Google Bridges Digital Gap for Brick-and-Mortar Stores with New Ad Updates

Google has rolled out two new updates to help brick-and-mortar stores connect digital ad campaigns with in-store activity. The tools, announced on Tuesday, focus on reaching nearby consumers who appear ready to visit a local store and making it easier to measure the results of online ads that drive in-person sales.

The first update, called Local Customer Optimization, is a new campaign setting within Performance Max (PMax) that focuses on local demand for products when consumers are looking for specific items nearby. This system identifies intent signals when people plan trips or search for locations across other Google products such as Maps, Waze, and Search.

The second update allows advertisers to connect existing sales data from sources like a CRM or Google Sheets directly in their Google Ads account. This feature matches offline records against ad interactions behind the scenes, giving retailers clear visibility into the online campaigns that generate revenue at the register.