EP253 - The Future of Search & PPC

0:00 Hello and a warm, welcome to this week's episode of the PPC chat around up. In today's episode, we have Julie taken us on a very timely topic, the future of search. And PPC I say is particularly timely because recently Google released an interview that I did amongst amazing other names like as a math Med as well as carry Rose as you'll know of rise at 7:00 and several other like big names in our industry in the UK hair and it was just a great chat about About what we think about Ai and search in the future. And I mentioned about how we're very much like private investigators. And I talk more about that about how really to the strategists that are going to get a lot busier than any other people. I know would be safe for a while, people see managers roles are die now and I think that, yeah, Google is trying to get towards that.

0:50 I don't know how many years is going to happen. It might be in the next few years. Google my wait for the next five years for that. But yeah, I think the world of, especially search execs, you know? Jr's who do old like the reporting and the big changes. Those kind of roles are going to be. I feel sunsetted really very soon and not too long ago so let's get into that. Hello and a warm, welcome to this episode of the PPC Chad round up a podcast where I round up the Twitter discussion that happens on Tuesdays at 5 p.m. GMT. I'm your host, Andrew and I'm recording from my studio here in London UK. And I use this platform to share, not just expert but also my ideas and considered best practices about paid media and the direction the digital industry is going in. So if you want to keep up to date with my tips and tricks and get the latest on the podcast that has been called your go to even if you don't make it to the PPC chat live discussion. And even if you do then like, follow share and retweet on that, right?

1:55 Twitter with my handle, the marketing, a new or join us on LinkedIn. Just look for my profile and you're a big baller, you know, I love to chat. I love doing a Tuesday. Paul today was about Ai and responsive search ads on, whether AI has dramatically changed, how you write ads. I was quite interested about how there's a high percentage of people. I was like not at all. They hasn't said, that's very interesting, or you can check us out on Instagram at PPC, chat underscore round up. So that's at PPC, chat on the score, Round Up to get quotes and Snippets from previous episodes. So as I said earlier on, we have Julie leading us on on the future of the search and PPC which is something that really should be on our minds.

2:35 I know there's lots of work to be going on, lots of meetings to be done but really the future and how it's going to is Only involving is barreling at us at a high Pace rate. We're going to have like, a Google marketing live. Again, another one this year in a few weeks time where Google will to be talking about its main priorities for the next year. So interesting, how AI is going to be developed even more before we get into the questions. As Julie always says, this chat is intended for PPC, Professionals of all levels. If you have something you want to share, please do we are friendly and supportive Community, please. Don't be afraid to participate.

3:15 And of course, lurkers and listeners of the podcasts are always welcome to. So if you want to just sit back and learn please, you are absolutely welcome. So Julie starts us off with question one saying, have you spent any time thinking about, or pondering the future of search, and or PPC? Or are you too busy dealing with the today? And right now, Matthew restarts a software saying I'm busy today, but regarding the Future, IT crosses my mind. But I know I can't control it. So I just need to adapt us as and when I feel, we will always be needed in some capacity. As we always find a way to manipulate the machine to do what we want.

3:56 Greg response saying, always thinking about it in terms of what our goal with dash dash, dash /. What if the ability to do? This went away tomorrow. Then considering what's controllable? What should we be trying to control? Where can we gain an advantage? What? Inevitable, Angela gives you answers while saying I am always thinking about where things are headed in both search in general and in PPC specifically, especially lately with all of the AI hype talk and I was like, oh definitely I'm just a Shameless. Plug is Google even interviewed me about my thoughts on it and how AI is going to affect search ads and how it's going to affect such as in the future?

4:38 If you go to my LinkedIn profile, I have a featured post that has the link to it. So, not trying to also boost my profile. But still, I mean, it's on the think, with google.com site, but yeah, it's a deep link and yet too long for me to start saying here Ashton clock response. Question one saying when changes are made in a current day, I try to think about the bigger picture of, where the platform wants to take us example, Piedmont, replacing various campaign types. Will they come for display next? What about search, but overall mainly busy with changes in the present. So if you look in response, Someone sing whilst I always keep an eye on announcement talking points and development. I am really interested in the future landscape of PPC, and search.

