Key takeaways
- Data Manager is now inside Analytics and Display and Video 360, and Google has launched a Data Strength Uplift metric.
- Product Value Optimization allows bidding on margin in Performance Max and Shopping, still in beta.
- Google Ads has added reporting segments for loyalty programme members.
- Several advertisers reported promotional credits being revoked after being spent: worth checking the month’s invoice.
Which Google Ads updates actually matter?
Of the Google Ads updates from September, the one with the most consequences landed on the 10th. Google brought Data Manager inside Google Analytics and Display and Video 360. It also adopted the open IAB Tech Lab standard for its API and launched a metric called Data Strength Uplift.
That metric estimates how many extra conversions the account recovers thanks to its first-party data setup. Google pairs the announcement with two averages declared by the company itself, with no published methodology. A 26% lift in incremental ROAS when store and app data are connected, and 14% more conversions with Google tag gateway.
We covered it in full in the article on Data Manager, with what to review in the account.
A beta for bidding on margin
Product Value Optimization circulated again in September, although Google had announced it quietly back in June. It applies value adjustments by product, brand or category so automated bidding favours the items that matter most, without splitting the account into separate campaigns.
It works in Performance Max and Shopping and remains in beta, so the first step is checking whether it appears in your interface. The detail that decides whether it helps comes before the tool: you need margin by category calculated properly, with returns deducted. We explain it in the article on Product Value Optimization.
What changed in reporting?
On 11 September, new reporting segments for loyalty programme members were spotted in the segmentation dropdown. Anyone running customer retention can now separate members' performance from everybody else's.
It is a small change with a larger reading. Google keeps pushing advertisers to upload their own customer data, and hands back reports that only make sense once they have.
The month's warning: revoked credits
During the first half of the month, several advertisers reported that Google had revoked promotional credits after they had been spent, as covered by Search Engine Land on 11 September. We could not access the detail of the case, so we pass it on as a warning rather than a verified fact.
The recommendation is simple and holds either way: reconcile the invoice with what the platform reports every month. When the two disagree it is almost always promotional credits or refunds for invalid clicks, and spotting it late makes any claim harder.
What should you do this month?
Nothing urgent, but three checks that cost little and prevent trouble in the busy quarter.
- Review which first-party data sources the account has connected, and whether any were left half-finished.
- Compare imported conversions against real sales for the period in your business system.
- Reconcile Google's latest invoice with what the platform reports.
If the second check shows numbers that do not resemble each other, that is the month's work, rather than switching on anything new. It is what we handle in campaign management.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to switch anything on in Data Manager?
The Analytics integration appears on its own. What is worth doing is reviewing which sources were connected before, because the new view shows them together and exposes the half-finished ones.
Can I use Product Value Optimization yet?
Only if your account is in the beta, which is not open to everyone. You check by looking for the option in the interface, inside Performance Max or Shopping campaigns.
What if a promotional credit was revoked?
Compare the monthly invoice against what the platform reports and keep screenshots. With the difference documented, a claim to Google support starts from firmer ground.
Does any of this affect small accounts?
First-party measurement does, because it improves what gets counted without raising spend. Margin bidding needs a catalogue and a volume that small accounts rarely have.
