Changes to Google Ads are just around the corner!
Google, as it does every year, has heated up the marketers' community by announcing the next edition of Google Marketing Live . Undoubtedly, this is the most important event in the world of performance marketing, and each time it sets the scene for the industry's development in the coming months. The Mountain View giant periodically invites business owners and marketers to share new product releases and future plans.
In the distinguished company of leading agency owners from around the world, our CEOs, Krzysztof and Mateusz , traveled to sunny California to gain firsthand insight into the upcoming changes to the Google Ads advertising system . Last year, the most exciting announcements included new campaign types based on smart bidding, responsive search ads, and new sales-boosting advertising opportunities on YouTube. What do we know from this year's conference? Let's move on to nine of the most exciting announcements.
Discovery Ads – a new advertising format in the Google Discover channel
Google introduced a new app in September last year that displays personalized messages in its search engine. Since then, the app has been continuously improved and will soon become a new platform for display advertising.
Discovery Ads creatives will appear not only in Google Discover but also on the YouTube homepage and in the "Promotions" tab in Gmail. Discovery Ads will be displayed to users in a carousel format. The new format will be available only on mobile devices. There is no information yet on whether it will also be available on desktop devices.
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Gallery Ads – image ads in search engines
Similar to Discovery Ads, the new ad format will be displayed in a carousel format, allowing users to seamlessly scroll through images. Gallery Ads will appear at the top of search results. They will consist of:
- from 4 to 8 pictures,
- a 70-character description of each image,
- 3 headlines (similar to standard Search Network ads).
After testing, Google claims that Gallery Ads contributed to an increase in ad CTR by nearly 25%.
Smart bidding improvements
Machine learning has become crucial to the development of the SEM industry. For over a year, Google has also been emphasizing the development of intelligent bidding strategies based on machine learning. This topic was also a key topic at this year's conference. Three new solutions will increase the efficiency of smart bidding campaigns:
Campaign-Level Conversion Goals – This will allow you to differentiate the types of activities that drive conversions at the campaign level. This solution is useful when running a brand and a strictly sales campaign within a single account. This will allow you to assign a specific goal to each campaign. Previously, you could only implement conversions at the entire Google Ads account level . This will facilitate the use of various bid optimization strategies to meet short- and long-term business goals.
Conversion action sets – we will be able to create sets of actions that cause conversions.
Seasonality Adjustments – an ideal solution for online stores planning sales. Over a specified period, the system will aggressively optimize bids to increase conversion rates.
YouTube Bumper Machine
YouTube , the most popular video platform, has enormous potential as a promotional channel for advertisers. Every day, internet users around the world watch billions of videos on YouTube. Google has been steadily expanding its platform's advertising capabilities for some time now. Another new video advertising feature was announced at Google Marketing Live. A new format will be introduced, consisting of a series of three 6-second Bumper Ads.
According to recent research, such ads are more memorable than 30-second skippable ads. Google will also release a Bumper Machine tool that will allow you to convert any 90-second video into a new format. This solution is scheduled to launch later this year.
Custom audiences
One of the most exciting new features is the announcement of the merger of audiences with similar interests and those with specific purchasing intentions. This will create a new audience group – custom audiences. This will enable more precise targeting of Google Ads ads to people who are actually interested in specific products or services with a view to making a subsequent purchase.
Audience Expansion Tool
The new tool is linked to a new Custom Audience group. If one of these groups converts well, we'll be able to find a group of consumers who share similar interests, online behavior, and purchasing intentions.
Improving Google Shopping
Instagram recently introduced a new feature, "Instagram Checkout," that allows for in-app purchases. This solution shortens the customer's shopping journey, significantly reducing the chance of abandoning the shopping cart. Google has announced a similar solution that allows you to order products directly from Google Shopping , without having to be redirected to an online store website.
Shopping Showcase Ads in new locations
Showcase ads will also appear on YouTube and Google Images. This type of product ad promotes our brand to users who haven't yet decided on a specific product. Ads appear for very general searches, such as "sports shoes" or "backpack."
Local campaigns
This new campaign type was designed for consumers who, before heading to a brick-and-mortar store, research its offerings online and make their first choices there. Semi-automated local campaigns will target local businesses and appear in search, Google Maps, the Display Network, and YouTube. They will consist of images and text and be fully responsive. The ads are designed to drive as many visits to the brick-and-mortar store as possible.
Oh, what was happening in California! It was worth flying to the end of the world to hear about how Google's advertising landscape will change in the coming months. Maks has already discussed the more important innovations, but I have a general conclusion for you – marketing history has, in a sense, come full circle.
Dlaczego?
In the 90s, the prevailing belief was that the more a brand could appear, everywhere and at any time, the better. The guiding principle of large players was "ubiquity" and staying out of the cold. Over time, brands began to spend their money increasingly intelligently. Better targeting, defining personas, a deeper understanding of market data, and widespread access to basic optimization tools – all of this allowed them to retain the attention of audiences who would buy products and use services more readily than the average consumer. Companies finally understood their audiences and reached those places where they had the greatest opportunity. However, it turns out that we once again have to be everywhere. This time, however, not with the masses in mind, but with that one, specific user in mind.
The problem lies in the multitude of choices, incentives, and barriers. Even if someone hears about your product once, they'll likely turn away and learn about four others that are cheaper, more colorful, or easier to use. But even the value of a product isn't enough. You need to show up in search engines, you need to promote yourself through remarketing—both on websites and on Facebook. You need to explain how the product works in a short YouTube video —and ideally, hire someone your audience trusts to do it. Finally, show on LinkedIn—where we all operate in business—that the product owner is the guy who will remember your birthday.
Forget the linear customer journey. Consumers today meander and narrow their choices over time. The key is that, as a company, you're always ready to be present at each stage, answering, explaining, and showcasing the benefits. According to Google, record-breaking buyers encounter our brand up to 550 times in 100 days before making a final decision. Apparently, we start searching for a new car at least four months before buying, and we don't do this by viewing models in person, but by viewing reviews in search engines, asking for recommendations on Facebook , or watching YouTube reviews.
There's still time to board the cross-channel train. Nevertheless, choose your partner wisely. Unfortunately, most players don't utilize modern optimization tools, which are so helpful in today's online marketing landscape. Machine learning, accurate data analysis, and metric selection—all of this can't be implemented overnight in marketing agencies.
Summary
The above article covers the following topics:
- directions of development of the Google Ads system, including new advertising formats, development of machine learning and advanced campaign optimization tools,
- trends pointing to the need to build a multi-channel brand presence and reach users at every stage of their non-linear shopping path.
