Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising is still as popular as SEO today because of its combined affordability and effectiveness. Its ability to generate leads makes it popular among many companies and, like other marketing strategies, it continues to evolve while becoming more user-friendly.

2020 saw a lot of changes in PPC, which continued throughout 2021, and we can only expect to see more changes in 2022 and the years ahead. Here are some of the top trends in PPC advertising in 2022 that will govern your approach to strategies.

1. Combination of A.I. and Automation

There’s a reason why companies such as Amazon and Google developed internet-reliant devices for home management, as this technology enabled companies to effectively capture and learn from data on consumer behavior. With this data, these companies could tailor ads and user experiences through automation based on user preferences learned from their actions.

A company like Google can utilize huge amounts of information to develop automation systems that can understand user behavior. Using combined automation and increasingly complex artificial intelligence, Google can give PPC advertisers access to specially-targeted audiences. This is in contrast to the days when businesses would waste money going after audiences that weren’t prepared to make a purchase.

There are still many developments that need to take place before A.I. and automation are perfected, but you will be able to leverage them in 2020 for a more optimized campaign.

2. More Ubiquitous Video Ads

Videos are among the most powerful marketing tools you can utilize in PPC today. They enable brands to convey a certain unique personality and tell their own story while connecting with their audiences. People have an easier time relating to a brand that’s truly made visible through video. People are also more likely to trust a product or service when demonstrated in a video presentation.

According to Forbes, the average user even spends 88 percent more time on a website with videos. While they’re far from new and often costly to produce, the potential returns when using video ads make them worth the expense and effort. As a result of its effectiveness, we’re likely to see video advertising to continue serving as one of the most effective PPC advertising methods, particularly as professional equipment and editing software become increasingly accessible to the average user.

In addition to popular video channels like YouTube, you can leverage Snapchat, Instagram, and LinkedIn to showcase video ads using native video advertising. You can also advertise via educational channels such as LinkedIn Learning and Udema, which tend to attract a lot of user engagement.

3. A Decrease in the Number of Organic Search Results

Chances are you don’t go beyond the first page in Google search results to find what you’re looking for. Typically, users will find what they need within the first three pages.

While this may not seem like an issue, Google and other search engines will begin to show a lower number of results and limit the number of webpages per user search.

The key to overcoming this challenge is to produce high-quality content that can rank highly while engaging users. To further help you, you’ll need to implement an effective paid advertising campaign.

4. Advanced Audience Segmentation

With audience segmentation, users will only see ads about specific products during a certain time through the grouping of users, based on their specific needs.

Google and other companies can access large amounts of data that allow them to provide users with extremely accurate results to avoid irrelevance. Thankfully, users can also access this data via Google’s ad platform. Using this tool, you can segment users based on a number of specifications, including demographics, geography, psychographics, and other specific behavioral attributes.

Through PPC ad campaigns, you can use segmentation to select a group of people or demographic who will be able to see your ads. As a result, users will see a relevant ad that encourages them to click-through and perform the desired action.

With more data, you can benefit from advanced segmentation, and in 2022 you will have even more options available to develop highly personalized ad campaigns.

5. Using a Multitude of Platforms for Advertising

When it comes to marketing, the wider the reach, the more customers you’ll ultimately attract. If you want to maximize your reach, you’ll want to make use of all of the platforms you can, including Google Ads, Instagram Ads, Amazon Ads, Facebook Ads, and LinkedIn Ads. Using all of these can help you reach the biggest number of people and give you more opportunities for conversion.

Many tend to think primarily of Google regarding advertising, but you can always turn to others like Pinterest, LinkedIn, and Amazon to complement your Google ad campaigns. You’ll find that each of these platforms exposes your business to a large audience and can prove invaluable to your marketing efforts.

Digital advertising has undergone numerous changes throughout the years, making it important to keep up with the latest industry trends, particularly when it comes to targeting mobile users. Users are more intelligent and impatient than they’ve ever been, as they know what they want and want it as soon as they can get it. To cater to users’ needs, you’ll do well to push relevant ads that are comprehensive and helpful.

Various studies have found that the average consumer will spend over five years of their life on social media platforms. Reaching these people with ads will entail learning which platforms your audience uses. Some might use Facebook or Twitter while others will be more focused on visual social media via Snapchat, Instagram, or Pinterest.

If you want to help people find you in a sea of businesses that sell what you sell, you’ll need to be able to help them with the decision-making process. You can do so by convincing them through relevant and unintrusive ads that you have the services or products they need.

6. More Reliance on Voice Search

Voice searches continue to be extremely popular among consumers and will only become more so in 2020 and beyond. This means that you need to target audiences using more conversational phrases that they’re likely to ask when using voice search via phones, desktops, or smart speakers.

With regard to PPC ads, voice searches will also influence which pages your ads show up on. This makes it necessary to develop ads that are adaptable to voice search.

Without considering voice search, you’ll miss out on a huge opportunity to reach users who might not find you via traditional search, including individuals with certain disabilities or those who are simply looking for a convenient search method.

7. The Use of Virtual Reality

Virtual reality continues to grow as an industry, Facebook and the metaverse are using technology that allows users to explore another world.

While it’s not commonly used for advertising, these platforms are likely to emerge as more developments in VR tech take place. VR allows users to evaluate products or services, seeing what certain products look like from every angle in a specific location via full-scale 3D models using augmented reality, without the need to actually try the product out or purchase it.

This will revolutionize advertising and truly give users a chance to conveniently test products and determine what’s best for them in a fun and engaging way.

The Importance of Remarketing

Remarketing entails using a certain form of advertising on a service or product when a user visits a certain landing page or becomes familiar with your company, without making a purchase. For instance, you might look for a certain product on Amazon but neglect to buy it, in which case you may see ads from Amazon on other websites pushing that or another relevant product, reminding you of your interests and encouraging you to come back.

If you see a product repeatedly, the chances that you’ll purchase it will increase. As a result, remarketing continues to be an effective marketing method that’s inexpensive and efficient compared to other more traditional targeting options. Instead of targeting new users, you can focus more on drawing those who’ve already expressed interest in what you have to offer.

Revamp Your Marketing Efforts with These PPC Trends in 2022

To get the results you want from your online marketing efforts in 2022, take these trends into consideration when planning an effective PPC campaign, in addition to other digital marketing strategies. The more you work to take advantage of the latest technology and user behaviors in developing your campaigns, the more success you’re likely to experience, attracting more customers without exceeding your available marketing budget.