Google says changes will include:

Ad rotation settings:

• Currently there are 4 options:
  • Optimize for clicks
  • Optimize for conversions
  • Rotate evenly for at least 90 days, then optimize
  • Rotate indefinitely, do not optimize
• After 25 September, the only options will be:
  • Optimize: Google will deliver the ads its machine-learning technology predicts will “perform better” (i.e., produce more click charges).
  • Rotate indefinitely: same as before
• If you do nothing, Google will leave “Rotate indefinitely” ads as-is and convert all others to “Optimize.”

I personally don’t trust Google to control how my money is spent, so will be using “Rotate indefinitely” until I can see how various ads are performing for me.

Tests run by Google and affiliates

• Google is giving itself the right to make changes to essentially any aspect of AdWords without prior notice or liability to advertisers.
• For the USA and much of the world (but notably not Europe), disputes between Google and advertisers will be settled by binding arbitration �" no class action suits allowed.

So if anything Google might do in the process of “testing” AdWords stuff breaks your campaign and costs you money - about which they won’t tell you �" your only recourse will be arbitration.

By continuing to use AdWords, you’re agreeing to those terms.

So I would keep an eye on (independent) AdWords forums and blogs in order to get fast warning of any “testing” that’s destructive.

Counting conversions from Safari browsers

Changes Apple has made to Safari cause the existing Google Analytics system not to report conversions correctly. So Google is adding a GA cookie, and will be using statistical modeling to estimate conversions from Safari browsers.

“Statistical modeling” is what caused the New York Times to announce on the eve of the 2016 US Presidential election that Hillary Clinton had an 84% chance of winning.

Safari currently has only about a 2% browser share. Let’s hope the population of people responding to our AdWords ads use Safari no more than that.

See also the Related Listings (above) re "testing" and "experiments."