PPC Predictions For 2022 – What The Experts Say

  • TechRound has collected PPC Predictions for 2022 from industry experts.
  • Many of the experts look towards 2022 as a year where data will be restricted by large companies and how the PPC industry must work around that challenge. 
  • Hear from experts such as Dale Olorenshaw from Cab Engine and Sarah Williams from Ortus on what they believe will shape PPC in the coming year. 

The pandemic forced advertisers to evaluate their plans and adjust their methods, as 2022 marks the beginning of the end for the global pandemic, how will the PPC industry shift and shape itself in the coming year.

In that vein, TechRound has spoken to PPC experts to get their predictions for 2022. Take a look at what some of the top industry experts in the PPC field believe will happen to PPC advertising in the coming year and find some tips on how you can improve your advertising and engage with your customers in 2022.

Our Panel of Experts:

  • Mark Hughes – Head of Marketing at Rest Less
  • Jordan Mason – Managing Director at Digital Moves
  • Sarah Williams – Associate Director at Ortus
  • Callum CoardPPC Specialist at Vertical Leap
  • Gareth PittPPC Specialist at Liberty Marketing
  • Matthew Dorrington – Managing Director at Blue Moxie
  • Ray Dean – Head of Performance Marketing at Fluid Commerce
  • John McManus – PPC Team Leader at Journey Further
  • Ion Farmakides – Head of Sales at Pearl Lemon Leads
  • Dale Olorenshaw – Head of Performance Marketing at Cab Engine
  • Ryan Lees – Digital Director and PPC Specialist at Limelight

 

For any questions, comments or features, please contact us directly.

 

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Mark Hughes – Head of Marketing at Rest Less

 

 

There will be an increasing focus on first-party data in 2022, as advertisers are forced to evolve towards a “cookieless” world – both to power remarketing of existing customers and drive acquisition through lookalikes etc. This naturally gives a competitive advantage to brands who have lots of first-party data and the systems in place to syndicate to the likes of Facebook and Google. However, it makes the landscape more challenging for start-ups and niche brands – their ability to identify and target potential customers on platforms like Facebook to get themselves off the ground has been greatly reduced.

Having said that, there are also challenges coming for first-party data. With the launch of iOS 15, Apple now enable users to mask their email address on sign-up. So even your first-party data will no longer match with Facebook and Google accounts. Whilst this will initially only be an issue for a certain percentage of Apple users, it’s likely other platforms will adopt this approach too. Over the course of this year and next, it’s possible many businesses will have to reinvent their digital acquisition strategies.

Jordan Mason – Managing Director at Digital Moves

 

 

PPC is becoming significantly more automated, with partner status now linked to automated optimisation, agencies are being required to implement strategies that increase expenditure, but this can also benefit clients in efficiency and more frequent optimisation than manual tactics. The downside to this of course, is that sometimes those automated strategies i.e. smart shopping campaigns, are significantly less effective than maximise clicks or target CPA in our experience. 

The future of search long term in my opinion is visual and voice, with the onus on image extensions and voice search only becoming more pressing. I expect this trend to continue to expand with pronunciation extensions falling into search to capitalise on colloquial dialects. 

In terms of how to most benefit your accounts and that of clients if running them for an agency, we’d focus on the following; 

– Making responsive search ads work 

– Audience targeting & segmentation 

– Overlaying first party data 

– Diversifying your keyword and campaign pool 

– Testing above all else 

Sarah Williams – Associate Director at Ortus

 

 

Smart bidding to continue to build trust and improve – so let’s embrace it wholeheartedly this year. We’re seeing huge improvements each year in the Google algorithm and it is fair to say Google has definitely built up trust amongst PPC experts since smart bidding was first released! So take the time to really understand what each smart bidding strategy offers and potential issues it could cause (e.g. demanding a lot more budget, restricting traffic etc).

The big move to first party focus – it was the talk on every advertiser’s lips for a lot of 2021, and with the deadline of 2023 fast approaching as the end of third-party cookies, this year looks set to be huge for a PPC strategy shift on how businesses can drive up first-party data to understand their customer behaviour more than ever before. Expect a massive emphasis on planning and utilising every data touch point available as well as searching for alternatives to cookies. For example, we’re seeing brands such as Tesco making use of their own customer data to support suppliers and their agencies in better understanding consumer behaviour and targeting.

