Skip to content
What are the latest Google Ads trends? How do I survive PPC marketing in 2022? What should I be doing with my search ads in 2022? These are all questions that plague the minds of marketers every year, but especially in 2022.
With many major trends reaching their tipping points, like automation, artificial intelligence and voice search, 2022 is positioned to be a pivotal year for PPC marketers.
Here’s what you need to know to thrive in 2022’s Google Ads environment.
Automation Is Good, But Also Sometimes Bad
A lot of PPC marketers were initially excited for automation. Finally, the opportunity to stop spending so much time on those tedious tasks!
Now, the excitement has been dialed back as marketers realize that automation requires them to give up control on important steps in the process, like bidding, targeting and even ad creation. Yet, Google continues to roll out more and more “smart” features that automate PPC campaigns further.
That said, automation is valuable, when used in the right areas. Instead of asking Google’s smart features to handle your most critical campaign factors, focus on the automation features that alleviate the pressures of low-impact tasks.
Artificial Intelligence Means Better Decision-Making
Artificial intelligence is really the engine powering automation tools and the two are sometimes treated as the same trend. Good marketers know how to spot the difference and what this means for their campaigns.
Whereas automation features ask for total (or almost total) control, many AI tools keep the marketer in the driver’s seat. AI makes it possible for PPC managers to analyze huge volumes of their Google Ads data in almost no time at all.
The insights gained from AI-driven analysis can empower better, human decision-making. This is an important distinction that should guide your investment in AI tools in 2022. AI should enhance your Google Ads efforts, but not drive them!
Virtual Personal Assistants Are Changing How Users Search
Siri, Google Now, Amazon Alexa, Cortana and other virtual personal assistants are continuing to grow in popularity, which means more and more searches are being conducted with a user’s voice, rather than their keyboard.
Not only does this cause big spikes in mobile searches, but it also affects what people are searching. How a user speaks to their device is different from how they would type a search. Voice searches are longer and more detailed questions compared to the keyword-laden, short-tail searches that users type into Google.
For example, “smartwatches” becomes “Hey Siri, what are best smartwatches I can buy in 2022?” This shift means marketers should explore longer, question-based keyword phrases in their PPC campaigns.
Google Shopping Ads Are Getting A Facelift
Amazon Advertising suddenly became the prettiest ad platform at the party, especially for product-centric companies. In response, Google has decided to give its shopping-focused ads a major rework.
If you’re selling products online, this battle between Amazon Advertising and Google Ads is an important one to watch. Google has already introduced shopping ads to Gmail and YouTube, giving these businesses a whole new world to explore.
Not to mention, shopping ads are growing in sophistication. These new features help consumers connect to the right products through price matching tools, reviews and other data. Marketers then reap the benefits of having more expansive shopping ads that are more likely to entice clicks and purchases.
User Privacy And Data Security Is Top Priority
Marketers long enjoyed the wild west of user data, where there were almost no rules to the information that they could store and analyze from customers. But, those days are gone. Consumers (and regulators) are increasingly aware of the sometimes sneaky ways that companies collect data and they aren’t happy about it.
With an increasing number of data breaches happening, users are scared and more concerned with how their data is being collected and used than ever before. Marketers need to quell these fears by being totally transparent with what information is being collected and how it is being used.
Data collection consent is going to be crucial in 2022. Without this permission, well-targeted ad messages may come across as invasive and a breach of the user’s privacy. This is especially vital in your Google Ads remarketing campaigns.
Conclusions
Google Ads continuously changes and updates its platform with new features. Many of these changes are designed to help advertisers achieve better results and stronger ROI. Unfortunately, some changes are better on paper than in reality.
For 2022, marketers should remain cautious of automated “smart” features, but lean into the AI tools that help make better and faster decisions. And, don’t forget to be 100% transparent with your data gathering means!