5:23 And then we go on to question 2. Where Julie asks, where do you think search is headed? There has been so much talk about Ai and surge with motor. Come with Google's I/O happening tomorrow. What are your thoughts or prediction? So Google I/O. So that's I hyphen or I think is a webinar. Google is running tomorrow. Yeah, I'm night. Try to attend that I do. Have quite a bit of space in my calendar tomorrow. See if I can attend that Travis response to question too soon. I think Google has a lot left to prove before, AI machine learning. Take the reins either that or will have no choice. But to adopt my prediction is that in time, Google will change enough about how keywords function that they become obsolete. Signals will become the new keywords Anjali goes. This is definitely coming and I think it's timeline is being accelerated.

6:10 Oh God, that's scary. Melissa goes. Yep. In talking about signals for a while now, I hope keywords don't go away by think they will be used differently than they are. Now, if at all, and mine was more of the whole how roles will change? That's the one, my prediction went towards and I was like, strategists will have the most to do bad. Ones will be weeded out quickly. So the ones who have been giving shoddy advice will be weeded out. Everything else will be automated, so yeah, client will also put a lot more pressure on us to make a platform work for them and they'll want platforms to me grow as targets a lot more immediately. So yeah, branding will be very hard to prove because we'll all be about cost of sale will be about return on ad spend and just about that making sure that revenues working for us. So if you look in response to question to see and I think we will lose control over a lot of aspects of keyword ad copy targeting and this will mean that we will have to get better at the strategy side of things.

7:10 So similar to what I said, the good Specialists will Always adapt and Julie has self-response question to say I was going to invade every aspect of search. The question is, how much, and which parts will have staying power? We don't know the answer to that. Yet Greg response to that saying, one of the smartest things for Google to do would be to include barred in such Partners. If you want advertising on board, you got it advertised everywhere else. Oh God, Julie goes. Don't give them this kind of ideas and I agreed don't give them those kind of ideas. Greg, we have Boggs Spawn discussion to same search algorithms, need Improvement for sure but I don't trust Google to build an AI powered search engine when they can't even get the existing platform straight.

7:55 Yeah, I agree. Dwayne Brown response to question once and I think about it. Also cannot predict it a shopping feed world is one thing that is 90%, a sure thing who makes the feed is another story. Also, trying to deal with the hair now and the tomorrow for 20 23, which is GA Julie takes us on to question 3. Saying, where do you think PPC in? General is headed. What is contributing to your opinions on this topic? Currently, I said really my answer for question. 3 is the same as my last question to, in terms of strategists will have the most to do Travis response, question, 3 cm, I think ppc's already redefined platforms have come full circle to where T V plus radio.

8:37 I've always been so CPM fake CPP. What CPP either? Sorry, your guess is as good as mine. Line clicks will be phased out as the billable action paying for outcomes will be the norm with machine learning. Guiding ad serving not consumer. Click inputs is all about guiding the business outputs. I agree doing Brown response to question to say, modes are what we think of or see people do with AI is not the final product in a few more years. Lots of battle lazy product, out there. Also chat gbt is a to simple search engine and not advanced in any way. He just scrapes content off the internet. I wish more people listen to this, the way people are using it to, you know, totally dramatically change, how they write content and use it to write content guys, take you the painter. So take it with a dollop of salt. Anyway, I can clock response to question 2 saying, I think that AI is here to stay, but we don't yet know just how much it will change search because generative is probably just the start. I think advertisers will also continue to lose Roll with broader match types or no keywords at all, less visibility and attribution.

