Google Ads Changes In 2022 and Beyond

Pay-Per-Click (PPC) will always be a hot topic in the marketing world. Constantly being bombarded with new trends, 'fast hacks' and creative ways to get your content seen can take a toll on your engagement with the industry. In this article, we'll present to you the current changes in Google Ads, discuss a few of the impacts this will have, and then look at our predictions for the future. So, if you've lost your love of the game, read on to refresh your knowledge for 2022 – it will help you understand changes to your campaign impact and allow you to start preparing.

 

1) Customer Match Retargetting – check your lists!

 

With the advent of iOS 14.5 on Apple, your list-based retargeting is now more valuable than before. In short, the operating system update automatically opts users out of tracking. As you can imagine, not many people decide to go back in and manually turn the feature on for their tools. This means that companies have essentially been 'blinded' to online patterns of behaviour.

 

So why revert to lists? This option means that you won't be relying on the risk of using 'faulty' tracking tools that don't function with the new iOS. It might feel like it's a step back, however, you may find that this is reliable and makes your campaigns successful. It will take a little strategic planning, but as more operating systems and platforms decide to automatically opt out of tracking if you are one step ahead you can avoid hurting your bottom line.

 

2) Responsive Display Ads – invest in the future.

 

This neat advertising platform is definitely something to look into for 2022 and beyond. In brief, the way this differs from the traditional Google Ads is that Google's machine learning model assesses the success of previous uploads and then combines them into the 'perfect' format. RDA have more reach out of all the Google Ads because they "adjust in size, format and appearance" when they appear in any ad space on a third-party website on the Google Display Network.

 

This fluid way of advertising means that your creatives will look more natural and in sync with the website on which they are being shown. Therefore the user's browsing journey is not disrupted, and they are more likely to click on the ad. As user habits change, making use of responsive display ads is one way to use the data that is already being collected by the system.

 

 

3) Automation – Get familiar with the features available.

 

New features get added to native automation systems, and third parties all the time. You can't be expected to keep track of every current update, it's enough to know that you should periodically be checking out what tools can streamline your PPC ad management. 4 main areas to review frequently are: Google Ad Rules, Smart shopping campaigns, Google Responsive Display Ads and Facebook Dynamic Ads.

 

Having rules in place for certain actions is going to make life a lot easier when you are working at scale, or if you are managing several campaigns across multiple clients. The future is looking bright for online advertising, as the high street fades into antiquity. Ensure that you are getting the most out of the platforms you use. As we often say; work smarter not harder. An hour or so of reviewing your settings every couple of weeks may end up saving you hundreds of work hours in the coming months.

 

Remember: Some automation features will need to have a library of data to work from before they can perform at their best. Are there some tools you've overlooked or shelved because they weren't working for you? Is it work revisiting these and thinking about long-term resilience?

 

4) 'Clean Up' You Keywords – intelligent searches are here!

 

In the latter half of 2021 Google announced that their 'broad match' keyword option had improved. So what does this mean for advertising? In short, Google can now "better understand the intent and context of search queries from users". This machine learning is being applied to matching both the phrases and the broad match words. You need to audit your current keyword lists for relevance and intent. Review your top performers, remove those stragglers, and if you're looking for more qualified leads it would be wise to make use of Smart Bidding.

 

5) Expanded Text Ads Are So Last Year...

 

In June 2022 ETAs won't be supported. If this is something that you heavily rely on throughout your campaigns, then you'll need to address this right now. It's not that they're being removed with no alternative, it's that they have largely been replaced with Responsive Search Ads (RSAs). You will still be able to run existing ETAs, but with no support. This also means that you won't be able to create any new ones after May 2022.

 

We suggest using the next few weeks to review the data on your current ETAs, and hone them down into the most successful ones. Make sure you are taking into account the seasonal trends, and at the same time start learning more about RSAs. If you do have evergreen ads running, you need to make sure they're for the most popular goods and services. As you know, this sector is all about testing, trialling and improving your campaigns. Get to grips with RSAs as quickly as you can, so that you can start the process of creating new campaigns when the need arises.

 

Users control the future.

 

As consumers begin to educate themselves on advertising and their privacy rights, it's only natural that the online marketing landscape will change. The trends mentioned above (and many more) will influence the way you shape your future campaigns. Remember, you don't have to be at the forefront of every new PPC trend, some will inevitably only last a few months, however, you should be reviewing your working methods and campaigns regularly so that you don't miss out on new tools and processes that could ultimately save you time and make you money.