Digital marketing continues to evolve at breakneck speed, and AI is accelerating this transformation. Every week, new updates, announcements, and tools emerge that impact how we work as search professionals. To help you stay informed, Soft Market Solution brings you this roundup of the biggest SEO and digital marketing news from August 2025—covering Google Ads, Bing, Perplexity, LinkedIn, YouTube, and more.
Google Ads: AI Max Campaign Location Targeting
On August 1st, Google Ads introduced location of interest targeting within its new AI Max campaign type. Previously, AI Max offered limited user control, but now advertisers can target based on user location. This gives more flexibility while still allowing Google’s AI to optimize performance in the background.
Cloudflare vs. Perplexity: Bot Rules Debate
On August 4th, Cloudflare accused Perplexity AI’s crawler of bypassing robots.txt rules and rotating IPs to access blocked content. Perplexity defended itself, saying its bots only act on user requests. This sparked an ongoing debate: is Perplexity a search engine with its own index, or is it leveraging APIs from existing players like Bing or Google?
Google Business Profiles: UI Upgrade
On August 5th, Google improved the Google Business Profile (GMB) post interface by launching a post hub. Though functionality remains the same, the new interface simplifies post creation with a streamlined design.
Google Ads: Creative Optimization Features
On August 6th, Google Ads rolled out new automatic creative optimizations:
Auto image resizing (portrait ↔ landscape)
AI-powered text-to-image generation
Image editing within ads
Landing page previews in Demand Gen campaigns
These updates, powered by Google’s advanced image generation models, began rolling out on September 4th.
Bing Webmaster Tools: Data Storage and Filters
On August 7th, Bing Webmaster Tools introduced several enhancements:
Extended data storage up to 24 months (compared to Google Search Console’s 16 months).
Added country and device filters.
Introduced keyword trend lines for better performance tracking.
This move gives Bing a competitive edge in data history, pushing Google to catch up.
Perplexity’s $34.5 Billion Chrome “Bid”
On August 12th, Perplexity made headlines by declaring interest in buying Google Chrome for $34.5 billion. With Perplexity’s own valuation at $18 billion, this was clearly a marketing stunt—but it worked. The announcement went viral globally, giving the company massive PR exposure at minimal cost.
Google Preferred Sources in Search
Also on August 12th, Google launched Preferred Sources in India and the US, allowing users to choose preferred news outlets that appear in their feeds and Top Stories section. News publishers are now encouraging readers to add them as a preferred source to secure visibility and traffic.
Google Ads: Gender-Based Targeting in PMax
On August 12th, Google Ads added gender-based exclusions to Performance Max campaigns, giving advertisers more refined targeting controls.
YouTube Creator Studio Updates
On August 13th, YouTube rolled out improvements:
Increased image uploads in posts from 5 to 10.
Automatic dubbing for select creators.
New business-focused CTAs (Book Now, Get Code, Contact Us, etc.) in the Promote Video feature.
LinkedIn: Thought Leader Ads
On August 13th, LinkedIn introduced Thought Leader Event Ads, which allow companies to promote personal posts from employees or partners (with permission).
Google Ads: Removing Language Targeting
On August 18th, Google announced that language targeting in Search campaigns will be removed. Instead, its AI will auto-detect relevance—concerning many advertisers who worry it may lead to wasted clicks.
Google AI Mode Search Expands Globally
On August 21st, Google’s AI Search Mode launched in 180 countries with agentic features, signaling a big shift in how users interact with search.
Google Spam Update – August 2025
On August 26th, Google rolled out the Spam Update, targeting websites still publishing spammy or mass AI-generated content despite recent algorithm pressures.
Google Search Console Crawl Stats Bug
On August 28th, Google confirmed a bug in Crawl Stats reporting, which has now been fixed.
Final Thoughts
August 2025 was a month filled with game-changing updates across Google Ads, SEO, and major platforms like YouTube and LinkedIn. With AI taking center stage, marketers must adapt quickly while keeping a close eye on changes that affect visibility, ads, and content strategies.
At Soft Market Solution, we believe staying ahead of these trends is the best way to future-proof digital marketing campaigns. By understanding updates deeply and adapting strategies in time, businesses can continue to grow despite constant industry shifts.