• Advertising
• Google Paid Media

Top Google Ads Trends to Look Out For in 2022

Consumer behavior and market trends are ever-changing, and changing with them is Google Ads. Google’s announcement of its priorities in 2022 has sparked many changes, but some things are here to stay. Here are a few trends that you need to look out for this year while using Google Ads:

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Automation

Automation is here to stay, and it’s just getting started. The term AI has been trending for a while and is visible in how it transformed our daily lives. Marketers are saving time and effort as Google Ads automates how their ads deliver to customers.

More than 80% of Google Ads users use automated bidding, where the users pick a strategy like increasing site visits or conversions, letting Google automatically set bids to reach those goals.

As Google keeps developing its AI, it may also automate ad writing, where Google’s AI can quickly generate blog posts, product descriptions, and other ad writing after analyzing the market and consumer data.

In 2022, two new campaign types are helping automate advertising- Performance Max and Discovery Campaigns.

• Performance Max Campaigns allow advertisers to access the Google advertising inventory, helping them find more customers likely to convert across Google’s channels- Youtube, Display network, Search, Gmail, and Maps. In addition, the targeting and delivery of the campaign are automized by Google, depending on the information provided.
• Discovery Campaigns are personalized ads that appear on feeds of google, Youtube, and Gmail apps. Google uses machine learning to identify users most likely to engage with your brand.

Both campaign types can reach a large audience and reduce management time, letting you utilize the entire Google Inventory to improve your conversion rate.

Keywords

As AI and Machine learning (ML) is taking over and affecting how and where PPC ads show, keyword optimization seems like it could get outdated soon. However, keyword selection is not losing its importance in the near future; it is as vital today as ever.

As keyword selection remains crucial for PPC, marketers must monitor trends and developments in keywords used for their businesses and customer demographic across all campaign channels.

Mobile Devices

Laptops and Desktops are no longer primary personal computing devices; even though computers are here to stay, more and more people are shifting to smaller but equally powerful phones and tablets. Google has recognized this as more advertising executed on mobile devices. An estimated 70% of Google Ads in 2021 were served to mobile device users.

Marketers can make their PPC advertising well suited for mobile devices by optimizing all aspects of their campaigns- like landing pages and forms- to work on all devices. For example, a poorly functioning landing page can be a wasted click.

Brand Purpose

Gen Z values brands with purpose- 73% of Gen Z customers are willing to pay 10% more for sustainable products, and it’s not just them; shoppers across generations are increasingly looking for a purpose in the things they buy. Consumers are looking for products with a greener footprint. In addition, people are observing what brands do to give back to society. For example, being pro-society is a great selling point, as shoppers prefer to give back to the community by shopping for carbon-neutral products or products from small businesses.

Having a greater purpose is a trend that will stay, and rightfully so. Marketers can better implement their campaigns to be more purpose-driven.

Youtube vs. Television

Television is now becoming a niche rather than a mainstream entertainment channel as the world is shifting to online entertainment. While Netflix, Prime Video, and HBO may not provide any advertising opportunities, Youtube does; and it has a more extensive user base than all the others combined.

With a diverse audience based on Youtube, Google Ads provides an untapped opportunity for many advertisers to use video ads. Video ads may require more time and investment, but they will yield much more in their reach and conversion on Youtube. As a result, many businesses can enjoy the first mover’s advantage on Youtube within their industry.

Ad Targeting

Cybersecurity for businesses and data privacy for individuals are taking precedence as the digital landscape is evolving. With the data privacy guidelines and restrictions constantly changing, it is getting harder to track website usage data.

Due to government regulations, Cookies are disappearing, and individuals are getting to control their data and privacy. In the foreseeable future, marketing data could become less reliable for many businesses, especially smaller ones. Targeting methods that used to work before may not work in 2022 as effectively, though there will always be newer ways to target the audience.

Digital Privacy

Privacy is an ever-increasing concern among users, and Google Ads already has fewer data points to collect data from when targeting campaigns. In addition, businesses in 2022 need to plan to collect data purposefully and ethically.

Over the years, advertisers have faced issues with privacy and third-party cookies. Without attributing sales or leads to their campaigns, it has become increasingly difficult for businesses to justify their marketing spending.

Google has been rolling out solutions to help businesses; some include consent mode, enhanced conversations, conversion modeling, and data-driven attribution. These solutions, combined with first-party data and API connections, will help advertisers track their campaigns without disturbing user privacy.

In its privacy playbook, Google highlights:

1. Build direct relationships with your customers.
2. Ensure your measurement remains accurate and actionable.
3. Drive performance by keeping your ads relevant.

Businesses can make dedicated data collection campaigns that do not directly push users for sales and reduce reliance on external data sources. Then they can craft campaigns on the data collected while keeping the audience in mind. Although it is not an overnight change, the goal is to reduce the costs of these campaigns. In time with a combination of internal and external data sources, you might see an improvement in your campaign performance and conversions.

This trend will change as data privacy guidelines and AI and automation evolve. Advertisers should be dynamic with these changes and keep a keen eye on the latest developments. An active approach to these trends can help businesses step ahead of their competition in their data collection practices.

Pay more per Click

PPC Marketing has proven itself with its detailed analytics and ROI. As a result, advertisers in 2022 have become more conscious about data and consumer behavior, especially when users arrive on the landing pages and how they interact with their brands.

As more businesses realize the value of PPC marketing, bidding costs are getting higher. However, it does not mean that Google Ads will require an enormous investment to yield meaningful results. Google Ads still values innovative advertising, where the more optimized ads rank higher than un-optimized ads with larger budgets.

Thus, even if people are investing more in Google Ads, it does not mean that a lower budget can yield better results. It’s all about optimizing.

In conclusion, a lot is changing, but a lot is still relevant. While 2022 may be transitional in areas like AI and data privacy, other traditional aspects of PPC will still be as relevant. Even if you are not an expert in all these trends, a broader understanding can place you ahead of your peers.

At Breadschool, we can help you keep up with the trends and maximize your ROI from PPC. Click here to learn more about our services.