Pay-per-click has been an integral element in successful digital marketing strategies, and as the internet has shifted and changed, PPC remains as important as ever at attracting site visitors and increasing conversions. In fact, PPC is so consistent and effective that many digital marketing experts considered it more vital to conversion success than SEO.
Whether PPC or SEO will be dominant in the coming years, one thing is for certain: You will need to kick up your PPC campaign in 2020. Here are a number of highly anticipated PPC trends to watch over the coming months, so you can launch yourself into them when the timing is right.
AI and PPC
Artificial intelligence is an exciting (and slightly terrifying) development in tech that seems to be seeping into every digital nook and cranny. AI can greatly benefit PPC by parsing vast amounts of data to identify the best possible audiences for certain ads. This saves businesses like yours money by avoiding advertising to audiences unlikely to buy, and it helps audiences receive more appropriate advertisements to improve their life and work. Though PPC-specific AI isn’t perfect, it is rapidly developing and could be widely (and affordably) available in 2020.
Better Segmentation
Segmentation is effective grouping. In digital marketing, you need to segment your audience, so you can better cater to different customers’ needs and wants. Because you have such incredible access to user data, you have more options for how you segment your audience — based on location, demographics like age and weight, psychology like values and budget and behavior like habits and hobbies. Enhanced segmentation improves the success of PPC campaigns by ensuring that the right people see the right ads at the right time. In the coming years, segmentation options will continue to grow.
Reduced Search Results
When was the last time you went beyond a search engine’s first page of results to find the webpage you want? If you are like most people, it has been years, and search engines are noticing. Because they have become so outrageously good at returning the exact results that users want, search engines have begun dramatically reducing the results they show. That means you will need to work harder to get your content to appear organically in results — or you will need to pay to get on the list. By investing in PPC optimization, you can ensure your ads show up for as many queries as possible.
Cross-channel Video Ads
Videos convey information quickly and with high entertainment value. When you produce video ads, you have more opportunities to show your personality and engage more fully with your audience. Though video production might seem like an unnecessary expense, you should consider that 88 percent of users spend more time on websites with videos, and the ROI for video content tends to be exceedingly positive — especially if you can promote your video content across channels with ease. Fortunately, as video usage has increased, most social media sites and a few other platforms are offering more opportunities for video ads, which you should take advantage of in the coming months and years.
More Ad Platforms
Speaking of platforms, you should be using more than Google Ads to get the word out about your company. By investing in Facebook Ads, Instagram Ads, Amazon Ads and other advertisement platforms, you will be able to increase your reach, especially on mobile. When you have ads displaying on multiple platforms at once, you are guaranteeing that your target audience is seeing and engaging with your content.
Remarketing
Remarketing is a form of advertising that sells products or services to users who have already browsed those products or services. A few studies have been conducted on remarketing PPC tactics, and essentially every one has identified an extreme uptick in conversion rates amongst consumers who see again and again the products they once considered buying. Plus, remarketing campaigns are relatively low-cost because you don’t have to waste money identifying new audiences — you merely pursue the leads you already have.
VR and PPC
Finally, it is always possible that virtual reality will finally emerge as a vital advertising market. Indeed, VR continues to grow slowly, and as more VR technologies become more widely available to consumers, it is likely that some of your audience might migrate to VR. Because advertising in VR is uncharted territory, it might be worthwhile to spend some time developing a VR strategy should one be needed in the near future.
Pay-per-click advertising was among the first major ways businesses could access their online audiences, and it remains one of the best. By shifting your strategy with new technology and trends, you will continue to see success from PPC.
