Two algorithm updates. A plethora of new automations in Google Ads. And Meta shuffling prices and metrics. It was all going on in March. In sub-9 mins, this is everything you need to know that changed the performance marketing landscape in the last month.
SEO
1. Double trouble – Google hit us with two algorithm updates in March
So nice they did it twice. We’ve been treated to two algorithm updates in March:
- March 2024 spam update – this began on the 24th of March and took just 19 hours to finish rolling out
- March 2024 core update – this update started on the 27th and is currently ongoing
Feeling a little like deja vu, this followed a similar pattern to the double whammy spam and core updates that run concurrently in March 2024.
The spam update passed with little to show, a frustrating result for publishers who were hoping to see the mass-slaughter of low quality listicles cluttering up their verticals. But Google didn’t frame it as anything other than a normal spam update, and that’s exactly what was delivered.
The first broad core algorithm update of the year was announced just days later, and is expected to take around two weeks to roll out fully. SERP sensors are heating up, but it’s too early to see the full impact of this update,
“There’s nothing new or special that creators need to do for this update as long as they’ve been making satisfying content meant for people.” – Google
Website owners and their SEO agencies should hang fire on making any knee-jerk changes based on visibility fluctuations over the next couple of weeks as the SERP gets shuffled.
Sources: Google Search Status Dashboard, Search Engine Journal, Search Engine Land
2. Updates to Google’s Universal Commerce Protocol
First announced in January 2026, Google has developed the Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP) as an open standard to create a universal language for AI-driven shopping.
In March, Google expanded the protocol’s capabilities, adding cart support, catalog access, and identity linking. Google’s intention with helping to develop these protocols is to bring them into its own ecosystem. Making sure that ecommerce sites speak the same language means that it can carry out complex actions like comparing products, and even making purchases on behalf of search, AI, and LLM users.
Ensuring website data like inventory and pricing is accurate should be top of the to-do list for ecommerce sites looking to implement UCP. Google is working on making this easier to do, and are planning on rolling out a simplified on-boarding process inside Merchant Centre.
Source: Search Engine Land
3. Google Maps is rolling out an interactive AI interface
Google has rolled out ‘Ask Maps’, a Gemini-powered conversational feature which gives users a completely personalised maps experience. Currently, this is only available in the U.S. and India across iOS and Android, with no word on when we’ll be able to access the feature in the UK.
With Gemini powering more Google services, this is a step that makes sense for users. It leverages Google’s massive database of reviews, places, and feedback from contributors to provide an intuitive experience.
Never again will you be stuck trying to find the perfect Sushi restaurant within a 1 mile radius that allows dogs, has fast WiFi, and has Diet Coke (not Pepsi Max) on the menu. This is the kind of convenience Fifth Element could only dream of.
Source: Search Engine Journal
4. ChatGPT sources 83% of carousel products from Google Shopping
A recent study found that 83% of products in ChatGPT’s shopping carousels are sourced directly from Google Shopping’s top organic results. In comparison, Bing Shopping only managed a tiny 11% match rate.
According to the study, out of 43,000 products analysed, nearly all of them matched Google’s top 40 organic rankings.
More proof, if proof be need be, that shopping feed optimisation is critical for driving conversions in search today – if you aren’t in Google’s top 20, you’re basically invisible to AI. Time to double down and get your ecommerce SEO whipped into shape.
Sources: Search Engine Land
5. Google Search Live is… live
Another evolution in search as Google’s Search Live feature is expanded to 200 countries, including the UK. Another Gemini powered feature (Gemini 3.1 Flash, if you’re into the specifics), this means users can have real-time conversations with search using voice and their camera.
Visual assets are more important than ever, and the way they are structured within your website is too. Producing original video and image content which is marked up correctly with schema is crucial, alongside producing content that anticipates what users are seeing and saying, not just the queries they might be searching for.
