New Features in Google Merchant Center and Meta Ads – SEM News #1 January 2026

Starting March 2026, Google Merchant Center will require separate product IDs for items sold both online and in physical stores when they differ in attributes such as price, availability, or product condition. Online version attributes will become the default. If the offline version differs, for example in price, availability, or other details, a separate product with its own ID must be added so Google can correctly distinguish them. This change affects Local Inventory Ads, Shopping Ads, and Performance Max campaigns.

What Does this Mean for You?

• You need to review your current data in Google Merchant Center and identify products sold across multiple channels that have different prices or availability.

• Feeds that are not updated may result in approval issues, incorrect product visibility, or errors in Local Inventory Ads and Performance Max campaigns.

Google has introduced an AI-powered video creation feature directly in Google Merchant Center. It allows you to transform product photos or any images into short animated videos in seconds.

Source: Google Merchant Center panel

What Does this Mean for You?

• Better product visibility – short videos can increase user engagement.

• Time savings – automatic prompt suggestions reduce the time needed to create initial video versions.

Google has started showing ads directly within AI-generated answers in search results. Ads appear inside responses to user questions and are labeled as “Sponsored.” This ad format mainly appears for queries that indicate purchase intent or decision-making, bringing the user closer to the conversion point compared to standard search ads.

What Does this Mean for You?

• Ensure your ad messaging is clear, compelling, and aligned with user intent.

• Make sure all Google Merchant Center and product campaign data is complete, accurate, and up-to-date – titles, descriptions, prices, availability, and images. AI will use this information to determine which products to show in responses.

Meta Ads has introduced a new reporting feature “Conversion count” allowing advertisers to track campaign performance more precisely. The new option lets you distinguish first conversions from all subsequent converting actions performed by the same user within a given attribution window.

The feature is available in the Breakdown menu at the campaign, ad set, and individual ad level, making it easier to segment data without external analytics tools. Conversion count does not compare different attribution models but presents conversions within a single selected model, ensuring data consistency within one campaign.

Source: Meta Ads panel

What Does this Mean for You?

• Reports can now differentiate first-time conversions from repeat actions by the same user.

• This allows you to see which ads actually bring new customers and which generate repeat purchases or leads.

• It facilitates campaign optimization and budget allocation – you know where to invest to acquire new customers.