Google Ads is targeting businesses within their Gmail accounts, offering them free consultations.
Notably, the promotion is delivered through pop-up notifications rather than emails, making the message look less like an ad, possibly increasing the chances of conversions.
Why we care. Prompting businesses to engage directly with Google Ads, especially when they already have an advertising agency, may lead to confusion for the business and undermine the agency’s ability to perform effectively.
Pop-up notifications. The pop-up message reads:
Businesses can choose to respond by clicking either ‘No thanks’ or ‘Schedule’ to arrange a free consultation meeting.
First spotted. The Google Ads pop-up notifications within Gmail were first flagged by Anthony Higman, CEO of online advertising agency Adsquire, on X. He wrote:
HIgman then shared a screen of the notification:
Reaction. Melissa Mackey, paid search director at Compound Growth Marketing, also reported seeing the pop-up notification being served to her clients. She wrote on X:
Deep dive. Read our report on why advertisers think Google Ads support is at an all-time low for more information.