{"id":143076,"date":"2021-02-26T11:38:12","date_gmt":"2021-02-26T11:38:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.searchenginewatch.com\/?p=143076"},"modified":"2021-02-26T11:38:12","modified_gmt":"2021-02-26T11:38:12","slug":"three-critical-ppc-trends-to-watch-for-in-2021","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/2021\/02\/26\/three-critical-ppc-trends-to-watch-for-in-2021\/","title":{"rendered":"Three critical PPC trends to watch for in 2021"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"well\">\n<h3>30-second summary:<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The PPC world is ever-changing. Today\u2019s trends may not be in the picture tomorrow<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">People will start focusing more on the buyer\u2019s journey and use it to its full potential<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Automation and AI will be a key trend in 2021<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Many things have turned topsy-turvy after witnessing a year full of unprecedented situations and multiple coronavirus-induced lockdowns. Companies are shifting to a remote-first culture, people prefer shopping online than going to a retail store, and in-person conversations have turned to video conversations.\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A lot has changed in the last year, even on the advertising and marketing turf. Marketers have started using automation and artificial intelligence (AI) to create data-backed ads. They\u2019ve started understanding the buyer\u2019s journey and making the most of it. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here are three PPC trends that can potentially rock the boat in 2021.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>1. Google\u2019s ad data hub will be a gold mine<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Earlier in 2020, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/blog.google\/products\/ads\/investing-next-generation-measurement-youtube\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Google announced<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> that they\u2019d stop allowing third-party pixel tracking because of <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.singlegrain.com\/seo\/how-poor-website-security-negatively-impacts-seo-rankings\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">security concerns<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. The reliance on third-party pixels to check YouTube metrics led Google to invest in <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/developers.google.com\/ads-data-hub\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ads Data Hub<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It is a custom analysis that aligns data with your specific objectives while maintaining privacy and security. It offers marketers a comprehensive analysis to measure the effectiveness of the ads across different screens.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-143078 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Image-1-1.png\" alt=\"PPC trends - Google's data hub\" width=\"728\" height=\"488\" srcset=\"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Image-1-1.png 728w, https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Image-1-1-300x201.png 300w, https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Image-1-1-768x515.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 728px) 100vw, 728px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ads data hub will prove to be a gold mine for the marketers as it gives specific insights about the customer behavior and how they\u2019re interacting with your ads.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>2. Understanding the buyer\u2019s journey<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A key aspect of a successful PPC campaign is to know how your customers behave to your ad in each step of your customer\u2019s journey. Understanding each stage of the buyer\u2019s journey can help in creating a more <a href=\"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/2021\/01\/19\/ways-to-get-the-most-out-of-your-google-adwords-ppc-strategy\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">effective PPC <\/a>campaign.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here are the five stages of the customer\u2019s buyer\u2019s journey and how can make the most of it by creating PPC campaigns for each stage.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>Stage #1: Awareness<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In this stage, customers learn about your business and offerings. People are looking for an answer to their question\u2014there are looking for someone to solve their problem. So, their needs may or may not be well defined.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How can you help?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Help them figure out their needs and align your offers according to them. Use branded paid ads to garner their attention. Use keywords they\u2019re using to search in their search queries. When they see your ad, it stirs curiosity in them, and it compels them to know more about your brand.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>Stage #2: Exploration<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In this stage, the customer learns more about the answers to their problems. They are sure of their needs and know different ways to cater to them. They also deem you as one of the solution providers and are gauging whether you can solve their problems. They\u2019re checking your company\u2019s USP, reviews, social proof, and previous partnerships.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How can you help?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At this stage, you can engage with your customers and build a long-lasting relationship. You can also use Facebook lead ads for addressing your customer\u2019s problems. You can also write a conversational copy having social proof, case study, and previous work. This will inculcate a sense of trust in them, and they\u2019ll love to explore your offerings.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>Stage #3:\u00a0Comparison<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In this stage, the customer compares different offerings and finds the best fit. He now understands the pricing points, their reviews, and ratings. Hence, PPC remarketing ads can prove out to be a great bet here. You can evoke the customer to click on your ad and embed your \u201ccookie.