Biggest PPC & Google Ads News in 2025
What UK Small Businesses Need to Know
The world of paid advertising is moving fast, faster than ever before. Gone are the days when a solid keyword list and a reasonable budget were all it took to run a successful campaign. In 2025, digital advertising is shaped by artificial intelligence, privacy legislation, video content, and the growing influence of alternative platforms. For small business owners in the UK, keeping up isn’t just a nice-to-have, t’s essential for staying competitive.
If you’re managing your Google Ads campaigns yourself, understanding the bigger picture can make all the difference between wasted spend and genuine results. So, let’s break it down.
AI Is No Longer Optional, It’s the Backbone of PPC
Artificial intelligence now plays a leading role in every aspect of Google Ads. From choosing keywords and adjusting bids to creating ad copy and testing assets, AI does the heavy lifting. The big shift is that advertisers are no longer expected to micromanage campaigns, but to guide smart systems with clear goals and quality inputs.
Rather than spending time adjusting bids manually, the most successful businesses are focused on giving these systems the best possible data, customer insights, well-written ads, and strong visuals. Think of yourself less as a manager and more as a creative strategist. Let AI handle the optimisation.
First-Party Data Is Now Your Most Valuable Tool
With the final phase-out of third-party cookies, businesses that own and understand their customer data have a clear edge. Whether it’s email lists, website behaviour, or purchase history, using this data effectively allows you to reach better-matched audiences and drive down ad costs.
Tools like Google’s Customer Match have become far more advanced, enabling small businesses to target lookalike audiences with impressive accuracy. If you’re not already collecting and segmenting your data, this is the time to start.
Video Advertising Is Transforming Search
One of the most noticeable changes in 2025 is the rise of video in paid search. Google’s Video Search Ads, launched globally this year, now appear alongside traditional text ads in search results. They’re more engaging, more memorable, and often more effective, especially for storytelling.
Don’t worry if you’re not a professional filmmaker. In fact, simple, authentic videos typically perform better than polished corporate productions. A behind-the-scenes clip of your team or a quick product demo filmed on your phone can go a long way.
Diversifying Beyond Google
Although Google still dominates the PPC space, 2025 has seen alternative platforms gaining traction. Microsoft Advertising has become a viable option, particularly for B2B campaigns, Facebook Ads are always a good option with laser focused audience targeting and Pinterest does perform incredibly well for the creative industries.
More businesses are spreading their budget across platforms. Doing so helps reduce reliance on Google and provides access to audiences with different behaviours and buying habits.
Automation Has Taken Centre Stage
PPC automation isn’t just a feature, it’s now the foundation of most successful campaigns. Google's automation tools can predict seasonality, allocate budget dynamically, and create ad variants on the fly. But they still need your direction.
The key is to stay hands-on with strategy: define clear objectives, refresh your creative regularly, and monitor results. Automation can save time and improve performance, but only if you stay engaged and keep feeding it quality material.
The Shift Towards Visual-First Advertising
Almost half of all ad impressions across Google networks are now visual or video-based. Text ads alone rarely make the cut any more. Whether you're using Google Shopping, YouTube, or Performance Max, having engaging visual content is now a baseline requirement.
Rather than trying to produce glossy ads, repurpose what you already have, Instagram Reels, product photos, user-generated content. Visuals that feel real and relevant often perform better than expensive-looking campaigns.
Rising Costs and Regulatory Pressures
It's no secret that CPCs are going up. Competition is fierce, and premium features like AI targeting, or top search positions come at a price. Meanwhile, stricter data protection rules in the UK (including the new Enhanced Data Protection Framework) are making targeting more complex and consent management more important.
All this means that small businesses need to be smarter with their ad spend, choosing platforms carefully, testing new formats, and investing in campaigns that deliver consistent value.
Future-Proofing Your PPC Efforts
So, how can you keep your advertising strategy relevant in this fast-moving landscape?
Start by building campaigns that are flexible and easy to adjust. Keep your creative assets platform-agnostic so they can be used across Google, TikTok, Amazon, or anywhere else. Make time to learn the basics of AI-driven campaign management, not the coding side, but the strategic part. And be always testing. Even allocating 15–20% of your monthly budget to experimentation can reveal opportunities others haven’t found yet.
Final Thoughts
PPC in 2025 is more complex, more competitive, but also more full of potential than ever before. Businesses that are thriving aren’t necessarily spending more, they’re adapting faster. They’re working with automation instead of fighting it, investing in their creative, and understanding their audience better than the competition.
If all of this sounds like a lot to take in, you’re not alone. At N1 Digital, we help small businesses cut through the complexity and make PPC work—especially for those using Squarespace. From campaign strategy to ad creative and performance tracking, we’ve got your back.
Get in touch today to find out how we can streamline your Google Ads and help your business grow with confidence.
