July 2025: Digital Marketing Industry Updates

Feeling the heat this July? You’re not alone. Just as temperatures soared across the UAE, the world of Search and Ads heated up too. Google refined its ranking systems, AI gained more ground in browsers, and new ad formats started appearing where brands least expected them.

Here’s a clear look at what’s new and why it matters for marketers in the region.

Brace for Volatility with Google’s June Core Update

On June 30, Google began rolling out its second core algorithm update of 2025. These broad core updates are designed to improve search quality across all languages (yes, that includes Arabic) and regions meaning rankings are likely to bounce around for the next three weeks.

SEO takeaway:

• Expect continued ranking and traffic swings through mid to late July
• Google’s official advice remains unchanged: “no need for quick fixes”all you need to do is focus on helpful, people-first content, E‑E-A‑T principles, and user experience
• Use tools like SEMrush, Ahrefs, GA4, or Search Console to monitor your site’s volatility and identify any drops or gains

More here →

Say Goodbye to 7 Structured Data Types

Google is removing support for seven structured data markups, including Book, Course, ClaimReview, EstimatedSalary, LearningVideo, SpecialAnnouncement, and VehicleListing. These schemas were underused, so dropping them helps “simplify the search results page.”

What to do:

• If you rely on these markups for rich snippets, expect those enhanced results to disappear
• Don’t remove the markup; Google will simply ignore it
• Shift focus to widely used schema types, like Product, FAQ, Review, to maintain search visibility

Official announcement →

AI Mode in Chrome’s Omnibox

Google is testing a “Search in AI Mode” option directly in Chrome’s address bar, letting users bypass traditional SERPs and jump straight into conversational search, which will be complete with AI summaries and follow-up prompts.

Implication: If this becomes mainstream, fewer users may click traditional results. Time to optimise for AI-driven summaries and structured answers.

Learn more →

Search Live: Voice Chat Joins AI Search

Google’s new experimental feature, Search Live, adds voice-driven back-and-forth Q&A to AI Mode in the Google app (Android/iOS). Available to U.S. users in Search Labs (and hopefully coming soon to the UAE), it uses the Gemini AI engine to deliver spoken responses with follow-up capability.

SEO impact:

• The AI might answer users out loud, sometimes without requiring a click

• Still, the interface shows relevant links, so your content must be concise, structured, and easily parsed

• Focus on FAQ-style layouts, voice-query optimisation, page speed, and mobile performance

Details here →

YouTube’s AI Search Carousel Rolls Out

SEO strategy:

• Metadata (titles, descriptions) and on-video relevance now help fuel AI summaries

• Getting featured could significantly lift watch time and CTR, while missing out may cost visibility

• Review and refine your video metadata, include clear topical focus, and upload with SEO in mind

Test info →

Google Ads Launches AI Max for Search Campaigns

Google has officially launched AI Max, which is an enhancement to existing Search campaigns that layers in AI-powered targeting and creative generation.

What it does:

• Extends reach to new, relevant queries outside your current keyword list
• Writes optimised headlines and copy based on landing page content
• Directs users to the best URL automatically

Early adopters are seeing conversion lifts of 14–27% while keeping full transparency via the new “AI Max” match reporting type. This new tool gives you machine-learning scale while retaining transparency and control—your campaign structure stays intact, but performance gets a turbo boost.

Read more →

Meta Brings Ads to WhatsApp Status via Updates Tab

As of June 16, Meta is rolling out ads in WhatsApp’s “Updates” (Status) tab which is an area separate from personal chats. Ads are shown between Status updates and use location, language, and Meta account activity for targeting. This means WhatsApp is now prime ad territory—mobile-first, high-frequency, and low competition.

What to watch: 3 billion monthly users, with 1.5 billion daily status viewers, this is prime, low-competition real estate. Privacy remains protected, but advertisers can now reach users on a huge mobile-first conversational-friendly channel.

Read more →

Google Debuts Shoppable CTV Ads on YouTube

At Google Marketing Live/Brandcast, YouTube announced shoppable CTV formats: ads that display products on-screen and let viewers scan a QR code to purchase instantly

Why it matters:

Final Thoughts

Search and digital marketing are moving quickly into the AI era, and the UAE is part of that evolution.

• Structured data is now essential for AI discovery, so make sure your schema is accurate and up to date.
• Ad placements are expanding into chat platforms, social statuses, and connected TV, offering new ways to reach audiences.
• Data precision and speed are more important than ever, so monitor performance with frequent, detailed tracking.

Our team is already testing several of these new features. If you are ready to explore them for your brand, we are here to help.