Exploring the Potential of Google’s Agentic Ads Advisor
Google Ads coach Jyll Saskin Gales recently spent 24 hours testing Google’s new “agentic” Ads Advisor, an experimental AI assistant designed to help advertisers optimize campaigns. Her verdict: promising, but far from perfect. As the digital marketing landscape continues to evolve, understanding the capabilities and limitations of AI tools like the Ads Advisor is crucial for advertisers looking to maximize their online presence.
Why This Matters
The Ads Advisor represents Google’s push toward agentic AI tools — systems that can act autonomously on users’ behalf. This review offers an early, real-world look at how Ads Advisor actually performs — beyond Google’s marketing claims. As AI tools begin playing a bigger role in campaign management, understanding their accuracy, limitations, and decision-making is critical. This feedback helps advertisers know what tasks they can safely trust to the AI — and where human oversight is still essential to protect performance and budget.
Evaluating the Ads Advisor’s Performance
The Ads Advisor has shown some promising aspects, including its ability to search the open web before answering and recommending against default Google settings. For instance, it suggested unchecking “Display Network” and “Search Partners” for new Search campaigns. Additionally, it considers factors beyond Google Ads, such as improving product titles for Shopping campaigns. However, some of its implementation guidance was incorrect, highlighting the need for further refinement.
The Ads Advisor also has some significant downsides. It has been known to provide outdated or incorrect information, misdiagnosing campaign performance issues and referencing old interfaces like “Tools & Settings > Conversions.” Furthermore, despite its name, the Ads Advisor can’t make changes directly in campaigns — only provide instructions, which sometimes miss the mark.
Conclusion and Future Directions
Gales compares the Ads Advisor to “an intern who just passed their Google Ads certification — eager, occasionally right, but often off-base.” She’s cautiously optimistic about its future potential but warns small business owners to tread carefully before taking its advice at face value. Google Ads Liaison Ginny Marvin has expressed appreciation for Gales’ review, noting that it aligns with her own assessment of the tool. As the Ads Advisor continues to evolve, it’s essential for advertisers to stay informed and critically evaluate its recommendations to ensure the best possible outcomes for their campaigns.
Gales plans to continue testing the Ads Advisor and will share a full breakdown in an upcoming YouTube video, providing further insights into its capabilities and limitations. By staying up-to-date with the latest developments in AI-powered advertising tools, businesses can harness their potential to drive growth and success in the digital landscape.
Image Credit: searchengineland.com