The most agile PPC’ers will win 2022. Adopting third-party platforms and reports which can offer real-time insights into performance, competition, pricing etc will all support success this year. As there have been and will continue to be so many twists and turns during the pandemic, those in 2022 who can react quickest to changes in government restrictions, what happens in their market/industry and have plan A, B and C up their sleeve depending on the scenario will see the biggest success stories this year… and this will all be down to internal and external data insights and how they are used.

 

For any questions, comments or features, please contact us directly.

 

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Callum Coard – PPC Specialist at Vertical Leap

 

 

Big names like Google and Apple are restricting access to consumer data while Facebook is facing increasing pressure to adapt its data-reliant targeting system. Advertisers have relied on cookies and similar tracking technology to deliver relevant ads across each stage of the consumer journey.

With the web moving towards cookie-less browsing, companies need to overcome their reliance on third-party data. Instead, the emphasis will shift towards first-party data collected directly from customers and the knock-on effect of this is advertising strategies will naturally prioritise the latter stages of the customer journey.

To fill the void of third-party data, advertisers will need to use anonymised data, machine learning and predictive analytics to deliver meaningful interaction at the earlier stages of the consumer journey. We’ll also see an increase in contextual targeting that relies on anonymised actions taken by users in the current session.

Other PPC predictions for 2022

  • Responsive search ads: Google is phasing out expanded text ads from June 2022 and advertisers will have to transition to responsive search ads during the first half of the year.
  • TikTok advertising: Now that TikTok has overtaken Google as the most-used website, expect more advertisers to look at this platform.
  • Social commerce: With Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and other networks integrating with eCommerce platforms like Shopify, social commerce is ready to take off in 2022.
  • eCommerce PPC: With the likes of Amazon and eBay offering mature advertising platforms, retailers should expand beyond Google Shopping for promoting their products.
  • Customer retention: As advertisers prioritise first-party data, they’ll uncover stronger insights for maximising customer retention, repeat purchases and lifetime customer value.
  • Diversification: Facebook’s struggles in 2021 and the emergence of new platforms shows advertisers need to look at diversifying their advertising platforms and avoid being overly reliant on any of them.

 

Gareth Pitt – PPC Specialist at Liberty Marketing

 

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Automation seems to be a major topic of any PPC conversation at the moment and it is growing considerably. If you are not already using it, then you are probably seeing different options in the ‘Recommendations’ section of your Google Ads account.

From bidding strategies to how you create your ads (and even more so now that they are eliminating Extended Text Ads), Automation is growing fast and if businesses don’t start to learn and adapt with it, they could get left behind.

 

Matthew Dorrington – Managing Director at Blue Moxie

 

 

The future of PPC is looking bright. With the current trend in internet marketing, more and more people are turning to paid advertising for their business, making it one of the most popular forms of online advertising. This blog post will discuss how the future might look for PPC.

In the future, PPC will be even more important. In fact, it is predicted that in 2022 alone there will be a 30% increase of businesses using paid advertising methods over organic search results for their online marketing campaign. As mentioned previously, this means one thing: companies are going to need experienced and knowledgeable professionals to help them with their PPC campaigns.

Not only will PPC continue to be popular, but it is also going to become more complex. The algorithms used by Google and other search engines are constantly changing, so those in the industry need to stay up-to-date on the latest trends. Additionally, as more people use mobile devices for internet browsing, it is important that PPC campaigns are optimized for those devices.

Those in the PPC industry need to be prepared for these changes and continue to learn new techniques and strategies if they want to stay ahead of their competition. Fortunately, there is no shortage of training opportunities available, so anyone who is interested in learning more about PPC should have no trouble doing so.

It means that there will be a greater demand for professionals who have experience in paid advertising, and companies should expect to pay more if they want the best of the best working on their campaign. However, it is important to remember that even though you might need to spend more money up front; investing in an experienced PPC professional can result in a greater return on investment in the long run.

Ray Dean – Head of Performance Marketing at Fluid Commerce

 

 

There is one key trend that all ecommerce retailers should be prepare in 2022: a robust cookieless strategy.

As part of updating and aligning users’ online privacy, Google Chrome will stop tracking personal cookies in its Chrome Browser in 2023. Other major search engines, including Bing, are also planning on doing the same.

This change will have a major impact on targeting strategies, including remarketing, in-market, and affinity user targeting across Google Ads (Text Ads, Shopping, YouTube, and Display). Without carefully monitoring, this will affect campaign performance and results.

So what can be done? It is essential to prepare a PPC strategy that can withstand a world without third-party cookies. It’s time to work closely with your in-house paid search team, or your media agency.

Firstly, you must make sure you have the right tracking on your website to improve data accuracy across major media platforms.

