stability and continuity depend on clear alignment between your ad copy and your landing page content.

What you can do:

• Check every price reference against the landing page
• Remove ranges, broad claims or unclear discount language
• Review dynamic pricing rules to avoid mismatches
• Keep internal clarity around offer structures
• At Fingo, we run compliance reviews across your ads and pages, reducing the risk of interruptions and helping you keep your pipeline steady.

ChatGPT Atlas click simulation

What’s happening:
ChatGPT Atlas includes a browsing mode that can follow links, move across websites and mimic basic user actions. This behaviour can look very similar to real user clicks. These interactions may appear in analytics platforms because they follow typical browsing patterns rather than bot-like behaviour.

Why it matters:
If these interactions show up as real clicks, your performance data may look stronger than it actually is. You may see increases in CTR, CPC fluctuations, session spikes or changes in bounce rate that do not match business reality. If optimisation relies heavily on click-based signals, campaigns may shift direction based on activity that does not reflect genuine user intent.

What you can do:

• Compare sudden traffic increases with expected demand
• Review session duration and engagement to identify anomalies
• Check for click spikes during periods with no supporting marketing activity
• Cross-reference platform data with your own analytics
• At Fingo, we monitor irregular patterns, isolate inflated activity and adjust optimisation strategies so your campaigns stay efficient.

Search and Discover UI updates

What’s happening:
Google Search and Discover now include a new “Hide sponsored results” feature that lets users collapse ads at the top of the page. When collapsed, a small Sponsored Results label remains visible and follows users down the page, instead of requiring them to open or expand full ads. Google is also limiting ad groups to a maximum of four text ads and updating placements around AI Overviews and Discover content.

Why it matters:
Collapsed formats mean users see far less ad content upfront. Visibility relies on what can be communicated in the small, always-visible header — not in the expanded ad. Because the sponsored label follows users as they scroll, ads stay present but less intrusive, changing how people notice and engage with them. If your key message appears only in the expanded section, you may see reduced interaction, especially on mobile, where space is tight.

What you can do:

• Review how your ads look when collapsed
• Prioritise clear, concise headlines that fit the visible area
• Track impression depth, collapse/hide behaviour and scroll patterns
• Test creative built for speed, clarity and minimal space
• At Fingo, we analyse visibility shifts, identify pressure points in the new layout and optimise your creative for collapsed and persistent sponsored formats

Andromeda delivery system

What’s happening:
Meta has completed the global rollout of Andromeda, a new ad delivery system that puts more weight on creative signals than targeting settings. It evaluates variety, quality, freshness and format diversity to decide which ads receive the strongest distribution.

Why it matters:
Advertisers that rely on a small creative set will see weaker results. Andromeda rewards advertisers who supply multiple formats, new visuals and regular updates. The system reacts quickly to creative fatigue, so old or repetitive assets may lose traction faster than before. This affects CPM, reach and conversion volume across placements.

What you can do:

• Increase the number of creative variations
• Refresh the creative more frequently
• Test new visuals and short video formats
• Review placement-level performance to understand where creative fatigue appears
• Fingo can help build a larger and more strategic creative library designed to support Andromeda’s preferences.

Lead Ads policy changes

What’s happening:
Meta has updated its terms for Lead Ads and increased the responsibility businesses hold as data controllers. At the same time, Meta has removed auto-fill, meaning users must type in or confirm their details manually to complete a form.

Why it matters:
Lead volume is likely to decrease because the process requires more effort. The leads you receive may be of higher intent since manual entry discourages low-commitment users. Compliance expectations have also increased, so brands need greater clarity over how data is collected and handled.

What you can do:

• Review your forms to reduce unnecessary fields
• Strengthen your reason for users to complete the form
• Review Meta’s updated terms with internal stakeholders
• Update your data and privacy documentation

AI interaction-driven personalisation

What’s happening:
From 16 December, Meta will begin using how people interact with its generative AI features to help determine what content and ads they see. People began receiving notifications about this change from 7 October. These interactions become an added signal that shapes ranking, relevance and ad distribution.

Why it matters:
This change could shift audience behaviours, especially among people who frequently engage with Meta’s AI tools. Their interests may change, new audience clusters may form, and ad delivery may adjust as the system reads these signals. This can influence reach, cost and conversion paths across campaigns.

What you can do:

• Monitor changes in audience composition
• Track interest categories that begin to shift
• Refresh creative to match new behaviour patterns
• Review conversion paths for any new trends
• At Fingo, we monitor audience shifts and adjust targeting strategies so your spend follows real intent.

Final thoughts

This month’s updates show how quickly paid platforms are shifting toward creative quality, stronger compliance and new behaviour signals driven by AI tools. These changes affect the foundations of paid advertising, from how your ads are built to how they are shown and how results are measured. The common theme is clear. Clean data, strong creative and accurate information now play a larger role in performance than ever.

Keeping campaigns stable means reviewing assets more often, checking for changes in audience behaviour and ensuring ad copy and landing pages stay aligned. Small adjustments at the right time can protect your visibility and prevent cost increases.

If you want support on anything discussed in this blog, email us today at hello@fingo.co.uk.