\u201d This keeps your brand in front of your customer.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>Stage #4: Conversion<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The customers have realized their needs. They have narrowed down their options and are ready to buy. This is where you can put a strong call to action in your ads to encourage them to purchase from you. A solid CTA will compel your customer to purchase from you. Besides, you can also use remarketing to ensure that the prospects buy only from you.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>Stage #5: Re-engagement<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Finally, the prospect has become a customer. So, make efforts in retaining them. But how will you do that? Segment these customers into a new audience list and use remarketing ads to attract their attention for other products and services.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Understanding each stage of the buyer\u2019s journey will help you create a rock-solid <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/2020\/05\/11\/how-to-increase-online-sales-in-three-easy-steps-through-ppc-ads\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">PPC<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> campaign. The more you know your customers, the better you can tailor your campaigns.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>3. Automation will play a crucial role<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">According to Statista, the market size of automation globally will increase from <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.singlegrain.com\/pay-per-click-2\/ppc-trends-2021\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">71.5% to 83.2% by 2021.<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-143079 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/image-2-1.png\" alt=\"PPC trends - Automation will take charge\" width=\"818\" height=\"592\" srcset=\"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/image-2-1.png 818w, https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/image-2-1-300x217.png 300w, https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/image-2-1-768x556.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 818px) 100vw, 818px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Hence, automation is expected to be a game-changing trend in 2021. With AI and machine learning (ML), advertisers can automate labor-intensive tasks of finding the right place to display the ads. Automation will also play a crucial role in testing ads. It\u2019ll be used to optimize ads that include:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Finding the best bidding strategy\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Creating bids to get maximum conversions\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Enhance cost per click by looking for ad auctions\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Monitor the ad performance and stop low-performing ads\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Prioritize the ads that are generating top results\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Generate ads dynamically using user behavior and website content\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Generate ad performance reports dynamically\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Generate ad data and create ad copies to generate maximum clicks\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As <a href=\"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/2021\/02\/22\/how-marketers-can-start-using-ai-for-stronger-results\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">AI learns more<\/a> about your audience\u2019s behavior and how they interact with the ads, it can accurately create ads to improve your PPC campaign\u2019s performance.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Wrapping up<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As an advertiser, you must incorporate these PPC trends in your marketing strategy to get the most out of your campaigns. In 2021, AI and automation will take the front seat. People will focus on each stage of the buyer\u2019s journey and <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">use voice search to look for answers to their queries. There will be a surge in VR-enabled video ads. Marketers will also look for alternate PPC campaign platforms such as Quora, LinkedIn, Reddit, and other such platforms to generate better ROI in 2021. Hence, it\u2019s true to say that 2021 has a bunch of whole new things in its bag for you. All the best for taking up your digital marketing strategy a notch up!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><i>Aayush Gupta is Sr. Manager, Brand &amp; Marketing at\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.uplers.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-auth=\"NotApplicable\">Uplers<\/a>.<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In 2021, advertisers and marketers will witness a new set of PPC trends that will generate more leads and conversions. Here are 3 of them to incorporate. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1092,"featured_media":143080,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[27893,10],"tags":[151,53,37,27739,58,28078],"content_type":[],"class_list":["post-143076","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-digital-marketing","category-ppc","tag-ai","tag-digital-marketing","tag-google","tag-paid-marketing","tag-ppc","tag-ppc-campaign-optimization"],"acf":{"tad_independentcommercial":false,"tad_content_format":false},"post_info":{"name":"idris.nagri@blenheimchalcot.com idris.nagri@blenheimchalcot.com","title":"","thumbnail_url":"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Three-critical-PPC-trends-to-watch-for-in-2021.png","category":"Digital Marketing","timeago":"5y"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/143076","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1092"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=143076"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/143076\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/143080"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=143076"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=143076"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=143076"},{"taxonomy":"content_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/content_type?post=143076"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}