The smart.ad blog
Ad platforms change the rules every week. Pebble reads the fine print and tells you what it means for your budget, and what to do about it.
- Strategy
Holiday ads 2026: banner ads got cheaper, Meta got pricier
Display ad prices fell sharply this year while Meta's rose. Peak week costs more per click but less per sale. What that means for your holiday budget.
- Tracking
Meta will count more sales from Nov 12. Check it first.
Meta turns on device-side conversion counting by default on Nov 12. Here's how to check your numbers before Black Friday.
- Meta Ads
Meta's AI can edit your ads, and from Oct 30 you own the result
Meta's new terms make advertisers responsible for what its AI adds to their ads, even features Meta switched on. Here's what to check this week.
- Google Ads
You can finally cap what Search partners and Display spend
Google's new channel controls let Search ads fund Google Search first and put a ceiling on the rest. A February 2027 change makes it worth a look.
- Google Ads
Google may be adding your website's coupons to your ads
Since October 12, Google can pull deals from your site into Search and Performance Max ads. It's on unless you turn it off.