Google advertising campaigns continue to be an impactful and proven method to increase conversions with leads and sales from your ideal customers. Google is continuously making improvements, updates and changes to how Google Ads campaigns are created, delivered and reported.
It is important to keep on top of current trends and updates which Google make to maximise the return on ad spend from your Google Advertising campaigns.
Our blog post will take a look at some of the expected trends and Google advert updates to be aware of and adapt to during 2023. Both for current and future Google Ads campaigns planned as part of your overall marketing strategy for your business.
Ben Webster
Creative director at 1PCS. Addicted to design, SEO, pizza and helping companies big and small succeed online.
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Adapting To Changes
With continued changes to privacy regulations and data access, not just for Google, but across all digital marketing; Google has always been proactive to adapt to both current and forecasted changes to ensure their algorithm and options adapt and improve to evolve with the changing digital climate.
Ultimately, Google will want advertisers to feel confident and happy with their Google Ad campaign, so they continue to invest their ad spend with Google. Whilst wanting users to be receiving the right results for their search queries and having a positive experience so that they continue using Google as their search engine and using their other channels too.
Similar Audiences
Due to there continuing to be tighter regulations and restrictions on privacy options and access to data, it has fast tracked the need for using first-party data and reducing the dependency on cookie data. As a part of this Google will be changing the data segments.
From 1st May 2023, you will no longer be able to create Similar Audiences for targeting and reporting for new Google Ad Campaigns. Active campaigns using similar audiences (also known as ‘similar segments’ will remain within the campaign until 1st August 2023.
After this date, they will be removed with only access to view historical reporting for insight information. As a result of similar audiences coming to an end, Google will be looking for first party data to be leveraged with different solutions to reach new customers through your online advertising.
There are a few approaches to this depending on the type of Google Ad campaign such as depending on if you are running Display, Search or Shopping campaigns among others. This includes enabling the feature ‘optimized targeting’ which will help to access additional and expanded audiences.
Another useful feature to reach similar people to existing first-party data is the ‘audience expansion’. For Search or Shopping campaigns, using ‘Smart Bidding’ is recommended by Google.
These features within the Google Ads account will allow the Google algorithm to find new and similar users to reach a wider and more targeted audience for your Google Ads.
Automation Improvements
As part of the trends for Google Ads for 2023, automation options and processes within the Google Ads platform will continue to be an important part of running a successful Google Ads campaign. Automation is anticipated to have a higher involvement going forward which can be seen from the recent updates.
This is due to the automation improvements made by Google which makes the options more reliable and trusted to support with Google Ads set-up, optimisation and reporting. The logic behind this is that automation will help to deliver better results, due to the learnings and real-time information Google can use and access to benefit your Google advertising campaigns.
However, it is important to note it is not as simple as selecting all the automation options available and then can leave the campaign alone to run itself. The automation will only be as good as the information given and provided within the Google Ads account.
To achieve the highest ad performance to generate high quality leads with a higher likely rate to convert to sales will require thorough and regular testing, it can not be left purely to automatically work perfectly.
With increased automation, this removes an element of control which has its limitations. Therefore it is important to regularly test, report and optimise to ensure any optional automation are delivering the best results. With control kept where needed to make sure the Google Ads campaign is delivering the best return on ad spend.
Google Performance Max
Whilst it has now been around for a while with Google announcing the beta version in November 2021, it became a big focus in 2022 for Google Ad campaigns. Google Smart Shopping campaigns and traditional Local campaigns are both being moved across to Performance Max. It is expected the biggest impact of the change to Google Performance Max will be on Smart Shopping.
With it impacting on varying levels across all channels and with the expected advancements in what can be achieved, it is safe to say Google Performance Max will be a main trend for 2023 for the advertising platform.
Google defines Performance Max as “a new goal-based campaign type that allows performance advertisers to access all their Google Ads inventory from a single campaign”. As it says on the tin in their own name, their focus is on delivering the best performance. This will include all their channels across the Google network such as Google Shopping, Google Search Network, Google Display Network, Google Maps and Gmail.
As detailed above, automation tools are constantly improved by Google and play a big part in Performance Max, helping to meet your specified conversion goals. As it is goal focused, it is important before beginning a new Google Ad campaign to ensure the right goal is chosen.
The automation tools need to be used with the right knowledge and expertise from bidding to audiences, combined with impactful creative assets, landing pages and data feeds. Performance Max when utilised correctly for Google Ad campaigns can deliver more conversions and unlock new audiences whilst delivering transparent insights.
How can we help?
We hope our blog post was helpful to learn more about the expected Google Ad trends for 2023. Google is continuously changing, updating and improving, therefore it is important to always be up to date with the latest knowledge and to regularly test and optimise your Google Ad campaigns.
At 1PCS Creative we are a Google Partner which means we have the right knowledge and expertise to deliver impactful and successful Google Ad Campaigns. If you are considering beginning Google Ads or looking to improve your current results for existing Google Ad campaigns, we can happily help. Please feel free to get in touch to discuss this further with one of our team.