AI is changing and improving every day in every industry. In the Google Ads world, it has a major influence on the search behavior of users and how ads are populated. Google and all of its AI capabilities are now expected to go from matching simple keyword-focused searches to having to understand the user’s context, intent, and complex questions.
This is where Google relies on AI to determine which ads to show and when to serve them. As AI continues to reimagine the wheel in Search, advertisers need to understand and be able to act on how it affects consumer behavior and campaign performance.
The Shift From Keywords to Conversations
Users have always searched based on keyword-focused queries, but today, people are doing searches more conversationally. They are providing more context, preferences, and specific needs in their search query. This is where AI has stepped in massively to help Google comprehend the meaning behind searches instead of only matching to words that the query contained.
Because of this, search intent has become more nuanced and detailed than ever before. Google’s AI technology can now fully analyze the context of a user’s search to better understand what the user is trying to get from their unique search. A single search can now have multiple layers of intent behind it, including informational, research, and purchase intent. An example of this is as follows:
When a user searches: “What’s the best CRM for a growing plumbing company that needs scheduling, invoicing, and customer tracking?”
Google can infer:
- Industry
- Business size
- Desired features
- Potential buying intent
These signals allow Google to connect the potential customer with the most relevant content and ads.
AI-Powered Campaign Types and How PPC Marketers Need to Adapt
Google’s AI is shifting searches from keywords to intent, and it is understanding the meaning behind searches and not just the query that was entered in a search. For marketers, Google is providing us with a wide range of AI-powered campaigns and tools to help improve our clients’ performance. Broad Match keywords expand the reach of the keyword by going beyond the query to match the relevant intent of the user’s search. In Performance Max campaigns, it uses AI to find potential customers across all of Google’s channels.
Then, in Search Campaigns, Google is using AI Max, which identifies new search opportunities and can dynamically improve ad relevance. PPC Marketers need to utilize all of these tools and adapt to the rapidly changing ways of marketing using AI. We need to focus less on exhaustive keyword lists and focus on ad copy that answers customers’ questions. We also need to prioritize accurate conversion tracking and use AI as a strategic tool while we monitor and optimize performance.
How AI Is Changing Ad Matching and Delivery
Google is evolving the way it matches an ad to a user’s search, using AI that also takes into account what it sees as the user’s intent behind the search, not just the exact keyword match. Google’s AI evaluates the search intent, user behavior, location, device, time of day, historical conversion data, and audience signals. All of those signals now fuel the ad that will be populated and taken into consideration based on a user’s simple Google search. The result of this is a more relevant ad experience for users, and it provides a better opportunity for advertisers to get in front of more qualified prospects.
At the end of the day, AI is having an effect on both sides of the search experience. Potential customers are searching with more context and expect more personalized results tailored to their specific needs. Google is using AI to better understand its users’ intent and serve a highly relevant ad that can help a potential customer find the information, product, or service that they need more efficiently.
As search becomes increasingly more conversational, advertisers who focus on all of the signals that AI utilizes will be best positioned to succeed in the evolving Google Ads landscape.
