We’re almost at the end of the eventual year of 2020 and the events of this year have changed the world seriously. Along with everything else, the world of digital marketing has also been substantially affected in every part. As a measure to contain Coronavirus spread, people all over the world were forced to stay at home which led to a drastic increase in web browsing and overall internet usage. With digital media becoming almost the only medium for advertising and marketing, year 2020 has set new trends for internet marketing.
While physical marketing and advertising became impossible, the plane of digital marketing expanded and Paid Search, one of internet marketing’s most famous models has witnessed its own share of changes.
In this article, we have put together 10 recent paid search updates you need to know.
Top 10 Recent Paid Search Updates You Need To Know.
1. Data Opacity
This might come as a bit of a bad news for big companies but well, 2020 has been a synonym for “bad news”. So, Google has limited search query data, plus there is going to be a removal tracking cookies (as has been said). This will limit digital advertisers from doing clear analysis to base their decisions on. This whole thing is being mainly frowned upon by big advertisers. However, this is predicted to turn out to be a good thing for small digital advertisers to rely on Google’s machine learning.
2. Need for Better Understanding Target Audience
Now the loss of data might not be just entirely bad. There’s always a bright side, right? And just like that, it has opened the way for digital marketers to be better. Limited search query data would limit the source to derive SEO strategies from. However, this might be a step to move beyond just keyword driven advertisement to gaining better understanding of your audience.
3. Increase in Automation
The last two points given, there is this now. Fortunately or unfortunately, ads platforms are taking away more and more control from PPC marketers. Steve Hammer, President of RankHammer believes that this is only going to become a norm in 2021. So, that’s there.
4. A shift to Other Digital Advertising Platforms
This one here is not a deliberate change. It is more of an unintended consequence. Due to loss of control on Google, many digital advertisers are now shifting to other platforms like Microsoft which still provides marketers the adequate data which is needed to make sound strategies.
5. Restriction on Third Party Cookies
Due to changes in global privacy policies, there are going to be restrictions to third-party cookies which is going to disrupt how data is sourced for many as Paid Search advertisers have been heavily dependent upon cookie-driven targeting technologies. Now for 2021, it is important to harness the power of the first-party data.
6. Instagram for Paid Search
Yes, you read it right. This is undeniably true that instagram has been rapidly gaining popularity. With more and more people connecting to it, it becomes a great platform for digital marketing and advertising. Many digital marketers believe that as Instagram is coming up with more updates and modifications (like IGTV and Reels), it might be a good idea to consider and explore Instagram as a PPC advertising space. It is important to note how exceedingly well Instagram Stories ads have been doing.
7. And Opportunity to Form More Meaningful Marketing Strategies
With Google limiting access to search query data, marketers will be able to focus better on their audience as people rather than just some stats and numbers. This will pave a way for creation of better and more meaningful marketing strategies.
8. Focus on Your Ads Message
With all the points said above, focusing on what messages are communicated through your ads has become of all the more importance now. As your customers are no more just Google stats and data points, it is crucial to work on the message that you want to get through to your audience. There is a need for a more emotional approach than technical.
9. Uncertainty is the New Certainty
In order to survive in these testing times as a paid search marketer, it is extremely important to avoid one thing- settling. Do not settle with any strategy. Do not get deluded that you ‘know’ what’s up. It’s important to keep testing your ways, to keep scrutinising your existing approach and to be ready for anything.
10. A Greater Need for Mobile Friendliness
Smartphones have been around from a long time now but still many websites are not very mobile friendly. This might not have been much of a big deal earlier but now it has become an issue of pressing importance. More and more advertisers are including mobile friendliness as a crucial component of effective digital marketing.
Takeaway
The common outlook is that 2020 has adversely affected the digital marketing world and this, to much extent, is actually true. However, this is not all to it. Every crisis comes with a potential of new opportunities. And it is an indispensable trait of a good marketer to be able to adapt to a changing environment.
With all this, it is safe to say that year 2021 is going to demand hell a lot of flexibility and creativity. Found it interesting? We have more! Subscribe here.
