Google shut down our Merchant Center — no warning, no real reason, no appeal.

In this episode of What’s Hot in Digital, James and WHD’s Senior Google Ads Specialist Brent Neale unpack what actually happened, what Google’s crackdown on AI content means for advertisers, and what every eCommerce business needs to be aware of before uploading AI-generated product images.

This isn’t just about one account. With ad suspensions up over 300% in the last year, the rules are changing — and Google’s not explaining why.

We cover:
• Why our Google Merchant Center was permanently suspended
• How Google is handling AI content — and the double standards in their policy
• What “misrepresentation” actually means (and why it’s so vague)
• Why good advertisers are getting punished while spammy ones slip through
• What this shift means for CPCs, display ad quality, and future competition

If you’re running eCommerce or using AI in your content, watch this before you launch your next campaign.

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Need help navigating Google Ads policy changes?
WHD helps eCommerce brands avoid ad account issues and build scalable campaigns.
Visit https://whd.au to talk.

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Hosted by James Walker – Managing Director at WHD
Guest: Brent Neale – Senior Google Ads Specialist at WHD

What’s working in paid social media right now?

In this episode of What’s Hot in Digital, WHD’s Head of Paid Social Strategy, Steph McGrath, joins James to break down the strategies that are driving performance across lead gen and eCommerce accounts — from high-quality lead forms to AI-powered Advantage+ Shopping campaigns.

Whether you’re running ads for your own business or managing campaigns for clients, this episode is packed with actionable takeaways.

Here’s what we cover:

• The lead form updates that are improving both quality and volume

• How to use custom questions and conditional logic to pre-qualify leads

• Why we’re using lead forms over landing pages in many accounts

• How AI-driven Advantage+ Shopping campaigns are outperforming traditional setups

• What to watch for when rolling these strategies out (and what not to do)

Smart strategy. Better performance. Practical tips you can use today.

Need help getting more from your paid social campaigns?

WHD helps ambitious brands scale with performance-driven Meta Ads that convert.

Visit https://whd.au to learn more.

Hosted by James Walker – Managing Director at WHD

Guest: Steph McGrath – Head of Paid Social Strategy at WHD

If you’re still relying on platform-reported ROAS to measure your marketing success, you’re missing the bigger picture.

In this episode of What’s Hot in Digital, WHD’s Marketing Director Lana Hill joins James to unpack how businesses should actually be measuring marketing performance — and why most agency reports aren’t telling the full story.

We break down MER (Marketing Efficiency Ratio), the hidden cost of siloed data, and how to understand true return on investment across multiple channels — especially when you’re scaling or testing top-of-funnel strategies.

Here’s what we cover:

• What MER is and why it matters

• The problem with relying on individual platform ROAS

• How to factor in platform costs, agency fees and true profitability

• Why brand campaigns (like BVOD or TikTok) often look like a loss — but drive growth

• The real metrics smart marketers track before scaling

Don’t let vanity metrics drive your decisions. This is how to get clear on what’s actually working.

Want marketing you can confidently scale?

WHD helps ambitious brands track, optimise and grow through performance-first marketing.

Visit https://whd.au to talk.

Hosted by James Walker – Managing Director at WHD

Guest: Lana Hill – Marketing Director at WHD