Secondly, you can use the latest AI technology created by major media publishers/owners, e.g., FLOC, to target audiences rather than individual users. You can also improve users’ trust and privacy concerns by working to an open and transparent data arrangement.

Thirdly, you must create a media strategy built around first-party data and audiences with shared characteristics.

Finally, Google has also given ecommerce retailers a helping hand to prepare for the incoming change with Google Enhanced Conversions. This is AI conversion modelling from Google, which will allow for sales attribution in a cookieless world.

If you fail to switch to Google Enhanced Conversions, the data you collect is likely to become inaccurate and meaningless. This could lead to making poor or costly choices in optimising your PPC strategy. To make sure this doesn’t happen to you, speak with your PPC team on how to create a roadmap and strategy to switch over to Google’s enhanced conversion tracking. Make sure your team reviews your current tracking and prepares a full tracking audit.

With these tools and strategies under your belt, your brand will be ready to withstand and even succeed following this dramatic shake up in the world of tracking and PPC.

 

For any questions, comments or features, please contact us directly.

 

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John McManus – PPC Team Leader at Journey Further

 

 

Smart Products are here to stay. 

When Smart Products first appeared around 2016, the main concerns were a lack of control and doubts in its actual performance. Through confidence in testing, Smart Bidding is now our default strategy.

This rate of adoption is likely to continue with other smart products available in Google Ads. In 2022, Smart Shopping, Smart Display and more automation in creative will allow teams to leverage machine learning just as effectively as we already have done with Smart Bidding.

‘Brand’ and ‘performance’ will be blurred.

Customer journeys are complex and value is rarely captured accurately with current attribution models. Rather than expecting PPC to drive a return in isolation, brands are increasingly looking at their marketing spend holistically and placing more value on the impact of ‘brand’. Smart Shopping is a prime example of PPC carrying out a dual role by driving sales at the product level but also buying media via YouTube & Gmail. The potential for PPC teams to play a key role in brand awareness is already here.

Collaborate closely with creative to win 

As automation continues to do the heavy lifting from a targeting perspective, the focus for PPC analysts needs to become directed at what you’re saying and how you’re saying it. A test and learn approach is vital and this is where collaboration with Creative is key. Gone are the days of receiving ‘the creative’. Here are the days of receiving version one of your assets with a plan in place to continually test for consistent improvement.

 

Ion Farmakides – Head of Sales at Pearl Lemon Leads

 

 

One of the things that will keep on improving is the automation aspect. The more social media grows and the more channels you can leverage, then the more options businesses will have.

They’ll be able to use different angles for their PPC by using platforms like TikTok and other different channels that will start to become more important than Google. Automation and additional channels for PPC could definitely be a big thing in 2022.

Dale Olorenshaw – Head of Performance Marketing at Cab Engine

 

 

Whilst artificial intelligence (AI) and automation is nothing new and can be seen as two separate entities, the ever-changing landscape and evolution of these areas is something to keep an eye on within 2022. With the reduction of keyword types and increase in different campaign types I.E Google’s Max Performance, we expect to see a bigger variety of automated testing from formats to CTAs and creative to advert copy.

Alongside AI and automation, we will also see the likes of Google, Bing and other search engines move to a more “audience” focused targeting. Up until now, many search engines have placed a heavy focus on keyword targeting and user-pleasing content. As the industry attempts to find new ways to target as an alternative to utilising third party cookies, such as Googles FLoC (Federated Learning of Cohorts), audience targeting will become more important throughout 2022 and onwards.

Following on from the reduction in third party data, first party data should and will be an absolute must for businesses to take advantage of within 2022. Mining your companies CRM data to begin pushing into the likes of Google Ads will become a crucial step towards relevant targeting and in general greater success.

In conclusion, all businesses who are currently running or looking to take advantage of any PPC platforms should be looking to adapt or introduce the likes of AI, automation, audience targeting and first party data to drive business growth.

Ryan Lees – Director and PPC Specialist at Limelight Digital

 

One of the major shifts we are seeing in terms of PPC in 2022 relates to data-driven attribution: data-driven is replacing last-click attribution as the standard default for Google Ads in 2022. So far, this has only been available to big Google ads spenders.

By making it available as a standard to all advertisers, it will really move them all away from last-click / time decay in 2022.

A few other 2022 PPC predictions: Tik Tok ads will become a bigger consideration to more brands given the rapid growth of the platform and automation will continue to grow.

For any questions, comments or features, please contact us directly.

 

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