Bonded Bitesize – Your Midweek Roundup

A recent Press Gazette and Digital Content Next survey reveals that referral traffic from Google Search declined by an average of 10% for major publishers in the UK and US in May–June 2025. News publishers saw a slightly lower drop (7%), while non-news brands experienced as much as 14% decline. DCN attributes this sustained traffic loss to Google’s AI-generated “Overviews” that summarise content at the top of search results, reducing clicks even when links appear later. This calls for brands to rethink visibility and traffic strategies in an AI-first search landscape.
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Nielsen this week announced it will integrate CTV ad spend data covering platforms like ITVX, All 4, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, Netflix, Now, Sky Stream, and more into its UK Ad Intel product starting September. This expansion will provide planners with unprecedented visibility into the fastest-growing ad channel, enabling independent budget tracking, trend analysis, and benchmarking across streaming platforms. As CTV continues its ascent, Nielsen’s new insight will be invaluable for strategic allocation and performance optimisation.
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Google Ads has rolled out a new “Share of Cost” toggle in Performance Max reporting, enabling advertisers to view how their spend is distributed across channels like Search, Display, Shopping, and YouTube. This gives UK PPC teams clearer insight into budget allocation efficiency, helping optimise channel mix versus performance. With tighter budgets and measurement scrutiny, this addition offers strategic clarity for planning and optimising cross-channel campaigns in one unified view.
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The UK’s Advertising Standards Authority has banned two additional ads, from Aira and EDF, for implying universal eligibility for the £7,500 Boiler Upgrade Scheme without clarifying property or location criteria. Both advertisers have updated their messaging following the ruling. This marks the third prominent ad ban in two weeks, signalling the regulator’s increasing vigilance over environmental product claims. For media and creative teams, this serves as a reminder to tread carefully with subsidy marketing and always include eligibility specifics to avoid breaches.

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Google Analytics 4 has released a new feature enabling cost data import from Reddit Ads, allowing UK marketers to directly track Reddit spend metrics within GA4’s reporting modules. This integration facilitates multi-channel cost comparison across Acquisition and Advertising workspaces, streamlining tracking, attribution, and optimisation workflows. Digital media teams can now consolidate insight across platforms more effectively, aiding smarter budget allocation and performance analysis.

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