9:48 Julie answers. Question 3 is, and I think AI is going to invade PPC to again. What has staying power remains to be seen but I'm expecting lots of automation, machine learning and AI to be on the agenda at Google I/O and gml so Google marketing live in a few weeks. Melissa make irresponsible for sure, definitely something to watch for Dane guadagnino response, AI has already been in Google PPC. Ads for some time now. Yeah, automation me know about that. Tim Al Halloran response to question 2 saying, I think SEO and PPC are going to have to work together closely in the future. Yes, Tim can, we shut down from the rooftop of speaking to one of my really good friends.

10:31 Crystal Carter an amazing amazing person from wakes. I had one issue with wigs on Friday, and literally within an hour, it was all sorted out that I'd been over charged with something like within That our I've looked in my bank account, my money had been returned, they're amazing. Check works out if you need a CMS or you're looking to build a site. Anyway, I was telling her about how we need to do a podcast about SEO and PPC, not just about how do they work well together. But pulling down pulling down the wall, pulling down the hole, 0 & co.'s head ppc's hair, we have to work closely in the future. We have to realize how such, you know, discuss more about how such effects both sides discussed about how Things are happening Ico.

11:15 People always say not PPC get a lot more love from Google. And yeah, they can be the case. But you know what, if your dad's favorite child is your sibling, why don't you befriend, your sibling and you are whispering to his are about the things that you want. So that, you know, when your sibling is going to ask for something from Dad, knowing the dad would always say yes. You know, you get you get what you want as well. Anyway, I think I see on PPC work well together as he continues. I I think as here in PPC, are going to have to work together closely in the future. I think video. Social search engines are going to be important and understanding how to rank on them both organically and Vibe. Paid will start to outpace other search engines like Google Julie response to that same Tick-Tock is trying to roll such into it more and more and you know, Facebook has always wanted to be a destination that you don't leave.

12:07 Absolutely. So someday Twitter will be an everything up to. I don't know about that. I think it was Liquid video and use a video content because, yeah. Facebook is more. The, you know, you can upload a whole bunch of stuff just posts. Just text is images, tracks. Something like that. Anyway, so if you look in response to question 3, since I think PPC is going to be a primarily automated process in the future and whilst privacy, safety development are definitely driving. A lot of changes, I can't help but feel that platform greed is a key driver and Ashton clock response to question 3. Same mentioned this in a tube I Think we'll keep losing control visibility, Etc. Moving forward, privacy regulations, and platform updates. Like switching to go4 will only continue. So, we have to think about how to handle those changes and future-proof as much as we can.

12:57 He continues a client added. A cookie consent. Pop up to one of their landing pages which strips our conversion tracking. If the user reject certain ones, this is probably the future so we don't recommend, they remove it. Just have to deal uncommon. Kate with them about the implication. So that's an example. He gives about how you know cookie consent issues could feed into tracking or wow. That's very interesting. Bugs response to question three seen really hard to say right now. I think getting users to switch to Bing from Google is like getting them to switch from Apple to Android. There's too many great features in Google. And with better UI even with AI I'm not leaning towards Bing just yet. Dave Gallego was Question 3, say normally you have Googled dominance followed by Bing or following suit in features and Direction.

13:49 But now varied chat engines chat engines in inverted. Commas will eat into Google's search pie. Let's hope. Competition brings more transparency, but I'm not holding my breath. Julie respond saying it does feel like there might be a window to take eyeballs from Google happening or taking eyeballs from Google. Who's going to do it? Didn't Apple say they're going to come up with their own search engine. I'm still waiting for that. John taking response to question. Three, seen on Google profit tool to get rid of human intervention. To have a response to question. 3 saying, where I think PPC is headed, not that original, but more AI, more machine learning more audience, Persona targets less, keyword less, demographics.

14:31 Less given data. Let's demo, he says, let's demo. I'm guessing is demographics, but he might just be less demonstrations anyway. Let's given data, but potentially more powerful targeting If it's not watered down to enhanced auctions clothes profitability, Julie takes us on question for saying, what are you most excited or intrigued about when you think about read about the future of search and or PPC? So yeah, we do talk about we're excited about, I couldn't answer this because I don't know, I think the future of me being a strategist is already here. The future that future of we need more strategies is my present so my future is my presents already happening right now. So yeah.