Sources: The Keyword
Digital PR
1. Editorielle launches ‘Elle’: AI-powered media pitching
Media request subscription platform Editorielle joins the ranks of DPR tools trying to integrate AI. Their new tool, Elle, is designed to act as a personal pitching assistant that can autonomously identify relevant media requests, before crafting and sending tailored pitches. AI-generated pitches are sent directly to the user’s inbox for them to review, make any necessary amendments, and send on to the journalist, leveraging AI to help users balance navigating masses of media requests per day with the need for highly personalised, human-centric pitching.
How does it claim to help?
- It reduces the manual labour involved in trawling through media requests and responding to journalists, allowing PR teams to focus more on strategy and creative storytelling
- Improved targeting through AI is supposed to increase the ‘hit rate’ of responses to media requests, leading to better quality backlinks and brand mentions for clients
This is a move symbolic of a shift in the industry’s attitude toward AI, where AI doesn’t replace the human, but enhances their efficiency and accuracy.
It may help cut down time spent perusing and responding to media requests, but it’s worth weighing up whether any generated pitches could raise a flag to journalists, if it’s obvious they have been created by AI. Using a tool like this to pitch your expert to a journalist, should never replace genuine, authoritative expert commentary from clients.
Source: Editorielle
2. Statista x Perplexity: verified data integration in AI search
Statista has officially partnered with the AI search engine Perplexity to provide human-verified, citable data within AI-generated answers. This integration allows users to query over 80,000 topics across 170 industries directly through Perplexity using the “@Statista” prompt. The partnership aims to solve the problem of AI ‘hallucinations’ by grounding answers in Statista’s database of 50,000+ trusted sources.
This offers DPRs easy access to Statista’s significant pool of data that can be pulled from for data campaigns. On the flip side, journalists can now also quickly collate data themselves from a trusted source, without the need for a PR or internal data team to do it for them. This means we may see more data-led pieces hitting the headlines, which journalists haven’t got from a press release.
Ingenuity will reign supreme in Digital PR. Death to mediocre campaigns.
Source: Statista
3. New Reuters report reveals the shifting news habits of young audiences
Young audiences are using generative AI tools to summarise complex news stories and provide concise, jargon-free updates, according to a new report from the Reuters Institute. Search Generative Experience (SGE) and AI assistants are shifting traffic away from traditional publisher websites as users get specific answers directly through AI platforms. The report identifies a growing preference for ‘news curation’ over manual browsing, with young audiences seeking efficiency either through social media algorithms, knowing their interests and offering relevant news, or through generative AI, providing easy-to-read summaries of current affairs.
Digital PR strategies must optimise for ‘AI Search’ (LLM optimisation), ensuring brand messaging is clear and authoritative enough for AI to pull into its summaries, as the decline in direct site traffic means that ‘on-platform’ visibility, where the brand is mentioned within the AI’s response, is becoming more valuable than the click-through. To stay relevant, content must be structured to answer specific user queries directly, as AI tools prioritise information that is easily digestible and factually dense
Source: Reuters
PPC
1. Google Adds AI voiceovers to video ads
Google rolled out AI-generated voiceovers for video ads. Now, if your video has no audio, Google will create one using your existing ad copy.
Google is now not only writing your ads, but reading them out loud too. It’s convenient until it isn’t. If tone matters to your brand (and it should), check your assets before Google gives them a voice you did not approve.
Source: Search Engine Land
2. Automatic end screens now added to video ads
Google also introduced automatic end screens for video ads, pulling in campaign elements to create clickable prompts at the end of videos.
The final moment before a user clicks is now partly in Google’s hands. It might improve engagement, or it might undo carefully planned creative. Either way, it’s another layer you need to keep an eye on. Beware the machine.
Source: Search Engine Land
3. Google pushes mandatory EU political ads declaration
Google began requiring advertisers to declare whether they run EU political ads, with direct outreach and deadlines to enforce compliance.
Not the most exciting update, but definitely one you can’t ignore. Compliance is creeping further into PPC, and missing this is not a performance issue, it is a risk issue.
