Noticed The Traffic Decline In Ad Grants?

• Ad Grants
• News
• Tips
• 06. 02. 2025

If you manage a Google Ad Grants account, you may have noticed a traffic decline starting at the end of October. You’re not alone. This issue is not isolated to a single account or agency but appears to be affecting a wide range of accounts across the board. Based on our observations and conversations with other agencies, this decline stems from a recent change implemented on Google’s side.

(Account performance of one of our client’s accounts)

What’s Happening?

The traffic decline appears to be linked to a new quality filter Google has introduced. Due to the filter, the ad grants ads serve less frequently, thereby reducing clicks and the grant utilization. While Google has not yet provided an official explanation, we suspect this filter aims to ensure that ads meet stricter relevance and quality standards. Although well-intentioned, this adjustment has had a noticeable impact on the reach and performance of many campaigns.

Another possible explanation is the October rollout of Google’s AI Overviews. This feature uses AI-generated content to answer question-like search queries in Google search results. Search queries like that often work well in Ad Grants accounts and the recent rollout of this feature might thus considerably reduce the amount of ad impressions available for ad grantees.

What Are We Doing About The Traffic Decline?

We are actively communicating with Google Support to gather more information and better understand the specifics of this change. As we await further clarity, our focus remains on adapting strategies to mitigate the impact of this shift and ensure our clients continue to achieve their goals.

Tips to Optimize Performance During This Period

While we navigate these changes, here are a few strategies to help maximize your account’s performance:

1. Expand Campaigns

Now is the time to think broader. Consider expanding your campaigns to include additional keywords, adding new campaigns,  dynamic headlines, etc.. By diversifying your reach, you may uncover new opportunities to drive traffic and conversions.

2. Maximize Relevance

Relevance is more crucial than ever. Focus on:

• Refreshing ad copy: Enhance the quality of your ads by reviewing their performance status in the Recommendations section of Google Ads and implementing the suggested changes if they make sense.
• Utilizing new formats: Experiment with responsive search ads, call extensions, or other ad types of ad extensions that align with Google’s emphasis on quality.

3. Increase Bids & Budgets

Raising your bids can enhance your ads’ competitiveness in auctions, which is crucial for regaining visibility in light of recent changes. Begin by identifying your top-performing campaigns and increase their bids to the maximum. Additionally, ensure that your daily budgets are sufficiently high as well.

4. Test Performance Max (PMax) Campaigns

Performance Max campaigns can be an excellent way to optimize across Google’s inventory. For Ad Grants accounts, PMax campaigns are particularly valuable because they maximize the limited $10,000 monthly grant by automatically optimizing for the best-performing placements and formats. This can help counteract the recent traffic decline by increasing visibility and engagement across a broader range of channels.

When setting up PMax campaigns, focus on:

• High-Quality Creative Assets: Upload compelling images, videos, and ad copy to help the algorithm create effective combinations.
• Audience Signals: Provide detailed audience information, such as demographic and interest-based targeting, to guide the algorithm in finding the right users.
• Regular Monitoring: While PMax campaigns are largely automated, monitoring performance regularly is essential to ensure the campaign aligns with your nonprofit’s goals.

Stay Informed

We’re closely monitoring the situation and will continue to share updates as we learn more from Google. In the meantime, implementing the above strategies can help you weather this period of reduced traffic and maintain strong campaign performance.

If you have any questions or need help optimizing your Google Ad Grants account, feel free to reach out to us. We’re here to help you navigate these changes and make the most of your campaigns.