15:13 That's what's interesting for me. And Drew magary respond saying been using chat GPT and mid-journey for six months. Google's automated text and image options right now. Phil horribly dated, they need to step up their game or everyone is going to win. More of the ad budget. Pie, Google ads are ugly ads. Jewelry respond saying they could have a huge win by using AI to make better Google generated assets for advertisers because some of the stuff they make is just awful and Rose continues to that scene at graduate using canva can make better looking ads than Google ads, people like Google's reach, nobody likes the, add product, but we haven't had better choices. Historically and about mcgarrigle's, Amazon video ads, look amazing.

15:58 Considering the file sizes. Google's share global scale means. They're stuck with things that don't look very good. Everyone else can look much better because they don't have the entire world to deal with at the same level and John Kerry. Response to question for seen so far just brand exclusions for p. Max Julie response to question for sent as someone who has been in marketing since before the internet. It is really interesting to see the many of things that historically have made digital advertising, so attractive, great targeting and a lot more attribution Fade Away, Julie continues. And in some ways digital marketing is going to be a lot more like the marketing of your when we had much more General targeting. Ins and much fuzzier attribution. So if you look in response to question forcing the changes in ad format options in trust me as a user and an Advertiser it's good to see the range broadening. And so then Julia goes on to question fighting, what are your biggest concerns about where search and or PPC might be headed?

17:03 And do you think there's anything that we could do about these concerns Kirk Williams joins the conversations at? Last saying, my greatest concern is that Google is Necessarily trying to move past search as its core product, just for the sake of controlling automation within ads platforms. The thing businesses or loved about PPC is still here, but harder to do now, efficiently identify certain valuable Search terms or phrases. I just don't think that overall idea is going away since it involves basic models of communication people want a certain product or service and thus communicate that at to learn about where they can buy it. So you can more easily Target people interested in their product based on their communication of that internet. I think Google is being Icarus so flying too close to the Sun for getting the core of who they are. As they push for more platform control across their various add channels, Travis response to question five saying yeah, provability read attribution remains a huge blind spot. So provability ie In remains a huge blind spot. If we're relegated to hold out, test to prove X versus y platform, spend Works Brands holds the bag and platforms get paid.

18:23 We may be an inivisible pessimistic stalemate. Pay to play and get what you get and then Travis response to Kirk saying Your Love. The Greek mythology reference and fully agree. Google has always played down to the lowest common Advertiser denominator. Not all have budgets to invest in machine. Learning, there's a reason. Car ads, dominate TV commercials and serps remain more refined today. The in response to the question 5, yeah, saying, massive concern is what I'm beginning to see. With some perspective clients, I've met with a, I will solve all of my problems. I won't need to hire anyone. We can leverage Ai and save the cost of human management or over side and then I respond to question. Five saying, yeah, my concern in my biggest concern is people's unnecessary.

19:13 Paint as to how you can't do things, the way things are done before and I say, unnecessary complaint, some complaints are necessary, but some of them are like, guys, you just need to adopt, is it? When they do unnecessary complaints about things not being the way they used to be before, instead of actually just trying to adapt. So also clients who won't understand the more lack of control that we have and just keep on asking us to do certain things and us having to explain over and over again, that we can't do so and pains because of the lack of control. And John King response lack of transparency. Unfortunately that theme is growing is the grain everywhere G then response to question five saying. Yeah, it is and will continue to be harder to verify data from platforms, as attribution gets, even more care.

19:57 It's a big leap for advertisers to make form the see exactly where your digital ad dollars are going on. What's working that? We have sold for the last 20 years. Jillian, continues, her answer saying, yeah and there isn't really much We can do about this as far as how the platform's will keep making data less available or transparent. We will have to re-educate our clients and stakeholders about how things are now and how they are evolving. It's a huge change and then when response to question, forcing our platforms, want us all out of a job. I don't think we will see on iRobot world for a while, but it's coming and then doing Brown response. Question 5 is an ultimate away.