Source: Search Engine Land
4. Performance Max asset creation gets more automated
Google continued expanding automated creative within Performance Max, including generating variations and enhancements from existing assets.
Static inputs are turning into multiple outputs whether you plan for it or not. More variation can help performance, but it also means less control over what actually goes live.
Source: PPC News Feed
Paid Social
1. Meta turns to AI to make shopping easier on Instagram and Facebook.
Meta is expanding its in-app commerce features to cover the full purchase journey, introducing tools like product tagging, affiliate links, and improved in-app checkout to keep users within Facebook and Instagram from discovery through to purchase. The platform is placing greater emphasis on creators and affiliate partnerships, enabling influencers to directly drive sales and earn commissions through integrated shopping features. AI-driven enhancements, such as automated product information and optimisation tools, are being introduced to improve product discovery and increase conversion rates.
Paid social strategies will need to shift away from driving off-platform traffic and instead focus on maximising conversions within Meta’s ecosystem. That means creative will play a more central role, with success increasingly dependent on content that blends entertainment and commerce. Strong product feeds and data quality will also become more important, as Meta’s AI-driven systems rely on structured inputs to optimise delivery and performance.
Source: TechCrunch
2. TikTok Ads to become more disruptive and prominent
TikTok is introducing more high-impact and attention-grabbing ad formats, including options like launch-screen “logo takeover” placements and expanded premium placements, meaning ads will appear earlier and more prominently in the user experience. The platform is expanding its Pulse suite to place ads alongside trending conversations and relevant creators, making ads more contextually integrated into cultural moments. This move means TikTok is pushing toward ads that are more immersive but also more interruptive, increasing frequency while positioning them as part of the content experience, not separate from it.
Paid social marketers will need to optimise heavily for the first second of attention, as formats like launch-screen ads and early-session placements make immediate impact critical to performance. Contextual relevance will become a bigger performance driver, with success tied to aligning ads with trends, creators, and conversations rather than relying purely on audience targeting. There is a higher risk of user fatigue and ad resistance, meaning creative quality and native storytelling will be essential to avoid ads feeling overly intrusive despite increased visibility.
Source: TechCrunch
3. Meta hikes ad prices in 6 countries
Meta is introducing new “location fees” for ads shown in certain countries, passing on the cost of digital services taxes to advertisers instead of absorbing them itself. Ad prices will increase by 2-5% depending on the market, and these fees are added on top of campaign budgets as a separate charge. The fees are:
- 2% in the UK
- 3% in France, Italy and Spain
- 5% in Austria and Türkiye
The fees are based on where ads are delivered (audience location), not where the advertiser is based, meaning global campaigns targeting these regions will be affected.
Budget planning and forecasting will become more complex, particularly for international campaigns where costs now vary by delivery region rather than account location. There may be increased pressure to improve efficiency (creative, targeting, conversion rates) to offset higher costs and maintain profitability. Smaller advertisers or those with tighter margins may be disproportionately impacted, increasing the gap between brands that can absorb cost increases and those that cannot.
Source: Social Media Today
4. Meta updates ad metrics to align with other platforms
Meta is updating its ad measurement to better align with external platforms like Google Analytics, primarily by changing how link clicks are counted to improve consistency and comparability across channels, They are separating performance into clearer categories: actual link clicks remain under click-through attribution, while actions like likes, shares, and saves are moved into a new “engage-through” attribution model.
Meta is also redefining engagement signals (e.g. reducing the “engaged view” threshold from 10 seconds to 5 seconds) to better reflect faster user behaviour, particularly on short-form video like Reels.
Reported performance will likely shift (expect lower click-through conversions, higher engagement-driven conversions), requiring marketers to realign KPIs rather than assume performance has declined. On the other hand, cross-platform reporting and attribution should become easier to reconcile, improving confidence when comparing Meta performance with tools like Google Analytics.
There will now also be a greater emphasis on understanding non-click interactions (views, saves, shares), pushing marketers to adopt broader attribution models beyond last-click measurement.
Source: Social Media Today
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