Vanaxity insights tagged Q5 advertising - notes on AI content, SEO, GEO and AEO from Van Data Team.
Meta's average price per ad rose 12% year over year in both the first and second quarters of 2026, according to its earnings reports, and media buyers told Marketing Brew that CPMs have climbed across ad formats. Meta says results have improved too, citing an internal study that found $4.13 in revenue per ad dollar, while Metricool's independent data shows Meta Sales campaign ROAS falling from 5.48x to 4.57x. Some advertisers are moving budget from the holidays to the cheaper 'Q5' window after Christmas, leaning on Advantage+ and testing more creative. Higher paid costs also make owned visibility, including how AI tools describe your brand, worth more.
