What does the future of paid search look like?

Paid search has been an important channel in a broader marketing strategy over the years. But we’ve also seen some big changes to the way PPC works, and like most tech things, the pace of change isn’t slowing down anytime soon.

That’s why it’s important for marketers and business owners to be forward thinking. Paying attention to current trends and predicting how they will shape the future is the best way to stay a few steps ahead of your competition. Here, I’ll share some of my thoughts on what to expect from the future of paid search.

automation will rule

Automation has become an increasingly important part of paid search. We have seen that Google Ads offers marketers the ability to create multiple titles and descriptions for ads as a part of their responsive search advertising program. Over time, Google ties together various titles and descriptions to find the combination that yields the best results.

Additionally, marketers can use automation to do the manual work of handling bidding and budgeting for ad campaigns in their favor. This used to be a difficult piece of work, and with automation, you are now free to spend more time creating effective ads than messing with numbers.

I expect the role of automation in PPC to grow only when the technology becomes more advanced. This will help marketers focus more on the strategic elements that go into creating a great advertising campaign, and help businesses maximize their ROI by automatically optimizing their advertising approach.

Amazon will go to space

Google has long been the gold standard for search engines, and so it has long been the place advertisers turn first with their PPC spend. However, recent studies have shown that more consumers are now starting their searches on Amazon rather than Google. And with this shift in consumer behavior, we are also seeing a shift in the focus of marketers.

More marketers are starting to buy ad space on Amazon. There’s a expanding audience, and it’s currently cheaper to market on Amazon than to advertise on Google. Now is the time to consider making a change for your own business. Especially if you offer goods or products that consumers are looking for on Amazon, you are likely to get a lot of value out of your advertising spend on the e-commerce site.

Video will continue to gain ground

Text ads have long been the focus of paid search ads. However, video is expanding the scope of all marketing efforts, and paid search is no exception.

More and more consumers are indicating that video is their preferred medium for learning more about a company. Why not give people what they want? Plus, video is a great way to stand out in a sea of ​​text. The colorful video with catchy music and engaging voiceovers will grab the attention of the searchers. And as we see more marketers turn to video to tell their stories, if you don’t embrace the medium, you’ll be left behind.

New ad types will enter the scene

Each year, we see Google expand and change its advertising offerings. It seems not so long ago that Google Ads were just blue links that appeared at the top of search results. We’re now seeing ads that include images and videos, as well as ad types that are specific to certain industries, such as Google Local Services ads.

Also, there are rumors that Google is looking to charge for advanced features on its Google My Business platform, indicating that the expanded offering may come through that particular platform, which will be tailored to local business owners.

While it’s impossible to know exactly how and where Google will expand its efforts, it’s always worthwhile to keep an eye on news about changes to their advertising offerings. When you are able to stay on top of changes, you can get ahead of trends and get on the ground floor of a new paid search strategy while the investment is still low.

Marketers will think in audience, not keywords

The last major change I see in how paid search progresses is in the central focus in creating campaigns. So far, it has all been about finding the appropriate keywords for your ad campaign.

Audience data and segmentation tools have been continuously evolving over the years. And search engines are making it easier than ever for marketers to target their ad spend on people with the right behaviors and characteristics. Why do keyword research, hope you’re selecting the term that will resonate with your desired audience, and then measure and refine your approach, when you can instead target advertising at the audience you want. Know if this might be relevant?

While it’s impossible to predict what the future will hold for paid search, by looking at recent trends, knowledgeable marketers are able to predict what changes are coming and how to capitalize on them for their business. Things like automation, Amazon, and audience segmentation aren’t going anywhere, so it’s best to figure out how to make these trends work for you so you can outdo your competition.

If you liked this post, check out our Small Business Guide to Paid Search.