Two Updates Worth Knowing About
Demand Gen campaigns run across YouTube (including Shorts), Discover and Gmail. They're Google's answer to Meta ads: visual, scroll-based and aimed at people who aren't actively searching yet.
Two recent changes make them more appealing to test.
1. Cost Adjustments Now Last 60 Days
What it is
When you launch a new Demand Gen campaign using Target CPA or Target ROAS, Google predicts how it will perform. If actual results fall short of that prediction during the early weeks, Google can automatically reduce what you pay.
Previously, this protection lasted three weeks. Google has now extended it to 60 days.
The details
Why it matters
The biggest worry with any new campaign type is paying for the learning period. Sixty days of partial protection makes Demand Gen a much more reasonable test, especially for businesses that have been burned trying YouTube ads before.
2. The Data Strength Uplift Metric
What it is
Data Strength Uplift is a new metric in Google Ads that estimates how many extra conversions your first-party data setup recovers. That includes:
Why it matters
With cookie restrictions and privacy changes, plenty of conversions go unmeasured. This metric puts a number on how many you're getting back. It's useful for proving to yourself, or your boss, that the tracking work was worth doing.
If the uplift is low or missing, that usually means your first-party data setup needs attention. Our conversion tracking guide explains how to set up enhanced conversions properly.
Is Demand Gen Right for Your Business?
It tends to work well for
It's harder for
How We'd Test It
The Bottom Line
Demand Gen has been a hard sell for small and medium businesses because testing felt expensive. Longer cost protection and better visibility of tracking quality make it worth another look, especially if you already have creative that works on Meta.
Want to know whether Demand Gen fits your account? Book a free audit and we'll tell you honestly.