There have been numerous developments happening in the paid search arena that will shape the digital marketing landscape for 2020. As innovation in digital marketing continues to rapidly grow, it is important for PPC pros to keep up with the market trends. We are here to help you stay on top of the latest advancements in paid search by taking a look at the biggest trends that will transform the digital marketing industry at large.

Here are a few of the biggest trends that you need to know for 2020:

  1. PPC Automation, AI and Machine Learning
    One of the biggest trends that’s taking shape in 2020 is automation.  To clarify, PPC automation is the use of technology, AI or machine learning to maximize SEM efforts for your brand. Paid advertising is a major driver for many businesses, however, it’s a real challenge to manually handle a PPC strategy across numerous platforms, so why not spend less time and money with machine learning tools? Prior to the introduction of automation, advertisers would manually bid on keyword phrases relevant to the target market and pay publishers (typically search engines) when the ad was clicked (hence, pay-per-click). However, this process was mind-numbing, extremely time-consuming, and more importantly, costly due to human error. In 2020 and the years to come, it is vital for business owners and PPC experts to utilize these tools and features in order to maximize the marketing benefits that come with automation. Automation marketing benefits include, but are not limited to: rapidly analyzing website traffic signals, having more time focus on value-adding strategic efforts, improving ad campaign results while saving money, and quickly identifying anomalies that may hinder performance. Machine learning tools help marketers identify the best offer that will drive the most traffic to your website and have the ability to predict CTR (click-through-rate) of future ads. Although there seems to be a loss of control with robots running your business, automation will give you extra time to focus on other aspects of your business that require more attention. In the fast-paced world of PPC, the power of automation is inevitable. Utilizing these tools will surely improve results, as well as help you manage PPC accounts across multiple platforms efficiently.
  2. Better Audience Targeting
    Google Ads’ latest feature allows brands to add target audiences. Taking advantage of this feature will allow you to narrow down who gets to see your ads while getting the most out of your ad budget. You can target your audience based on very specific demographics, such as age group and household income. Furthermore, you can exclude audiences that your service or product would not appeal to as well. The latest feature gives marketers the ability to layer audiences on top of each other, resulting in extremely relevant ads based off of keyword targeting and demographic targeting.
  3. Alternative Platforms
    When we think of PPC, we typically think of Google Ads and Facebook Ads. Now it’s time to consider other advertising platforms, for instance, Amazon Ads. Amazon is the third largest and fastest growing advertising platform and it has a major advantage over Google and Facebook – buyer intent. Although Google and Facebook have a large audience, this does not necessarily mean that users are ready to make a purchase. Users searching on Amazon, however, are ready to ready to make a purchase and therefore could result in higher conversion rates.
  4. Video Ads
    Video content is a great resource for brands to utilize! Not only are videos a power and effective tool for relaying information, but users are more likely to engage with a website for longer – with an 88% increase in time usage – than a website without video content. More importantly, video truly allows you to communicate your brand’s story and personality to your target audience
  5. Visual Searching
    Instead of using text to search for something, you can now use visual search to find a product. Users want results faster than ever, and visual search is the most convenient way to get the exact product you want in no time. Utilizing this important feature is simple. First, create a photo catalog of your products and services. Then, add metadata to the images so that they are properly categorized by search engines.