Digital Marketing Platform Updates: 28 September 2026
Big week. Google forced the hand of every advertiser still running legacy Dynamic Search Ads settings, rolled out a new spam update, and gave Search Console a visual search filter. Meta quietly shipped a Creative Diversity score that changes how your ad sets get evaluated. Here is what matters and what to do about it.
Google Ads
AI Max Auto-Upgrades Are Happening Right Now
Google is auto-upgrading Search campaigns that use Automatically Created Assets (ACA) or campaign-level broad match to AI Max throughout September. If you have not already seen the change in your account, expect it before month's end.
Why it matters: AI Max replaces your legacy DSA and ACA settings with Google's full AI suite: automated search term matching, text customisation, and final URL expansion. Google claims a 7% lift in conversions at similar CPA/ROAS when using the full feature set. That sounds great on paper, but it also means Google has more control over which queries trigger your ads and which landing pages users see. What to do: Log into your account and check whether the upgrade has already applied. If it has, review your search terms report closely for the next two weeks. If you were relying on DSA for coverage, confirm that AI Max is matching to the same high-intent queries. Turn off final URL expansion if you need tight control over where traffic lands.Customer Match Now Accepts IP Addresses
Google Ads now lets you upload raw (unhashed) IP addresses and interaction timestamps as Customer Match signals. The goal is better match rates against your first-party data.
Why it matters: For businesses collecting first-party data through forms, bookings, or purchases, this could improve audience matching, especially for users who did not provide an email. However, the IPs must be uploaded unhashed, so handle this data with care. What to do: Most SMEs will not need to act on this immediately. Match-rate improvements are not expected until October. If you are running Customer Match lists, keep this on your radar and ensure your data handling meets Australian privacy requirements. Note: matching is excluded for users in the EU, UK, and Switzerland.New Measurement Tools: Data Manager and Meridian
Google expanded Data Manager into Google Analytics and Display & Video 360, and launched Meridian GeoX globally for incrementality testing. A new Data Strength Uplift Metric quantifies the value your first-party data setup adds to campaign performance.
Why it matters: Google is clearly signalling that advertisers who invest in first-party data infrastructure will get better results. The Data Strength metric gives you a number to justify that investment. What to do: If you have not set up Data Manager in your Google Ads account, it is worth exploring, especially if you collect customer data through a CRM or booking system. For most small businesses, the immediate action is simply to ensure your conversion tracking and customer lists are healthy.Google Search
September Spam Update Rolling Out
Google launched its September 2026 spam update on 24 September. It is the fourth spam update this year, making 2026 the most active year for spam enforcement since 2021. The rollout window is up to two weeks, the longest for any spam update so far.
Why it matters: If your site relies on legitimate content and good SEO practices, you likely have nothing to worry about. But if you have been experimenting with AI-generated content at scale, or if your site has accumulated spammy backlinks, watch your rankings over the next fortnight. Google also confirmed that attempts to manipulate AI Overviews and AI Mode responses now fall under existing spam policies. What to do: Monitor your Search Console performance through to mid-October. If you see a sudden drop, check whether your content or link profile triggers any of Google's spam policies. Do not panic over small fluctuations during the rollout period.Search Console Gets Multimodal Reporting
Google added a "Web: multimodal" filter to Search Console on 24 September. This shows how your site performs when someone searches using an image through Google Lens, Circle to Search, or Chrome's "Search this image" feature.
Why it matters: Visual search is growing, especially on mobile. For the first time, you can see how much traffic your site gets from image-based queries, broken down by page, country, device, and date. The catch: you cannot see what the image was (no query dimension), so interpretation requires some detective work. What to do: Open Search Console, go to Performance > Search results, and switch the Search type filter to "Web: multimodal." If you see meaningful impressions, it is a signal that your product images, diagrams, or infographics are being surfaced in visual search. Make sure those images have descriptive file names and alt text.Meta Ads
Creative Diversity Score Appears in Ads Manager
Meta has rolled out a Creative Diversity metric that rates each ad set as Low, Medium, or High based on how visually and thematically varied its ads are. It is accessible under Columns > Customise columns > Creative diversity.
Why it matters: This is not just a vanity metric. Meta's Andromeda system, which now powers ad delivery, groups near-identical ads into a single "creative entity." Ten product shots with minor crops and a swapped headline count as one creative, not ten. A Low diversity score likely means the algorithm has less to work with when finding your best audience, and your delivery could suffer. What to do: Check your active ad sets and note their diversity ratings. If you are rated Low, you need genuinely different creative concepts, not just variations. Think different formats (video vs. static vs. carousel), different angles (testimonial vs. product demo vs. problem/solution), and different visual styles. Meta's own guidance suggests 10 to 20 unique creative concepts per campaign for best results.Meta AI Writes Reports Into Slides and Sheets
Meta AI can now analyse your ad account performance and drop the findings into a Google Slides deck or Google Sheets tab on a recurring schedule.
Why it matters: For agencies and in-house marketers who spend hours pulling performance data into presentations, this could save real time. The quality of the analysis remains to be seen, but the automation of the format is useful. What to do: Explore the feature if you run regular reporting for clients or stakeholders. Treat the AI-generated analysis as a first draft, not a final report. Verify the numbers and add your own strategic context before presenting.Other Platforms
TikTok: Attribution Analytics Launches
TikTok released Attribution Analytics, a first-party measurement tool designed to help advertisers understand which touchpoints drive conversions. They also launched an "Agentic Hub" for reporting, audience management, and budget optimisation.
Why it matters: TikTok has long struggled with proving its effectiveness in the conversion funnel. First-party attribution tools are a step toward solving that, though the data will naturally favour TikTok's own touchpoints. What to do: If you are running TikTok ads, enable Attribution Analytics and compare its findings against your own tracking. Useful for building the case for (or against) continued TikTok spend.The Takeaway
The AI Max auto-upgrades are the single biggest thing to check this week. If you are running Google Ads Search campaigns, log in and confirm whether your campaigns have been upgraded, then watch your search terms like a hawk for the next two weeks.
Further Reading
- Google's DSA Upgrade to AI Max - Official announcement on the AI Max migration timeline
- Google Ads Adds IP Address Matching to Customer Match - Search Engine Land on the new Customer Match signals
- Google Expands Data Manager and Meridian Tools - Measurement infrastructure updates
- September 2026 Spam Update - Search Engine Roundtable's webmaster report
- Search Console Multimodal Filter - Google's official blog post on multimodal reporting
- Meta Ads September 2026 Updates - Comprehensive changelog including Creative Diversity
- Meta AI Builds Your Report - GoodMorning on Meta's AI reporting features
- September Ad Updates Roundup - eMarketer's cross-platform summary
Dream Outcome is an Australian digital marketing agency helping SMEs grow through Google Ads, Facebook Ads, and Email Marketing.