20:40 Tedious jobs, jobs that are simple when y ha Happens. Do x and z still need humans to understand context. So if you look in response to question, five, seen the concept of losing control is difficult for me, but it just takes time to change and adapt. A big concern is clients, not understanding changes, absolutely or accepting that things are going to be different than they once were. And I actually goes this is what I mean. When I say that we did too good, a job of selling digital advertising for what it was really good at targeting and attribute in a lot. Precisely. Now we have to roll all that back. It's such a big adjustment to everyone's thinking. So if you log in response, saying gone are the days when we could compare digital marketing without of home and how you can accurately attribute performance.

21:29 And when gives another answer to question, five saying, ad platforms and some people think the tech is better than it is people who do what we do. Same that you don't need to do anything with P. Max has me shaking my My head. Sure, there is no work on shopping, feeds at all. And then Adam Clark response to question forcing. I think big changes are coming to Bing and Google search and I'm interested to see which direction is they go, the two routes that? Stand out to me. Are will search be more of a tick tock experience or really rely more heavily on AI and chat GPT like features? I think the latter or a combo of the two may be a combo of the two he continues somewhat related and this might be a hot ticket. By thing Tick Tock could have more of an impact on search in the immediate future.

22:18 We've already seen a number of platforms try to lean more into short form video and provide a more visual experience. The past. Few years, Ashton continues, that said, AI will continue to advance at a rapid race, regardless of whether we think it should or not. We haven't seen what's fully possible with AI yet, which is equal parts, intriguing, exciting, and intimidating, and all that slightly. The ominous notes, are we come to end of our chat? Julie, thanks as all for joining today and they'll be a recap post later. And Eve you have more thoughts about the future of search and just how it should go. Join them on Thursday at 5:00 p.m. join us on Thursday, at 5:00 p.m.

23:00 GMT. 12 p.m. eastern time. I think that maybe 9 a.m. like Pacific time, so, it's but sorry on Pacific Time. Don't take my word for it. I know for sure. It's 12 p.m. eastern time and 5 p.m. GMT. So What that means for you. They've been some really interesting takes here. I think and yeah there's just that whole thought process of like your how much it's not about whether it is going to take over not, how much is it going to take over? How much is going to affect you? How much is going to affect clients? Which clients is going to take by surprise, which I still going to be using it very wrong, you know? And that's really the interesting world. I am very intrigued to look into. So if you found that useful, All of you have any corrections for me.

23:45 Please DM me. My DMs are open or if you just have more to say about it. Yeah. Just going to PC Chad. We don't mind you, you know, just mentioning your thoughts. Even if it's not part of the specific discussion about AI in the future of it, I think there's a lot of chatter around it right now. For any feedback about the podcast, get me on Twitter, get to me on LinkedIn, get me on Instagram. I'm also there at the marketing and use, if you want to check me out there and we'll also Be grateful long-standing and brand new listeners to give the podcast overview. And I am seen that this is being effective. And I thank you that I saw a latest rating on Spotify. So I'm really grateful to you. I noticed these things, I don't just spew all these messages out and don't keep track.

24:28 I keep track. So thank you for everybody that has given it a rating on Spotify, especially, it's so easy. Just go to link tree.com full / PPC, chat on this called Roundup. It takes seconds To leave a rating. Also, we've got PPC live, UK coming up on the 25th of May. So that's just in over two weeks now. We've got a very new venue out. Also, in East London is got cold, the mandrel Hotel really excited for that. It's a beautiful locations. I've gone to visit it account way to properly announce that on all the channels. So, yeah, I hope you join us for that when he just go to PC live. UK.com tickets are only 20 pounds only 20 pounds, and get drinks for speakers. Amazing networking.

25:14 Seriously the cheapest night out you have in London finally remember for your campaigns and businesses to Glide smoothly. There's a lot of hard work needed beneath the surface so keep this one's kicking by and speak to you next week.