Notes from the work · Tag

#google-ads

A town notice board where one handwritten recommendation card is pinned in the center, and a neat row of paid cards with a thin magenta border hangs along the bottom edge

AI and Agents · What You Missed: Oct 5 to 11, 2026

Ads are moving inside Google's AI answers. Earn the answer first.

Google is testing new looks for the ads that sit under its AI Mode answers, and even text-link ads inside them. The paid slot is getting better. The free one still matters more.

David SteelOctober 11, 20266 min read

A shop counter with an old balance scale, a stack of coins on one side and a single sale receipt on the other, with a thin magenta line marking the exact point where the scale levels out

Playbooks · What You Missed: Oct 5 to 11, 2026

Know your break-even ROAS before you spend another dollar on Google

Google Ads appears to be adding a calculator that turns your profit margin into a break-even target. You can do the same math on a napkin today, and you should.

David SteelOctober 11, 20265 min read

A shop window where a mechanical arm reaches in from outside and pins a sale tag onto a display, while the owner inside holds a different, smaller tag

Playbooks · What You Missed: Oct 5 to 11, 2026

Starting Monday, Google can put your website's deals into your ads

From October 12, Google Ads can find a promotion on your website and add it to your Search and Performance Max ads on its own. Eligible accounts are switched on by default. Here is how to check, and how to turn it off.

David SteelOctober 11, 20265 min read

See your own locations in it.

Book a walkthrough with David Steel. Bring last month's lead count and one location you are worried about.

Book a walkthrough See the eight tools