Meta Overtakes Google in Ad Spend & What It Means for Ecommerce │GML 2026 Recap

Meta has overtaken Google in ad budgets - and for ecommerce advertisers, that changes everything. It means Google is on the offensive. It means the pressure to split your budget between platforms is about to intensify. And it means that if you're not set up correctly on Google's AI surfaces right now, you're already losing ground to competitors who are. In this episode of Growing Ecommerce, Mike Ryan (smec's Head of Ecommerce Insights) and Chris share firsthand takeaways from GML 2026 — both the San Francisco and Dublin events — with unfiltered takes on what actually matters for your campaigns. What we cover: → Google vs. Meta: The "War of the Titans" and why Google's messaging to advertisers is getting aggressive → AI Max for Shopping: Why standard shopping campaigns may have limited eligibility in AI surfaces → New AI-native ad formats: Conversational discovery ads, feed-based text ads, and why the line between shopping and search is collapsing → Ask Advisor: A great idea — but oversold to an irresponsible degree (Mike's take) → Universal Cart: Multi-retailer, cross-platform checkout — and Google's Amazon moment → What the shift to agentic commerce means for how you monetize clicks Cut through the hype. Know what to act on. 🔔 Subscribe for bi-weekly ecommerce PPC insights from smec — managing €680M+ in annual ad spend for 350+ global retail clients - for more content like this Learn more: https://smarter-ecommerce.com/en/newsletter/ **About Smarter Ecommerce (smec):** Smarter Ecommerce (smec) empowers e-commerce brands with AI-driven PPC automation that optimizes for profit and business outcomes while maintaining strategic control. The platform activates first-party data - profit margins, customer lifetime value, and key business metrics - to automate campaign optimization toward goals like profitability and efficient growth, while detailed campaign insights provide full transparency and enable PPC teams to focus on strategic oversight rather than manual execution. As a Google Premier Partner and three-time Microsoft Retail Partner of the Year, smec manages over €500 million in ad spend and drives €5B+ in annual e-commerce revenue for 350+ global retail clients including THG, Snipes, REWE, and Intersport. **Make sure to follow smec - Smarter Ecommerce for more performance marketing insights:** smec - Smarter Ecommerce: https://www.smarter-ecommerce.com LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/smarter-ecommerce-gmbh Newsletter: https://smarter-ecommerce.com/en/newsletter/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/smarterecommerce/