Digital Marketing Platform Updates: 20 July 2026
A big week. Google completed the largest change to Search in its 27-year history, Meta quietly removed a privacy control that affects how your Pixel data gets used, and advertisers got a handful of genuinely useful new tools. Here is what matters, what does not, and what to do about it.
Google Search
AI answers are now the default for every search
On 10 July, Google flipped the switch globally. Every search query now returns an AI-generated answer, powered by Gemini 3.5 Flash, as the primary result. The traditional list of ten blue links still appears on the page, but it sits below the AI answer. This is not a test or a limited rollout. It is the new default.
Why it matters: If your business relies on organic search traffic, this changes the game. Early data suggests publisher click-through rates have dropped significantly since the rollout. Your website might still appear as a cited source within the AI answer, but the days of ranking position one and expecting a predictable flow of traffic are shifting. What to do: Check your Search Console data over the next few weeks. Compare click-through rates before and after 10 July. If you are seeing drops, it is time to look at how your content is being cited (or not) in AI answers. Businesses with strong brand recognition and clear, factual content tend to get cited more often. Vague or thin pages get skipped entirely.Search Console now has an AI performance report
Google is rolling out a new report in Search Console that separates your performance data between traditional search results and AI features like AI Overviews and AI Mode. It shows impressions, pages, countries, and devices, though click data is not included yet.
Why it matters: For the first time, you can see how often your site appears inside AI-generated answers versus traditional results. This is essential for understanding the real impact of the shift above. What to do: Log into Search Console and check whether you have access to the new Generative AI report under the Performance section. If it is there, start tracking your AI impressions alongside your standard data. If it is not showing yet, it is still rolling out gradually.Google Business Profile now connects to GA4
Google Business Profile interactions (calls, direction requests, website clicks, bookings) can now flow directly into Google Analytics 4. Previously, this data lived in a silo.
Why it matters: If you are a local business, you can finally see how your Google Business Profile drives real website activity alongside the rest of your analytics. No more guessing. What to do: Connect your Google Business Profile to GA4 through the admin settings. Once linked, you will start seeing local interaction data in your reports.Google Ads
New AI transparency labels on ads
Google rolled out a "How this ad was made" panel on 10 July. Users can now tap the three-dot menu on any ad across Search, YouTube, and Discover to see whether generative AI was used to create or edit that ad. Google automatically labels ads made with its own AI tools and has added a manual toggle for advertisers using third-party AI.
Why it matters: This is partly about the EU AI Act, which comes into force on 2 August with fines of up to 3% of global turnover. But it also matters for trust. Consumers will increasingly be able to see when AI made the ad they are looking at. For most SMEs running standard search or shopping ads, the immediate impact is low. But if you are using Google's AI-generated headlines, image assets, or Performance Max creative, your ads will carry these labels. What to do: Nothing urgent for most advertisers. But be aware that if you are using AI creative tools (Google's or otherwise), transparency is now baked into the platform. Review your ads and make sure the AI-generated versions are ones you are happy to put your brand behind.DSA to AI Max migration: timeline extended
Google pushed the automatic migration of Dynamic Search Ads (DSA) to AI Max from September 2026 to February 2027 after advertiser pushback. There is one exception: campaigns already using Automatically Created Assets or campaign-level broad match will still migrate in September as originally planned.
Why it matters: If you are still running DSA campaigns, you have more breathing room than expected. But if those campaigns use broad match or auto-created assets, the September deadline still applies. What to do: Audit your DSA campaigns now. If they use ACA or broad match, start testing AI Max before September. For everything else, you have until February 2027, but there is no reason to wait until the last minute. Run AI Max alongside your DSAs and compare performance.Updated Terms of Service now in effect
Google's revised Terms of Service took effect on 1 July. The key change: Google now has explicit authorisation to "format, select, or generate targets, ads, or destinations on Customer's behalf" using AI. This was already happening in practice with Performance Max and AI Max, but it is now formally baked into the legal framework.
Why it matters: This is Google formalising the control it already exercises over automated campaigns. It does not change day-to-day operations, but it does mean the legal responsibility for AI-generated ad elements sits in a greyer area than before. What to do: If you have not already, read the updated terms. For most advertisers, the practical advice remains the same: monitor what Google's AI is generating in your campaigns and use the controls available to exclude URLs, add negative keywords, and pin headlines where precision matters.Meta Ads
"Push Delivery to This Ad" is now widely available
By mid-July, this feature had rolled out to nearly all ad accounts. It lets you force Meta to spend a set percentage of your budget on a specific ad for a period you choose (one to 30 days), after which delivery returns to normal.
Why it matters: This solves one of the oldest frustrations in Meta advertising. You launch five ads, and the algorithm immediately picks one winner and starves the rest of budget before they have had a fair chance to perform. Now you can manually override that behaviour and ensure a new creative gets a proper test. What to do: Next time you launch new creative, use Push Delivery to give it a fair run. Set it for at least seven days at 20 to 30% of budget to get meaningful data. One caveat: you can only push delivery to one ad at a time per ad set, and the creative testing tool is disabled while a push is active.Off-platform data opt-out removed
Meta has removed the "Your activity off Meta technologies" setting. Previously, users could disconnect their off-platform activity (tracked via Pixel and Conversions API) from their Meta account. That option is gone. It has been replaced with a weaker control called "Activity from other businesses" that manages how Meta uses the data, but no longer lets users prevent the connection from being made.
Why it matters for advertisers: In theory, this is good news for ad targeting. More connected data means better audience matching and more accurate conversion tracking. The Pixel and Conversions API data your website sends to Meta will now be more consistently tied to user accounts. EU users are treated separately under GDPR and retain stronger controls. What to do: If you are running Meta ads in Australia, this change works in your favour for targeting and measurement. Make sure your Pixel is properly installed and firing on all key events (purchases, leads, add to cart). The data connection is now stronger, so getting your tracking right matters more than ever.Instant Forms now support appointment booking
Meta added embedded appointment booking to lead generation Instant Forms. You can paste a scheduling link (Calendly and HighLevel work now, HubSpot coming in August) and a calendar widget loads on the thank-you page with the lead's details pre-filled.
Why it matters: This removes a step from the lead-to-booking funnel. Instead of capturing a lead and then chasing them to book a call, the booking happens right there in the form. For service businesses running lead gen campaigns, this could meaningfully improve show-up rates. What to do: If you run lead gen campaigns on Meta and use Calendly or HighLevel for booking, test this immediately. Set up an Instant Form with your scheduling link on the confirmation page and compare booking rates against your current flow.The Takeaway
The biggest shift this month is Google making AI answers the default for every search. If your business depends on organic traffic, start watching your Search Console data closely and think about how your content shows up inside AI-generated answers, not just in traditional rankings. On the paid side, Meta's Push Delivery feature and appointment booking in Instant Forms are both worth testing this week.
Further Reading
- Google introduces new AI labels for Ads - Official announcement on ad transparency labels
- Google fully replaced search with AI - Coverage of the AI-first search default
- Search Generative AI performance reports in Search Console - Google's announcement of the new report
- Hands-on with Push Delivery to This Ad - Jon Loomer's walkthrough of Meta's new feature
- Meta drops the off-platform data opt-out - Analysis of Meta's privacy control change
- Google delays DSA migration to AI Max - Updated timeline for DSA sunset
- Google Ads updated Terms of Service - Breakdown of the new terms
Dream Outcome is an Australian digital marketing agency helping SMEs grow through Google Ads, Facebook Ads, and Email Marketing.