What a year we have had as a SEA specialist. My colleague recently put it very well: “There has never been so much change in our field as in the past 1 to 2 years.” Due to all AI developments, the algorithm has become increasingly smarter. We are setting up campaigns faster and faster, but as SEA specialists we find managing them increasingly difficult, according to the State of PPC Report*. Developing a full funnel marketing strategy is becoming increasingly important and I believe that this is essential to be successful in 2025.
What happened in 2024?
Before I explain the SEA trends for 2025, I always find it interesting to look back on the past year. Here are a few key developments:
Cookie banners and Consent Mode 2.0
From March, all websites had to implement cookie banners and Consent Mode 2.0 to comply with the new regulations. Unfortunately, we have also lost a piece of data because not everyone accepts cookies. On my accounts, on average, about 25% of website visitors do not accept cookies.
Reduce data insights
As SEA specialists, we have a great need for data. Thanks to smart AI algorithms and campaigns, less and less data is becoming visible. Frequently asked questions that we would like answers to are: on which search terms are the Performance Max (PMax) campaigns shown?
On which channels will my ads be shown? Fortunately, there are SEA specialists who are not afraid of coding. In 2024, many scripts have been launched to give us more campaign insights, such as Mike Rhodes’ PMax Insights Script.
DemandGen campaigns
This campaign type is being used more and more often. As SEA specialists, we are still looking for ways to properly build these relatively new campaigns, but by testing a lot we are becoming wiser.
Automatic assets
Google Ads can now automatically create assets for your campaigns. While this may seem useful, these assets don’t always improve the campaign. The algorithm does not always seem to properly understand what the SEA specialist wants to communicate.
PMax campaigns are getting bigger and more popular
PMax campaigns are still being set up. Sometimes even to replace search campaigns because better results are achieved via PMax.
Microsoft ads in Copilot
Microsoft has started advertising in Copilot. When you start a conversation with Copilot, there is a chance that search ads will be shown.
SEA specialists have certainly not been idle in 2024. I also expect major trends in 2025 that will require our attention. I explain 5 important trends for 2025.
Trend #1: Search is more than words
The search results page looks different these days. We see images, Google Maps, shopping ads and more. Users also expect more from search engines. Some important developments:
- Users have become accustomed to immediate and personal answers thanks to AI tools. They also expect this from search engines, where searches serve not only to find answers but also to gain inspiration. As SEA marketers, we must take long tail searches into account – searches with many words or in the form of questions.
- Google Lens is integrated into the search engine and Chrome browser. I expect that users will search with images more often. With a screenshot, Google Lens can show related products in shopping ads.
Tips
- Keep a close eye on your search terms report and be aware of changes in searches. Maybe it’s time to test a different campaign structure.
- Are you an e-commerce company? Make sure you enable shopping and/or PMax campaigns and that the product feed is as complete as possible, including good images, so that your ads can be shown in a Google Lens search.
- Make sure your ad texts contain relevant messages to appeal to the user.
- Use a combination of PMax and search campaigns to be visible on the search results page.
Trend #2: tell your brand story through upper funnel campaigns
The customer journey is becoming increasingly complex. 56% of consumers postpone their purchasing decision or decide not to buy at all due to too many options or information. It is important to invest in good brand positioning so that you can build a relationship with potential customers at the beginning of the customer journey.
Fortunately, Microsoft Ads and Google Ads offer solutions such as DemandGen, video and audience ads campaigns. In addition, Google has announced that there will be new AI features for different campaign types, such as AI-driven image editing for PMax, Search, Display, DemandGen and App campaigns. You will also be able to set brand guidelines in PMax campaigns, allowing you to do much moreon-brand‘ can advertise.
Tips
- DemandGen campaigns are becoming increasingly important. Google is investing heavily in this campaign type and has announced that the ‘video for action‘ campaigns are integrated into DemandGen campaigns. In addition, Google indicated during Google Marketing Live 2024 that animated image ads will also be possible. My advice is to definitely test with this campaign type.
- Video ads are perfect for telling your brand story. Invest in creating short videos and use them in DemandGen and video campaigns to reach people early in the customer journey.
- Use AI tools and features (inside and outside the advertising platforms) to create the best images and brand experience.
- Please note: even though PMax seems like a total solution, this campaign type is mainly designed for lower-funnel purposes. A PMax campaign is less effective for upper funnel purposes.
You can make a difference by telling your brand story well through upper funnel campaigns.
Trend #3: rising costs
The cost per click (CPC) within Google Ads is rising rapidly, due to various factors. What I notice so far is that it occurs when the quality score is low, the search intent is unclear, campaigns are not set up logically or simply, or when there is a lot of competition.
Tips
- Make sure you understand the basics of Google and Microsoft Ads. Take a critical look at your campaign structure, bidding strategies, keywords and ad texts.
- Make sure your goals are measurable.
- Don’t switch to broad keywords too quickly.
- Aim for a quality score of at least 6 or higher.
- Keep testing and learning.
- Occasionally conduct competitive research to see how your competitors are using SEA, but never copy their strategy. Every account needs a customized approach.
Trend #4: more insight into data
The scripts developed over the past year have given us much more insight into campaign data. Google has also announced that more insights will be available for PMax campaigns, allowing us to make better optimization choices.
Tips
- Don’t forget to use scripts for more data insights. Also make use of the available insights that Google Ads and Microsoft Ads offer.
PMax insights script example
- If all goes well, it will soon be possible to set negative keywords for PMax campaigns. Analyze the search terms in the PMax Insights script, exclude irrelevant keywords and optimize your PMax campaigns.
Trend #5: AI in search engines
We’ve heard a lot about it: AI overviews on the Google search results page. These overviews could provide direct answers to questions, making clicking through to websites less attractive (and necessary). Fortunately, Google has announced that there will be room for advertisements and links in the AI overviews. The only question is how soon we can expect this in Europe. Google is currently testing AI overviews mainly in the US.
Microsoft has also integrated AI into the search engine. If you search via Copilot, you will also see advertisements in the chat. Microsoft indicates that it only shows relevant advertisements around the topic you are chatting about. I’ve already seen them in the Netherlands. In addition, Microsoft has also indicated that they want to test with advertisements in the Microsoft365 environment. It is still unclear what exactly that means.
In addition, ChatGPT is working on a new search engine: SearchGPT. The question is how much effect this will have on the use of Google as a search engine. The younger generation already often uses ChatGPT, and they will probably also quickly use SearchGPT if it produces reliable search results.
Tips
- To end up in AI overviews via Google Ads, it is wise to use Search or PMax campaigns. Start testing with these types of campaigns if you haven’t set them up yet.
- Via Microsoft Ads, advertisements are only shown in Copilot when you use Search campaigns.
- Keep an eye on what new developments are taking place and how consumer behavior is changing. Perhaps you should take a look at the possibilities on AI search engines such as Perplexity or the future search engines such as SearchGPT.
Are you ready for 2025?
A lot is happening in the SEA industry, such as AI, cookies, data loss and rising costs. Be aware of the changes and keep testing with new strategies. My advice: make sure the foundation is good and understand what a campaign does and what it is used for. This way you get the most benefit from your Google Ads and Microsoft Ads campaigns.
I am curious about the further plans of Google and Microsoft Ads. In any case, it is clear that the way users search has changed significantly, and we should certainly take this into account in our full funnel SEA strategy.
Which trend do you think is most important? What trends do you see that are not mentioned here? Feel free to share them in response to this article.
*Source introduction: State of PPC Report
Source: www.frankwatching.com
