Mackerel Media’s Search and Digital Marketing Roundup – April 2025
April was a busy month in the SEO and digital marketing world. From updates to Google’s AI Overviews to new ad features from Meta, there has seen some notable changes to both organic and paid media. Here’s a quick roundup of everything that’s been happening this month.
Google Ads Now Playing Both Ends!
Google has introduced a new change to their ads which allows top-performing ads to appear at both the top and bottom of the page of search results. Early tests show a 10% increase in relevant ads being served to users, and a 14% improvement in conversions from ads appearing at the bottom of search results. This new update will not only improve overall ad visibility, but will help drive engagement since users will see ads in multiple locations on search results.
Google has rolled out a new feature in their AI overviews which includes links to additional Google search results. According to Google, this latest enhancement helps users explore related topics. Previously, AI generated answers lacked any links to further searches. Google has stated they will only show search links if they are determined to be useful, much like their “People also search for” feature. These links will help keep users engaged with Google and navigate to other recommended websites, rather than users abandoning a search after receiving the answer they are looking for.
ChatGPT Levels Up
Outside of Google, OpenAI has introduced several new enhancements to ChatGPT’s search capabilities to help make it a more interactive experience. These include improved source citations, WhatsApp integration and a shopping functionality which allows users to search for products directly within ChatGPT. This update highlights the importance of ensuring that product information is accurate and correctly structured so as to ensure it appears in ChatGPTs search results.
Threads Gets A Stylish Ad-dition!
Meta has begun rolling out new image-based advertisements within Threads. These new ads, marked with a grey “Sponsored” label, now appear between posts and are automatically included in campaigns using Advantage+ or manual placements. This move is a big step for Threads, which up until now has remained ad-free. Whilst still in its early states, this new ad platform will provide companies with a new opportunity to reach Threads’ growing user base.
Meta has also introduced dynamic overlays for Advantage+ Catalog ads. The overlays automatically display product details such as current pricing, discounts, percentage-off promotion, and free shipping labels all within the ad creative itself. Previously, these overlays were limited to a single label, however now advertisers can now enable multiple overlay types at once. These overlays will help make promotional offers clearer to users with the aim to drive higher engagement whilst giving brands greater flexibility when it comes to optimising their ads.
Video Too Long? AI’s Got You
Finally, YouTube has started testing a new AI-powered feature that generates overviews directly within search results. These overviews have been designed to help users quickly find the most relevant content without needing to watch the entire video. While this update could help improve the search experience for viewers, it does mean that some video creators may see reduced watch time or fewer video clicks, both of which could affect their visibility and monetisation.
