The world of PPC is constantly evolving. Things that seemed like a good idea only a few years ago can now be dead in the water. As technology improves, consumer behaviour changes, and new features are added to platforms, so do best practices. Let’s take a look at the key PPC trends that should be on your or your ppc agency’s priority list in 2022.
Campaign keywords based on user search intent
Thanks to a series of updates in Google’s algorithms, nowadays, keyword search has become more about understanding user search intent; that is, a user’s purpose behind the online search. So, it is not just about choosing the correct search terms; it is about understanding why people are searching and how you can meet their expectations.
There are three main types of search intent:
- Informational — Users want information on something, such as the best SEO tools or how to build a garden pond.
- Navigational — Users are looking for a specific website or page, such as YouTube or Google Maps.
- Transactional — Users have an intention to buy something, such as Nike trainers or a new phone.
Here’s why this is so important; If you are running an e-commerce website and bidding on keywords with transactional intent, for example, you have the potential to increase conversions significantly if you target keywords from that category because users are already in a buying mood and at the end of their buyer journey.
Basically, businesses in 2022 need to be prepared for buyers in every stage of a buyer journey.
In other words, if someone searches for “garden pond designs”, you need to know that they are looking for inspirational ideas. If they search for “how to build a garden pond”, they are looking to learn something specific. And if they search “cheap garden ponds”, they are more likely to be ready to buy. Having access to these sets of information and utilising them to your advantage will be key to PPC advertising in 2022.
Smart bidding for budget optimisation
If you haven’t already, it is time to invest in Google Ads smart bidding because they are highly likely to rule 2022. Smart bidding is designed to help advertisers reach their performance goals at a faster pace.
These automated bid strategies use machine learning to optimise your bids for conversions or conversion value. The goal of smart bidding is to get the most conversions at the target cost-per-acquisition (CPA) that you set with an almost instantaneous response to the changing auction dynamics.
You can choose from different types of smart bidding strategies, including target cost-per-acquisition (CPA), enhanced cost-per-click (ECPC), target return on ad spend (ROAS) and maximise conversions.
Smart bidding helps advertisers improve their PPC campaigns by using historical data, account signals and contextual signals in real-time to make intelligent automated bid adjustments. It takes the guesswork out of campaign optimisation, so you don’t have to spend hours trying to figure out how much you should be paying for each click and what keywords will generate the best ROI.
Voice search for PPC campaigns
Voice search is a growing trend. It can be used to make purchasing decisions, find local businesses, and more, which is why it is essential to consider this change as you strategise your ad campaigns for 2022 and beyond.
Currently, businesses have already begun to optimise their ads for:
- Ok, Google
- Hey Siri
- Alexa
What changes: The keywords we use to look up things using voice search and the ones we use for regular search are slightly different.
For example, a user may ask their assistant “where can I find a local real estate agent” or ask “how do I install a light fixture” to get back a list of results based on their location or the top-ranked content on Google, instead of typing “local real estate agent near me” or “light fixture installation.”
As you can see, this will change the way people search for products and services and how they engage with brands online, so businesses need to be prepared with voice search-friendly keywords in 2022.
Diversification of PPC channels
The more diversified your business is across multiple platforms, the better it is for your brand’s long term growth. This will ring true for PPC campaigns in 2022, as well.
Over the last few years, we have seen brands become too dependent on Facebook or Google Ads platforms and forget about other platforms where they could reach out to their customers. Meanwhile, platforms like Quora, Reddit, Pinterest, and TikTok have grown rapidly and established communities of people with decent spending potential.
As a result, businesses have the opportunity to reach out to a more specific target audience and have a better chance at improving their numbers.
Ad retargeting for more conversions
Retargeting (also known as remarketing) is a type of online advertising that allows you to target consumers who have already visited your website or showed interest in your business once before. With ad retargeting, you can reach out to consumers at any time during their purchase journey, which helps you move them closer towards conversion.
For example, if someone browses through your product pages but doesn’t add anything to their shopping cart, you can use ad retargeting to remind them about items that are still in their cart and encourage them to complete their purchase. Similarly, if someone abandons your site after filling out a lead generation form, you can use retargeting advertising to nurture those leads until they convert.
Since it is a great money-saving technique, it is no surprise that retargeting will be a key PPC trend in 2022.
Rise of responsive search ads for better targeting
Responsive search ads are becoming more important for PPC due to their flexibility and ability to target more precisely than traditional text ads. They use machine learning to optimise your ad for each individual search term, allowing you to reach the maximum number of potential customers.
These ads can include up to 15 headlines and four descriptions, giving you greater scope for personalisation and A/B testing than standard text ads. In the era of automation, if you aren’t taking advantage of this technology, you are missing out.