
Google Demand Gen Campaign Updates: What Legal Marketers Need to Know
Google is introducing significant updates to its Demand Gen campaigns, enhancing targeting capabilities, creative flexibility, and reporting insights. These changes provide legal marketers with new tools to optimize ad placements, improve engagement, and measure performance more effectively.
For law firms investing in digital advertising, these updates represent an opportunity to refine marketing strategies and improve return on investment. In this blog, I’ll break down the most important changes and what they mean for legal marketers.
Expanded Control Over Ad Placements
Starting in March 2025, Google will provide advertisers with greater control over where their Demand Gen ads appear. This change allows for more precise targeting across multiple platforms, ensuring ads reach the right audience at the right time.
New placement options include:
- Selecting specific placements across YouTube, Discover, and Gmail
- Serving ads exclusively on YouTube Shorts for a mobile-first, vertical experience
- Extending reach using the Google Display Network (GDN), covering over three million sites and apps
This expansion means that Demand Gen campaigns will have access to a significant portion of the global internet audience. For law firms, this presents an opportunity to refine ad placement and ensure that marketing efforts are aligned with audience behavior.
Legal marketers should review campaign settings as these changes roll out. It is not yet clear whether new placements will automatically be included in existing campaigns or if manual adjustments will be necessary.
AI-Powered Creative Enhancements for Higher Engagement
Google is also rolling out new creative tools to help advertisers improve engagement and scale content across different platforms. These updates aim to streamline video and image asset creation, making it easier for marketers to optimize their campaigns.
Key creative enhancements include:
- Vertical 9:16 image ads for YouTube Shorts, launching in late February 2025
- Automated video shortening to optimize content for different placements
- Improved ad creation workflow, including better video editing controls and external preview sharing
For legal marketers, these features provide an opportunity to refine video and image content without requiring significant production efforts. With automated video shortening and enhanced editing tools, law firms can create engaging advertisements tailored for multiple formats while maintaining consistency in messaging.
New Retail-Focused Features and Their Implications for Law Firms
Google is introducing product feed integrations within Demand Gen campaigns, allowing retailers to showcase detailed product information, real-time availability, and omnichannel bidding. While these updates are primarily designed for e-commerce, they provide insight into how legal marketers can leverage similar strategies for their campaigns.
Law firms can apply similar principles by:
- Using localized campaigns to reach specific geographic areas
- Optimizing ad performance based on real-time engagement metrics
- Enhancing service-based advertising by structuring content with clear, accessible information
By focusing on how consumers interact with ads and providing relevant information at the right moment, law firms can improve engagement and conversion rates.
New Reporting Tools for Cross-Platform Comparison
One of the most anticipated updates is the introduction of new reporting columns designed to help advertisers compare Demand Gen campaign performance against paid social campaigns.
The new reporting tools include:
- View-through conversions to align Demand Gen campaign measurement with social ad reporting
- Isolated Demand Gen impact reporting to differentiate it from other Google campaigns
This update is particularly valuable for law firms that allocate budgets across multiple platforms. With more transparent data on how Demand Gen campaigns perform relative to paid social, legal marketers can make informed decisions about budget allocation and campaign optimization.
The Transition from Video Action Campaigns to Demand Gen
Google is finalizing the transition away from Video Action campaigns, with a structured timeline for advertisers to migrate to Demand Gen campaigns.
- In March 2025, Google will launch a tool to upgrade Video Action campaigns to Demand Gen while retaining settings and historical data
- In April 2025, advertisers will no longer be able to create new Video Action campaigns
- In July 2025, any remaining Video Action campaigns will be automatically upgraded to Demand Gen
For law firms currently using Video Action campaigns, migrating early will allow for better control over campaign settings and access to the latest Demand Gen features.
Key Takeaways:
Google’s latest updates to Demand Gen campaigns equip legal marketers with powerful tools to enhance audience targeting, optimize creatives, and track performance across platforms like YouTube, Discover, Gmail, and GDN. With AI-driven features, creating video and image ads has never been easier, while new reporting tools deliver valuable cross-platform insights to help you allocate budgets more effectively. Transitioning from Video Action to Demand Gen campaigns is essential for preserving and improving campaign performance.
Now is the perfect time for law firms to refine their strategies and leverage these advancements to drive engagement and generate leads. Ready to make the most of these updates? Contact us today to get started!
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