Developing
Reported in a PPC Land newsletter; we did not read Google's own help pages.
In 60 seconds
- Google Ads advertisers can set up Conversion Lift studies themselves for Search and Performance Max.
- Thresholds: at least 1,000 conversions, a $5,000 minimum budget and one study per campaign at a time.
- For Demand Gen display ads a view now counts once any pixel of the ad appears on screen, replacing the Active View standard.
- PPC Land adds that Google's incrementality testing minimum was previously about $100,000 and fell to $5,000 in November 2025.
Impact Layer
- What changed
- Running a lift study no longer requires a Google contact.
- Why it matters
- Cheaper, self-serve experiments make it easier to calibrate platform-reported results with real holdouts.
- Who is affected
- Google Ads advertisers with enough conversion volume.
- Martech stack area
- Analytics, Advertising
- Stack impact
- If you meet the thresholds, test your biggest campaign. Check how the Demand Gen view definition changes your view-through conversion counts.
- Business impact
- Low Reported in PPC Land's October 9 newsletter without a link to Google's page. Verify the thresholds in the Google Ads help centre.
- Related technologies
- Related vendors
- What to watch
- Published results and any limits on self-serve study design.
PPC Land’s October 9, 2026 newsletter reports two measurement changes in Google Ads.
Self-serve Conversion Lift
Advertisers can now set up Conversion Lift studies without a Google representative, for Search and Performance Max as well as other campaign types. The thresholds reported are:
- at least 1,000 conversions,
- a $5,000 minimum budget, and
- one study per campaign at a time.
Another PPC Land newsletter notes that Google cut its incrementality testing minimum from about $100,000 to $5,000 in November 2025, and that Google’s Meridian GeoX left beta on September 9.
Demand Gen view-through counting
Google changed the view-through conversion counting method for Demand Gen display ads: a view now counts once any pixel of the ad appears on screen, with no minimum duration, replacing the Active View standard.
Our read
A looser view definition can raise reported view-through conversions without any change in real impact, so compare before and after, and use a lift study to see the incremental part. We did not read Google’s help pages, so confirm the thresholds there.
Sources
- PPC Land: Google's September spam update ends after 13 days as manual actions rise (newsletter) (opens in a new tab)
The newsletter section on Conversion Lift thresholds and the Demand Gen view-through change.
- PPC Land: DOJ wants AdX open to Prebid in six months, Google asks for twelve (opens in a new tab)
The newsletter section on Winterberry measurement research, mentioning Google's Meridian GeoX exit from beta on September 9 and the November 2025 incrementality minimum cut.