The 2026 ecommerce squeeze
A breakdown of what's actually driving rising CPCs in 2026 — from Chinese marketplaces in your auctions to AI Overviews quietly reshaping search.
It’s time to get clarity (and protect your margins)
So what’s actually driving the squeeze? This session breaks down the macroeconomic and technological pressures reshaping the Google auction — backed by aggregated data from the smec Google Ads Benchmarks (€450M+ in annual ad spend), so you leave with the numbers to take back to your stakeholders.
To give you the strategic framework to adapt your Google Ads stack for the remainder of 2026, Mike covers:
- The CPC and impression squeeze: Why auction density is driving up costs even as search behavior shifts away from traditional placements.
- The Marketplace invasion: What Google Auction Insights reveals about Temu, Joybuy, AliExpress & co — and what their growing presence actually means for your CPCs.
- The AI variable: How conversational AI and AI Overviews are reshaping click-through rates, intent, and unit costs as users sideline the classic SERP.
- Consumer sentiment & macro trends: How diminished purchasing power and persistent inflation are quietly shifting brand loyalty.
- Strategic pivots: Data-backed recommendations to adapt your setup and protect margins when the low-hanging fruit of search disappears.
You can access the webinar presentation in our exclusive Knowledge Hub here.
Speakers
Mike
Ryan
Head of Ecommerce Insights
smec